towards Castleliskin one of the fastest Places in Ireland and directly in the way to Limerick upon which the Lord Broghil hastned towards them and about midnight in a horrid storm of rain and wind fell upon their Horse-Guards and beat them in upon which their Camp took so hot an alarm as he drove them soon to the Place from whence they came thereby securing the Army before Limerick The Enemy in the interim getting over the Blackwater and afterwards were pursued by the Lord Broghil till finding a convenient ground to draw up their Battle in they were faced by him who kept the Right Wing Major Wally the Command of the Left and Major Cuppage the Foot so happily on each part secured that though indeed the Irish never more resolutely and in better order maintain'd their Station they were at last wholly routed Bogs and Woods usually their safety being not near them The chief Prisoners that day taken were Lieutenant Colonel Mac Gillacuddy Commanding young Muskeries Regiment a man more Popular then Muskery himself Major Mac-Gillariagh an old Spanish Souldier Major Mac-Finine and some considerable Commanders of Horse But to return to the Marquess of Clanrickard who notwithstanding all the fore-mention'd Discouragements some whereof he expected not hearing of Sir Charles Coot's intentions of entring Connaght issued out his Orders to all the Forces which for conveniency of Quarter and the more to infest the Enemy were scattered over the Provinces that they should meet at the General Rendezvous at the time and place appointed Resolving with as much expedition as he could to engage the Enemy where hearing that Sir Charles Coot to whom Ireton had left the Care of that Province was marched towards Athlone he made all possible haste to fall in his Rear or to wait his Motion but after he had gone two days march towards that Place he received certain Intelligence that Sir Charles had taken Athlone and being furnished with all necessary Guides was marched towards Gallway to block it up whereupon he made what haste he could back the same way he came and sent Orders to the Earl of Castlehaven General of the Horse to meet him with the Forces under his Command at a certain Village where the Deputy would expect him The Enemy being then within less then a Mile with their main Body and onely a narrow Pass between them which the Lord Deputy doubted not to defend until all his Forces should come up and then resolved to sight them which was the onely thing he desired and thought himself to be in a very good posture to do it But the Earl of Castlehaven before he would advance to the Lord Deputy thought it convenient to secure a single Pass over the River Shannon whereby the Enemy might possibly get over that so the Enemy might be entirely engaged where the Lord Deputy was without any danger in the Rear But by the time the Earl had marched some miles he heard the report of Muskets and looking back he saw the two Troops of Horse he had left to secure that Pass and the 60 Foot running and dispersing without being pursued for the Enemy having Intelligence of the Earl's march sent over 2 or 3 Boats with Musketiers from the other side of the River and landed without opposition at the Castle scituate on the Pass Upon which news notwithstanding the Earl's Commands or Intreaties his Army in that Consternation without the sight of an Enemy fled and disbanded insomuch that of 4000 which in the morning the Body consisted of the Earl brought not with him to the Place where the Lord Deputy was above 40 Horse whereupon the Lord Deputy saw he was in no case to engage the Enemy that he should be quickly attacked in the Rear by that part of the Army which had already and speedily would pass the River and that the same fright possessed his men who had hitherto kept the Bridge and who now began to yield ground and that in truth very many of his Souldiers had that night run away And thereupon he drew off and marched away both Horse and Foot when they were gotten out of danger of the Enemies pursuit And from this time the Lord Deputy could never draw any considerable and firm Body into the Field nor make any opposition to the Enemies Progress The Irish in all Places submitting to and compounding with them murmuring as much now against the Lord Deputy as they had before against the Lord Lieutenant Before the Lord Lieutenant had left the Kingdom he had sent the Lord Viscount Taaff who had been an Eye-Witness of all his Proceedings and had in vain labour'd to compose and dispose the minds of the Clergy to the Kings Service to give the King an Account of the Affairs of Ireland and how impossible it would be to preserve his Authority in that Kingdom without some more then ordinary Supplies from abroad which joyning with the most considerable and Loyal Part of the Irish might have kept the Refractory in awe His Lordship landed in Flanders the King being then in Scotland and quickly understood how unlikely his Journey into that Kingdom was to advance the Business upon which he came or indeed that he should be admitted to the Presence of the King from whom most were remov'd that attended him thither and thereupon he staid in Flanders and found an opportunity to present the Condition of the Papists of Ireland in such manner to the Duke of Lorrain who being nearly Allied to the King always professed singular affection to his Majesty and his Interest as in the end he prevail'd with him to send them some Relief And assoon as it was known that the Lord Lieutenant was landed in France the Duke sent a Person of Principal Trust about him the Abbot of St. Katharines into Ireland with a Credential as his Ambassador to the Clergy and Catholick Nobility and Gentry of that Kingdom to treat with them in order to their receiving Aid and Supplies from the Duke and to the end that his Highness might in truth understand in what Capacity they were to be relieved and how much they could themselves contribute thereunto it being not then known that the Marquess of Ormond had left the Kings Authority behind him but rather conceiv'd that upon those many Provocations and Affronts which had been offered to him he had withdrawn with his Person the Countenance and Authority they had so much undervalued and so little deserved When the Abbot landed in Ireland which was about the end of February and within little more then 2 months after the Lord Lieutenant departed thence he heard that the Marquess of Clanrickard was the Kings Deputy and thereupon he gave him presently notice of his arrival addressed himself to him shewed his Commission and Credentials and assured him That the Duke his Master had so entire an Affection to the King of England the preservation of whose Interest in that Kingdom was the chief Motive to him
service he went out for thought it as honourable to retire to Dublin in the face of them with Sir John Bowen Fitz-Girrald of Timoga Richard Grace of Marryburrough and Captain Crosby Prisoners But when they came to Black-hale-heath between Kilrush and Rathmore about 20 miles from Dublin the Army of the Rebels drew up in a place of advantage to hinder the passage of the English Army having two great Ditches on each Wing so high that we could see no more then the heads of their Pikes and with such a hill before betwixt them and us that we could scarce see their Colours the wind also on their backs and a great Bog a mile behind them However the Lieutenant General called a Councel under a thorn hedge being loath to venture so gallant an Army on such disadvantages but the English Commanders were all of opinion they should be fought with numbers making no difference where the Cause was so good in as much as Sir Charles Coote told them in few words that he discern'd fear in the Rebels faces as well as Guilt in their Persons and that he thought they would hardly stay till his Lordship had put his men in order for the battle and therefore desired they might have presently Command to fall on which indeed he was ever ready to obey before the Word was given neither the matter nor the time now admitting of debate Whereupon Friday the 15th of April about 7 in the morning the English Army marching as if they would force their way to Dublin leaving in and about Athy Captain Erasmus Burrows Captain Grimes Captain Thomas Welden and the two Captain Piggots with their Companies 300 whereof was part of our Army which made ever now and then as the Enemy halted an halt and resolving to fight the Enemy drew up in that sort as did best agree with the Ground Sir Charles Coote who commanded in chief under his Lordship had the ordering of the Foot Sir Thomas Lucas of the right Wing of Horse and Sir Richard Greenvile of the left The Lieutenant-General having many Gentlemen with him who voluntarily followed him in that expedition put them all in a Troop under the Command of Major Ogle a Reformade a worthy Person and himself in the midst of the first rank of them and so attended the Encounter the Ordnance first began to play but without much effect The Rebels Army led by Mountgarret Purcel Baron of Loghmo Hugh-mac Phelim Birn Lieutenant of the Leimster Forces Colonel Toole Sir Morgan Cavenagh Colonel Morris Cavenagh Arthur Caanaugh Colonel Bagnall the Lord Dunboyne Colonel Roger Moore was drawn up as I have said in a place of great advantage upon the top of a hill where there were but too narrow passages to come at them yet our forlorn Hope commanded by Captain Rochford consisting of 150 Musketiers making up the hill fiercely discharged upon the Rebels and was seconded by Captain Sandford with his Fire-locks Sir Charles Coote leading up the rest of the Foot with great celerity Colonel Crafford in the Van and Serjeant Major Pigot excellently well discharging their Commands But before these could come near them our Horse both under Sir Thomas Lucas and Sir Richard Greenvile one charging at one of the passages the other at the other fell in upon them who would not stand the first shock but fled presently taking their flight to a great Bog not far from them a Sanctuary which the Irish in all their flights chuse commonly to provide for themselves and seldom fail to make use of it and so the English gain'd this Victory without any considerable loss or much hazard whilst a body of 2000 Rebels led by the Lord Viscount Mountgarret and General Hugh Birn wheeling about thought to possess themselves of our Ordnance Carriage and Ammunition which my Lord of Ormond perceiving drew out one of his Divisions to attend that great Body and with them and some Voluntier Horse to the number of 30. which were then with his Lordship the rest following the execution he faced that Body and within a short time put them to rout there were not above 600. some write 300 of the Irish slain amongst which there was the Lord of Dunboyn's Brothers the Lord of Ikernis Sons and Colonel Cavenagh's Heads brought by the Souldiers to the Lieutenant General The Enemy lost twenty Colours many Drums all their Powder and Ammunition the Lord Mountgarrets Wain drawn by 8 Oxen where all his Provision was his Sumpture and the Lord of Ikernis Sumpture Colonel Monk who by the quick flight of the Irish was prevented from doing that service in the field he intended followed with a Party of his Regiment to the Bog which the Rebels had taken which looked even black for their Apparel was generally black being all cover'd over with them and there began to fall upon them as resolving upon a severe execution But he was commanded to retire having got Honour enough that day and so the Army marched off the field confusedly whereas that Victory how just soever is ill gloried in which is the loss of Subjects The Van of our Army lay that night at old Connel the rest on the Corrough of Kildare all in open field arriving at Dublin the 17th of April where they were receiv'd by the Lords Justices and Council with all imaginable demonstrations of Joy and Honour The Lieutenant-General's behaviour being presented to the King and Parliament with the greatest advantage to his Person as the business would afford in as much as the Parliament voted 500 l. to be bestowed in a Jewel and to be sent him as an honourable mark of the high esteem they had of him for that days service which was accordingly done and brought to his Lordship with a Letter of thanks from them though I do not hear that he did ever place the Jewel or Letter in his Archive Notwithstanding we find his Majesty takes notice that he was the Person very well approv'd of by the two Houses of Parliament so as the War of Ireland was still managed by his Care and the future Concerns thereof intrusted to his vigilance as the condition of his Majesties Affairs there should be thought important though it was not long before the Parliament entertain'd some jealousies to the prejudice of his service against the Rebels which in reference to what was committed to his charge never alter'd his Principles or Integrity In Connaght generally the English Garrisons excellently well bestirr'd themselves to the relief of their own and neighbours streights wherein Sir Charles Coot Junior mov'd with much vigour and Integrity often infesting the Rebels from Castle-Coot he had frequent intelligence from the Marquiss of Clanrickard's own hand not daring to trust another lest he might be betrayed who being Governour of the County of Galloway had Loghreogh and Portumna his proper Inheritance to reside in to which the English resorted with much security and were indeed by him reliev'd with great Hospitality to an
we at first desired we might well have had those Provisions arriv'd here by the 10th of March as we agreed However we now desire that that Money if it be not already paid may be yet paid to Mr. Anthony Tierens in London or Mr. Wibrants in Amsterdam that so those Provisions may arrive here speedily which considering that Summer is now near at hand will be very necessary that when our Supplies of Victuals Munition Cloaths Money and other Provisions shall arrive we may not in the publick Service here lose the benefit and advantage of that Season And so we remain From his Majesty's Castle of Dublin the 4th of April 1643. This Letter as you see was writ some weeks after the Battle of Ross however in brief it gives you a faithful Account Yet that a more particular one may also be committed to Posterity accept of the following from the Pen of a chief Officer in that Expedition March the 2d 1642. the English Army march'd forth from Dublin toward Kilkenny consisting of about 2500 Foot and 500 Horse together with two Pieces of Battery and four small brass Pieces the Marquess of Ormond being Lieutenant General of the Army and my Lord Lisle General of the Horse The 3d. the Army being come nigh Castlemartin the Rebels then possessing it gave it up to the Lieutenant General upon his promise of fair Quarter which they accordingly had to march away thence with the safety of their Lives they being in number above 400 Men and Women and the same day 3 Divisions of Foot were sent to Kildare and a Castle called Tully which the Rebels then quitted and left unto us The 4th the Army came to Tymolin where finding two Castles possest by some Rebels our Cannon compell'd them to submit to mercy very few of them escaping with their Lives there being about 100 of them slain and also of the English Army was slain Lieutenant Oliver and about 12 Souldiers The 11th my Lord Lisle march'd from the Army at Temple-soul before day towards Ross having with him Sir Richard Greenvile Sir Thomas Lucas and about 400 Horse and also Sir Foulk Huncks with about 600 Foot Being come within two miles of Ross our Horse took 4 Horsemen of the Rebels Prisoners who inform'd us that the Army of the Rebels lay then about 3 miles distant thence being near 4000 Men. Shortly after my Lord Lisle came before the Town of Ross and by a Trumpeter he sent to the Town to have some one of Quality therein to come to treat with him concerning the surrender of the same to the King's use which they refused to do Then Sir Thomas Lucas fearing the safety of the Army by reason he understood that the Rebel's Army lay the last night within 2 miles of the English Army importuned my Lord Lisle to march back with all his Horse to secure the Army leaving Sir Foulk Hunks with his Division of Foot to guard a Pass in that way And then after a few miles riding further the English Army appear'd at hand which march'd on towards Ross nigh before which that night a great part of our Horse and Foot lodged And the next morning our Cannon were drawn and planted against the Town and continued battering with two Pieces on a part of the Town-Walls about two days together which made a fair breach therein which Sir Foulk Huncks undertook to assault with his Men and attempted it but were beaten back with some loss which so much dis-heartned the Souldiers that they would not be drawn on again and finding that the besieged had both daily and nightly very many Men and much Ammunition and other Recruits conveyed by Boats into the Town and understanding that the Rebel's Army was grown very strong within few miles of ours and our Lieutenant General finding Bread to be grown scarce in our Army resolv'd to leave Ross as it was and gain Honour by a Battle with the Irish. The 18th our Army being march'd away about 2 miles distant from Ross the Irish Army appear'd fairly in view who hastned their Forces into Battalia on a Ground of some advantage nigh the way our Army was to pass Whereupon our Commanders endeavour'd with all diligence to draw their Forces into Battalia to confront the Rebels within the distance of Cannon-shot our Cannon being plac'd at the Front of our Infantry which was winged by our Horse-Troops and advanc'd forwards before our Army within Musket-shot of the Enemy's fore-Troops Sir Richard Greenvile having that day the Vauntguard of the Horse had his Division for the right Wing of the Army likewise my Lord Lisle's Division having the Battle had the left Wing of the Army Sir Luca's Division having the Rearguard of the Horse had the one half of his Division appointed to stand for Reserves for both the Wings of Horse Both Armies being order'd against one another Sir Richard Greenvile sent forth towards the Rebels a forelorn Hope of 60 Horse commanded by Lieutenant White which advancing towards 2 Troops of the Rebels they seem'd to shrink from Then our Cannon beginning to play Captain Atkins commanding a forelorn Hope of about 100 Musketiers march'd forwards directly before our Foot-Army towards the Rebels who had mann'd a Ditch in a High-way lying right before their Army with a great number of Musketiers during which time certain other Divisions of the English Foot followed orderly their forelorn Hope Captain Atkins with his shot excellently performing his part by exchanging shot with the Rebels that lay in ambush Sir Richard Greenvile with his Division on the right Wing advanced to begin the Battle in the interim whereof Sir Thomas Lucas being Major General of the Horse came and took upon him the chief Command thereof and so leading those Troops on towards the Enemy being come past a deep High-way that lay between both Armies presently at hand advanc'd towards those Horse a Division of Horse and Foot of the Rebels Sir Richard Greenvile being then in the head of his own Troop which had the right hand of that Division commanded his Men to keep together and charge home without wheeling which was no sooner spoken but immediately Sir Thomas Lucas call'd aloud to our Troop to wheel to the left hand which they presently performing were gotten into a Lane in some disorder and before they could get out of the same and come into any good order again a Troop of above 100 of the Rebel's Horse all Gentlemen of Quality and Commanders led by Cullen their Lieutenant General charg'd our Horse on the left Flank Whereupon Sir Richard Greenvile encouraged several of his Troops by his example to charge the Enemy where meeting with Colonel Cullen in the head of his Troops divers blows pass'd betwixt them mean while my Lord Lisle with his Troops gallantly charg'd Cullen's Troop on his Flank and Rear whereby they were so routed that the Troops were all intermixed one with another and the execution of both Parties continued violent
they made a Breach the next day with their Cannon and storm'd the Place and though they were for some time stoutly resisted and twice beaten off yet at the third Onset led by Cromwel they enter'd and pursu'd their Victory with so much cruelty that they put the whole Garrison in Arms to the Sword not sparing those upon second thoughts to whom in the heat of the Action some of Cromwel's under-Officers promised and gave Quarter a crime writes one then in the Action themselves were most guilty of they again resuming Arms when they had engaged to lay them down So that except some few who during the time of the Assault escaped at the other side of the Town and others who mingling with the Rebels as their own men disguised themselves that they were not discovered there was not an Officer Soldier or Religious Person belonging to that Garrison left alive besides those after Decimation sent to Barbadoes and all this within the space of nine days after the Enemy appear'd before the Walls and when very many Royalists as well as Irish were glad that they were engaged before the Place that was likely to be so well defended and to stop their further progress for that season of the year This indeed was a much greater Blow than that at Rathmines and totally destroy'd and massacred a Body of near 3000 Men with which in respect of Experience and Courage of the Officers and Goodness and Fidelity of the common Men the Marquis would have been glad to have found himself engaged in the Field with the Enemy though upon some disadvantages And he had not now left with him above 700 Horse and 1500 Foot whereof some were of suspected Faith and many new rais'd men And though the Lord Inchiquin was ready to march towards him with a good Party of Horse and Foot and the Lord Viscount of Ardes with the like of Scots yet he had neither Money to give them one days Pay or Provision to keep them together for 24 hours The Commissioners were either dispersed or their Orders for collecting Money not executed or regarded and when in those straits the Lord Lieutenant issued out Warrants for raising of Men and Money they complain'd of the breach of Articles of the Treaty and talk'd amongst themselves of Treating with the Enemy That which was most conciliable and which all men saw was fittest to be practised was to put all their Men into Garrisons and thereby secure the most considerable Places and therewithall Winter now approaching to have prosecuted their Levies and by good Discipline and Exercise of their Men recover their Spirits against the Spring But this was not at all in the Marquis's power to do he was restrained by the Articles of the Treaty from making any new Garrison and from changing any old Governours without the approbation of the Commissioners and he and the Commissioners together had not credit and power enough with the Chief Cities and Incorporate Towns which were most worth keeping and consequently most like to be attempted by the Rebels to force or perswade them to receive Garrisons So Wexford Waterford Limerick and Gallway the most considerable Ports of the Kingdom declared they would admit of no Soldiers nor indeed did they further obey any other Orders which were sent to them than they thought fit themselves If this fatal distemper and discomposure had not been discovered to be amongst them it is not to be believed that Cromwel what success soever he had met with would have engaged his Army which with being long at Sea change of Air and long Duty was much weaken'd and had contracted great sicknesses in the Sieges after the beginning of October yet being encourag'd and in truth drawn on by the knowledge of this humour and obstinacy of the Irish against all Remedies that could preserve them he withdrew his Forces from Tredagh having taken in first Trim Dundalk Carlingford Newry and other smaller Garrisons thereabouts and return'd to Dublin having sent Colonel Venables down with some Forces to oppose George Monro who had a good Strength with him and to relieve London-derry but was not able to keep the Field In his March he was set upon in his Quarters by Colonel Trevor who had 5 or 600 Horse with him and gave him a desperate Attack but the morning appearing he was beaten out by Captain Meredith and his Troop who was appointed by Colonel Venables to charge him this was upon his march towards Belfast which was surrendred unto him upon Conditions from the Scots And while he was here he sent out a Party under Lieutenant Colonel Conally who was encountred as he march'd to Antrim by George Monro and a good strength of Horse and routed Conally was there slain by Colonel John Hamilton Such are the Dispensations of the Almighty as he did not live to receive the fruit of so great service as he had done to that Kingdom in discovering the Plot. Moses saw the good Land but never entred At Dublin Cromwel refresh'd his Soldiers a few days and intending to fish in troubled Waters resolv'd presently to appear before Wexford which the Marquis of Ormond suspecting upon Cromwel's return from Tredagh to Dublin removed his Army from Castle Jordan down towards the Counties of Wexford and Kilkenny there not onely to lie secure till Neil's Army should come up to him according to agreement as you shall hereafter hear but also ready to be drawn into either Wexford or Kilkenny as there should be occasion Cromwel according to his resolution the 27th of September march'd from Dublin but before he march'd thence or presently after he Cashiers the seven old Regiments which Jones had continued at Dublin allowing the Colonels for a little time a small Pension which he soon took off though they were the first who to that instant had serv'd against the Rebels And then he march'd towards Wexford through the County of Wickloe taking the People into protection and not suffering the Soldiers in his Army to commit any spoil as he went but to pay for all Provisions in his march he took in several Castles and Garrisons as Killingkerick Arcklo Little Limerick Iniscorphen alias Eniscorvy Ferns Castle and the Fort of Wexford and the first of October with his Army he sate down before Wexford the Inhabitants whereof appear'd willing under Colonel David Synnot their Governour to make defence albeit they had too long neglected the means thereof and were at last when part of the Enemies Army was lodged within half-Musquet-shot of their Walls contented to receive an assistance of Men from the Lord Lieutenant which upon the first intimation his Excellency hastned to them of the choicest of those he had left all Catholicks for that was still insisted upon under the Command of his Cousin Sir Edmond Butler with near 1500 Men who with some difficulty pass'd the River into that part of the Town which the Parliaments Army could not infest but he had not
misapplied 24. Item It is ordered and agreed where any Arch-bishops Bishops or other Dignitary or any other person or persons whatsoever hath or enjoyeth any Lands Tenements or Hereditaments Tithes or other Church-Livings in one County or Province or doth or shall keep his or their Residence in another County or Province and hath his or their Creation or Nomination in any other County or Province where the said Lands Tenements Hereditaments Tithes or Church-Livings to the general use shall be employed within the said County or Province where the said Lands Tenements Tithes or Church-Livings do lie as by the several County-councils respectively shall be thought fit for the publick Cause 25. Item It is ordered and establish'd by the general Assembly that any Woman being a Roman Catholick and Wife of any Protestant or Catholicks that hath forsaken his Houses Estate and Wife and adhered unto the Enemy that every such VVife may enter into her Jointure if any be convey'd unto her or may recover her Thirds of her said Husband's Estate as if her said Husband were actually dead And that every such VVife shall be in such condition and capacity to sue and be impleaded as if her Husband had been exiled and banished the Realm by judgment of Law except the Provincial-council or Supream-Council in Particular Cases order the contrary 26. Item It is ordered and establish'd that the possession of Protestant Arch-bishops Bishops Deans Dignitaries and Parsons in right of their respective Churches or their Tenements in the beginning of these troubles shall be deem'd taken and construed as the then Possession of the Catholick Arch-bishops Bishops Deans Dignitaries Pastors and their Tenements respectively to all intents and purposes and that those Possessions are intended within the Precedent Order for settlement of Possessions 27. Item It is ordered and established that no man being Prisoner by Authority of any of the Councils aforesaid without order of the said Councils respectively shall be enlarged And that no Protection be given to servants and other men of the Enemies Party without the like Order or the Order of the chief Commander of the Army in the several Provinces or Counties 28. Item Whereas abuses have been committed in some parts of this Kingdom in taking of Arms Ammunition and other Merchandizes from Merchants arrived in the Creeks and Harbours far from their intended Port by reason of Tempest or the danger of Enemies to the great discouragement of Merchants It is therefore ordered and established that where any Ship or Ships or other Vessels shall come or arrive in any Harbour Bay or Creek within this Kingdom loaden with Arms Ammunition or other Merehandize that in such cases all those that are or shall be in Command in the adjacent Counties respectively shall protect and defend the said Merchants procure Carriage for the said Goods and safely convey the same to the said Merchants intended Port and not to suffer the same or any of the same under colour of paying for the same or otherwise to be disposed of or taken before the same come to the intended Port and be entred into the List of the Commissioners And any that shall Rob Steal or Violently take away any of the said Goods contrary to this Order shall be deemed and punished as Enemies to the publick good of this Kingdom and suffer death therefore 29. Item That certain Commissioners shall be appointed in every Port-Town of the Free-men and Residents therein by the Provincial or Supreme Council for the viewing of all the Arms and Ammunition that shall be hereafter imported into this Kingdom from beyond Seas and to certifie the same to the Supreme Council with all speed and to prevent abuses in the Sale for issuing or disposing of them 30. Item It is ordered and established that where Souldiers do run from their Garrisons or Commanders unto other Counties or or Provinces that the Commanders or chief Governours of the said County or Province upon complaint made thereof shall send back the Fugitive Souldiers to their Commanders to be dealt withal according to Justice 31. Item It is ordered and established that the Debts and other Duties owing to Creditors of this Union being Neuters and Enemies shall be paid out of the Goods Lands Tenements and Hereditaments of the said Neuters and Enemies respectively before any other publick charge be answered thereout 32. Item It is ordered and established that no Souldiers or other Persons without Command from the County-Council meddle with the Lands or Goods of Neuters or Enemies 33. Item it is ordered and established that to prevent the springing up of all National distinctions the Oath of Association or Union be taken solemnly after Confession and receiving the Sacrament in the Parish Churches throughout the Kingdom and the Names of all the Persons of Rank and Quality in every Parish that take the same to be enrolled in Parchment and to be Return'd Sign'd and Seal'd by the Parish Priest to the Ordinary of every Diocess who is to keep the same in his Treasury and to certifie a Copy thereof under Seal to the Metropolitan who is to keep that and to certifie a true Copy thereof under his Metropolitical Seal to the Rolls of the Kingdom where the same is to be enrolled APPENDIX IX Fol. 99. By the Lords Justices and Councel W. Parsons Jo. Borlase WHereas for special reasons of State moving Us thereunto We issued divers VVarrants forbidding his Majesties Army to burn certain Houses and Corn and to forbear pillaging spoiling and taking away Goods and Cattle of divers persons And whereas also not only We the Lords Justices or one of Us or our very good Lord the Earl of Ormond and Ossory Lieutenant General of the Army but also the late and present Commander or Commanders of his Majesties Forces in the City of Dublin or in Drogheda and other places within the Province of Lemster some of them having no authority or direction so to do and issued Warrants admitting sundry persons many of which persons by their present ill demerits in this General Rebellion might justly have been forthwith prosecuted with fire and sword with safety to bring or send to the Markets of Dublin Drogheda and other places Corn and other provisions to be there sold which was done in expectation that by that forbearance used towards them when they saw just vengeance taken on others for the same adhering to and relieving those who in this Rebellion publickly carry Arms and commit open Acts of Hostility they might be moved to depart from adhering to or relieving those notorious Actors in the Rebellion in gratitude to his Majesty and this State for so much clemency used towards them yet so ungrateful have many or most of those persons been found and so insensible of the duty and loyaltie of good Subjects to his Majesty as notwithstanding that clemency used towards them they have not returned the fruits of Loyaltie expected from them but on the contrary have run on in their
they whom they still endeavoured to root out and then ordering their Bishops and Commissioners of Trust to share in his Councels and the management of Affairs At last ejecting him as questionable before his Majesty for his injuries to them and his ill Government whilst they assumed the Management of all in acting That no Temporal Government or Jurisdiction should be assumed kept or executed in that Kingdom or any Province or County thereof other then what is approved or instituted by their General Assembly or Supream Council which was indeed the first Common-Wealth set up in his Majesties Empire And yet these are those who were receiv'd as Penitents to Mercy strange Penitents Who after so much blood and spoil of Innocents such sins against Indulgence and Oaths of Obedience and Submission were so far from satisfying their wrong doings that they were never brought to profess themselves Guilty whose Penitence seems to be only in that they fail'd to accomplish their evil in fulness Twice Conspir'd they a Peace the better to accomplish to the utmost what they might not need further Penitence thereby foolishly forfeiting all the Grace which they might have expected from his Majesty though amongst the General there were some who upon the Peace made with them honestly perform'd what they had promised to him though with inconveniency enough to themselves whose demeanour could not but be thought very worthy of his Protection Justice and Favour as they find fully enlarg'd in the Act of Settlement And here I cannot but take notice that though some would impute the Irregularity of these Proceedings to the Clergy only who indeed were the main spoak in the Wheel yet some of the Committee of Trust and of the Nobility who ever else were free were also privy thereunto how close soever they behav'd themselves as appears in their cherishing privately the ill Humors and Jealousies of the People and their averseness to punish the greatest exorbitancy wherein the Clergy were concern'd without the Cooperation of the Bishops whose consent they were sure never to have Indeed I dare not but say having it from an excellent Pen that some of the Irish Discent have in the late Troubles as in all Ages well deserv'd of the Crown though it may wrack the Memory of the strictest observer to enumerate many few having assisted the Protestants against the Mighty However great strugling there hath been That the Peace of 1648. should be inviolable whereas besides other important Reasons referring to their abominable Reservation That if those Articles of Peace were not in every particular for their Advantage performed they would not be concluded thereby It must be considered that when the King was necessitated to comply with the Rebels he was then under sad streights The odious Court by which his Sacred Life was afterwards taken away being then erected So as no body could wonder that he desir'd though upon difficult Conditions to get such an united Power of his own Subjects as might have been able with Gods blessing to have prevented that infamous and horrible Parricide Yet then in that Article of time the Irish prest for the conclusion of the Peace Whereas if they had been truly Loyal and Unanimous Generous Souls would never have took that opportunity to have enhaunc'd their Price But in submission to what Grace they might afterwards find freely have waded through the difficulties they were call'd to having long before promised a vigorous Assistance which they never attempted Though many of these since must confess that they have been as well provided for as after so great Troubles and Confusions and such blessed Circumstances of his Majesties Restauration they could reasonably expect And yet the bleeding Iphigenia that piece of Ingratitude and Scandal will tell you That the Body of a noble antient Catholick Nation Ireland clad all in red Robes is not now to be offer'd up as Victime but is already Sacrificed not to a Prophane Diety but to the living God for Holy Religion As if after all the Indulgence which hath been and is vouchsaf'd that Nation nothing attends it but Misery and Ruine a Trumpet certainly to another Insurrection But to proceed the success of our Armies considering the numbers they often oppos'd exceeds a common Belief in as much as some have extenuated the Glory of their Service by the Cowardliness of the Enemy who seldom made a noble or brave Defence save where an extremity reduced them to an exigence or a surprize made them cruel But on this subject Sir Francis Bacon in a Letter to the Earl of Essex going for Ireland observes That the justest Triumphs that the Romans in their greatest Greatness did obtain and that whereof the Emperors in their Stiles took Additions and Denominations were of such an Enemy that is People barbarous and not reduced to Civility magnifying a kind of Lawless Liberty Prodigal of Life hardness in Body fortified in Woods and Bogs placing both Justice and Felicity in the sharpness of their Swords It being a higher Point of Honour to reduce such to Civility than to be enrich'd by a Praeditory War I am sensible that the undertaking of this War hath passed with many as an opportunity to enrich the Servitour nor can it be denied but that reward is the just expectation of Merit But when it shall be consider'd at what rates Debenters were paid off what hardship the Souldiers encountred how many in Rebellion shar'd the mercy of a Gracious Prince what were the Difficulties attended all in Government it cannot be denied but more then a Praeditory War even the Establishment of a Religion and Nation the Irish would have extirpated the settling of his Majesties Rights and the reducing of a People loose in their Principles to Civility were the main Ends of this War to which his Majesty was forc'd by the causeless and inhuman Insurrection of the Irish In reference to which the Rebels being before prepar'd thereunto soon Marshall'd a considerable Force But though it was for their Altars and Inheritance as they pretended never any Nation fell under greater Pusillanimity which some impute to their want of Warlick Provisions their ignorance in the Discipline of their Army the lack of unity amongst themselves and the Supplies of the English ever found of all necessaries But certainly the greatest Defect was in the badness of their Cause which Conor O Mahon in his Disputatio Apologetica urges from an Ethnick Poet led meerly by the light of Nature is most material Frangit attollit vires milite Causa Quae nisi justa subest excutit Arma Pudor For it must be allowed not to be denied by the Ingenious that the Natives have Courage and Abilities sufficient few in their Imployments abroad proving better Souldiers more temperate better vers'd in the World or readier to be put on the forwardest Action Here I might enlarge much in the Encomiums of those who so vigorously oppos'd them though at length the Irish got
one Body under the style of the Confederate Roman Catholicks of Ireland binding themselves also in that Confederacy by the following Oath of Association I A. B. do in the presence of Almighty God and all the Saints and Angels in Heaven promise vow swear and protest to maintain and defend as far as I may with my Life Power and Estate the publick and free exercise of the true and Roman Catholick Religion against all Persons that shall oppose the same I further swear that I will bear Faith and Allegiance to our Soveraign Lord King Charles his Heirs and Successors and that I will defend Him and Them as far as I may with my Life Power and Estate against all such Persons as shall attempt any thing against their Royal Persons Honours Estates and Dignities and against all such as shall directly or indirectly endeavour to suppress their Royal Prerogatives or do any Act or Acts contrary to Regal Government as also the Power and Priviledges of Parliament the lawful Rights and Priviledges of the Subjects and every Person that makes this Vow Oath and Protestation in whatsoever he shall do in the lawful pursuance of the same And to my Power as far as I may I will oppose and by all means and ways endeavour to bring to condign punishment even to the loss of Life Liberty and Estate all such as shall either by Force Practice Counsels Plots Conspiracies or otherwise do or attempt any thing to the contrary of any Article Clause or any thing in this present Vow Oath or Protestation contain'd So God help me This is the Oath the Confederates thought so loyal so worthy their owning whereas never any thing was more pernicious more destructive to his Majesty and his Protestant Subjects the close of it after all their insinuating and fair pretensions of Faith and Allegiance to their Soveraign his Heirs and lawful Successors vowing to bring to condign punishment all that should attempt any thing to the contrary of any Article therein whereas the first thing they insist on in this Vow is the free exercise of the Catholick Roman Religion which if the King shall not admit of He is by the issue of this Vow and Protestation to be oppos'd all being to be oppos'd that shall be against do or attempt any thing to the contrary of any Article Clause or any thing in this present Vow Oath or Protestation contain'd And if in a more favourable sence this were not as to his Majesty to be so interpreted yet his Protestant Subjects were doubtless to be fallen upon with fire and sword resisting the Ends the Rebels propos'd to themselves by this Oath and without which no Peace was to be accepted How loyal and acceptable this could be to a Protestant Prince who in testimony of his Faith laid down his life is legible without Spectacles so that in conclusion this Oath could really deceive none but those who seeing will not see and hearing will not understand Thus their strength notwithstanding whatsoever his Majesty had propos'd in his Proclamation by endeavouring to break it was united their Armies were now formed the most considerable Persons amongst them had openly declared themselves and the meanest of their Souldiers were flesht in the slaughter of the English they had likewise almost all their Goods in their possession and the strongest Places of the Kingdom with the whole Countrey at their Devotion so as they now counted themselves powerful enough to go through with the Work and resolv'd to expel all the British and Protestants out of the Kingdom to make themselves absolute Masters or there to die ingloriously as Traitors and Murtherers which is fallen to their lot for few of those inhumane Butchers have come with dry throats to their Graves there being no more ordinary dispensation to be observ'd in the Revolutions of things here below than returns of blood for blood their blood being violently to be poured forth who have maliciously contrived or wantonly delighted in the slaughter of others which will appear by the sequel of the Story Though the Polititian's Catechism a Piece of as much Venom as Art or Malice can connect would insinuate that the Murthers and Massacres done in Ireland by Protestants far exceeded without comparison those committed by Catholicks as well in respect of brutishness as numerousness I may admit that many things contrary to the Law of Arms and Christianity during the Rebellion were severely committed by the English But then it must be considered That whatsoever was rashly done by them was either acted in open Hostility or had the anguish and memory of former Villanies first commenc'd on their Relations Friends or Countreymen without the least provocation for their ground instigating them thereunto Inasmuch as Mulmore O-Relie O-Sule-van and others being at a Meeting at London immediately after the King 's happy Restauration a Colonel a Person of great Ingenuity and exemplary Vertue who had serv'd faithfully against the Irish coming into their company was acquainted by them that they were met together to draw up a Remonstrance of the Cruelties the English Army had offer'd to the Irish which say they indeed nothing concern'd him he having been a noble and generous Enemy Upon which he advis'd them to desist in that they might be certain to have an Answer much to their dis-advantage considering that if any Violencies or Irregularities were offer'd they might thank themselves in respect that after Castles or any Places were delivered up upon Composition it was a usual Custom with them to spoil the Meal and Food which they should have left entire and to have wet the Powder as also to have made the Guns un-serviceable all which were violations of Articles no ways justifiable and might require a severe return Upon which they being confounded this worthy Person heard no more of their Design And for what the Polititian's Catechism would infer from a Daughter of O-Hara an Irish Lord being barbarously murther'd as a President for what succeeded it is evident that the Rebellion commenc'd in blood Rowry Mac-Guire that day in which the Rebellion began hanging not less than 18 Persons in the Church of Clownish and afterwards burnt it several other Examples may be produc'd of the same nature And for what this insolent Assertor braves the World with from the Irish Remonstance offer'd by Viscount Preston and Sir Robert Talbot the 17th of March 1642. That they desired the Murtherers on both sides should be punished is mention'd but for a flourish those Testimones of their Cruelties being given in upon Oath in several Remonstrances which must remain an evidence to posterity of their Villany what-ever R. S. in his Collections of Murthers would by way of Recrimination charge the English with Inasmuch as what Cruelties he affirms to be acted after protection had been given and Articles at this or that Place allowed will be found upon due enquiry which they durst never stand to to be raised on breach of Faith
any Levies he should make to that purpose Being loath saith his Majesty in his Solitudes to shoot at any mark here less than himself or that any should have the glory of his destruction but themselves Whilst at the same time his Majesties Subjects of Scotland in an Act of Council at Edinburgh the 22d of April following upon this occasion takes notice That there could be no greater demonstration of Care and Princely Courage than this his Majesties intention to go in Person into Ireland against the Rebels Upon the signification of which Royal Intent to the State there the Lords Justices and Council in a Letter to his Majesty the 23d of April 1642. taking notice of his Princely Purpose to take just vengeance on the perfidious Rebels humbly besought him to come so provided as to appear in that Kingdom suitable to the Greatness and Wisdom of so mighty a King Which Letter how finely soever it was covered went not in some mens opinion without a discouragement forasmuch as that though some at Court might conceive by his Majesties coming over a Peace might be made with the Irish when his Majesty pleas'd yet by taking in so base perfidious and barbarous a People who in so execrable a manner had cut off such multitudes of the English the event as was privately signifi'd by some could not redound to his Majesties Honour Besides the Soldiers were then grown so implacable to the Irish as they would scarce endure any ordinary Papist much less suffer a Rebel to be admitted amongst them After all his Majesties resolutions for Ireland were prevented not without several constructions as each Party apprehended the Scene Though his Majesty express'd that he would never refuse or be unwilling to venture his Person for the good and safety of his People yet he was not so weary of his life as to hazard it impertinently and therefore at present should desist However as yet the Protestant Army in Ireland being competently supplied the Rebels were frequently chastized To say truth after the raising of the Siege of Tredath and the consequences thereupon his Majesties Forces so enlarged their Quarters as no considerable Enemy save some Castles lay nearer Dublin than twenty miles on any side that now the Lords Justices thought it high time to provide for the safety of such places as lay more remote in the Countrey the English having in many Places upon the first rising of the Irish possess'd themselves of some Forces Strong Holds Towns and Castles which though very ill provided they did for many months yea some for years after the first breaking out of the Rebellion defend notwithstanding long Sieges multitudes of Rebels encompassing them and all means by Treachery Force or Famine experienc'd to draw them into their possession It will here take up too large a space in this Story where many considerable things may fall besides the Pen to recite the gallant actions perform'd by several private Persons in some inconsiderable in respect of Strength Places many Women shewing more courage constancy and resolution in the defence of what they were necessitated to than the Men without did in their undertakings against them Great were the Straits many of them were put unto enduring all manner of extremities subjecting themselves to all kind of dangers not daunted with the multitudes of Rebels that lay about them they in many places issued out and lived onely on the Spoils they took from them fighting continually for their daily bread which they never wanted as long as their Enemies had it The Rebels were so undextrous in the management of their Sieges as they took very few Places by force in all their Attempts whether by Mine Battery Assault they seldom prosper'd The great Engine whereby they master'd any Fort of the English was Treachery Offers of safe Conduct and other Conditions of Honour and Advantage which might induce the Besieged sometimes reduc'd to the utmost extremities to surrender their Places into their hand which though solemnly sworn and sign'd they yet seldom or never kept but left several Places as Monuments of their Treachery and Infidelity using those who surrender'd them as they did the poor Protestants in the Town and Castle of Longford whom they having besieged and drawn to yield up into their hands upon condition of Quarters and safety for their Persons they as soon as they issued out fell upon with their Skenes their Priest as a signal for the rest to fall on first ripping open the belly of the Minister amongst the English then his followers soon kill'd and hang'd the rest After this manner used they the 150 Protestants who yielded up upon fair Quarter the Castle of Tullagh and the Church of Newtown in the County of Fermanagh And the 1400 or 1500 at Belturbet and the Inhabitants of Ardmagh and Loughgell and those under the conduct of the Lord Mayo and those 120 murther'd by the Mac-Swynes as those who yielded the strong Castle of Cloghleigh situate upon the Manningwater to Richard Condon who promised Quarter and a safe Convoy to Castelions contrary to which they were all of them either hang'd kill'd wounded or kept Prisoners by him and his Company In the same manner also he used a Party of the Earl of Barrimore's Troop who having bravely maintain'd themselves in a House in Coole against his Forces were by his Promise on the Faith of a Soldier and a Christian of a safe Conveyance to Castelions contented to yield it up but were immediately upon their coming forth murther'd As some English Families and the Garrison Soldiers at Sligo were used by O Connor Slygah who upon the quitting of their Holds promis'd them Quarter and to convey them over the Curlew Mountains in safety to Abbeyboyle or Roscommon but he first imprison'd them in a most nasty Goal allowing them onely Grains for their food and afterwards when the Rebels were merry with Company that came to congratulate their Victory over these poor Creatures those which survived were brought forth by a Frier Connor's Brother and others and kill'd or precipitated over the Bridge into a swift Water where they were presently destroy'd And at Teagh-Temple after the English and Scots who retired thither were not able longer to resist the Enemy had yielded the Place on Conditions to be brought in safe Conduct to Abbeyboil were murther'd hang'd or buri'd alive At which terrible sight Mrs. Olyfant a Ministers Wife being great with Child fell in Labour but was still beat forward till at last the Child slipt from her and what was horrible she was forced to draw that poor Infant and the Concomitants of such an accident after her till she died with sport to them The Story would be too long should we mention those 140 taken forth to be sent for England and drown'd at Portadown or those numbers drawn to Florence Fitz-Patricks house and there slain Or those 60 and odd persons gathered together on pretence of sending them to Clanhughboyes drown'd by them
until about 20 of the Rebel's Horse escaped away together leaving the rest of their Company to be killed and taken Prisoners as they were during which time the Foot and Cannon performing well their parts drove the Enemy to shift away to save themselves which Captain Hermon seeing pursued their Rear with some Horse with which he did notable good execution and to say the truth it is probable that most of the Rebels had that day been cut off had not the un-passable deep High-way betwixt both Armies hindred our left Wing of Horse from giving on upon their side and also the disorder that hapned to the right Wing of the Horse by their unhappy wheeling to the left hand But so soon as the Officers of those Troops could reduce their Men again into order my Lord Lisle and Sir Richard Greenvile presently pursued the Enemy with 2 Troops and sent Sir William Vaughan with 2 Troops more to pursue others flying away to the right hand And having followed the chase of them about 2 or 3 miles distant from the Army the Rebels having made their escape over Bogs and un-passable Grounds for Horse our Horse were fain to leave them and return to the rest of the Army where the Cannon stood In which service were 300 of the Rebels slain amongst which were a great number of their best Gentry and Commanders There were of the Rebels taken Prisoners Colonel Cullen their Lieutenant General Major Butler besides divers other Captains and some of their Ensigns of the English Forces were slain not full 20 Men in which service Sir Thomas Lucas unhappily received a very sore wound in his head That night the English Army lodged at Ballybeggan After which time the Army march'd without molestation of any Enemy until they return'd to Dublin whether the Rear of the Army came safe on Munday the 27th of the same month 1643. Where they were again Quarter'd even to the undoing and great desolation of that poor City which had now suffered so much and so long under the burden and insolencies of unpaid wanting Soldiers as they were unable to bear it longer and with loud cries and complaints made known their Grievances to the Lords Justices and Council wholely unable to relieve them And indeed such was the posture of the present affairs at that time as every thing tended to bring on a Cessation yet for the present the Lieutenant General that the Soldiers might be quieted publish'd a strict Edict Prohibiting all Soldiers to offer the least violence to any who brought Provision to the Market or any Inhabitants of the Town under the severest Penalties of the Marshals Court which for a time begat an obedience But the Army being ill Cloath'd meanly Victuall'd worse Paid and seldom employ'd in service necessity enforc'd them to those outrages Humanity could not take notice of many of them being the effects of a very pinching want though the Lords Justices and Council to the great dislike of the Army pursued some of the Offenders with exemplary Justice A sense of which with the Meagre return which Serjeant Major Warren brought out of England on his sollicitation for the Soldiers Pay and the dissatisfaction that thence arose some of the Officers not all there was a Party that presum'd they might have gone through with the work had there not been another in the Loom afterwards presented the State the 4th of April 1643. with a Paper in such a stile threatning so much danger as the Lords Justices and Council remitted the Copy of it to the Parliament of England which here follows My Lords AT our first entrance into this unhappy Kingdom we had no other design than by our Swords to assert and vindicate the Right of his Majesty which was here most highly abused to redress the wrongs of his poor Subjects and to advance our own Particulars in the prosecution of so honest undertakings And for the rest of these we do believe they have since our coming over succeeded pretty well but for the last which concerns our selves that hath fall'n out so contrary to our expectations that instead of being rewarded we have been prejudic'd instead of getting a Fortune we have spent part of one And though we behave our selves never so well abroad and perform the actions of honest men yet we have the Reward of Rogues and Rebels which is Misery and Want when we come home Now my Lords although we be brought to so great an Exigence that we are ready to rob and spoil one another yet to prevent such outrages we thought it better to try all honest means for our subsistence before we take such indirect courses Therefore if your Lordships will be pleased to take us timely into your considerations before our urgent wants make us desperate we will as we have done hitherto serve your Lordships readily and faithfully But if your Lordships will not find a way for our preservations here we humbly desire we may have leave to go where we may have a better being And if your Lordships shall refuse to grant that we must then take leave to have our recourse to that first and primary Law which God hath endued all men with we mean the Law of Nature which teacheth all men to preserve themselves Hence with what countenance some gave it it was thought the Rebels as to the bringing in of the Cessation and their further Aims prevail'd more than in all their Battels Treacheries and Surprizals About Easter the Rebels under Preston besieg'd Baranokil at which time even the 11th of April Colonel Crafford march'd forth of Dublin with 13000 Foot and 130 Horse a Culvering and a Saker Drake towards Monastar-Even that with his Party he might there live and if he should be advised by the Garrisons thereab outs he had Orders to set upon Preston who had with him 4000 Foot 500 Horse three Pieces of Battery and four Field-Pieces But here we must acquaint you that about November 1642. the Lords Justices sent his Majesty then at Oxford a short Petition in the name of the Roman Catholicks of Ireland which they had received from them desiring that his Majesty would appoint some persons to hear what they could say for themselves with many expressions of Duty and Submission Shortly after which Sir James Mountgomery Sir Hardress Waller Knights and Colonels Colonel Arthur Hill and Colonel Audley Mervin a Committee for Ireland in behalf of themselves and other Commanders in his Majesties Army there attended his Majesty at Oxford setting forth by their Petition as follows May it please your Sacred Majesty WE your Majesties most humble Subjects being entrusted from considerable parts of your Majesties Forces in the Kingdom of Ireland to petition your Majesty and your Parliament for Supplies and finding that your Majesty had committed the care and managing of that War to your Parliament here we address'd our selves unto the same whose sense of our miseries and inclination to redress appear'd
discontented Persons at home and so draw assistance and aid to foment and strengthen their Rebellious Party in Ireland Of which if any desire to be more fully satisfi'd each Particular is clearly answer'd by a Person then at the Helm very faithfully though not with that vigour the truth requir'd in a Book entituled The false and scandalous Remonstrance of the Inhumane and Bloody Rebels of Ireland And upon the 8th and 9th of April following it came to be considered in the Commons House of Parliament in Ireland seemingly disliked by all though with that artifice by some as the Remonstrants themselves could not have insinuated more in its defence in as much as these not finding they gain'd on the Anti-Remonstrants at last brought into discourse the Solemn League and Covenant the more colourably to take off the dispute concerning the Remonstrance whereby the business growing hot the House was Prorogu'd till the 6th of May. All things being now in that condition as the necessities of the Army daily increas'd a Cessation grew generally to be spoke of his Majesty having imparted his Commands therein to the Lords Justices by the following Letter C. R. RIght Trusty and Well-beloved Counsellors We greet you well Whereas considering the present Condition of Our Affairs as well in this as that Our Kingdom through the famous Plots and Practises of Persons disaffected to Our Person and Government We have given Command and Authority to Our Right Trusty Entirely and Well-beloved Cousin and Counsellor the Marquis of Ormond Lieutenant General of Our Army and Forces in Ireland to Treat with Our Subjects who in that Kingdom have taken up Arms against us and to agree with them upon a Cessation of Arms for one Year which as it is a Service of very great Concernment to Vs and Our present Affairs both here and there so We Will and Command that you therein give your most effectual assistance and furtherance to advance the same by your Industry and Endeavours as there shall be occasion Given at Our Court at Oxford the 23. of April 1643. About the 1st of May 1643. the Lord Inchequin since the death of his Father-in-law Sir William St. Leger as yet Commander in Chief in the Province of Munster march'd forth with his Army divided into two Parties one Commanded by himself into the West of the County of Cork doing excellent service there without resistance and the other under the Conduct of Sir Charles Vavasor with select Numbers respectively gathered from the Garrisons of Toughall Talloe Castle Lions Lismore Mogily and Cappaquin the whole number consisting of about 1200 Musketeers and 200 Horse besides Volunteers and Pillagers In which Expedition Major Appleyard May the 2d near the Castle of Cosgrave was assign'd to fall on Ballykeroge Sir Walsh's Town and Lands that he might burn and spoil them And Sir Charles Vavasor undertook the Passage to the Comroe upon the left hand whereof there stands an exceeding high Mountain and under the brow a large Wood through which the Army was necessitated to pass an unpassable Bog being on the right hand The Enemy never wanting intelligence against Sir Charles came had cast up a Trench breast high with spike holes along the side of the Wood from the Mountain to the Bog with a strong Barricado and two Courts of Guards for Musketeers to lodge in more artificially done than they were accustomed to But by the help of a Fog our Guide proving faithful the Rebels were not aware of us till our Horse were upon them at which they shot and we retreated leisurely our Foot not being come up through Providence without harm and Sir Charles commanded some Dragooners of Captain Pynes Company to alight which they did soon entring the Enemies Trenches and before the Foot came gain'd the Pass and the Horse and Foot march'd within Musket-shot of Brian's Lord of the Countrey Castle where they made a stand till the Soldiers had fir'd the Countrey and took away their Cattle the Enemy not daring to rescue them firing as they march'd away by Comroe-Castle a good House of Anthony's an English Papist with many other Thatch'd Houses thereunto belonging The same day the whole Army Rendezvousing on a Hill near Kilmac-Thomas resolv'd that night to have advanc'd to Stradbally but marching by Mac-Thomas's Castle they within gave fire upon us 60 of our Soldiers being not able to endure such an affront ran out of the Main Body to the Castle without either Captain Lieutenant Ensign or other Officer and recovering a Ditch upon the South-side of the Castle the Wind blowing Southerly they set the Thatch'd Houses on fire and assaulted the Castle by the help of the smoak blinding the Warders upon which the Besieged cri'd A Drum a drum at which many who had flown thither for safety inconsiderately ran out and were by our Soldiers knock'd on the head whilst the Warders delivering the Castle on some Terms had Quarter as the other might have had too had they staid in the Castle from amongst which six or seven that were thought dead rose up which the Soldiers would have killed but in pity Sir Charles Vavasor suffer'd to go with the Warders to Ballykeroge After which service Ensign Boughton and 40 Musketeers took in a House built by James Wallis Esq strongly fortifi'd by John Fitz-Gerald Son and Heir to Mac-Thomas the Warders and the rest being on Terms also convey'd to Ballykeroge And so facing Clonea belonging to Tibbot Fitz-Gerrard and Cosgrave Castles and passing by Dungarvan some of the Rebels issued out of Town but the English Forces drawing into a Body to oppose them they retired without the least Encounter our Forces marching to their own Garrisons About the 27th of May the Lord Inchequin compleats an Army of 4000 Foot and 400 Horse which Rendevouz'd at Buttevant out of which he sent 200 Horse under the Command of Captain Bridges a resolute active man and 1200 Foot under the Conduct of Lieutenant Colonel Story no ways backward of the Employment into the County of Kerry a dangerous Journey considering the length of the way and scarcity of Provision they had with them the Enemy having wasted and fired Trally a Place as well accommodated with good Land for Corn and Cattle as any other Place in Munster lest the Lord Inchequin should quarter there Whereupon the Lord Inchequin considering the danger of the Journey to divert the Enemy laid a pretended Siege to the Town of Kilmallock a Place of great consequence and a Key to Limerick whereby the Rebels eyes being fixed on Kilmallock's relief the Expedition was much facilitated Bridges and Story bringing away a great Prey of Cattle some Prisoners and fetch'd off many English from the Castle of Ballybeggan without any resistance save a loose Skirmish wherein the Enemy lost four men and were routed The Lord Inchequin the 28th of May having sent Colonel Myn to Patrick Purcel of Croe Governour of Kilmallock to acquaint him he came forth onely
to meet an Enemy in the Field not to Besiege the Town He released the Lady Humes and her Son Prisoners at Kilmallock for one Burget a Prisoner at Cork whether the Lord Inchequin march'd whilst Sir Charles Vavasor after a well regulated Dispute stoutly defended by the Rebels took in Cloghleigh commanded by one Condon wherein was 20 Men 11 Women and about 7 Children some of which the Soldiers stript in readiness to kill them but Major Howel drawing out his Sword defended them and whilst he went to Colonel Vavasor then at Ballyhindon Mr. Roche's House where he was invited that day to Dine committed them to Captain Wind who leaving them to a Guard of Horse they stripped them again and afterwards fell upon them with Carbines Pistols and Swords a cruelty so resented by Sir Charles Vavasor that he vowed to hang him that commanded the Guard and had certainly done it had not the next days action prevented it which was the most considerable loss the English ever received from the Rebels a mischief they might have avoided had they been less confident and given greater credence to their Intelligence The 4th of June being Sunday early in the morning before break of day quarter Mr. Hill with a Squadron of Horse was sent to Scout about Cloghline and Castlegrace in the County of Tipperary and before day-light he was encompassed by the Enemies Horse so that he with his Company with great difficulty escap'd and bringing word to the Leaguer at Cloghleigh the Alarm was up and presently our Foot drew themselves into two Divisions in a Field next the Mountain where the Enemy came down when presently two or three Bodies of the Enemies Horse appear'd on the side of a Hill a mile and a half from us In the mean time Sir Charles Vavasor lying the night before at Castle Logons was sent for and he without delay came away as fast as his Horse could carry him but before he came a Party of Musketeers to the number of 200 under the Command of Captain Philip Hutton and a Troop of Horse commanded by Captain Freek drew up nearer to the Enemy by half a mile and there stood for the space of two hours some of the Horse in the interim advanc'd further founding their Trumpets on both sides At length Christopher Brian the Lord Inchequin's Brother desir'd to Parle with Quartermaster Page and after some Complements and Discourses past they parted as did afterwards Captain Richard Fitz-Morris the Lord of Kirries Brother with the said Christopher Bryan Presently after notice was given that the Enemy was advancing but we could discover no Foot all this while their management of this business being very close Whereupon Sir Charles Vavasor demurr'd upon it and took order for what was needful and called back the said Hutton and the Horse from the Mountain In the interim Captain George Butler a Native of this Kingdom a man of undanted spirit and well experienc'd in Martial Discipline came to Sir Charles from the Lord Inchequin with a Letter importing That the said Butler's Company and Sir Brown's were marching from Moyalloe towards him and now within a mile and half to him were at his disposal Upon that Sir Charles and the rest of the Officers consulted what was best to be done and concluded such a Body of Horse could not be without a considerable Body of Foot and therefore fully resolv'd to make good a Retreat giving order that all the Carriages with the Artillery that were now at a stop on the Manning Water should hast away till they recovered the Black Water at the Ford of Farmoy to help to make good that Pass in case he should be hard put to it After this Sir Charles staid a while so long as he might well conceive the said two Companies Carriage and Ordnance to be at the Ford and then presently marched on to Castle Lyons the Front led by Lieutenant King the Body by Major Howel and the Rear by Sir Charles himself a Forlorn-hope of about 160 Musketeers in the Rear was commanded by Captain Pierce Lacy Captain Hutton and Lieutenant Stardbury and all our Horse in the Rear likewise who no sooner came over the Manning Water and recovered the top of the Hill but the Enemies Horse were at our heels From this Hill to the Ford there is a dangerous Passage of a Narrow Lane which the Enemy knew full well and so did our Men too And the Enemy perceiving that most of our Men were marching within this Lane excepting the Forlorn-hope and the Horse charged us in the Rear coming on as the Moorish and Getulian Horse mention'd by Salust in Jugarth's War not in Order and Warlike manner but by Troops and scattering Companies at adventure that the Fight rather resembled an Incursion than a Battel and so hemm'd in and prest on our Horse being but 120 that they were able to move no way but fall into that Lane amongst the Foot which they did thereby routing our whole Foot The Ordnance by this time was not carried â—â—er the Black Water nor the two Companies as yet come to make good the Passage so that all our Colours save one brought off by Dermot O Grady Ensign to Captain Rowland St. Leger who gallantly sav'd It and himself were taken our two Pieces of Ordnance surpriz'd and Sir Charles himself together with Captain Wind Lieutenant King Ensign Chaplain Captain Fitz-morris and divers others taken Prisoner besides those that were kill'd in the Place viz. Captain Pierce Lacy Captain George Butler Lieutenant Walter St. Leger three Natives of this Kingdom Lieutenant Stradbury Lieutenant Rosington Lieutenant Kent Ensign Simmons with divers other Lieutenants and Ensigns besides common Soldiers to the number of 300 some affirm 600. Upon which success they boldly attempted Cappaquin which more gallantly withstood them in as much as after all their attempts the Assailants were shamefully beaten off towards the end of June and forc'd to retreat having lost upon the first Assault 62 men afterwards attempting it again they were repuls'd and fearing the Lord Inchequin's approach marched away having lost in that enterprize Lieutenant Colonel Butler Brother to the Lord of Armally Captain Saint John of Saint Johnstown Captain Pierce Butler of Ballypaddin in the County of Tipperary Captain Grady desperately hurt one Ensign killed as were four Serjeants and two hurt besides several Prisoners taken one of their Horsemen compleatly arm'd ran to us who amongst other passages discovered the particular losses of the Enemy their chief Gunner was likewise slain in this service Upon the retreat and marching away a Party of our Horse commanded by Sir John Brown sallied out of the Town after them and killed some of their Men and Pillagers in the Rear of their Army who found 25 graves after them in the Camp wherein they buried their dead by 4 and 5 in a grave as by veiw appear'd Yet though the Enemy had no success in taking in Cappaquin we by Colonel Myn
took in the Castles of Timolege Roscarby and Rathbarry in the West and Lismore nobly defended it self under Captain Barderoe whilst the Lord Inchequin appearing with 2500 Horse and Foot rais'd the Siege whose Army upon news of the Cessation drew off then ready to give Battle In Connaght after the Battle of Raconnel till Midsummer there was not any considerable service done by our Souldiers and the Enemy either kept close in Garrisons or was drawn off to the Siege of Galloway's Fort And now the Enemies finding that without the Command of some experienc'd General and the uniting of their Forces they were able to do little yea not to defend themselves they got for Commander John Bourk or as they more commonly called him Shane O-Tlevij descended from the Bourks of Castle Barr or if you please of the Mac Williams His first exploit was against the Fort of Galloway to the taking and demolishing of which the Townsmen contributed both with Bodies and Purse very largely they wanted good battering Guns and therefore resolv'd to take it by Famine it being but poorly provided by such as the Parliament appointed to bring timely supplies by Sea knowing that in it they should get battering Guns to take in the rest of the English Garrisons in that Province To this end they made a Chain of Masts Casks and Iron across that part of the Harbour next to the Fort and planted strong Guards at each end of it They prepared some few Ship-Guns and a Morter-Piece which was well cast by a Runnagate out of the Lord Forbes Ships which afterwards they made use of at the Siege of Castle Coot so that with much Industry rather then Gallantry they at length got the Fort by Composition its Relief coming too late into the Harbour The event of which so much struck the Governour as he did not many months after survive the loss Upon the taking of the Fort the Irish were overjoy'd to be Masters of so many brave Guns and thought that the Reputation of this and the help of the Guns would reduce suddainly all Connaght they resolv'd first to fall on Castle Coot the most painant thorn in their side being confident that upon their success there they might in all probability expect to have the rest not because it had any great strength in its Walls but was well mann'd and vigilantly attended though with 4000 Horse and Foot and answerable Accommodations of War they question'd not but to Master it soon having Preston's Engineer Monsieur La Loo an expert Low-Countrey Souldier to manage their Works who upon the knowledge of the situation of the Place question'd not its surrender Galloway having for Fireworks and fitting expedients for that service furnished him with 300 l. However though they had made as regular and handsom a Fortification about the Castle as ever was attempted in Ireland yet the Garrison so nobly attack'd each Redoubt that thence ensued many brave Attempts much certainly to the prejudice of the Besieged the Garrison maintaining their own against all the Attempts the Besiegers ever adventur'd which in truth were many not without Skill as well as Courage maintain'd in as much as the Governour Captain Richard Coot since Lord Baron of Coloony having sent forth a private Messenger to Major Ormsby who before with the help of the English Garrisons had very successfully beaten Owen Roe-O-Neal out of the Province with great loss coming to set upon Boyle Jamestown Carrickdrumzoosh and Elphin at Tulsol to inform him of his wants very carefully consulted with Boyle and Roscommon who joyntly agreed upon a private Sign to relieve them of Castle Coot which the Enemy having notice of by one whom the Garrison had familiarly entertain'd the Treachery on the Enemies side was carried on as they set forth two parties as if one had made to the Castles Relief whilst the other oppos'd it to the countenance of which the Governour being from the Walls encouraged by the Souldiers though against his own suspicions adventured forth with 60 Musketiers but soon found the deceit of the business The Enemy all this while having skirmish with themselves as two Parties who now joyntly fall upon the Governour with those he drew out who so gallantly oppos'd them though in compute not less then 700 Men as they retired to their Camp and he secured his Retreat with much Honour to his Castle The Enemy in the Interim making a bold assault on the other part of the Castle which he came time enough to relieve beating off the Enemy with a considerable loss and having slain many of their men caus'd them decently to be laid out not beheaded as the Irish barbarously are accustomed to do for which their General sent him a Present of Tobacco then very acceptable However afterwards he beat them to inaccessible Places in Bogs and Woods their usual Refuge and recover'd at that time store of Tobacco Cloaths and 11 weeks Pay newly come to satisfie their Souldiers Yet they hearing of the Cessation but not yet having an Express from the Marquiss of Ormond more violently then ever shot at the Castle and having now a Messenger of the Cessation they so far suspected him as a spy as they imprison'd him endeavouring still to gain the Castle but finding their attempts vain Forces from Boyle Roscommon c. faithfully having relieved the Castle all joyntly gallantly set on the Rebels which their General perceiving grew so much enraged against his Souldiers as to profess he had rather be Captain of the 200 in the Garrison then General of the 3000 he had so as at length the Governour as well as Bourk having an Express from the Marquiss of Ormond both acquiess'd therein Thus his Majesties Forces where they were unanimous vigorously proceeded nay should I adventure to recount all their actions time would fail we are obliged to be brief though in omitting any injuries may be done excellent Persons whose pardons I beg whilst they had no better supplies then other Places However the necessities of the Army were daily aggravated yet they in some mens opinion not seeming sufficient to bring on a Cessation such as were principal opposers of it were thought requisite to be remov'd And the 23. of April 1643. Sir Francis Butler arriv'd from England with a Supersedeas for the Lord Parson's Government and a Commission to the Lord Borlase and Sir Henry Tichborn to be Lords Justices who accordingly the first of May were instituted in the Government Who betwixtthe unpaid and Refractory Souldiers and the difficulties that arose about the Cessation which they were to consent to but acted little in encountred no small difficulties in their Government whatever censure it hath since met with Soon after their admission fresh hopes of a more plentiful Supply exceedingly cheer'd the Souldiers but that failing Murmures Mutinies and a discontented Spirit raged every where highly fomented that necessity might be a main plea for the Cessation of which his Majesty
an Alarm even in the streets of Dublin who were gallantly repulsed by Colonel Crafford's Men killing 20 of them the Rebels by that means doing no more hurt than plundering and firing some few thatcht Houses All things tending to a Cessation the State held it their best policy not to retain their Forces wholly in their Garrisons and therefore though they had slender Provisions and less Treasure to encourage the Souldiers abroad the 27th of June 1643. Colonel Monk with 1300 Foot and 140 Horse was sent against Preston strengthned by Owen O Neal whom he encountred near Castle Jordan at a Pass upon the River Boine being 5 or 600 Horse and 6000 Foot putting his Foot to rout and killing many of his Men Yet for want of Provision he was forced to leave Clancurry and turn to Wickloe where he got store of Cattel But thence he was soon recalled to face the Rebels in Meath and hearing of Neal's Forces about Port Leicester Mill a great and secure Fastness near 5 miles Westward from Trim he with the Lord Moor vigilantly attended their motion But so it fell out that the Lord Moor observing Neal's encamping there had some notice of his levelling a Piece of Cannon towards his Army yet was so little concern'd at the advice danger in that Cause being never apprehended as after that the Bullet had once if not twice grazed he with other Gentlemen who were not without of what might ensue and intimated their suspicions still travers'd the Ground till most unfortunately the Bullet forc'd its passage through his Armour into his Body but was not of strength sufficient to go through however it there slew him upon whose Fall one readier to shew some sallies of Wit than Skill obtrudes this Distich Contra Romanos Mores res mira Dynasta Morus ab Eugenio canonizatus erat In Answer to which one readily writes this Olim Roma pios truculenta morte beavit Antiquos mores jam nova Roma tenet This Noble Gentleman was the first that adventur'd in this Cause and the last Victime under his Majesty's Commission a Gentleman of clear Spirit and Integrity He fell not many days before the Cessation which by several even of the Privy Council themselves was much disliked nor indeed till some of those were remov'd from the Council Board the Reasons they gave in being un-answerable could the Cessation be brought on without opposition and then not so easily as some thought many difficulties and those not easie to reconcile in reference to his Majesty's Exigencies and the Interest of the distressed Protestants pressing in on every Dispute Now the Parliament in England conceiving themselves much interess'd in the Affairs of Ireland as already hath been said to advise order and dispose of all things concerning the Government and Defence of that Kingdom made the 30th of September 1643. not knowing that the Cessation had been then 15 days before concluded a Declaration against any Cessation or a Treaty of Peace with the Rebels in Ireland for that amongst many other Reasons the Cessation would be for the preservation of the Rebels and Papists only who under pretexts of civil Contracts would continue their Antichristian Idolatry Besides several Commissioners of both Houses of Parliament who by the Broad Seal the publick Faith of the State were intrusted with the Irish Affairs would by the Cessation be further dis-enabled to Act and the Adventurers who had so many Acts for their Security would by a Cessation be disappointed as the exiled Protestants turn'd out of their Habitations be thereby continued in misery and want Whilst these things were thought on in England the People of Ireland who took a liberty at the uncertainty of Affairs were strangely divided whether the Cessation should be concluded or no. Some who were sensibly touch'd with the Injuries and Cruelties of the Rebels could not brook it others hoping for their advantage by the Change daily expected it whilst the City in general being burthen'd with Taxes quartering of Souldiers c. having no hopes of Relief from abroad willingly hearkned to their Freedom so as now the strong Affections which had been commonly born against the Rebels began to wither into an indifferency and the course which had been then took to weather out the resolute either for despair or terrour humbled many and as Interest lay several resolv'd what Party to take in England upon the conclusion of the Cessation And that the Cessation might be put forward his Majesty writ to the Lords Justices and the Marquis of Ormond from his Court at Matson the 25th of August the 19th year of his Reign which came not to them till the 26th of September eleven days after the Cessation was concluded Authorizing them or any two of them to treat and conclude for him and in his name with his Subjects then in Arms in that his Kingdom for a Cessation of Arms for one whole year But before this Letter arriv'd the Treaty at Sigginstown began with the Confederates Commissioners by vertue of the Letter the Marquis had formerly received from his Majesty dated at Oxford the 31. of July 1643. who to that purpose order'd a Commission dated at Dublin under the Broad Seal the last of August 1643 in the 19th year of his Majesties Reign to conclude the Cessation with the Irish Commissioners who the 26th of August 1643. having met the Marquis of Ormond Lieutenant General of his Majesties Army there where insisting upon the Name Title and Protestation which at first they had assum'd not permitted of by the Marquis of Ormond they proceeded The Enemy in the interim besieging Tully and afterwards taking it even whilst his Majesties Commission of Grace was not far thence in execution and in all places they shewed themselves most active endeavouring either to surprize force or gain by allurements what they could exceedingly animated with hopes of a Cessation that upon its conclusion what was in their power might be peaceably possess'd During which Treaty many difficulties arose one whether in this or the former Treaty I am not certain was much insisted on viz. How the several Indictments and Outlawries against the Irish might be repealed After some dispute at length Plunket one of the Irish Agents told them He had found a Remedy the Judges before whom they were Indicted might be summon'd to the Star-Chamber and there be Fined And there replied one who is seldom found to sign any Act of State till the Cessation was concluded all that are concern'd may be confident to find reparation This the Lord Chief Justice Shurley thought reflected upon him who thereupon express'd much courage and integrity And the Dispute fell And the 15th of September 1643. the Cessation was concluded by the Marquis of Ormond who for his Courage Affection and Loyalty his Majesty had made his Lieutenant General of his Army in Ireland and who having gotten so many notable Victories over the Rebels was very well approv'd
press for Supplies out of England without the least intention in them of inducing a Cessation which is granted But as the necessities were there laid open so they were considered by his Majesty and no other Expedient remaining for the Protestants safety save a Cessation thereupon it was concluded though to this day some will have it that his Majesties expectation to be supplied thence and the preservation of the Irish almost swallowed up by his Forces were the principal Motives to that Cessation And it must be acknowledged from the series of Affairs since that the Irish in concluding the Cessation had a respect to their greater security and designs those being thereby withdrawn to his Majesties service in England which otherwise would certainly have oppos'd them And here I cannot but observe that the Irish afterwards acquired much confidence by a Bull of Urban's the 8th dated at Rome the 25th of May 1643. commending their forwardness against the Protestant Hereticks which they publish'd even after the Cessation of Arms was agreed on to what intent may be easily conceiv'd considering their subsequent frequent violation of Compacts and Agreements with the State Though the bleeding Iphigenia who in pleading their Cause grosly betrays it would not have it thought that this charitable Bull cherish'd the Catholicks in Rebellion but was onely an Indulgence to so good and just a Quarrel not any dis-respect to the King to whom saith he his Holiness advised them by their Agents to be Loyal as if that and the breach of his Majesties Commands to lay down Arms could rationally agree Before which Bull an Indulgence had been sent Dilecto filio Eugenio Onello the 8th of October 1642 in the 20th year of his Papacy The Cessation now concluded Obedience was expected from all parts but instead of an absolute compliance from the Scots in Ulster their Officer in Chief return'd this Letter Right Honourable YOur Lordships of the 21. I received at Ardmagh the 29 together with the Printed Cessation which was very displeasing unto this Army who being sent Auxiliary for supply of the British Forces in distress were promis'd by his Majesty and the Parliament of England Pay and Entertainment from three months to three months nevertheless in eighteen months time they have endured both Officers and Soldiers unparallel'd miseries And now a great part of the Service being done they are rewarded with the conclusion of a Cessation without assurance of entertainment for the time or any certainty of the payment of their Arrears and they must conform to the Treaty This kind of usage and contempt would constrain good Servants though his Majesties Loyal Subjects to think upon some course which may be satisfactory to them being driven almost to despair and threaten'd to be persecuted by the Roman Catholick Subjects as they are now called Nevertheless of the foresaid Contempt for obedience to his Majesties Command I have mov'd the Army for the time to cease any hostile Act against our Enemies till such time as your Lordships will be pleased to consider better of our present condition and grant us time to acquaint the General who has onely Commission over the Army to advise us how to behave our selves in this Exigency since I as Governour of Carigfergus can give your Lordships no positive Answer to this Cessation in the name of our Army having not absolute Power over them And immediately after receiving the General 's resolution your Lordships shall be acquainted therewith which is the least favour your Lordships can vouchsafe upon us in recompence of our Bygan Service And so I remain Ardmagh 29 Sept. 1643. Receiv'd the 2d of Octob. Your Lordships humble and obedient Servitor Robert Monro To the Right Honourable the Lords Justices and Council Upon this Answer of Monro's the Supreme Council at Kilkenny maintaining their Umpire in the Empire visits the Lords Justices and Council with this Letter Our very good Lords WE whom his Majesties Catholick Subjects of this Kingdom did intrust in the management of their Affairs have by their publick Act ratified and confirmed the Articles of Cessation concluded upon by our Commissioners willingly and cheerfully hoping in the quiet of that time assign'd for it by the benefit of the access which his Majesty is graciously pleas'd to afford us to free our selves from those odious Calumnies wherewith we have been branded and to render our selves worthy of Favour by some acceptable service suiting the expression we have often made and the real affections and zeal we have to serve his Majesty and in as much as we are given to understand that the Scots who not long since in great numbers came over into this Kingdom and by the slaughter of many Innocents without distinction of Age or Sex have possessed themselves of very large Territories in the North and since the notice given them of the Cessation have not onely continued their former cruelties upon the Persons of weak and unarmed Multitudes but have added thereunto the burning of the Corn belonging to the Natives within that Province of Ulster Notwithstanding which outrages we hear that they have although but faintly and with relation unto the consent of their General after some days consultation whether it were convenient for their Affairs desired to partake in the Cessation intending as is evident by their proceedings so far onely to admit thereof as it may be beneficial for their Patrons the Malignant Party now in Arms against his Majesty in England by diverting us from assisting his Majesty or of advantage to their desire of eating further into the bowels of our Countrey We who can accuse our selves of no one hollow thought and detest all subtile Practices cannot think of serving two Masters or standing Neuters where our King is Party And we desirous none should reside in this Kingdom but his Majesties good Subjects we beseech your Lordships therefore that these who have other ends then his Majesties Service and Interest and are so far from permitting the Natives to enjoy three parts of what they have sown as they may with no security look upon their former habitations and do absolutely deny to restore their Prisoners contrary to the Articles of Cessation may by the joynt power of all his Majesties good Subjects within this Kingdom of what Nation soever be prosecuted and that while these Succours are in preparation our Proceedings against them may no way be imputed unto us a desire any way to violate this Cessation And we do further pray your Lordships that for our justification therein you will be pleas'd to transmit unto his Majesty these our Letters and to send unto us the Copy of those directed unto your Lordships from Serjeant Major Monro concerning this Matter Thus with the remembrance of our heartiest wishes unto your Lordships we rest Kilkenny 15. Octob. 1643. Received 25. Your Lordships loving Friends Mountgarret Castlehaven Audley H. Armach Jo. Clonfert Th. Fr. Dublin R. Beling N. Plunket Gerrard Fennell To
and Commanding as well in Secular as Ecclesiastical Matters to the Popes Nuncio who began his Empire with committing to Prison the Commissioners who had been Instrumental in the Treaty and making of the Peace by order of the general Assembly and issued out an Excommunication against all those who had or should submit to the Peace which comprehended all the Nobility and almost all the Gentry and some of the Clergy which Excommunication wrought so universally upon the minds of the People that albeit all Persons of Honour and Quality received infinite scandal and well foresaw the irreparable damage Religion it self would undergo by that unwarrantable Proceeding and used their utmost Power to draw the People to obedience and submission to the said Agreement and to that purpose prevail'd so far with General Preston that he gave them reason to hope that he would joyn with them for the vindication of the publick Faith and the Honour of the Nation and compel those that oppos'd it to submit to the Peace Yet all these endeavours produced no effect but concluded in unprofitable Resentments and Lamentation In the mean time Owen O Neil when he found himself disappointed of his Design to have cut off the Lord-Lieutenant before he should reach Dublin enter'd into the Queens-County and committed all Acts of Cruelty and Outrage that could be imagined took many Castles and Forts which belong'd to the King and put all who resisted to the Sword and his Officers in cold blood caus'd others to be murther'd to whom they had promised Quarter as Major Pigot and others of his Family About the latter end of June this year Major General Monro received a severe defeat from Owen Roe O-Neil at Benburgh alias Benburge near Charlemont in the County of Ardmagh whereby the whole Province was exposed to the Rebels fury in as much as if they had had the Courage or Policy to have prosecuted it they might have destroyed all the Scotch Quarters and endanger'd their Towns but Owen Roe instead of prosecuting the Victory went presently with the Prisoners and Colours in Triumph to Kilkenny so gave our Forces a breathing whilst the Parliament suspecting his union with Preston immediately ordered 50000 l. out of the Excise for the raising of more men for Ireland and some Horse besides Foot were presently sent over with Ammunition and other necessaries these called at Dublin but the Design being not then fit for their Reception they were otherwise disposed of And shortly after the Nuncio prevail'd so much that he united General Preston to his Army at which time he took this Oath I A. B. Swear and Protest that I will adhere to the present union of the Confederate Roman Catholicks that reject the Peace lately agreed and proclaimed at Dublin and do nothing by Word Deed Writing Advice or otherwise to the Prejudice of that Union and will to the uttermost of my Power advance and further the Good and Preservation of it and of his Majesties Rights and the Priviledges of free-born Subjects to the Natives of this Kingdom And then the Nuncio as Generalissimo lead both Armies towards Dublin where the Lord Lieutenant was so surprized with their Perfidiousness that he found himself in no less straights and distresses from his Friends within then from his Enemies without who totally neglected those Forces which being under the obedience of the Parliament of England had always waged a sharp and bloody War with them and at present made inroads into their Quarters to their great damage and intirely ingaged themselves to suppress the Kings Authority to which they had so lately submitted Lest so prodigious an alteration as is now set forth may seem to be wrapt up in too short a discourse and it may appear almost incredible that an Agreement so deliberately and solemnly entred into by the whole Nobility and Gentry of the Nation in a Matter that so intirely concern'd their own Interest should in such an instant be blasted and anihilated by a Congregation of Clergy assembled onely by their own authority And therefore without the vice of curiosity all men may desire to be inform'd by what Degrees and Method that Congregation proceeded and what specious Pretences and Insinuations they us'd towards the People for the better perswading them to depart from that Peace they were even again restored to the Possession of It will not be impertinent therefore to set down some important particulars of their Proceedings and the very forms of some Instruments publish'd by them that the World may see the Logick and Rhetorick that was used to impose upon and delude that unhappy People and to intangle them more in that Labyrinth of Confusion wherein they were long involved They were not content not to suffer the Peace not to be proclaimed in Waterford and to disswade the People from submitting to it But by a Decree dated the 12 day of August 1646. which they commanded to be published in all places in the English and Irish Tongue they declared by the unanimous consent and votes of all even none contradicting as they say That all and singular the Confederate Catholicks who should adhere or consent to the Peace or to the Fautors thereof or otherwise embrace the same should be held absolute perjur'd especially for this cause that in those Articles there is no mention made of the Catholick Religion or the security thereof or any care taken for the Conservation of the Priviledges of the Country as had been promised in an Oath formerly taken by them but rather all things referred to the Pleasure of the most renowned King from whom in his present state they said nothing of certainty could be had And in the Interim the Armies and Arms and Fortunes even the Supream Council it self of the Confederate Catholicks were subjected to the Authority and Rule of the Council of State and Protestant Officers of his Majesty from whom that they might be secured they had taken that Oath And the next day being informed that the Lord Viscount Mountgarret and Lord Viscount Muskery were appointed by the Supream Council at Kilkenny to go to Dublin to confer with the Lord Lieutenant upon the best way to be pursued for the execution and observation of the Peace they made an Order in Writing in which were these words We admonish in our Lord and require the Persons who are departed to Dublin that they forbear and abstain from going thither for the said end or if they be gone that they return and this under pain of Excommunication commanding the Right Honourable the Bishop of Ossory and other Bishops as well assembled as not assembled here and their Vicars General as also Vicars Apostolical and all Priests even Irregulars that they intimate these Presents or cause to be intimated even by affixing them in publick places and that they proceed against the disobedient in denouncing of Excommunication as it should seem expedient in our Lord. When the Supream Council notwithstanding these new
three months Pay should be given to those that go 5. That private Souldiers and non-Commission-Officers should receive 2 Months Pay of Arrears and Commission-Officers under a Captain one Months Pay 6. That Magazines for Provisions be settled at Bristol Chester Liverpool Beaumaris and Milford 7. That a sufficient Squadron of Ships be appointed for the Irish Coast. 8. That Ships should be Victuall'd at Dublin Liverpool and Beaumaris and a Court of Admiralty should be erected at Dublin to prevent their coming into England to dispose of Prizes and so neglect the Service 9. That the Pay of the Officers and Souldiers should be according to the Irish Establishment onely the Officers to receive for the present the same Pay as here 10. That an Hospital for sick and maim'd Souldiers should be erected at Dublin 11. That the Parliaments Forces already in Ireland and those then ready to go over should be in one Army and one Establishment 12. That 5000 Quarters of bread-Corn 200 Tun of Salt 200 Tun of Cheese should be transported with those who now go over 13. A Competent Train of Artillery with Arms Ammunition c. should be sent and a care to be taken to send over Recruits of Horse as there should be occasion Lastly That there be Recruits of Horse Foot Arms Saddles c. ready to supply the Service of Ireland to be sent over as need shall require Thus provided Cromwel prepares for his Journey though to accommodate him with an Army of 8000 Foot and 4000 Horse no small difference arose betwixt the Presbyterian and Independent at that time undermining each other the Levellers being pragmatick He however carried over some of the discontented Persons on each side finding them there work enough against a common Enemy And so prepared for his Journey 120000 l. being borrowed of the City upon the Credit of the Ordinance of 90000 l. a month In the interim he gets Sir Theophilus Jones who was sent to the Parliament from his Brother dispatch'd for Ireland with 1500 Quarters of Corn and 10000 l. in Money little enough to hearten the Souldiers frequently then deserting the Parliament and flying to the Marquess of Ormond yea the Regiment the Parliament sent under Colonel Tuthil being made up of Voluntiers most of those engaged in Colchester Design mutinied being sent over without Money Provisions or Cloaths thereby indangering the City more then the Marquess The Scots in the interim in a Remonstrance and Declaration to which on the least Motive they are naturally inclin'd of the general Assembly of the Church of Scotland concerning present and eminent danger the 13th of Febr. 1649. declared amongst other things as Grievances That the standing Armies in Ireland under the Marquess of Ormond the Lord Inchequin and the Lords of Ards and George Monro forgetting all the horrible cruelty that was exercised by the Irish Rebels upon many thousands of the English and Scottish Nations in that Land have enter'd into a Peace and Association with them that they may the more easily carry on the old Designs of the Popish Prelatical and Malignant Party and the Lords of Ards and George Monro have by treachery and oppression brought the Province of Ulster and Garrisons therein under their Power and Commands which urging with much violence afterwards produced a Declaration from the King in dislike of the Peace 1648. much insisted on by the Irish and indeed as you will hear begat the grounds of a future distast So that whosoever will wisely revolve and consider this wilde Conjuncture of Affairs and that to the subduing the Power Strength and Wealth of the Parliament and the equal malice and headiness of Owen O Neal and his Party as much or in truth more contracted against the Confederate Irish then the Kings Authority and the forming and disposing the useless and unprofitable pretences of affection in the Scots and reducing them to obedience the Marquess brought over with him neither Men nor Money considerable nor any advantage but that of his own Person Wisdom and Reputation and was now upon the Peace to constitute an Army not only of several Nations and Religions and of such Passion and Superciliousness in these Opinions which flowed from their several Religions but of such men who had for about the space of eight years prosecuted a sharp War against each other with all the Circumstances of Animosities Rapine and Revenge and who were now brought into this Reconciliation and Conjunction rather by the wonderful Wisdom and Dexterity of the Principal Commanders then by their own Charity and Inclination And that in the forming of this Army he had not above 6 or 7 Officers upon whose skill in Martial Affairs and affection to him he could with any confidence depend but was to make use of very many who were utterly unknown to him and such who either had no experience in the War or who had been alway in the War against him I say whosoever without passion considers all this will rather wonder that the Marquess did not sink under the weight of the first Attempt nay that he could proceed with success in any one Enterprize then that an Army so made up should upon the first mis-adventure be dissolv'd into jealousies and prejudices amongst themselves and that all confusions should follow which naturally attend such Compositions As soon as the Peace was thus concluded proclaim'd and accepted the Lord Lieutenant took a survey of the Stores of Arms Ammunition and other Provisions necessary for the Army which was to be brought together in the Spring and found all very short of what he expected and what was absolutely necessary to the Work and ways for raising of Money with which all the rest was to be supplied in no degree to be depended upon The Cities and Incorporate Towns where upon the matter all the Wealth was having never submitted further to the General Assembly then by declaring themselves to be of their Party but like so many Common-Wealths order'd all Contributions and payments of Money by their own Acts and Determinations nor would upon the most Emergent occasions suffer any Money to be rais'd in any other proportion or in any other manner then best agreed with their Humours and Conveniencies So that the Commissioners advised and besought the Lord Lieutenant to make a Journey in Person to such of those Corporations as were best able to assist him and by his own Presence Assistance and Interest endeavour to perswade them to express that affection to the Peace they had professed And thereupon he went with a Competent number of the Commissioners to Waterford which gave 8000 l. and 3000 Barrels of Corn and from thence he went to Limerick and then to Gallway and Kilkenny from which several Places he procured the Loan of more Money Corn and Ammunition then the General Assembly had ever been able to do for most of which last he was forced to bargain with Patrick Archer and other Merchants for a Supply
thereof engaging the Kings Customs and the tenths of Prizes for payment and by this means which cost him much labour and time he found himself in a condition to draw several Forces together which he did about the beginning of May having made the Lord Inchequin Lieutenant-General of the Army the Earl of Castlehaven Lieutenant-General of the Horse and the Lord Taaff Master of the Ordnance at the General Randezvouz at Cashol whilst the Scots reduc'd Ulster and Connaght and it being thought fit to lose as little time as might be in marching towards Dublin as soon as any considerable number of men were once together he sent the Earl of Castlehaven with some Forces to take in several Garrisons which were possessed by Owen O Neal in the Queen's County which was the way he intended to march and so would have no Enemy in his Rear And the Earl of Castlehaven accordingly took the Fort of Maryborrough and other Places in that County and Athy and Reban in the County of Kildare whereby their passage was open for the further March Having thus began the Campania the Lord Lieutenant appointed a General Randezvouz for the whole Army at Cloghgrenan alias Glaughgrenan an house of his upon the River Barrow near the Castle of Caterlaugh where he made a Conjunction of all the Forces Protestant and Irish Who by the Wisdom and Temper of the Principal Officers mingled well enough and together about the end of May made a Body as it's generally reported of 3700 Horse and 14500 Foot with a Train of Artillery consisting of four Pieces of Cannon But when they were thus met all the Money which could be rais'd by the Commissioners or which had been rais'd by the Corporate Towns was so near spent in drawing the Forces out of their Quarters and in those short Expeditions into the Queen's County and County of Kildare that they could not have advanced in their March if the Lord Lieutenant had not upon his own Private Credit borrowed 800 l. of Sir James Preston by means whereof he gave the Common Souldiers four days Pay and so about the beginning of June marched from Cloghgrenan and the same Evening appear'd before Talbots Town a strong Garrison of the Enemies which together with Castle Talbot two miles distant from the other was within 3 days surrendred to the Marquess upon promise of Quarter which they had and then he march'd to Kildare which Town was likewise surrendred unto him as were Castle Sallogh and Castle Carby at Kildare He was compelled to stay 3 or 4 days both for want of Provision and for a Recruit of 2000 Foot which by the Lord Inchequin's Care and Diligence was then upon their March and being join'd he was in hope by a suddain and speedy Motion to have engaged Jones who at that time viz. 12. of June was march'd from Dublin as far as Johnstown with his Army consisting of 1000 Horse and 3000 Foot and so having encouraged his Souldiers with 3 days Pay which he was likewise compelled to borrow on his Credit out of the Pockets of Persons of Quality attending on him and of the Officers of the Army he passed the River of Lifly and Jones having upon intelligence of his Motion in great disorder rais'd his Camp and retir'd into Dublin after that Major Cadogan by his Command had done notable and severe Service about Tecroghan burning the Countrey not in 5 years before Visited and had beaten a part of the Marquess's Forces though he got not so much by his Victory though considerable as Jones afterwards lost by Treachery the Garrison of Allan being delivered up for 200 l. The Marquess encamped his whole Army at the Naas twelve miles from Dublin that he might maturely deliberate what was next to be undertaken being now the middle of June That which appeared worthy of debate was whether the Army should first make an Attempt upon Dublin in which it was believ'd there were very many both Officers and Souldiers and other Persons of Quality well affected to the Kings service and who had formerly served under the Marquess and esteem'd him accordingly who might make that work more easy Or whether the Army should be first imployed in the taking in of Trim Tredagh and other out-Garrisons from whence the City receiv'd much Provisions of all kinds and from whence Provisions to the Army would be cut off and much other prejudice might arise But upon full consideration the Council of War which consisted of the General Officers inclined to the former concluding that if they could take Dublin all other places would quickly fall into their hands and if they should delay it and waste their Provisions in those lesser Attempts there might probably arrive out of England such supplies of Men Money and other necessaries to Jones which were daily expected as might render that important work almost impossible Hereupon the Lord Lieutenant marched the very next morning toward Dublin and that afternoon re-passed the whole over the River of Liffy by the Bridge of Lucan and encamped near that place to rest his men a few hours He marched very early in the morning being the 19th of June and appear'd by nine of the Clock at a place called Castleknock in view of the City and hearing that Jones had drawn out all his Horse into the Green not far from the Walls he sent a Party of Horse and Musketiers to face them while he drew his whole Body within less then Cannon-shot of their Gates hoping thereby to give some countenance to those in the Town to raise some Commotion therein and having spent some part of the day in this posture and expectation after some slight skirmishes between the Horse writes one others say considerable where the Earl of Clanrickards Regiment of Horse was sorely beaten though they ralli'd twice He found it necessary to draw off and encamped that night at a place two miles from the Town called Finglas whither great multitudes of Roman Catholicks whereof most were aged Men Women and Children whom Jones had turned out of the City repair'd to him whom he sent with all due Order for their Reception into Quarters adjacent The Marquess was no sooner in his Quarters then he receiv'd sure intelligence that Jones had sent his Horse to Tredagh from whence they would have been able to have distressed his Army several ways and to have interrupted Provision which came out of the Countrey out of the Magazines which were at least 30 miles distant And several Officers were of opinion upon the view they had taken that day of the Enemy and the countenance they had observed of their own men that they were not presently provided for a formal Siege and as ill to attack the Town by a brisk attempt and therefore he resolv'd to remain encamp'd at that place for some time whereby he might take the advantage of any opportunity that within the Town would administer unto him and presently sent the Lord Inchequin
and to the Peace of this Kingdom to be put into the actual possession of his Estate he paying and contributing to the maintenance of the Army and necessary burdens of the Countrey proportionable to the rest of his Neigbours 2. That you cause the Articles of War to be put in execution amongst all the Forces under your Command whereof we send you down herewithall a Copy 3. Whereas it is well known to belong to us as General of the Army in this Kingdom under his Majesty to dispose of all Military Offices and Commands whether in Chief or Subordinate which Right we cannot in Honour suffer to be lost from the Sword and whereas some Commissions lately have been Procured giving Power to other Commanders to name and place all sorts of Military Officers under the respective Commands in which Commissions nevertheless and much more in the Instructions there is an express reference to us and to our Approbation from which they are to receive their validity We do therefore Order and Declare our Pleasure thereby That no Commander whatsoever within the Province of Ulster do assume to themselves the nomination of Military Officers as Colonels Lieutenant-Colonels Majors Captains Lieutenants Cornets or Ensigns upon pretence of any late Commission but leave them to our discretion as in this Kingdom hath ever been accustomed 4. If any Person shall speak or act to the prejudice of his Majesties Authority or Affairs let him upon proof be forthwith Imprisoned and his Estate secured and an Information sent up to us of the nature of his Crime that we may give further Order therein And if any Ecclesiastical Person in his Prayer or Sermon shall presume to exercise the People to Sedition or Disobedience or shall intermeddle in Pulpit or Consistory with the managery of Civil Affairs or shall derogate from the present Government or Governours of this Kingdom or shall teach that his Majesty is not to be admitted to the possession of his Crown until he hath given satisfaction to his Subjects or until he have taken such Oaths and Covenants as are impos'd upon him without his Consent without Law contrary to the Dictates of his own Conscience upon proof thereof without further Circumstance let his Estate be confiscated to the use of the Army and himself be either imprisoned or banished or tryed for his Life as the Enemy shall deserve 5. If there be any Person whose Loyalty is suspected let the Chief in Command upon the Place administer unto him the Oath of Allegiance and if he refuse it let them secure both his Person and Estate and send up an information to us that we may cause proofs to be made against him 6. Although we cannot now take notice of the Scotch Army in this Kingdom or of any distinct from that which is committed into our hands by his Majesty we expecting a joynt obedience of all Forces English Scotch and Irish indifferently as branches of the Army under our Command yet in respect your old Quarters are straightn'd by the Garrison of Belfast by our very good Lord the Lord Vicount Montgomery of the Ards we are well pleased in lieu thereof to assign unto you for the enlargement of your Quarters so much of the Countreys of Antrim as was possessed or enjoyed by Sir John Clotworthie's Regiment now disbanded of themselves and because we cannot but judge that this dissolution of them proceeds from the aversness to his Majesties Service and therefore we require that none of them be admitted into any Troops as Horsemen or Dragooners 7. For Answer to your other Proposition if any Postage shall be sent down from them or from the other Provinces of the Kingdom into Ulster for his Majesties Service upon any occasion it is our Pleasure they have their Quarter and Provision for the present in these Quarters through which they pass but the whole Province of Ulster is to contribute proportionably towards the Charge 8. Let the Siege of Derry be prosecuted by the common advice of the Lord Vicount Mountgomery of Ardes Robert Stewart Sir George Monro and Colonel Audley Meryin 9. We desire the said four Persons last mention'd likewise to consider and certifie what fit Augmentation of Quarter and further Provision may be assign'd to the Regiment and Troops of Esteline without prejudice or with the least prejudice to any other of his Majesties Forces ORMOND Upon the Lord Inchiquin's success at Dundalk the lesser Garrisons of Newry Narrow-water Green-Castle and Carlingford were easily subjected and the Lord Inchiquin in his return being appointed to visit the Town of Trim the onely Garrison left to the Parliamentarians in those parts except Dublin in two days after he had besieged it he made himself Master of it and so return'd with his Party not impair'd by the Service to the Lord Lieutenant in his Camp at Finglass Owen O Neil still continued his affection to the Parliamentarians and when he found that his design of drawing the Marquis of Ormond's Army from Dublin could not prevail he hastned into Ulster and upon the payment of 2000 l. in money some Ammunition and about 2000 Cows he rais'd the Siege of London-derry the 8th of August the onely considerable Place in that Province which held for the Parliament under Sir Charles Coot and which was even then reduc'd to the last extremity by the Lord Viscount Mountgomery of Ardes Sir George Monro Sir Robert Stewart Colonel Audley Mervin and others and must in few days have submitted to the Kings Authority if it had not in that manner been relieved by the Irish under O Neil with whom Colonel Richard Coal in the behalf of Sir Charles Coot Lord President of Connaght had made Articles of Cessation as Colonel Monk had done before on the grounds of necessity the 22. of May 1649. the benefit of which he acquainted the State with desiring that the Propositions presented by him might be accepted which was thought by them a demand so extravagant and of such dangerous consequence to the whole Kingdom as it was ill resented Owen Roe and his Party having been first engaged in those horrid Massacres and presently rejected And though Sir Charles Coot was not censur'd because it was presum'd he did it out of necessity yet several Votes passed against him as to that Cessation though he was continued in his Imployment and having received the pleasure of the Parliament concerning the Cessation made by him with Owen Roe presently acquainted him therewith who according to Articles betwixt them did soon retire and as we shall see afterwards came to an agreement with the Marquis of Ormond finding he could not by any means he could use draw himself or his Party to be accepted of by the Parliament an attempt he earnestly solicited engaging to maintain their Interest with the hazard of his Life and Fortune against all opposers whatsoever with whom joyn'd the Lords Gentry and Commons of the Confederate Catholicks of Ulster though many were of
in for his Loyalty relyed on for his Wisdom trusted in for his Care to prevent ill Accidents and Dexterity to take advantages he was indeed looked upon as the Restaurator of his Countrey and as the onely Person by whose management of the Irish War the injur'd King was like to arise out of his Fathers ruines to the Glory and Greatness he was born to though upon this Defeat those whose Crimes were no otherwise to be veil'd than by this misfortune cast the miscarriage thereof solely upon him a Fate incident to great Men to be extremely magnifi'd on Success and upon any notable Disaster to be as much depress'd and peradventure neither justly Soon after this Defeat Jones was writ to by his Excellence to have a List of the Prisoners he had taken from him To whom it was repli'd My Lord since I routed your Army I cannot have the happiness to know where you are that I may wait upon you Michael Jones This Defeat at Rathmines alter'd the result of Counsels at Court till then very strong for his Majesties repair into Ireland the Scots having given ill proofs of their Integrity and Faith And certainly the Irish were at that time so disposed as probably they would have submitted to his Majesty what-ever afterwards might have been the result of their compliance And for the Parliament they had at that time so inconsiderable a footing in Ireland possessing not a Garrison in Munster or Connaght and in Ulster none but London-derry and the Fort of Culmore as in Leimster little but Dublin and Ballishannon as his Majesties Presence it was thought would have wrought on some reduced others and brought in All. When the Marquis as we have said before found the Consternation to be so great in his Soldiers as they could not be contain'd from dispersing and had sent Orders to those on Finglass-side to march to Tredagh and Trim for the strengthning of those Garrisons which he believ'd Jones might upon the pride of his late success be inclined to attack whilst himself went to Kilkenny as the fittest Rendezvous to which he might rally his broken and scattered Forces and from whence he might best give Orders and Directions for the making of new Levies And in his March thither the very next day after the Defeat at Rathmines he made an halt with those few Horse he had rallied together and summon'd the strong Fort of Ballishannon which he had before left blocked up by a Party of Horse and Foot and having found means to perswade the Governour to believe that Dublin had been surrendred and that his Army was returning he got that important Place into his hands without which Stratagem Jones would have pursued his Conquest even to Kilkenny it self which he had found in a very ill condition to defend it self For in a whole weeks time after the Marquis's coming to Kilkenny he could draw together but 300 Horse with which he found it necessary that day sevennight after the Defeat to march in Person to the relief of Tredath which was besieged by Jones and defended by the Lord Moor but upon the approach of the Marquis no nearer than Trim the Siege was rais'd and Jones return'd to Dublin and his Lordship entred Tredath whether he resolved to draw his Army as soon as might be and issued out his Orders accordingly hoping in short-time if no other misfortune intervened to get a Body of Men together able to restrain those of Dublin from making any great advantage of their late Victory But he had been there very few days when he received sure advertisement that Cromwel himself was landed with a great Army of Horse and Foot and with vast Supplies of all kinds at Dublin where he arriv'd within less than a fortnight viz. on or about the 15th of August after the unfortunate Defeat at Rathmines The Scene being now alter'd and the War the Lord Lieutenant was to make could be onely Defensive until the Parliamentarians should meet with a Check in some Enterprise and his own Men by Rest Discipline and Exercise of their Arms might again recover their Spirits and forget the fears they had contracted of the Enemy He in the first place therefore took care to repair the Works and Fortifications of Tredath as well as in so short a time could be done and got as much Provision into the Town as was possible and then with a full approbation of all the Commissioners he made choice of Sir Arthur Aston a Roman Catholick and a Soldier of very great Experience and Reputation one at Reading and Oxford formerly confided in by his Majesty a Gentleman of an Ancient and yet flourishing Family in Cheshire to be Governour thereof and put a Garrison into it of 2000 Foot and a good Regiment of Horse all choice Men and good Soldiers with very many Gentlemen and Officers of good Name and Account and supplied it with Ammunition and all other Provisions as well as the Governour himself desired and having done so he marched with his Horse and small remainder of Foot to Trim from whence he had sent to the Lord Inchiquin to bring up as many Men to Tecroghan the Rendezvous as he could out of Munster now the apprehension of Cromwel's Landing there was over and endeavour'd from all parts to recruit his Army hoping that before the Parliamentarians could be able to reduce any of his Garrisons he might be empowered to take the Field The 24th of August 1649. the Commons assembled in Parliament set forth a Declaration declaring all Persons who had served the Parliament of England in Ireland and had betrayed their Trust or adhered to or aided and assisted his late Majesty or his Son to be Traitors and Rebels and accordingly to be proceeded against by a Court-Marshal whereby some were Sentenc'd others sent into England some Imprison'd there and many disbanded though they had serv'd against the Rebels from the first Discovery Upon Friday the 30th of August Cromwel marched out of Dublin having setled the Affairs of that City Civil and Military instituting Sir Theophilus Jones Governour in his absence with an Army of 9 or 10000 Men chosen out of the General Muster where appear'd a compleat Body of 15000 Horse and Foot came before Tredath Monday the 2d of September of which the Marquess of Ormond was no sooner advertiz'd than he came to Trim to watch all opportunities to infest the Enemies Quarters and having full confidence in the Town and in the Experience of Sir Arthur Aston who had sent him several Advices to precipitate nothing for that he doubted not to find Cromwel play a while the goodness and number of the Garrison being such that Cromwel would not be able to get the Town by any Assault But here again he found his expectations disappointed for the Enemy resolv'd not to lose their time in a Siege and therefore as soon as they had sent their Summons the 9th of September and it was rejected
been two hours in the Town before Captain James Stafford Governour of the Castle whom the Lord Lieutenant would have remov'd from that Charge not as being unfit for it but because he was a Catholick and had exercised that Charge during the time that the Confederates were in Arms against the King gave up that Place to Cromwel and took Conditions under him Cromwel having thus gain'd the Castle advanc'd his Flag upon the Castle and turn'd the Guns against the Town which the Townsmen perceiving their hearts fail'd them and the Soldiers in confusion quitted the Walls not expecting the return of their Commissioners who treating with Cromwel had procured the safety of the Inhabitants of the Town and the preservation of it from Plunder as leave for the Soldiers to depart every one to their own homes they engaging not to bear Arms any more against the State of England and lastly of life to the Officers Yet in great consternation fear having surprized the Townsmen and Soldiers before their Commissioners return they endeavour'd to pass over the Water for the safety of their lives Which Cromwel's Soldiers perceiving about 14. of October presently clapt Scaling Ladders to the Walls and entred the Town without any resistance wherein all found in Arms were put to the Sword to the number of 2000 amongst which was Sir Edmond Butler endeavouring when he discovered their Treachery to escape was killed before he had been two hours in that City Cromwel in the interim not losing 20 men in the whole Siege though as you may see Colonel David Synot Governour of the Town and Castle of Wexford had confidence by the Propositions he sent 1. That the Inhabitants of the Town should exercise without disturbance the Roman Catholick Religion 2. Their Religious Orders and Priests should enjoy their Monasteries and Churches 3. The Bishop Nicolus Ferns and his Successors should have their undisturb'd Jurisdiction of their Diocess 4. Their Officers and Soldiers should march out with flying Colours and the other punctilio's of Honour 5. Whosoever of the Inhabitants hereafter should desire to depart the Town should have what-ever was theirs with them 6. That all Free-men should have their Immunities and Liberties hitherto enjoyed they adhering to the State of England 7. None to be disturb'd in their Possession 8. Who-ever afterwards should desire to depart may have safe Conduct into England or else-where 9. That all enjoy a full liberty of Free-born English Subjects in what Port soever they should Traffick in England 10. That no memory remain of any Hostility or distance betwixt the Parliament and those that kept the Town and Castle All which Cromwel accounting impudent had no effect From this Torrent of Success and Corruption no body will wonder That Cromwel march'd thence without control and took in Ross a strong Town situate upon the Barrow and far more considerable for Navigation than Wexford the River admitting a Ship of 7 or 800 Tun to ride by the Walls of this Place Major General Lucas Taaff was Governour who had with him a strong Garrison re-enforced by 1500 Men even in the fight of Cromwel's Army who when he came before it to save Blood sent a Summons to the Town which was answer'd suitable to his mind by the Governour but the Great Guns sending in the next Summons the Town was surrendred on condition the 19th of October That they within should march away with Bag and Baggage Capitulating for which Taaff demanded Liberty of Conscience for such as should stay To which Cromwel repli'd That he medled not with any mans Conscience but if by Liberty of Conscience was meant a Liberty to exercise the Mass he judged it best to use plain dealing and to let him know where the Parliament of England had power that will not be allowed The Marquis of Ormond out of a too deep sense of the stupidity nay madness and ingratitude of that People for whose Protection and Defence he had embarqu'd himself his Fortunes and his Honour and whose jealousie and fond obstinacy made the work of their own preservation more difficult and impossible than the Power of their Enemy could do about this time desired nothing so much as an opportunity to fight Cromwel and either to give some check to his swelling Fortune or to perish gloriously in the action and to that purpose drew all his Friends to him then about the Graige and Thomastown with an intention to fight him his Excellency's Army being exceedingly increas'd by the conjunction of Inchiquin's and Roe's Armies had he not been diverted by a false Alarm of the Enemy's being gone as far as Bennets-bridge towards Kilkenny whereby he was drawn thither for the defence of that City otherwise he had engaged them before their getting to Carrick Ross being now in Cromwel's possession he caus'd a Bridge of Boats to be made under protection of the Town over the River Barrow and the Army to sit down before Duncannon a strong Fort commanded by Colonel Wogan but the Place being so well provided of all Necessaries it was judged convenient not to lose time about it And presently after Colonel Abbot reduced Enisteoge a little wall'd Town about 5 miles from Ross to the Parliaments obedience And about the same time Colonel Reynolds with 12 Troops of Horse and 3 of Dragoons march'd toward Carrick having divided his Men into two parts whilst the Besieged were amused with the one Party he enter'd a Gate with the other taking the Place and about 100 Prisoners without the loss of one Man But to look back From the time that the Peace was concluded at Kilkenny the Lord Lieutenant well discerned the mischief he should sustain by being to provide against the Attempts of General Owen O Neal as well as against the English Forces and that at least he could hope for no assistance from the Scots in Ulster as long as they fear'd him And therefore he sent Daniel O Neal Nephew to the General to perswade him to be included in the same Peace but he was so un-satisfied with the Assembly that he declared he would have nothing to do with them or be comprehended in any Peace they should make But if the Marquess would consent to some Conditions he propos'd he would willingly submit to the King's Authority in him The Marquess was content to grant him his own Conditions having indeed a great esteem of his Conduct and knowing the Army under his Command to be better disciplined than any other of the Irish. But the Commissioners of Trust would by no means consent to those Conditions whereby it is evident though these would be thought to adhere to the Marquess that they had alien thoughts to his Majesty's Happiness and declared if the Lord Lieutenant should proceed thereupon to an Agreement it would be a direct breach of the Articles of Peace And thereupon Owen O Neal made that Conjunction with Monk as is before spoken of and about the very time of the
Defeat at Rathmines relieved Sir Charles Coot in London-derry and thereby kept the King from being entirely possessed of the Province of Ulster which but for that Action would have been able to have sent strong Supplies of Men and Provisions to the assistance of the Marquess And it is well known that while the Lord Lieutenant was in a hopeful condition to prevail against the Parliament the Commissioners of Trust and the principal Persons of Interest had no mind to agree with General O Neal out of animosity to his Person and Parts and in confidence that the Work would be done without him And others who were of his Party had as little mind that he should be drawn into a Conjunction with the Marquess because they knew if he was once engaged under him they should no more be able to seduce him to joyn with them in any Actions of Sedition And upon these Reasons the Persons who were deputed by the Commissioners to treat with him and were known to have an Interest in him on the one side perswaded Owen O Neal that the Lord Lieutenant had broken the Articles of Peace and that he could have no security that what should be promised should be performed to him and on the other side informed the Marquess that Owen O Neal insisted on such extravagant Propositions that the Commissioners of Trust would never yield to them But after the Arrival of Cromwel his success against Tredagh the Commissioners of Trust thought it high time to unite to him And Owen O Neal himself discerned how unsafe he should be by the prevailing of the English Party who notwithstanding the signal Service perform'd by him to them had publickly dis-avowed the Agreement which their Officers had made with him And thereupon by the Interposition of Colonel Daniel O Neal at that time Governour of Trim all Particulars were agreed betwixt the Lord Lieutenant and him the 12th of October 1649. with the Consent of the Commissioners of Trust the management of which was committed to Sir Nicholas Plunket Knight and Sir Richard Barnwel Baronet authoriz'd by the Lord Lieutenant to conclude with General Owen O Neal for whom there was the Bishop of Clogher and Tirlagh O Boyle who agreed in 18 Articles about the time Cromwel was before Wexford Insomuch that he promised to bring his Army within a few days and joyn with the Lord Lieutenant which though himself lived not to accomplish dying at Cloughoter-Castle in the County of Cavan about the beginning of December was shortly after performed So that about the time that Wexford was taken the Lord Lieutenant was not without hope by the advantage of a Pass and by cutting off his Provisions to have made Cromwel return to Dublin very hard without losing a good part of his Army when on a sudden and all together all the considerable Places in the Province of Munster as Cork Toughal Kinsale Bandonbridge Moyallo and other Garrisons revolted to the Parliament and thereby gave them a safe Retreat and free Passage and necessary Provisions of all that they wanted and Harbours for Ships to bring all to them that they could desire The Lord Inchiquin being so totally betrayed by those Officers whom he trusted most and had most obliged and that after he had in vain tryed to reduce them by force he could not without much difficulty obtain the liberty and re-delivery of his Wife and Children to him which when he had procur'd he fled for safety into Thomond to his Kindred This Defection in so fatal a Juncture of time when the straits Cromwel was in by the Winter and want of Provisions had rais'd the Spirits of all Men and when they looked upon themselves as like to have at least some hopeful Encounter with him was not a loss or a blow but a dissolution of the whole Frame of their Hopes and Designs and introduced a Spirit of Jealousie and Animosity in the Army which no Dexterity or Interest of the Lord Lieutenant could extinguish or allay From the first hour of the Peace the English and Irish had not been without that prejudice towards each other as gave the Marquess much trouble and they were rather incorporated by their obedience and submission to the Authority and Pleasure of their chief Commander than united by the same Inclinations and Affections to any publick End Insomuch as before the Defeat at Rathmines there were many of the Irish who much fear'd the swift success of the Army and apprehended the Lord Lieutenant's speedy reducing of Dublin would give him such Power and make him more absolute than they desired to see him and therefore were not sorry for that Mischief On the other side the English were much troubled to see the Authority and Jurisdiction of the Marquess so restrain'd and limited by the Articles and that the Army was neither recruited disciplined nor provided as it ought to be solely by his want of Power and they had a very low opinion of the Spirit and Courage of the Irish. But now upon this Defection in Munster there was a Determination of all Confidence and Trust in each other the Irish declaring That they suspected all the English Nation and made the Treachery of those who so infamously had betrayed their Trust an unreasonable Argument for jealousie of those who remain'd in the Army who being a handful of gallant Men and of most un-shaken Fidelity to the King were indeed in respect of their Courage and Experience in the War the Party to be principally depended upon in any Action or Encounter and of which the Enemy had only an apprehension Though the Season of the year for it was now towards the end of November and the Sickness that was in Cromwel's Army made it high time to betake themselves to their Winter-Quarters and such was their resolution yet hearing of the gaining of Carrick and of the present Distemper amongst those who had the whole Strength the Lord Lieutenant was to trust to and knowing all the Clergy had the full Dominion in all incorporate Towns and Places of Importance and would keep the People from submitting to those Expedients which could only preserve them he resolv'd to make an Attempt with his Army consisting of about 2000 Horse and 5000 Foot upon Waterford hoping to reduce that important Place before the Army should draw into Winter-Quarters knowing well enough that the Marquess could not keep the small Body he had together many days which was true For he having not Money to give them half a Weeks Pay or Provision to serve half so long was compelled to suffer part of them viz. the Scots to go to their Quarters who upon the Plains of Lisnegarvy being joyn'd with Sir George Monro to relieve Carickfergus were upon the 6th of December met with by Sir Charles Coot who gave them such a blow as they were afterwards never able to make head in Ulster However the Marquess was resolv'd not to leave Waterford to the
company which attended the Marquess was too few to encounter the Enemy's Horse with any considerable hope yet he drew them up in that manner on the side of an Hill that the Enemy imagining their number to be more considerable thought fit to lessen their pace and to send small Parties to discover them which being again entertain'd by the like number in like skirmishes the Foot as much improving their March they were in the end by the Marquess's frequent opposing of his own Person to retard the Enemy's pursuit preserv'd and so brought back with him into the Town about half of those who had march'd thence the rest being killed or taken Prisoners by Colonel Zanckey which also had been infallibly destroyed if the Marquess had not taken that desperate course to redeem them as he might in hope have recovered all the others who were made Prisoners and defeated all that Body of the Enemy and consequently have taken Passage if the City would have permitted his Horse to have been transported over the River and to have march'd through it His Excellency's Forces had not better success in their Attempt to re-take Carrick governed by Colonel Reynolds meerly through the want of Pick-axes and Spaces though his confidence of the Design built on the brittle assurance of his Commanders had brought him almost thither where if it had not been for Colonel Milo Power who acquainted him of his Armies being baffled and of its removal thence he had been surprized by the Enemy And the Lord Inchiquin's Lieutenant Colonel Trevor's Sir Armstrong's Expeditions against Wexford and Ross ended in the like loss and misfortune The Marquess however leaves nothing un-attempted to fortifie Waterford what dis-couragements soever he had received by the Insolency of some Men instigated by the Violence and Opiniastrise of the Clergy In as much as he knew Passage or the other Places could not be regain'd without he might bring his Army over the River which they would not admit of nay desiring that his Army might for a little time be but hutted under their Walls where they should receive their Provisions and Pay duely out of the Countrey and so should be a Security and Benefit to the Town without the least damage in any Degree This Proposition also found no more regard then the former and instead of consulting with what Circumstances to comply with so just and necessary a Demand of the Kings Lieutenant it was proposed in the Council of the Town To seize on his Person and to fall on all who belonged to him as an Enemy Which Advice met with no other Reprehension then that for the present the major part did not consent unto it Of all which when the Marquess was fully informed he thought it time to depart thence and to leave them to their own Imaginations and so marched away with his Army which after this Indignity it was a thing impossible to keep them together And because the Principal Towns refused to admit them in he was fain in the depth of Winter to scatter them over all the Kingdom The greatest part of the Ulster Forces were sent into their own Province there to chuse a new General according as their Conditions allowed them for Owen O Neal was dead And Luke Taaff with his Men were sent back into Connaght to my Lord of Clanrickard The Lord Inchequin with the remainder of such as belonged unto him went over into the County of Clare The Lord Dillon with his into Meath and towards Athlone all the rest were scattered several ways Onely Major General Hugh O Neal was admitted with 1600 Ulster Men into Clonmel as Governor whilst the Marquess went to his Castle of Kilkenny From thence he dispatch'd the 24th of December an Account to the King who was then in the Isle of Jersey of the true Estate of his Affairs in that Kingdom By which his Majesty might see how much Cromwel's Forces who disclaimed any Subjection to him prevail'd against his Authority And how it was equally contemned deluded or dis-regarded by his Subjects who made all the Professions of Obedience and Duty to him which was a Method these ill times had made his Majesty too well acquainted with And from this time which was towards the end of December 1649. the Marquess never did or could draw together into one Body a number of 500. what endeavours he used to do it will be mention'd in order hereafter Assoon as the Lord Lieutenant came to Kilkenny he consulted with the Commissioners of Trust without whose approbation and consent he could do no act that was of importance what remedy to apply to the disorder and confusion which spread it self over all their Affairs they had been still Witnesses of all his actions of his unwearied pains and industry and of the little fruit that was reaped by it how his Orders and Commands and their own had been neglected and dis-obeyed in all those Particulars without which an Army could not be brought or kept together how those places which the Rebels had possessed themselves of had been for the most part lost by their own obstinate refusal to receive such assistance from him as was absolutely necessary for their preservation and yet that they had rais'd most unreasonable Imputations and Reproaches on him as if he had fail'd in their Defence and Relief They had seen the wonderful and even insupportable wants and necessities the Army had always undergone and knew very well how all Warrants had been disobeyed for the bringing in of Money and Provisions for the supply thereof And yet their Countrey was full of clamour and discontent for the payment of Taxes and being exhausted with Contribution He desired them therefore to examine where any mis-demeanors had in truth been and that they might be punished and from whence the Scandal and Calumnies proceeded that the minds of the People might be informed and composed The Commissioners for the most part had discharged the Trust reposed in them yet there were some amongst them too able and dexterous in Business who alway malign'd the Person of the Marquess or rather his Religion and the Authority he represented And what professions soever they made of respect to him still maintain'd a close Intelligence and Correspondence with those of the Clergy who were the most dis-affected to his Majesties Interest and who from the misfortune at Rathmines had under-hand fomented and cherish'd all the ill humours and jealousies of the People The Commissioners advised the Marquess as the best expedient to satisfie the Countrey that Orders might be sent to them to elect some few Persons amongst themselves to send to Kilkenny as Agents to represent those Grievances which were most heavy upon them and to offer any desires which might promote their security alledging that they could by this means be clearly inform'd how groundless those jealousies were and the Artifices would be discover'd which had been used to corrupt their affections though the
Cluanensis Nicholaus Fernensis Edmundus Limericensis Procurarator Episcopi Ossoriensis Franciscus Aladensis Andraeus Finiborensis Joan. Laonensis Fr. Oliverus Dromorensis Fr. Antonius Clonmacnosensis Fr. Hugo Duacensis Fr. Arthur Dunensis Connerensis Fr. Terentius Imolacensis Fr. Patr. Ardagh Oliverius Deis Procurator Episco Medensis Dr. Joa Hussey Procurator Episco Ardfertensis Fr. Joannes Cantwel Abbas S. Crucis Dr. Thadeus Clery Episcop Rapo Procurator Fr. Gregorius o Ferraile Provin Ordinis Praedicatorum Provin Hiber Fr. Thomas Mackeyernane Provin Fratrum Minorum Provin Hiber Walterus Clonfortensis Congregationis Secretar By the Ecclesiastical Congregation of the Kingdom of Ireland WE the Archbishops Bishops and other Ordinaries and Prelates of the Kingdom of Ireland having met at Clonmacnose propria Motu the fourth day of December in the year of our Lord God 1649. to consider of the best means to unite our Flocks for averting Gods wrath fallen on this Nation now bleeding under the evils that Famine Plague and War bring after them for effecting a present Union Decreed the ensuing Acts. 1. We Order and Decree as an Act of this Congregation That all Archbishops Bishops and other Ordinaries within their respective Diocesses shall enjoyn Publick Prayers Fasting General-Confession and Receiving and other works of Piety toties quoties to withdraw from this Nation Gods Anger and to render them capable of his Mercies 2. We Order and Decree as an Act of this Congregation That a Declaration issue from us letting the People know how vain it is for them to expect from the Common Enemy commanded by Cromwel by Authority from the Rebels of England any assurance of their Religion Lives or Fortunes 3. We Order and Decree as an Act of this Congregation That all Pastors and Preachers be enjoyned to Preach amity And for inducing the People thereunto to declare unto them the absolute necessity that is for the same and as the chief means to preserve the Nation against the extirpation and destruction of their Religion and Fortunes resolved on by the Enemy And we hereby do manifest our detestation against all such Divisions between either Provinces or Families or between old English and old Irish or any the English or Scots adhering to his Majesty And we Decree and Order that all Ecclesiastical Persons fomenting such Dissentions or un-natural Divisions be punished by their respective Prelates and Superiors Juxta gravitatem excessus si opus fuerit suspendantur beneficiali Pastores à beneficio officio ad certum tempus Religiosi autem à Divinis juxto circumstantias delicti Leaving the Laity offending in this kind to be corrected by the Civil Magistrate by Imprisonment Fine Banishment or otherwise as to them shall seem best for plucking by the root so odious a Crime The Execution whereof we most earnestly recommend to all those having Power and that are concerned therein as they will answer to God for the evils that thereout may ensue 4. We Decree and Declare Excommunicated those High-way Robbers commonly called the Idle-Boys that take away the Goods of honest men or force me to pay them Contribution and we likewise declare Excommunicated all such as succour or harbour them or bestow or sell them any Victualing or buy Cattle or any other thing else from them wittingly Likewise all Ecclesiastical Persons Ministring Sacraments to such Robbers or Idle-Boys or burying them in Holy Grave to be suspended ab officio beneficio si quod habent by their respective Superiors juxta gravitatem delicti This our Decree is to oblige within fifteen days after the Publication thereof in the respective Diocesses Signed by Hugo Ardmachanus Fr. Thomas Dublin Thomas Casshel Joan. Archiep. Tuam Fr. Boetius Elphyn Fr. Edmundus Laghlinensis Procurator Waterfordiensis Emerus Clogher Robertus Corcagiensis Cluanensis Nicholaus Fernensis Edmundus Limericensis Procurator Episcopi Ossoriensis Franciscus Aladensis Andreas Finiborensis Joan. Laonensis Fr. Oliverus Dromorensis Fr. Antonius Clonmacnosensis Fr. Hugo Duacensis Fr. Arthurus Dunensis Connerensis Fr. Terentius Imolacensis Fr. Patric Ardagh Oliverius Deis Procurator Episco Medensis Dr. Joannes Hussey Procurator Episcop Ardfertensis Fr. Joannes Cantwel Abbas S. Crucis Dr. Thadeus Clery Episcop Rapo Procurator Walterus Clonfortensis Congregationis Secretar By the Ecclesiastical Congregation of the Kingdom of Ireland WE the Archbishops Bishops and other Ordinaries and Prelates of this Kingdom of Ireland having met at Clonmacnose propria Motu on the fourth day of December in the year of our Lord God 1649. taking into our consideration among other the Affairs then agitated and determinated for the preservation of the Kingdom that many of our Flock are mislead by a vain opinion of Hopes that the Commander in Chief of the Rebels Forces commonly called the Parliamentaries would afford them good Conditions and that relying thereon they suffer utter destruction of Religion Lives and Fortunes if not prevented To undeceive them in that their ungrounded expectation We do hereby Declare as a most certain Truth that the Enemies Resolution is to extirpate the Catholick Religion out of all his Majesties Dominions as by their several Covenants doth appear and the Practice where-ever their Power doth extend as is manifested by Cromwel's Letter of the 19th of Octob. 1649. to the then Governor of Ross. His words are For that which you mention concerning Liberty of Religion I meddle not with any man's Conscience but if by Liberty of Conscience you mean a Liberty to exercise the Mass I judge it best to use plain dealing and to let you know where the Parliament of England have Power that will not be allowed of This Tyrannical Resolution they have put in execution in Wexford Drogheda Ross and elsewhere And it is notoriously known that by Acts of Parliament called The Acts of Subscription the Estates of the Inhabitants of this Kingdom are sold so as there remaineth now â—o more but to put the Purchasers in possession by the power of Forces drawn out of England And for the common sort of People towards whom if they shew any more moderate usage at the present it is to no other end but for their private advantage and for the better support of their Army intending at the close of their Conquest if they can effect the same as God forbid to root out the Commons also and plant this Land with Colonies to be brought hither out of England as witness the number they have already sent hence for the Tobacco Island and put Enemies in their places And in effect this banishment or other destructions of the common People must follow the Resolution of extirpating the Catholick Religion which is not to be effected without the Massacring or Banishment of the Catholick Inhabitants We cannot therefore in our Duty to God and in discharge of the Care we are obliged to have for the preservation of our Flocks but admonish them not to delude and lose themselves with the vain expectation of Conditions to be had from that merciless Enemy And consequently we
beseech the Gentry and Inhabitants for Gods glory and their own safety to the uttermost of their Power to Contribute with patience to the support of the War against that Enemy in hope that by the blessing of God they may be rescued from the threatned Evils and in time be permitted to serve God in their Native Countrey and enjoy their Estates and fruits of their Labours free from such heavy Levies or any other such Taxes as they bear at present Admonishing also those that are in-listed of the Army to prosecute constantly according to each mans charge the Trust reposed in them the opposition of the Common Enemy in so just a War as is that they have undertaken for their Religion King and Countrey as they expect the blessing of God to fall on their Actions And that to avoid Gods heavy judgment and the indignation of their Native Countrey they neither plunder nor oppress the People nor suffer any under their charge to commit any extortion or oppression so far as shall lye in their power to prevent Signed by Hugo Ardmachanus Fr. Thomas Dublin Thomas Cashel Joan Archiep. Tuam Fr. Boetios Elphyn Fr. Edmundus Laghlinensis Procurator Waterfordiensis Emerus Clogher Robertus Corcagiensis Cluanensis Nicclaus Fernensis Edmundus Limericensis Procurator Episcopi Ossoriensis Franciscus Aladensis Andreas Finiborensis Joan. Laonensis Fr. Oliverus Dromorensis Fr. Antonius Clonmacnosensis Fr. Hugo Duacensis Fr. Arthurus Dunensis Connerensis Fr. Terentius Imolacensis Fr. Patric Ardagh Oliverus Deis Procurator Episco Medensis Dr. Joannes Hussey Procurator Episco Ardfertensis Fr. Joannes Cantwel Abbas S. Crucis Dr. Thadeus Clery Episcop Rapo Procurator Walterus Clontfertensis Congregationis Secretar But the People weary of the War the Plague encreasing and ill provided to endure those Extreamities Cromwel forced daily upon them they flocked from all Places unto him and liv'd under Contribution whilst the Marquess of Ormond finding it in vain to qualifie the Discontents at Kilkenny went about the end of Christmas to the Marquess of Clanrickards in Connaght who consulting together found nothing effectual to compose the differences the Clergy still irritated amongst them whereupon his Excellency returned to Kilkenny where the Agents spent some time in preparing Heads of such Grievances as they thought fit to present to the Lord Lieutenant who called still upon them to dispatch But upon Conference with the gravest of the Commissioners they found how groundless all those Slanders were which they had believ'd before they came thither and so could not agree of any Particular to complain of Besides they met with some Disturbance there for Cromwel well knowing how the Marquess ' s small Forces were scattered abroad march'd with a strong Party towards that Town with which the Agents were so alarm'd that they would stay no longer there but desired the Marquess of Ormond to let them adjourn to Juni in the County of Clare which they did and though they met there yet they never agreed of any draught of Grievances to be presented though they made ill use of their Meeeting to propagate the Scandals and Imputations which had been groundlessly rais'd and to inflame the People with the same untruths Notwithstanding this Alarm and Danger the Lord Lieutenants Person and the City were really in all the Power and Authority he had could not in ten days draw 500 Men together to resist the Enemy However the Townsmen appeared ready and prepared for their defence and the Marquess putting all his own Friends and Servants on Horseback with which making a Troop of about 100 he look'd with so good a Countenance upon the Enemy that he retir'd And shortly after the Lord Lieutenant committed the Charge of the Place and the Countrey adjacent to the Earl of Castlehaven and went himself upon a more important Business to Limerick Cromwel having continued in his Winter Quarters in Munster scarce two months finding the Weather prove very favourable in the end of February his Soldiers much recovered from the Distempers which the change of Air had caused in them at their first coming over marched out with a Body of 3000 Horse and Foot and having receiv'd all necessary Supplies from England divided his Forces into two Parties the one he led the other was committed to Ireton's care who march'd away to Carrick there to re-inforce himself by the conjunction of Colonel Reynolds These Forces were to march into the Enemies Quarters two several ways the better to amuse the Enemy and to meet together at a Rendezvous near Kilkenny Cromwel in his March took in Cahir-Castle Kiltenan Goldenbridge Clogheen and Roghil Castles and seating himself before Callan joyn'd with the other part of the Army under Ireton enforced by the addition of the Forces under Colonel Reynolds and Colonel Zanckey which in their way had took in Arkenon Dundrum Knoctover Bullinard and other Castles The Forces being joyn'd Callan Cashel Featherd Graige and St. Thomastown with the Castles and Garrisons thereabouts were easily subdued And Cromwel resolving to besiege Kilkenny knowing it was strong sent for Huson Governour of Dublin to march speedily to him with all the Forces he could conveniently draw together which he did and by the way taking in Ballisannon Kildare Leighlin and other Places joyns with Cromwel's Army near Goram which was presently taken From hence Cromwel with his Army consisting of 16000 Foot and 6000 Horse marches against Kilkenny upon whose approach the General Assembly fled to Athlon and from whence the Earl of Castlehaven was drawn out with his Forces by reason the Sickness raged so having left Sir Walthar Butler and Major Walsh with about 50 Horse and 400 Foot to defend the Place where a Breach being made and assaulted by Cromwel's Soldiers they were beaten back with the loss of some Men and about 600 Arms though he had it surrendred to him shortly after upon these terms 1. To deliver up the City and Castle to him viz. Cromwel with all the Arms Ammunition and publick Store 2. That the Inhabitants should be protected in their Persons Goods and Estates from the violence of the Soldiery and they that would remove to have three months after the date of the Articles 3. That the Governours Officers and Soldiers might march away with their Bag and Baggage 4. That the City should pay 2000 pounds to Cromwel From hence Cromwel having well refresh'd his Army after the Siege of Kilkenny approaches Clonmel Garrison'd by 2000 Foot and 120 Horse under the Command of Hugh O Neal who behav'd himself so discreetly and gallantly in its defence that Cromwel lost near 2500 men before it and had gone away without it had not the Powder been spent which forced the Governour and Soldiers in the night to forsake the Town and go to Waterford leaving the Townsmen to make Conditions for themselves which they did as to the safeguard of their Lives and Estates Whilst these things were agitating the Lord Lieutenant the Marquis of Clanrickard Castlehaven and the
Bishop of Clougher held a Council at Baltimore in West-Meath to consult the security of the Nation which Cromwel hearing of sent Colonel Reynolds and Sir Theophilus Jones with 2500 Horse Foot and Dragoons against them with which they dispersed them and those Forces which the Marquis of Clanrickard and the Earl of Castlehaven had brought out of Connaght to the Relief of Tecrogham within 20 miles of Dublin and being joyn'd with the Dublin Forces took in Trim Balahuse Finagh and other Places In the time that Clonmel was Besieged the Bishop of Ross with 4000 Foot and 300 Horse endeavours its Relief but is overcome by the Lord Broghil near Bandon-Bridge and himself taken Prisoner and hang'd in the sight of Caringdred which Castle thereupon yielded to the Lord Broghil In this Hurry the Forces in Ulster being besides much shaken by reason of several Interresses the Nobility Gentry and Commanders for the King scattered a Declaration that none who would submit to his Authority should suffer either in Religion or State but it prevailed little During the Leaguer of Clonmel absolute Orders were brought to Cromwel from the Parliament for his sudden return as also two Expresses from the Council of State to that purpose which after the compleatment of that Siege he fulfilled leaving the Kingdom about the end of May 1650. having made Colonel Ireton his Deputy Here we cannot but take notice that there were several Precepts by the Archbishop of Ardmagh and others to pray for the success of Oliver's Forces whilst Dominick Dempsy a Franciscan esteem'd a grave and holy man and therefore a leading Person and Long the Jesuit asserted that the King being out of the Roman Catholick Church it was not lawful to pray for him particularly or publickly in general on any other day than on Good-Friday as comprehended amongst the Infidels alias Jews Mahometans Pagans and Hereticks and then for the Spiritual welfare of his Soul not for his Temporal prosperity Though the Parliamentarians by the Faction and obstinacy of the Irish who could not hitherto be induced to make reasonable provision for defence had prevail'd far and possessed themselves of many good Places without considerable opposition yet there remain'd a good part of the Kingdom free from their Power the whole Province of Connaght was still entire and the Cities of Waterford Limerick and Galway in possession of the Catholicks which might be made so strong as not to fear any strength Ireton could bring before them and are so situated for all advantages of Sea that they might being well supplied maintain a War against the whole Kingdom they had also the Forts of Duncannon and Sligo as also the strong Castles of Caterlough Athlone Charlemont Carlo and Neanagh from whence the Confederates might bring into the Field twice the number of Men which the Enemy had so that there wanted onely Unity Order and Resolution to preserve themselves to improve which the Marquis of Ormond resolved to begin with Limerick and if he could have disposed that City unto a full obedience and to receive a Garrison he made no question not onely to fortifie it against any attempt of the Enemy but under the countenance of it and by the security of the River Shannon to Quarter his Troops raise Contribution for their support Discipline his Men and in effect by the Spring so to recruit his Army that he might not suspect to prevail against the Enemy where-ever he should engage And to this purpose he went himself thither from Kilkenny in January hoping that the good resolution of the Bishops of Cloanmacnoise had well prepared the People to comply with him but when he came thither albeit he was receiv'd with outward demonstrations of respect he found the temper not such as he desired whatsoever the Bishops had declared The Clergy had observed none of those Directions nor were any in so much credit as they who behaved themselves quite contrary to those Determinations And if no way could be found to allay this Spirit all his endeavours he saw would be without any fruit Hereupon he resolv'd to try whether that part of the Clergy which wished well to the Kingdom could use as efficacious means to preserve as the other who desired confusion did to destroy it And upon advice with the principal Persons of the Catholick Nobility and with the Commissioners of Trust he did by his Letters of the 27th of February 1649. desire as many of the Catholick Bishops as were within convenient distance to meet him at Limerick which they accordingly did the 8th of March following When they came thither he conferred with them in the presence of â—he Commissioners of Trust with all frankness upon the distracted and disjoynted state of Affairs and freely told them That without the People would be brought to have a full confidence in him and yield perfect obedience to him and without the City of Limerick might be perswaded to receive a Garrison and obey his Orders it was not to be hoped that he could be able to do any thing considerable against the Enemy He desired them therefore if they had a mist rust of him or a dislike of his Government that they would as clearly let him know it assuring them that such was his desire of the Peoples preservation that there was nothing within his Power consistent with his Duty to the King and agreeable with his Honour that he would not do at their desires for that end Withall letting them see that his continuance with the Name and not the Power of the Lord Lieutenant could bring nothing but ruine upon the Nation as well as dishonour on him So that again he propounded to them in plain terms Either that they would procure a due obedience to be yielded to him or propose some other way by his quitting the Kingdom how it might be preserved After consultation together they return'd with many expressions of respects and affection to his Person and faithfully promis'd to endeavour all that obedience he desir'd withall presenting the 13th of March to him a Paper of Advice which contained as they said certain Remedies for removing the discontents and disgusts of the People and for the advancing of his Majesties Service Amongst which they proposed That a Privy Council might be framed by the Peers and other of the Natives of the Kingdom as well Spiritual as Temporal to sit daily with him and determine all the weighty Affairs of the Countrey by their Council and many other Particulars concerning the raising of Men and conducting the War To every one of which his Excellency from Limerick gave them sitting at Loghreogh an Answer in writing amongst which he told them That he could not understand how the present distresses of the Kingdom could proceed from the want of a Privy Council or how the framing of such a Council could advantage the management of the War which by the Articles of Peace was to be done by the Commissioners of Trust with whom he
did always communicate all matters of importance and therefore he could not think it fit unnecessarily to presume upon doing a thing for which he had neither Power nor President the Nomination of all Persons to be of the Privy Council being always reserv'd by the King to himself Yet rather than he should be wanting in any thing that was in his power to satisfie the People in he wished that the particular Acts which the Privy Council had heretofore done and were now necessary to be done might be instanced and as far forth as should appear necessary and fit he would qualifie Persons free from just exceptions with such And so answer'd all their Propositions that they seem'd to be well satisfi'd therewith and thereupon published a Declaration dated at Loghreogh the 28th of March 1650. in which they professed That they did and would endeavour to root out of mens hearts all jealousies and finister opinions conceiv'd either against his Excellency or the present Government and that they intreated him to give them further Instructions declaring that they were not deterr'd from the want of the expected Success in the Affairs of the Kingdom but rather animated to give further Onsets and to try all other possible ways and did faithfully promise that no Industry of Care should be wanting in them to receive and execute his Directions When the Marquis first proposed to the Commissioners of Trust that Limerick and other Places might be Garrison'd he offer'd to them the names of three Persons of the Roman Catholick Religion and of eminent Quality Reputation and Fortunes that out of them they might choose one for the Command of Limerick But resolving afterwards to call this Assembly of Bishops thither and to be there himself in Person he deferred the proceeding further in it till then that with their own advice such a Person might be chosen for that important Charge that should be beyond any possibility of a just exception from that Corporation Now he took all imaginable pains and descended to all the Arts of Perswasion to satisfie those Citizens who he perceived were the most leading men of the necessity of their speedy receiving a Governour and a Garrison for the preservation of their Interest and whatsoever could be of any value with any People But he was so far from prevailing with them That they perform'd not those outward Civilities and Respects to him which had been in no other Place denied The Officer who Commanded the City Guards neither came to him for Orders or imparted them to him no Officer of the Army or any other Person could without special leave from the Mayor which was often very hardly obtain'd be admitted to come to his presence to receive his Commands and Directions for the resisting and opposing the Enemy who at that very time prevail'd in the County of Limerick And to publish more the contempt they had of the Kings Authority they committed to Prison the Lord Viscount Kilmallock a Catholick Peer of the Realm and an Officer of the Army the Lord Lieutenant being on the Place for no other reason than for Quartering for one night some few Horsemen under his Command by the Marquis of Ormond's Order within the Liberties of that City All this being done so contrary to the Injunction which the Bishops had published for the direction of the People and at a time when they were assembled there And when the Marquis of Ormond despaired their contempts being so high of perswading them to what absolutely concern'd their proper Interest he thought it not agreeable to the Honour of his Master to remain any longer in the Place where such affronts and contempts were put upon his Authority and yet being willing still to expect some good effects from the observation and discretion of the Bishops who could not but discern what ruine must immediately attend such license and disobedience he appointed all the said Bishops and as many more as could be perswaded to come thither and the Commissioners to meet him at Loghreogh where about the 19th of March they attended him at Loghreogh When they appeared at Loghreogh the Marquis represented to their memories what they had before been themselves witnesses of and observ'd at Limerick and the neglects he had born there Desired them to remove those causless distrusts which being maliciously infused into the Peoples minds did slacken if not wholely withdraw their obedience from his Majesties Authority and wished them to consider how impossible it was for him with Honour or any hope of success to contend against a powerful absolutely obey'd and plentifully supplied Enemy himself under such domestick disadvantages of distrust and disobedience and concluded that if the consequence of the Service could not induce them to be all of one mind in putting a Garrison into Limerick or if being all of one mind they could not induce the City to obedience and submission to such their determination he could no longer entertain a hope of giving any check to the Enemy and would thereupon consider how otherwise to dispose of himself Both the Bishops and Commissioners were really or at least seem'd so and entirely convinc'd of the necessity of erecting that Garrison and of putting that City into a better posture of defence than it then appear'd to be in The Commissioners in whom that Trust was reposed by the Articles of Peace order'd it to be done and sent two of their own Members viz. Sir Richard Everard Baronet and Dr. Fennel with their Order to Limerick and with a Letter to the Mayor to conform thereunto and the Bishops writ to the Archbishop of Cashel and the Bishop of Limerick both then at Limerick desiring them to use their utmost endeavours to incline the City to submit to the direction of the Lord Lieutenant and the Commissioners And having done this they departed to those Places they thought fit to dispose the People as they professed to all acts of conformity and obedience But the Commissioners in short time return'd from Limerick without having in any degree prevail'd with them to receive either a Governour or Garrison or to conform themselves to any Orders the Lord Lieutenant or the Commissioners should send to them otherwise than as they agreed with their own inclinations in stead of making choice of any of those three who were nominated to them for their Governour they upon the matter declared That they would keep that Power in their own hands and for receiving of a Garrison they proposed some particulars what men of the Irish Catholicks and what they would not what course should be taken for the support of them and through what hand it should pass and many other things directly contrary to the Articles of Peace which had been with solemnity proclaimed in that City and unto which they had professed all submission All this perversness obstinacy and ingratitude could not yet extinguish the affections and compassion the Marquis had towards them and he clearly discern'd
power and success had laid in their way and that they who were there met doubting not but the same was the general sense of the Nation would with all care and earnestness endeavour not onely to conserve in the People such their good Inclinations but if any Person or Place should be refractory or decline that obedience which is due to his Majesties Authority they would contribute their best endeavours to reduce them and make them conformable to the same And after many other specious professions and protestations of their zeal to obey his Excellency They humbly besought him to appoint Commanders in the several Provinces to whom those of his Majesties Subjects who by the excitement of the Clergy ready with all alacrity to undergo that care should be encouraged to take up Arms might repair for the opposing the Power of the Rebels How respective soever this Address was and how solemnly soever it was represented as neither the one or the other could be more formal the Lord Lieutenant was resolved not to be longer satisfied with those general Declarations of their good desires and purposes and therefore the very next day he sent them a Letter containing what he would expect from them which for the more clear manifestation of the whole Proceedings shall be here faithfully inserted and was in these words AFter our hearty Commendations in Answer to your Letter of the last of April we think fit to mind you That upon our communicating unto you his Majesties Letter of the 2d of Febr. we then acquainted you at large with what had passed at Waterford which being by us represented to his Majesty occasion'd his sending the said Letter as also that we found the City of Limerick had taken example thereby to affront and contemn his Majesties Authority placed in us and from us by consent of the Representative of the Confederate Catholicks at the conclusion of the Peace derived to the Commissioners both which you pass over with an extenuation of those disobediences and by attributing them to some mis-understandings you seem in a manner to excuse them Whereas we had reason to expect that suitable to your general professions you would have resented the particular deportment of those Places and proposed unto us how the Contrivers thereof might be brought to Justice and the Places reduced to perfect obedience For as for your professions of care and earnestness to endeavour not onely to conserve in the People the good inclinations you find in them but that if any Person or Place shall be refractory or decline that perfect obedience due to his Majesties Authority you will contribute your best endeavours to reduce them and make them conformable to the same cannot be evidenced or made good by you but by applying those your endeavours where we give you particular undeniable instances of refractoriness and disobedience so there can be no instance thereof more pregnant nor if it be persisted in more destructive to his Majesty and the Nation than that of Limerick to the immediate reducing whereof we therefore thought and do now expect you would effectually apply your selves We are well satisfied that the generality of the Countrey and Nation who have given the proofs you mention of their sincere affections to preserve his Majesties Rights entire to him will persevere therein if those upon whose example and advice they very much fix their resolutions be active and industrious to lead and exhort them thereunto But we must withall let you know that we cannot hope that those their good affections and alacrity in defence of his Majesty and their own Interests can be successful if the City of Limerick and all other Cities and Towns be not in perfect obedience and immediately be put under a Military Government for Military matters and thereby into a condition of defence and offence Which to conceal from the People were towards them as great a treachery as it would be in us a vain rashness without such obedience first gain'd to attempt the opposing the strength and power of the Rebels And therefore we must and do declare that as the particular refractoriness of the City of Waterford hath more than any humane means contributed to all the successes of the Rebels in those parts since our being at Waterford And as the want of a strong Garrison in Limerick which we long since desired might be received there but could not prevail hath been the greatest visible means whereby the said Rebels have with small or no resistance gain'd or destroy'd the County of Limerick and other parts adjacent so the entire loss of the Kingdom to his Majesty and the destruction of the Nation which we have no hope to prevent but by strongly and presently Garrisoning and Fortifying the said City must be imputed to the obstinacy of that City if it shall perfist therein As to those Distrusts and Jealousies of the People occasion'd as you say for want of success in Services the sense of their sufferings and their apprehensions for want of redress of their Grievances We answer That both the want of success and the sense of their sufferings whether from the Enemy or the Souldier cannot so reasonably be attributed to any humane Cause as to the want of garrisoning the Army in principal Towns and Cities wherein we cannot yet prevail nor ever could till by the Enemy's lying at one end of a Town we were not without articling and conditioning permitted to put such Men as we could then get in at the other end For for want of garrisoning the Army and by being forced to quarter it at large it was not possible to have them exercised their Arms kept in order nor they under necessary discipline which when they were to be brought together rendred them worse than so many new rais'd Men by how much they had contracted a licentious liberty and habit of rapine and disobedience Nor could we prevent the Fraud in Muster or reasonably exact a strict Account from Officers of Men so scatter'd who when they should be imployed upon Service were forced or pretending a necessity wherein we could not disprove them to range the Countrey to get in the Means that should enable them to serve As to their Apprehension for want of redress to their Grievances we understand not what Grievances are thereby meant unless those delivered unto us by the Archbishop of Tuam on the first of April For other Grievances though we long expected and desired them we never saw save a Paper given unto us on the 13th of March at Limerick which for the Forgery false Calumny and other mis-becoming Passages contain'd in it was as such dis-avowed by the Clergy then met and to those given us on the first of April we return'd herewith such Answers as considering the generality of them is possible for us to give We have already with the Advice of the Commissioners and as we believe with the Approbation of such of the Bishops as were present appointed the
and set at liberty by him and whom the Bishops themselves in their Letter of the 12th of September 1650. to the Earl of Westmeath c. do acknowledge to be preserved by the Marquess and for which many will rather expect an Apology than for any Jealousie he could entertain of the Persons who behaved themselves in that manner towards the King's Lord Lieutenant They charge him with having represented to his Majesty that some Parts of the Kingdom were dis-obedient which absolutely deny any Dis-obedience by them committed and that thereby he had procured from his Majesty a Letter to withdraw his own Person and the Royal Authority if such dis-obedience was multiplied and so leave the People without the Benefit of Peace This was the Reward his Excellency out of his Envy to a Catholick Loyal Nation prepared for their Loyalty and Obedience seal'd by the shedding of their blood and the loss of their substance Whether the obstinate and Rebellious carriage of Waterford Limerick and other Places which brought destruction upon themselves did not deserve and require such a Representation to be made unto the King may be judged by all men upon what hath been before truly set down of those Particulars and if the Places themselves had not acknowledged that dis-obedience yet the Prelates seemed to lament those Acts of Dis-obedience and most earnestly disswaded him from leaving the Kingdom promising all their endeavours to reduce the People to Obedience which was onely in their Power to have done else the Marquess would not so long have exposed Himself and his Honour to those Reproaches or suffered his Person with the Impotent Title of Lord Lieutenant of Ireland to have remained in that Kingdom and every day to hear of the rendring and betraying of Places to the Enemy which he could no more remedy then he could infuse a Spirit of Obedience Unity and Understanding into that unhappy infatuated Nation Yet he was so far from wishing that his Majesty should absolutely withdraw his Royal Authority from them how unworthy soever they made themselves of it that he offered to leave the Kings Power in the Person of the Marquess of Clanrickard as he afterwards did hoping that since their great exception was to him for being a Protestant they would with all Alacrity have complied with the other who is known to be a most zealous Roman Catholick yet a great Royalist They reproach'd him That while he was an Enemy to the Catholicks he had been very active in unnatural executions against them and shedding the blood of poor Priests and Churchmen But since the Peace he had shewed little of action keeping himself in Connaght and Thomond where no danger was or the Enemy appear'd not Here you see they would neither suffer him to have an Army to oppose the Enemy nor be content that he should retire into those Places where the Enemy could least infest him and from whence with those few Troops which remained with him he defended the Shannon and kept the Enemy from getting over the River while he staid there And for the former activity and success against them which they were content to impute to him it was when he had a free election of Officers an absolute Power over his Garrisons where he caused the Soldiers continually to be exercised their Arms kept in order and from whence he could have drawn his Army together and have march'd with it to what place he would which advantages he was now without and the Enemy possessed of and therefore it was no wonder that they now obtain'd their Victories as easily as he had done formerly But since they were so disingenious and ungrateful there being many amongst them whose lives he had saved not without suspicion of being favourable to them when he should have been just to charge him with being active in unnatural executions against them and in shedding the blood of poor Priests and Church-men and for the Improvement and Propagation of Calumny it hath pleased some Persons to cause that Declaration to be Translated in Latin and Printed thereby to make him odious to the Roman Catholicks and have named two Priests who they say were by his order Executed and put to death in cold blood and after his promise given to save their lives whose names were Mr. Higgins and Mr. White It will not be impertinent to set down at large the Case of these two Persons that from thence men who have no mind to be deceived and mislead may judge of the Candor and Sincerity of those Persons who would obtrude such Calumnies to the World It must therefore be known that when these two Priests were put to death the War was conducted and carried on by the two Houses of Parliament that the Government of Ireland was in the hands of the two Lords Justices who upon the inhumane and barbarous Cruelties first practised by the Irish Catholicks in the beginning of the Rebellion had forbidden any quarter to be given to those whom they found in Arms and principally against all Priests known Incendaries of that Rebellion and prime Actors in exemplary Cruelties and the Marquess of Ormond was then onely Lieutenant General of the Army and received all Orders from the Lords Justices and Council who having intelligence that a Party of the Rebels intended to be at such a time at the Naas order'd him to draw some Troops together with hope to surprize them And the Lieutenant General marching all night came early in the morning into the Town from whence the Rebels upon notice were newly fled In this Town some of the Souldiers found Mr. Higgins who might it's true have easily fled if he had apprehended any danger in the stay When he was brought before the Marquess he voluntarily acknowledged that he was a Priest and that his Residence was in the Town from whence he refused to fly away with those that were guilty because he not onely knew himself very innocent but believ'd he should not be without ample Evidence of it having by his sole Charity and Power preserved very many of the English Protestants from the rage and fury of the Irish and therefore he onely besought the Marquess to preserve him from the violence of the Souldiers and to put him securely into Dublin to be tried for any Crime which the Marquess promis'd to do and perform'd it though with so much hazard that when it was spread abroad amongst the Souldiers that he was a Priest the Officer into whose Custody he was intrusted was assaulted by them and it was as much as the Marquess could do to relieve him and compose the mutiny When he came to Dublin he informed the Lords Justices and Council of the Prisoner he had brought with him of the good Testimony he had receiv'd of his peaceable Carriage of the pains he had taken to restrain those with whom he had Credit from entring into Rebellion and of very many charitable Offices he had perform'd of which there wanted not
Expedition at Kilkenny Nor was it possible for the Marquis of Ormond to procure Justice to be inflicted in a Civil or Martial way upon an Ecclesiastical Person let his crime be what it would since even they whose zeal and affection to his Majesties Service was unquestionable and who were as highly offended at the intolerable carriage and proceedings of the Bishops and Clergy as they ought to be and whose duty was not in the least degree shaken by their Declaration and Excommunication were yet so tender of those Immunities and Priviledges which were said to belong to the Church and so jealous of the behaviour of the People in any case which should be declared a violation of those Priviledges that they would by no means have an hand in inflicting capital punishment upon any Church-men without the approbation and co-operation of the Bishops who were not like to be so hard-hearted as to consent unto any judgment upon the Accessories in those crimes in which themselves were the Principal So that he must not onely have determined by his own single will and judgment what was to be done in those Cases but he must have executed those determinations with his own hand And this consideration obliged the Marquis to all those condescensions and sufferings and upon all occasions to endeavour to dispose and perswade those Prelates from any obstinate and ruinous resolutions rather than to declare them to be enemies whom he could neither reform or punish The Excommunication was no sooner published by the Congregation and consented and approved by the other part of the Bishops and Clergy sitting at Galway but they quickly discerned how imprudently as well as unwarrantably they had proceeded in order to their own ends and that they had taken care onely to dissolve and disband all their Forces without making any kind of provision for the opposition of the Parliaments Forces who had quickly notice of their ridiculous madness and were thereupon advancing with their whole Power upon them the people generally who foresaw what must be the issue of that confusion thought of nothing but compounding with the Enemy upon any condition the Nobility prime Gentry and the Commissioners of Trust who saw their whole Power and Jurisdiction wrested from them and assumed and exercised by the Congregation continued their application to the Lord Lieutenant and desired him not to leave them exposed to the confusion which must attend his departure The gravest and most pious Clergy lamented the unskilful spirit of the rest and even some of the Bishops and others who were present at the Congregation and subscrib'd to the Excommunication disclaim'd their having consented to it though they were oblig'd to sign it for conformity So that they found it necessary within less than three days after the publishing it to suspend that dreadful Sentence and yet that it might appear how unwillingly they did those acts of sobriety and gentleness it will not be amiss to set down the Letter it self which the Titular Bishop of Clonfert and Doctor Charles Kelly writ to the Officers of the Army under the Command of the Lord Marquis of Clanrickard to that purpose which was in these words SIRS YEster day we received an Express from the rest of our Congregation at Galway bearing their sense to suspend the effect of the Excommunication proclaimed by their Orders till the service at Athlone be performed fearing on the one side a dispersion of the Army and on the other side have received certain intelligence of the Enemies approach unto that Place with their full force and number of fighting men and thereupon would have us concur with them in suspending the said Excommunication As for our part we do judge that suspension to be unnecessary and full of inconveniencies which we apprehend may ensue because the Excommunication may be obeyed and the service not neglected if the People were pleased to undertake the service in the Clergies name without relation to the Lord of Ormond Yet fearing the censure of singularity in a matter of so high a strain against us or to be deem'd more forward in Excommunicating then others also fearing the weakness of some which we believ'd the Congregation fear'd we are pleas'd to follow the major Vote and against our own opinion concur with them and do hereby suspend the said Censure as above provided always that after the Service perform'd or the Service be thought unnecessary by the Clergy or when the said Clergy shall renew it it shall be presently incurred as if the said Suspension had never been interposed And so we remain Your assured loving Friends in Christ Walter Bish. of Clonfert Charles Kelly Corbeg Sept. 16. 1650. If this Authentick Truth of which there is not room for the least doubt were not inserted who could believe it possible that men endu'd with common understanding and professing the Doctrine of Christianity and Allegiance of Subjects could upon deliberation publish such Decrees And who can wonder that a People enslaved to and conducted by such Spiritual Leaders should become a Prey to any Enemy though supplied with less power vigilance and dexterity than the Parliaments Forces always were who have prevailed against them and who by all kind of reproaches rigour and tyranny have made that froward and unhappy Congregation pay dear Interest for the contempt and indignity with which they prosecuted their Sovereign and his Authority His Majesty that now is being about this time in Scotland in prosecution of the recovery of his Kingdoms was by the Kirk Party which possess'd the Power of that Kingdom forced to sign a Declaration By which the Peace concluded with the Irish Catholicks in 1648. by Authority of the late King of ever glorious memory and confirmed by himself was pronounced and adjudged void and that his Majesty was absolved from any observation of it And this not grounded upon those particular Breaches Violations and Affronts which had been offered to his Majesties Authority and contrary to the express Articles Proviso's and Promises of that Treaty but upon the supposed unlawfulness of concluding any Peace with those Persons who were branded with many ignominious reproaches And though this Declaration in point of time issued after the Excommunication at James-town yet the notice of it came so near the time of the publication of the other that the Clergy inserted it in their Declaration as if it had been one of the principal Causes of their Excommunication thereby deluding the People as if that expedient of their Excommunication had been the onely foundation of security to the Nation and their particular Fortunes When the Marquis first heard of that Declaration in Scotland he did really believe it a Forgery contrived either by the Parliament or the Irish Congregation to seduce the People from their Affection and Loyalty to the King but soon after viz. the 13th of October being assured of its authentickness he immediately with the advice of the Commissioners
Hereupon the Assembly unanimously professed all obedience to his Majesty's Authority as it was vested in him and petition'd him to assume it without which they said the Nation would be expos'd to utter ruine And the Bishop of Ferns hitherto averse to the Royal Authority more particularly importuned him in the Name of the Clergy not to decline a Charge which could only preserve the King's Power in that Kingdom and the Nation from destruction promising so entire a submission and co-operation from the whole Clergy that his Authority should not be disputed In further assurance of which the General Assembly issue forth this Declaration By the General Assembly of the Kingdom of Ireland ALthough this Assembly hath endeavour'd by their Declaration of the 7th of this month to give full testimony of their Obedience to his Majesty's Authority yet for further satisfaction and for removal of all Jealousies we do further declare That the Lords Spiritual and Temporal Gentry or People Clergy or Laity of this Kingdom shall not attempt labour endeavour or do any Act or Acts to set free or discharge the People from yielding due and perfect Obedience to his Majesty's Authority invested in the Lord Marquess of Clanrickard or any other Governour or Governours of this Kingdom And in case of any such Labour Act or Endeavour by which any mischief might ensue by seducing the People we declare That no person or persons shall or ought to be led thereby but by their disobedience on any such grounds are liable and subject to the heavy censures and penalties of the Laws of the Land in force and practis'd in the Reign of Henry the 7th and other Catholick Times Nevertheless it is further declared That it is not meant or intended by any thing herein contained that this Nation will not insist upon the performances of the Articles of Peace and by all just ways and means provide against the breach and violation of the same And inasmuch as his Majesty is at present as we are informed in the hands of a Presbyterian Party of the Scots who declared themselves Enemies to this Nation and vowed the extirpation of our Religion we declare That it is not hereby intended to oblige our selves to deceive obey or observe any Governours that shall come and duely nominated or procured from his Majesty by reason of or during his being in an un-free condition that may raise a disturbance in the present Government established by his Majesty's Authority or the violation of the Articles of Peace Loghreogh 23d of Decemb. 1650. Copia vera Joh. Comyn Dep. Cler. There was then in the possession of the Roman Catholicks the entire Province of Connaght in which they had the strong Castle of Athlone the strong and important Town and Harbour of Gallway Sligo and many other lesser Forts and Places of strength They had also a good part of the Province of Munster and in it the City of Limerick which by the strong situation of it and the advantages it might have from Sea could alone with the help of Gallway have maintain'd War against all the Parliaments Forces in Ireland They had many Parties of Horse and Foot in Leimster Munster and Ulster under Clanrickard Castlehaven Dillon Muskery the Earl of Westmeath Hugh O Neal Dungan Moor Preston and others which being drawn together would have constituted a greater Army than the Enemies were Masters of And the Marquess of Clanrickard had argument enough of hope if he could have been confident of the union of the Nation and that he might reasonably have promised himself if he could have been confident of the Affection and Integrity of the Clergy which at length they promised with that solemnity that if he had not confided therein the fault would have been imputed to him for they could do no more on their part to create a belief in him He was therefore content to take the Charge upon him and obliged them presently to consider of the way to keep all the Forces together when he should have drawn them together and to secure the two Towns of Gallway and Limerick with strong Garrisons which was the first Work concluded on all hands necessary to be performed Very few days had passed after the Lord Deputy had upon such their Importtunity and Professions taken the Government upon him when it was proposed in the Assembly before their Condition was impaired by any other progress or new success of the Enemy That they might send to the Enemy to treat with them upon surrendring of all that was left into their hands an Inclination the Nuncio was long before inclin'd to perswading the supream Council when there was but so much as a speech of Truce to joyn rather with the Parliamentary Scots than the Royalists and pray'd for the success thereof in hopes that thence much good might accrue to the Catholick Religion And when the same was opposed with indignation by the major part of the Assembly the Bishop of Ferns himself who had so lately importuned the Marquess of Clanrickard to assume the Charge of Lord Deputy and made such ample promises in the Name of the Clergy seem'd to concur with those who were against treating with the Enemy but instead of it very earnestly pressed That they might in order to their better defence return to their ancient Confederacy and so proceed in their Preservation without any respect to the King's Authority And this Motion found such concurrence in the Assembly from the Bishops Clergy and many others that many of the Officers of the Army and some of the principalest of the Nobility and Gentry found it necessary to express more than ordinary passion in their contradiction They told them They now manifested that it was not their Prejudice to the Marquess of Ormond nor their Zeal to Religion that had transported them but their dislike of the King's Authority and their resolution to withdraw themselves from it That they themselves would constantly submit to it and defend it with their utmost hazard as long as they should be able and when they should be reduced to Extremity that treating with the Enemy could no longer be deferred they would in that Treaty make no provision for them but be contented that they should be excluded from any benefit thereof who were so forward to exclude the King's Authority Upon these bold though necessary Menaces to which they had not been accustomed the Clergy and their Party seem'd to acquiesce and promised all concurrence inasmuch as from this very time all the Factions and Jealousies which had been before amongst them seem'd outwardly quieted though the Irish in all Quarters of which the Enemy were possessed not only submitted and compounded but very many of them enter'd into their Service and marched with them in their Armies and the Lord Deputy grew as much into their dis-favour as the Lord Lieutenant had been and his being a Friend to the Marquess of Ormond destroyed all that Confidence which his being
assuming to themselves the name of The Kingdom and People of Ireland as if there had been no other Party or People in the Kingdom or not considerable but themselves alone and as if then in Ireland there had been no Power or Government but theirs onely his Majesties Authority in the hands of his Deputy not regarded or consulted They also the Confederates in that giving up the Kingdom into the Power of a Stranger colouring their Treason with a flattering Clause and an empty and insignificant Title to their Natural Prince in Reversion and by Resignation when the new Protector commanding all should please to do it he being first satisfi'd of all Disbursments Charges and Claims whatsoever he himself being Auditor A Concern of that importance as we seldom find where others have been called in upon Assistance especially on such Encouragements that they have quitted their hold without effusion of much blood or an absolute dis-inherizon of the right Owner And therefore the Lord Deputies foresight of such an Evil doth commend him faithful to his Prince and just to his Nation Nor can it be doubted that the Attestation of this Peer one that hath run the hazard of his Countreys safety should be further credited than what the Bishop of Ferns or any obscure loose Frier how prodigal soever in their Calumnies should or can publish in the bitterness of their spirit a crime incident to their Faculty being ill affected to his Majesty worse to his Governours One of the principal Motives which induced the Marquis of Clanrickard to submit to that Charge and to undertake a Province which he knew would be very burthensome and grievous in several respects was the joynt promise That the City of Limerick and the Town of Galway would pay all imaginable duty to him The Clergy obliged themselves in that particular with all confidence and the Deputies of the Places promised all that could be desir'd But when the Lord Deputy found it necessary to settle that business they would neither receive a Garrison or Governour from him and when he offered himself to stay in Limerick when Ireton was drawing before it and to run his Fortune with them they refused it as peremptorily as they had done to the Lord Lieutenant It is true both Limerick and Galway were contented to receive Soldiers but they must be such onely as were of their own choosing not such either in number or quality as the Lord Deputy would have sent to them or as were necessary for their security They chose likewise their own Governour or rather kept the Government themselves and gave the Title to one whom they thought least like to contradict them and in a word behaved themselves like two Common-wealths and obey'd the Deputy no farther than they were inclined by their own convenience they who compounded with the Enemy in the Countrey corresponded with them in the Town and thereby gave the Enemy intelligence of all that passed Wonderful diligence was used to make it be thought that the Independents were not uncharitable unto Papists and that they wished not any compulsion should be used in matter of Religion and when the acts of cruelty and blood of putting their Priests and Prelates to an ignominious death of which there were new instances every day were mentioned It was answer'd Those proceedings were carried on by the power of the Presbyterians very much against the Nature and Principles of the other Party This license of Communication and the evil consequences that must attend it was enough understood by the Lord Deputy but could no more be prevented reformed or punished than he could infuse a new heart or spirit into the People one instance will serve the turn There was in the Town a Frier Anthony Geoghean who had always adhered to the Nuncio and opposed the King's Authority to the utmost of his power several Letters written by him into the Enemies Quarters were intercepted and brought to the Lord Deputy in which though there were many things in Cypher there appeared much of the present state and condition of the Town and in one of them dated the 4th of Febr. 1651. he thus writes If the service of God had been as deep in the hearts of our Nation as that Idol of Dagon a foolish Loyalty a better course for its honour and preservation had been taken in time The Lord Deputy believed the crime to be so apparent and of such a nature that what Complices soever he might have none would have the courage to appear in his behalf And that he might give the Clergy an opportunity to shew their zeal in a business that concern'd so much their common safety he referr'd the examination of the Frier unto the Bishops whereof there were three or four in Town and to some other of the principal of the Clergy and appointed them to require him to produce the Cypher which he had used and to examine him to whom the Letters were intended they being directed to counterfeit and suppositious names The Cypher was accordingly produced and thereby many expressions in the Letter appear'd to be full of neglect and reproach to the King and others of insolence and contumely toward the Lord Deputy they mention'd little hope was left of relief from the Duke of Lorrain and that they resolved to send one to treat with the Rebels and had found private means of conveying one to that purpose The Frier promised to use all his diligence to dispose the Catholicks to have a good opinion of the Independents and made some request concerning himself All that he alledged for his defence was That the Letters written by him were to one who was employ'd by the Court of Rome that he had no ill meaning against the King or Deputy and that he had himself a Trust from Rome and Instructions from the Secretary of the Congregation De propaganda Fide and the Bishops certifi'd that they had seen the Instructions and that they did not relate at all to the Temporal State And this was all the satisfaction and justice the Lord Deputy could procure though he writ several Letters of Expostulation to the Bishops thereupon Whether this be a part of the Priviledges and Immunities of the Catholick Roman Church and enjoy'd in any Catholick Countrey and whether it can be indulged to them in any other Countrey where the Authority of the Bishop of Rome is not submitted unto we must leave to the World to judge and determine In the interim If Protestant Kings and Princes are provident and severe for the prevention of such practices and for the establishing their own security this must not be imputed to an unreasonable jealousie of or a prejudice to the Roman Catholick Religion but to the confident presumption of those men under the vizard of universal obedience who have pretended Religion for their warrant or excuse for the most unlawful and unjustifiable actions This was the obedience and submission they paid to the Kings
the Rebellion all found guilty thereof were excepted from Pardon their Estates confiscated and the others who had only assisted in the War were to forfeit two parts of their Estates and be banished And accordingly great numbers of them were transported into Spain the latter end of this Summer Yet the Marquess of Clanrickard did not leave the Kingdom in many months after the Surrender of Galway but endeavour'd by all means possible to draw the scattered Forces together that he might prosecute the War afresh according to his Majesty's Letters in the years 1650 and 1651. encouraging him to his continuance in Arms as advantagious by way of Diversion to his then intended progress of promoting his Design in Scotland and coming into England And to that end the 16th of May the Marquess of Clanrickard with the Connaght Forces marched to Ballishannon which he took by storm and presently after Dungal-Castle where the Ulster Forces under Sir Phelim O Neal the Relie's and Mahon's joyned with him but upon intelligence that Sir Charles Coot and Colonel Venables were marched against him he retired to Armagh intending for Raphoe Whilst Sir Charles Coot in his pursuit of him retook Ballishanon and Dungal-Castle gaining also Sligo Ballymote and many other Garrisons so as the Marquess was forced to shelter himself in the Isle of Carrick And having receiv'd his Majesty's Command to take care of his own security that he fell not into the Enemy's hands he having no Port to friend where he might choose a Vessel and being so betrayed by the Irish as not securely to stay 24 hours in a Place was compelled to have a Pass from the Parliaments Forces not excepting any other Conditions for himself than that he might for some time remain secure in their Quarters without taking the Oath usually imposed by them and have liberty to transport himself and 3000 Irish more into any Prince's Countrey and Service then in Amity with England which was granted and in March 1652. he was transported into England in a Vessel belonging to the Parliament after he had born the Title of the King's Deputy in Ireland little more than two years not with greater submission from the Catholick Irish than had before been paid to the Lord Lieutenant and so retired to London where not long after he died and was thence carried to Summerhill a pleasant Seat of his own which Bradshaw had in Custodium near Tunbridge in Kent and was buried in the Parish-Church He was a Person much respected for his Integrity and though of a contrary opinion to those then in Usurpation looked on as a Favourer of the English and one that no ways indulged the Cruelties and Pretensions of the Irish. This was the Fate of that unhappy Nation both under Protestant and Roman Catholick Governours neither having had the credit to be Masters of the Irish Temper fomented by the Insolencies of the Priests and whatever might instigate them against the English Government Soon after the Marquess of Clanrickard's Departure the lesser Concerns of that Nation were with little trouble and charge brought in obedience to the Parliament who declared the 26th of September 1653. That the Rebels were subdued and the Rebellion appeased and ended and thereupon proceeded to the Distribution of their Lands in pursuance of the Act for Subscriptions 17 Carol. 1. Some time before which a High Court of Justice was setled in Ireland a Name we have reason not to mention without horrour and astonishment considering who was summoned to such a Tribunal which certainly would never have been how vain how ambitious how prodigious soever some mens Success was a Strumpet often leading one to Attempts above their first thoughts had not the Rebels of Ireland for carrying on their pernicious Practices avouched the sacred Authority for their pretence and colour that though these with Pilate washed their hands from the Blood of this Righteous One yet they have as the shame so the guilt of that Royal Blood on themselves who originally gave the occasion of such a Discourse which afterwards was made one of the pretended Causes for the most barbarous and inhumane Act ever perpretated Inter tragicoe Fortunoe Exempla omnibus retro seculis memorandus Upon which eloquent Du Moulin one of the clearest Lights of the French Church honouring me with a Letter on that Subject thus passionately discovers his Resentment La Morte de vostre bon Roy d'une facon si indigne si horrible par les Maims des Independans M'outre le Coeur de Douleur C'est une action sans Example un opprobre ineffacable a nostre Religion vostre Nation tant Genereuse a elle perdu tout Courage Les Escossoes se taisent ils la dessue Mais quoy Il faut Mettre le doigt sur la bouche adorer les Conseils de Dieu qui sont Inscrutables It is observable let some foam as they please that there were none who so much as pretended to have a Reverence for the Church of England that ever had the least hand in this foul and ugly Business An instance of that is in what the Lord Chancellor Hide acquainted the Parliament with in express words from his Majesty when he was imployed in an Embassy to Spain That the Horrid Murther of his Royal Father was not the Act of the Parliament or People of England but of a very wretched and little Company of Miscreants in the Kingdom fol. 41. Upon which Monsieur Moses Amiraldus the Excellent French Divine hearing of the Protestant Religion aspersed as seditious and treasonable writ a Piece in French in vindication of the Protestant Religion and dedicated it to our King Charles the 2d in the time of his Exile when Militiere and others would have inforced the barbarous Martyrdom of his Royal Father as a just Motive to his apostatizing and not trusting his safety to the Protestant Religion whereas all these blustering Storms as the Bishop of Derry observes in his excellent Tract against Militiere radicated him deeper in his Religion that what these intended for his evil proved his good And certainly whatsoever conspired to compleat so execrable a Design as the Murther of the King nothing contributed more than the Irish deluding his Sacred Majesty so long with their Promises of a competent Army whereby he relying on them too confidently assured of their Ability and Power to perform it deferred those Agreements which else he might have seasonably composed at home And could there ever be an equaller Distribution of God's Vengeance than that they by a parallel Court should suffer the loss of their Estates Lives and Fortunes Which though un-usual was the only Expedient sufficiently set forth in the ensuing Speech of the Lord Lowther's a Person of that Gravity and Worth as whatsoever may be said by others can never reach the State of the Question more fully with less animosity and greater truth than he hath done at the Trial of Sir Phelim O Neal in February
requiring and authorizing you as Commander of them in Chief to arm array divide distribute dispose conduct lead and govern in Chief the said Forces according to your best discretion and with the said Forces to resist pursue follow apprehend and put to death kill and slay as well by Battle as otherwaies all and singular the said Conspirators Traitors and their Adherents according to your discretion And according to your Conscience and discretion to proceed against them or any of them or by Martial Law by hanging them or any of them till they be dead according as it hath been accustomed in time of open Rebellion and also to take wast and spoil their or any of their Castles Holds Forts Houses Goods and Territories or otherwise to preserve the lives of them or any of them and to receive them into his Majesties favour and mercy and to forbear the devastation of their or any of their Castles Holds Forts Houses Goods and Territories aforementioned according to your discretion Further hereby requiring and authorizing you to do execute and perform all and singular such other things for Examination of persons suspected discovery of Traitors and their Adherents parlying with and granting protections to them or any of them taking up of Carts Carriages and other Conveniences sending and retaining Espials Victualing the said Forces and other things whatsoever conducing to the purpose aforementioned as you in your discretion shall think fit and the necessity of the service require further hereby requiring and authorizing you as Commander in Chief to constitute and appoint such Officers and Ministers respectively for the better performance and execution of all and singular the premises as you in your discretion shall think fit And do hereby require and command all and singular his Majesties Sheriffs Officers and Ministers and loving Subjects of and within the County of Meath and the borders thereof upon their Faith and Allegiance to his Majesty and to his Crown to be aiding helping and assisting to you in the doing and Executing of all and singular the premises This our Commission to continue during our Pleasure only and for the so doing this shall be your sufficient Warrant Given at his Majesties Castle of Dublin November 1641. To our very good Lord Nicholas Gormanstowne Vic. Com. R. Dillon Jo. Temple Ja. Ware Rob. Meredith Fol. 86. l. 45. Osburn's Castle as also of the notable service of Ballially in the County of Clare well defended by Bridgeman and Cuff though slenderly succoured by Bowatty how oft soever invoked of whose neglect they were not a little sensible Fol 88. l. 39. a Careful General 's not upon diffidence that his Commands entrusted to others would be the insufficienter executed No his Souldiers had long experienced even the best of Quality amongst them that no commands were to be disobeyed But that the Souldier seeing his General to share in labour might undergo the like with more willingness and courage Examples of hardship born by such as might have ease wonderfully work on those who can have no exemption Fol. 97. l. 4. Laws of the Land This Oath of Association the later Paragraph excepted was the 26th of July 1644. in the General Assembly of the Confederate Catholicks of Ireland at Kilkenny declared by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and the Knights and Burgesses of that house full and binding without addition of any other words thereunto and enjoyned to be took by all sorts of People Fol. 104. l. 28. That War and by some speeches it was apprehended that the drift in requiring subscriptions was to engage the Army against his Majesty in detestation whereof some Officers rent the Book of Subscriptions in pieces Fol. 105. l. 303. 8000 men A necessity the State was then unhappily reduced to and as his Majesty takes notice that his Ministers who suffered the return of his Army and their quartering in the City were not to be blam'd if they durst not suffer the Souldiers to march farr or stay long in the Enemies Country when there was but 40. Barrels of Powder in all the Store Fol. 106. l. 14. their Weight and afterwards by the King's approbation with C. R. with a Crown on one side and the value on the other Fol. 120. l. 4. with 300 l. In as much as their General Bourk having a good opinion of his Gallantry sent a Summons signifying That He was commanded by the Councel of the Confederate Catholiques of Ireland to demand the delivery of the Castle to his hands for the use of his Majesty and if not deliver'd upon this Summons Mercy was not to be expected although for his part He desired not the effusion of Christian blood yet if such a Paper-house should be kept against him who had such an Army such Artillery a day longer he could not by the practice of VVar be censur'd cruel if no Quarter were given a terrible Minaâ—e and considering the force he had and the Weakness of the House not irrational Fol. 140. l. 32. their Coneurrence In November 1643. the Parliament in Ireland sitting the House of Commons had in debate a Remonstrance declaring the Inhumanity of the Rebels that it might be recommended to the King a Committee was sent from the House to the Lords Justices who advising with the upper House at that time very thin and highly influenc'd were answer'd That there were greater matters of State to be considered so nothing further proceeded thereon Fol. 155. l. 44. with the Rebels which Perinchief writes was procured by the Scots to make their Ware more valuable Fol. 156. l. 6. witnessing the Conclusion which as the Cessation His Majesty prosesseth to have been forced to during the late troubles and was compelled to give the Irish a full Pardon for what they had before done amiss upon their return to their Duty and their Promise of giving Him a vigorous Assistance which how answer'd by their obedience hereafter appears Fol. 167. l. 39. into England who carried with them these Propositions from the Lord Lieutenant to the Parliament of England 1. That the said Lord Lieutenant will prosecute the VVar against the Irish Rebels as vigorously as he shall be enabled thereunto by the Parliament of England and that he will faithfully serve the Crown of England therein 2. That whilst he hath the Government of this Kingdom and the Command of the Armies therein none of the supplies of Men Moneys Arms Munition Victuals or any other Provisions of what kind or nature soever which shall by the Parliament of England be sent over or joined with the Forces already under his Command nor any of the said Forces now under his Command nor any other Forces that shall be under his Command shall in any wise be employed either within this Kingdom or without it but by the express Direction of the said Parliament of England 3. That he will not upon any Command or by virtue of any Power or Authority whatsoever enter into any Treaty with the said
remisly attended leaving their Provisions of all sorts behind them The Lord Lisle after this success better much then he could expect with so small Forces having put a Garrison in the Place returned to Dublin About one month after my Lord Lisle's return to Dublin the State was inform'd by the Lord Moore that Carrickmacross was besieged by near 2000 Rebels and that if it were not suddainly relieved not onely the Place would be taken but our men lost whereupon it was resolv'd to send away presently 1000 Foot with some Troops of Horse under the Command of Sir Henry Tichborn and my Lord Moore to raise the Siege And it fell into debate what should be done with the Place and upon a due consideration of all Circumstances and an impossibility on our part to Man and Victual the Place from hence an Act of Council was made for the demolishing of the house and bringing of our men back before this was put in execution Letters came from Captain Vaughan from Dundalk to acquaint the State that with 100 Foot and 50 Horse he had been to see in what state Carrick was that he found the men well Victualled for 14 days and that the Siege was raised that there came upon him in his return 2000 of the Rebels who charged him and as Captain Martin said shot near 5000 shot at his men who thereupon began to be somewhat in disorder so as he saw they could not well retire Whereupon he charged them with his Horse routed them killing 30 or 40 of them and got some Arms Yet the resolution taken to demolish Carick was not alter'd The Summer being thus spent the Winter apace drew on and the Provisions of the County failing where the Souldiers lay in Garrison in the Custodiums the greatest part of them return'd to Dublin where they took up their Quarters to the great grievance of the Inhabitants And now the differences between the King and his Parliament in England were grown so high and their preparations to encounter one another in a set Battle so considerable as upon that fatal day the 23. of October 1642. They came to an Engagement at Edge-Hill where the encounter was so fiercely maintain'd on both sides with so much courage and resolution headed by the Earl of Lindsey for the King and the Earl of Essex for the Parliament manfully discharging the parts both of Generals and Souldiers as the loss being in a manner equal both reported themselves Conquerors but neither were thenceforth in a condition to administer sufficient relief to the distressed Estate of the poor Protestants in Ireland whereby the Army though but lately sent over out of England was wholly neglected which made many of the Commanders take up thoughts of quitting that service and repairing to the King at Oxford having as it was said secret invitations thereunto which being understood by the Parliament and finding that from the Battle of Kilrush which was fought in April 1642. till October following the Army in Leimster had not been so active as reasonably might have been expected The Parliament to quicken the War to inform themselves of the wants and defects of the Army and of all other things that might enable them the better to send thither and dispose of there such Forces Moneys Ammunition and necessaries for that service according to the Statute which enabled the Lords and Commons in Parliament from time to time to direct thought it very expedient though by Secretary Nicholas from his Majesty expresly commanded to the contrary to send into Ireland a Committy for that purpose in the depth of Winter Members of the House of Commons Mr. Robert Goodwin and Mr. Robert Reynolds authorized from both Houses called by his Majesty their Ambassadors to which the Citizens of London joyn'd one Captain Tucker who carried with them 20000 l. in ready money besides 300 Barrels of Powder ten Tun of Match and other Ammunition They arriv'd at Dublin the 29th of October by long Sea and upon the 2d of November presented them to the State producing the Ordinance of Parliament together with their instructions to be read The Lords Justices and Council ordered their Reception with respect which they improv'd to the voluntary putting on of their Hats sitting behind the Council on a Form nor could this their carriage be reproved though resented Affairs at that time having brought on those Exigencies which their coming could onely relieve during whose abode there having Votes onely in Military Affairs they saw that Parties were continually sent forth to encounter the Rebels and when there was a failing either in Money or Provisions they engaged their own particular Credits to make up the defect Yet in respect of their being admitted as they were consequently were thought to be spies on his Majesties Ministers there His Majesty much disliked their Address and in a Letter deliver'd to the Lords Justices and Council the 10th of February Order'd their removal which was done with much content by the Board but some regreets to the Commissioners who resolv'd presently to quit Ireland and to speak truth it soon appear'd by the Index of some mens spirits what hazard they might have run should they have been obstinate therein though many suspected as it fell out their return would certainly slacken the relief of the Protestant Army against the Irish. There were three main things principally intended by this Committee during their stay in Ireland 1. They used their utmost endeavours to satisfie the Officers of the Army of the great care the Parliament took to provide their Pay and to send over money and in the mean time to furnish the Army with all manner of Provisions and Ammunitions that should be thought necessary for the carrying on the War against the Rebels 2. They made a Book wherein they desired that all the Officers of the Civil List as well as the Army should subscribe and declare their free consent that some part of their Pay and Arrear due to them for their service there should be satisfied out of the Rebels Lands when they were declared to be subdued Upon which many great sums were under-written but upon information of his Majesties dislike thereof the Commissioners being sharply threatned returned the Book so that most struck out their Names frustrating thereby a Design which would infinitely have obliged others to have subscribed In reference to which the Kings Commissioners at Uxbridge ascertain'd That his Majesty never sent any such Letter to divert the course of the Officers subscribing but the Souldiers were meerly discouraged from the same by discerning that for want of Supplies they should not be able to go on with that War 3. They finding that most of the Officers of the Army had lodg'd their Troops and Companies in their Custodiums which were most of them Places of strength enough at least to keep them from being surprized suddainly by the Rebels and that there were 7 or 8000 of the Army quartered
in Dublin who consumed all the Provisions sent over for their supply lying idle there and oppressing the poor English Inhabitants and such English as had taken sanctuary there Or else making but small expeditions abroad wasting not the Enemy so much as they did their own Provisions It was moved therefore and furthered by this Committee that a considerable Force should be sent forth Whereupon it was resolved 4000 men should be sent out to take Ross or some other Town thereabouts where they might Winter and live in part upon what they could take from the Enemy whereupon many difficulties being found in the Design the Lord Lisle General of the Horse accepted of it with Colonel Monk and others who made ready to go the Lieutenant General of the Army the Earl of Ormond being then much indisposed But as soon as his Lordship recovered he came to the Council Board and there declared that he could not in Honour permit such a considerable part of the Army to go out upon such an important Service under any other Command then his own and so undertook the leading out of the Army himself and carried it to Ross of which you shall hear more in its due place The Parliaments Committee imbarked for London by long Sea the 27th of February 1642. the difference of whose Carriage was observable so much Integrity Discretion and Humility appear'd in the one and so much Pride Arrogancy and Intemperancy in the other as the one went away highly valued and well esteem'd and the other extreamly hated and despised As for Tucker he was the City's property which every one improved to their own humour During their continuance in repute hearing that Balanokil was Besieged by Preston the most reputed Captain amongst the Rebels Colonel Monk was sent forth with 600 Foot and two Troops of Horse the 5th of December 1642. to relieve it which he soon did the Enemy raising the Siege upon his reproach but in his return he met Preston with 3000 men in a disadvantagious Place and though he saw evident danger in so unequal a Fight yet he thought there would be more in a Retreat Wherefore having intrench'd himself so as to fear no attack but in the Front he resolved to receive them bravely and taking care that his Musketiers should not spend their shot in vain he saluted the Rebels in their approach with such a shower of Bullets as killed the boldest of them and made the rest begin to give way which the English perceiving came hotly upon them But the Fight was soon ended by the cowardliness of the Irish who with much more shame than slaughter losing not above 60 Men there betook themselves to the next strong Place and Colonel Monk without the loss of one Man return'd to Dublin The Committee of Parliament whilst they remain'd at the Council interpos'd in many things Amongst the rest it being desired by the Officers of the Army that Major Wodowes might repair to his Majesty to express their service the Committee demonstrated that the Parliament would certainly withdraw their Supplies on notice of such an Address Upon which the Ships were stayed yet the Business was so argued as the Major had licence to proceed in his Journey And now the Committee being discharg'd the Council where the prosecution of the War was to be managed the Parliament took it ill inasmuch as the want of all things afterwards was exceeding great and the main part of the remaining Army was quarter'd within the City and Suburbs of Dublin upon the poor Inhabitants altogether unable to bear the Necessities of their Families much less support 7 or 8000 Men. In alleviation of which the Lords Justices and Council the 31st of December 1642. publisht a Proclamation That all Custodiums should send to his Majesty's Granaries or Stores of Corn half the Wheat gather'd there at 10 s. the Barrel in ready Money c. to the Relief of that and the adjoyning Garrisons Yet small Supplies coming in thereupon the Lords Justices and Council order'd by another Proclamation the 15th of January That all Corn-Masters and others should sell their Corn at a lower rate than was propos'd the 28th of December 1641. and that Bakers accordingly should size their Bread About the 20th of January 1642. Sir Richard Greenvile with a Party of 200 Horse and 1000 Foot with 600 Suits of Cloaths and Money reliev'd Athlone In his return he was encounter'd at Raconnel by 5000 Rebels which he routed took their General Preston's Son Prisoner killed many gained 11 Colours and surprized many Prisoners for which service Captain William Vaughan was by the Lords Justices to whom he brought the News Knighted The Irish thought much of this Victory for that there was an old Prophesie That who got the Battle of Raconnel should conquer all Ireland The Army return'd to Dublin the 10th of February with the remnant of Sir Earnley's Regiment and others who for their better Accommodation would have had some of these Cloaths which was denied and they laid up in the Castle where with others they afterwards prov'd unserviceable to his Majesty's Forces much in want of them in the depth of Winter The Lords Justices being driven to great strait and left without hopes of Relief from England and the Inhabitants of Dublin being no longer able to support the Necessity of their Families and relieve the Souldiers their Insolencies being high the State entertain'd a Design of sending the greatest part of the Army then quarter'd in Dublin into some Parts distant from that City where they might live upon the Rebels and for this end coin'd their own Plate encouraging others to the same Advance of the State 's service whereupon at first they order'd Pieces of Money marked to their Weight Many brought in freely those indeed who considering their imployment and what was expected from them had least reason to do it whilst others issued only out their Warrants and Receipts never yet discharged Yet by the help of what came in and some supplies out of England which had not wholly deserted Ireland the Army march'd out 2500 Foot and 500 Horse under the Command of the Marquess of Ormond whose carriage in that Business and his success at the Battle of Ross we shall leave to the Lords Justices and Council's Letter to the Speaker of the House of Commons in England the 4th of April 1643. where besides the Account of that Battle they present a true state of their Affairs Civil and Military SIR OUr very good Lord the Marquess of Ormond having in his March in his last Expedition consulted several times with the Commanders and Officers of the Army in a Councel of War and so finding that subsistence could not be had abroad for the Men and Horses he had with him or for any considerable part of them it was resolved by them that his Lordship with those Forces should return hither which he did on the 26th of March In