take any notice of Ireland and therefore we take no further notice of him than to give this brief Account of the Reason of our Silence in that Particular Hugh de Lacy was made Lord Justice of Ireland as aforesaid And as soon as he arrived he sent Imperious Letters to Courcy to discharge him of his Command and behaved himself so insolently that all was in Disorder Which the Irish perceiving and also that the King of England was preparing for a Voyage to the Holy Land they thought this an happy Opportunity to extirpate the English to which End they had a General Meeting and resolved unanimously to fall upon them Hanmer 169. and in order to it they entred into a League or Association and solemnly swore First To be true to one another and to the common Cause Secondly Never to yield any Obedience to the English again Ibid 162. And to begin the Business they fell upon Roger Poer Governour of Leighlin and barbarously murdered him and most of the Garrison Cormock O Connor Son of Rotherick King of Connaught commonly called Crove Darig because his Hand was red was the chief of the Conspirators he was an Active Valiant Gentleman and of so great Reputation that he was able to assemble twenty thousand Men of his own and the Confederates with which Army he designed first to clear Connaught then Vlster and afterwards the whole Kingdom In the mean Time Courcy Lord of Connaught and Earl of Vlster considering that he should have no Aid nor Help from the Lord Justice endeavoured to strengthen himself the best he could and to that End sent for his Brother S. Lawrence who made more Haste than good Speed for he came away with thirty Horse and two hundred Foot and at Knockmoy in the County of Galway fell into an Ambush the King of Connaught had laid for him and tho' they fought so valiantly that they killed one thousand Irish Men yet the Issue was That this small Army was totally destroyed not one escaping And tho' O Connor in Remembrance and Ostentation of this Victory did there build the Abbey de Colle Victoriae yet when he had well considered the prodigious Valour of that Handful of Men and his own Loss he thought himself necessitated to sue to Lacy for Peace which he soon obtained upon reasonable Conditions About this Time Robin Hood and Litle John were Famous Robbers in England but their Company being dispersed and Robin Hood taken Litle John fled to Dublin and shot an Arrow from Dublin-Bridge to the litle Hill in Oxman-Town thence called Litle John's Shot He was called Litle John Ironically for he was not less than fourteen Foot long believe it who will Hector Boetius affirms The Hole of his Huckle Bone was so big that he could thrust his Hand through it He fled from Dublin to Scotland where he dyed This Year Isabel 1189. only Daughter of Strongbow by Eva Prencess of Leinster was married to William Lord Maxfield Earl Marshal of England He was a great Favourite to King Richard and at his Coronation carried the Regal Scepter whereon was a Cross of Gold He was afterward by King John Hanmer 177. created Earl of Pembrook and had five Sons who were successively Earls and all died without Issue and he had five Daughters among whom his Estate was divided viz. to Joan the County of Waxford to Matilda the County of Caterlough to Isabel the County of Kilkenny to Sybilla the County of Kildare and to Eva the Mannor of Downmass in Leix now the Queen's County in all which they exercised Palatine Jurisdiction Of this Family Thomas Mills in his Catalogue of Honour gives this Account That Richard Earl of Chepstow was nick-named Strongbow because of his exceeding Strength so that he drew an traordinary Srong Bow his Arms were so long that he could stand upright and with the Palms of his Hands touch his Knees That his Daughter Isabel was fourteen Years a Ward to Henry II That her Husband William Earl Marshal was created Earl of Pembrook 27 May 1199 and that she dyed anno 1221 and was buried at Tintern Abbey and that he dyed 16 March 1219. They had five Sons and five Daughters William married Elianor Sister of Henry III and died the sixth of April 1231. Richard died the sixteenth of April 1234. Gilbert married Margaret Daughter of William King of Scotland 1235 and died by a fall from his Horse the twenty eighth of May 1242. Walter died 1245 in Wales and Anselm died the same Month viz the twenty first of December Maud successively married Hugh Earl of Norfolk William Earl of Warren and Walier Lord Dunstanvil Joan married Warren Lord Montchensy the richest Baron in England Isabel married Gilbert Earl of Glocester and afterwards Richard Earl of Cornwal King of the Romans Sybil married William Earl of Ferrers and Darby and Eve married William de Brees Lord of Brecknock and Partition was made between these Noble Coparceners at Woodstock Lib. G. May 3. 31 Hen. 3. About this Time 1190. viz. Anno 1190 the City of Dublin was burnt by Accident 1191. so that it was almost totally destroyed and the Kingdom was governed by William Petit Burlace 11. who held it a very short Time before William Earl of Pembrook and Earl Marshal of England came over Lord Justice or Governour of Ireland he was the third of the Temporal Assistants King Richard had left to the Bishop of Ely for the Government of England he was a Valiant Man and had a great Estate in Ireland 1191. and therefore was thought the fittest Governour for that Country in this Critical Time whilst King Richard was Prisoner in Austria and Earl John was engaged in Troublesome and Ambitious Designs in England In the Year 1194. the Reliques of S. Malachy Bishop of Clareval Cambden 151. were brought into Ireland and with great Reverence and Devotion deposited in the Abby of Mellifont and other the Monasteries of the Cistersian Order It seems the Reputation or Power of this Noble Governour was sufficient to keep Ireland quiet 1197. for we read of little or no Disturbance there during his Time which was about six Years And then he resign'd to Hanno de valois a Gentleman of Suffolk Lord Justice of Ireland who continued in that Government until the Death of King Richard which happened at Chalons in France on the sixth Day of April anno 1199. John Earl of Moreton and Lord of Ireland did on the Death of King Richard without Title ascend the Throne of England Hubert Archbishop of Canterbury was a great assistant to this Usurpation he told the People That John had the Crown by Election which the King did not then gain-say it being no fit Time to dispute the MANNER so he had the THING he aimed at but the Right was in his Nephew Arthur whom he afterwards got into his Hands and caused him him to be murdered as was at that Time generally reported
pain of loss of Life Lands and Goods that never any of them do make War upon another without Licence or Commandment of you my Lord Deputy and the Kings Council for the utter destruction of these parts is that only cause and once all the Irishmen and the Kings Enemies were driven into a great Vally called Glanehought betwixt two great Mountains called Maccorte or the Leprous Island and there they lived long and many years with their White-Meat till at the last these English Lords fell at variance among themselves and then the weakest part took certain Irishmen to take his part and so vanquished his Enemy and thus fell the English Lords at variance among themselves till the Irishmen were stronger than they and drave them away and now have the whole Country under them but that the Lord Roch the Lord Courcy and the Lord Barry only remain with the least part of their Ancestors Possessions and young Barry is there upon the Kings Portion paying his Grace never a penny of Rent wherefore We the Kings poor Subjects of the City of Cork Kinsale and Youghal desire your Lordship to send hither two good Justices to see this Matter ordered and some English Captains with twenty Englishmen that may be Captains over us all and we will rise with them to redress these Enormities all at our own Costs and if you do not we be all cast away and then farewel Munster for ever and if you will not come nor send we will send over to our Liege Lord the King and complain on you all However I will not pretend to be exact in the timing of this Letter This Lord Lieutenant had a Son born at Dublin well known afterwards by the Name of George Duke of Clarence to whom the Earls of Ormond and Desmond were Godfathers and thereupon Desmond grew so insolent and haughty that his Oppressions were the chief Cause of the aforesaid Letter from Cork but it is probable that the Lord Lieutenant return'd to England and left James Earl of Ormond afterward Earl of Wiltshire 1451. and Lord Treasurer of England Lord Deputy in whose time Sir John Talbot was made Lord Chancellor of Ireland and it seems Complaint was made against him because he put in a Deputy in his room absque Regis licentia Lib. CCC This Lord Deputy was made Lord Lieutenant and went for England leaving John Mey Archbishop of Armagh Lord Deputy 1453. wherewith the Government of England being dissatisfied a Writ was sent to the Earl of Ormond commanding him Quod circa praemissis intenderet I suppose the Reason might be because there was a Necessity for the Presence of a Military Governour of Power and Authority in that Kingdom to repel the daily Incursions of the Irish into the Pale and therefore Ormond not being willing to come over the Government was committed to Thomas Earl of Kildare 1454. Lord Deputy who held it only until the arrival of Sir Edward Fitz-Eustace Lord Deputy to the Duke of York Who held a Parliament in Dublin at which it was enacted I. That all Statutes against Provisors in England or Ireland should be held in Force II. That Inquests before Coroners shall be discharged after a second Verdict that they do not know the Felon III. That no Appeals shall be to England except for Treason against the King's Person and in all false Appeals the Plaintif shall pay Damages and twenty Pound and one hundred Shillings Fine In the mean time the Duke of York in England obtained a famous Victory over the King's Forces at S. Albans where the Duke of Somerset was slain and the King himself was wounded in the Neck and afterwards on the ninth of July he was made Protector of the King's Person by Parliament And in Ireland Thomas Earl of Kildare was Lord Deputy to the Duke of York 1455. and held a Parliament at Dublin wherein it was enacted I. That no Exigents nor Outlawries be made by Commissioners II. That the Recorder of Dublin and Drogheda shall have but two Pence for every Plaint III. That every Man shall answer for his Sons and waged Men. IV. An Act about Escheators V. That a Parliament should be held every Year And he held another Parliament at the Naas Lib. M. 48. Friday after All Saints which enacted I. That all Strangers pay forty Pence per Pound Custom for transporting Silver II. That every Man shall answer for his Sons except in Cases Capital III. That no Person not amesnable to Law shall distrain without Licence on pain of forfeiting his Title And he held another Parliament at Dublin Friday after the Purification at which it was established I. That Beneficed Persons should reside II. That the Inhabitants to enclose the Village might remove the High-way forty Perch Richard Duke of York 1459. upon the Revolt of Andrew Trollop and the Callicians broke up his Army and fled first to Wales and afterwards to Ireland where he was kindly received and by his Deputy the Earl of Kildare he held a Parliament at Dublin the third of February which enacted That Warrants to the Chancellor bear the Date of the Delivery and that the Patents be of the same Date or else be void And the same Day twelve month he held another Parliament at Drogheda 1460. wherein it was enacted That no Man should sue in the Exchequer but a Minister of that Court on pain of ten Pound This Duke and his Abettors were in a Parliament at Coventry declared Traytors and thereupon the Earl of March came to his Father into Ireland and soon after returned to Calice and thence invaded England at Sandwich and on the ninth of July he fought and defeated the King at Northampton and took him Prisoner whereupon the Duke of York went to England and called a Parliament in the King's Name and in that Parliament boldly claimed his Title and so it was enacted That King Henry should keep the Crown during his Life and the Duke should be declared Heir apparent and in case of Opposition or farther Bustle about it should have present Possession But not long after the Duke was defeated and slain at the Battle of Wakefield This Duke behaved himself exceeding well in Ireland he appeased the Tumults there and erected Castles on the Borders of Louth Meath and Kildare to stop the Irish Incursions and was so well esteemed in that Kingdom that Multitudes of the Irish Subjects attended him into England to pursue his Claim to the Crown Nevertheless the Publick Revenue was but very low because the whole Kingdom was in Possession of the Irish except the Pale and some few Places on the Sea-Coast in Vlster and even that was so far from being quiet that they were fain to buy their Peace by yearly Pensions to the Irish and to pay Tribute and Contributions to them for Protection which nevertheless was but very ill observed to the English It cannot be expected I should give the Reader an exact
REX ET REGINA BEATI HONI · SOIT · QVI · MAL · Y · PENSE · R. White scul Printed for Ioseph Watts in S t Pauls Church Yard HIBERNIA ANGLICANA OR THE HISTORY OF IRELAND From the Conquest thereof by the ENGLISH To this Present Time WITH An Introductory Discourse touching the Ancient State of that Kingdom and a New and Exact Map of the same PART I. By RICHARD COX Esq Recorder of Kingsale Ardua res est vetustis novitatem dare obsoletis nitorem obscuris lucem dubiis fidem Plin. Attamen audendum est veritas investiganda quam si non omnino Assequeremur tamen propius ad eam quam nunc sumus tandem perveniemus LONDON Printed by H. Clark for Ioseph Watts at the Angel in St. Paul's Church-Yard MDCLXXXIX TO THEIR Most Excellent Majesties WILLIAM AND MARY By the Grace of God King and Queen OF England Scotland France and Ireland Defenders of the Faith c. May it please Your Majesties I Should not presume to lay this Treatise at Your Royal Feet but that it concerns a Noble Kingdom which is one of the most considerable Branches of Your Mighty Empire It is of great Advantage to it that it is a Subordinate Kingdom to the Crown of England for it is from that Royal Fountain that the Streams of Justice Peace Civility Riches and all other Improvements have been derived to it Campion 15. so that the Irish are as Campion says beholding to God for being conquered Davis 2. And yet Ireland has been so blind in this Great Point of its true Interest that the Natives have managed almost a continual War with the English ever since the first Conquest thereof so that it has cost Your Royal Predecessors an unspeakable Mass of Blood and Treasure to preserve it in due Obedience But no Cost can be too great where the Prize is of such Value and whoever considers the Situation Ports Plenty and other Advantages of Ireland will confess That it must be retained at what rate soever because if it should come into an Enemy's Hands England would find it impossible to flourish and perhaps difficult to subsist without it To demonstrate this Assertion it is enough to say That Ireland lies in the Line of Trade and that all the English Vessels that sail to the East West and South must as it were run the Gauntlet between the Harbours of Brest and Baltimore And I might add That the Irish Wool being transported would soon ruine the English-Clothing-Manufacture Hence it is that all your Majesties Predecessors have kept close to this Fundamental Maxim Of retaining Ireland inseparablely united to the Crown of England And though King Henry II may seem to deviate from this Rule by giving the Kingdom to his Son John yet this is to be said for him That he thought the Interest and Expectations his Son had in England would be security enough against his Defection and the rather because he could not then keep Ireland without continual Aids and Supplies from hence However this very Example was thought so dangerous that Ireland was never given away since that time except once by Henry the Third and then only to the Prince who was his Heir apparent and on this express Condition Ita quod non separetur a Corona Angliae I do not mention that unaccountable Patent to Robert de Vere Earl of Oxford and Duke of Ireland not only because there was a Tenure by Homage reserved so that it was not a total Alienation and because it was but for Life and cum mixto Imperio but chiefly because it never took effect so that it was but Vmbratilis Honor cito evanuit But it is needless to tell your Majesties That Ireland must not be separated from England or to solicit your speedy Reduction of that Kingdom since the loss of it is incompatible with Your Glory and to suffer the Ruin of four hundred thousand Irish Protestants meerly for their adherence to Your Majesties and their Religion is inconsistent with your Goodness But in Truth the Recovery of Ireland was not proper for Your Majesty's Undertaking until it became difficult beyond the Hopes of others any Body can do easie things but it is Your Majesty's peculiar Talent to atchieve what all the rest of the World think Impossible Your Majesty did so in buoying up a sinking State and restoring it to a more Glorious Condition than ever it was in before And Your Majesty did so again in retrieving from Ruine two expiring Kingdoms that were at their last Gasp and the Recovery of the third is all that remains to consummate your Glory and make You the Darling both of Fame and of Fortune And when that is done Madam the bright Example of your Majesty's Virtue and Piety will influence that degenerate Nation to such a degree of Reformation and Religion as will restore that Kindgdom to its ancient Appellation and Ireland will again be called Insula Sacra That Your Majesty's Glorious Designs for the Advantage of England and the Recovery of Ireland for the Propagation of the Protestant Religion and for the Good of Mankind may be blessed with Success suitable to Your Majesty's Generous and Pious Intentions And that Your Majesties long and happy Reign here may be crowned with Everlasting Happiness hereafter shall be the fervent as well as daily Prayers of May it please Your Majesties Your Majesties most Dutiful most Loyal and most devoted Subject R. COX TO THE READER SInce Ireland is reckoned among the Principal Islands in the World and deserves to be esteemed so whether you consider the Situation of the Country the Number and Goodness of its Harbours the Fruitfulness of the Soil or the Temperature of the Climate it is strange that this Noble Kingdom and the Affairs of it should find no room in History but remain so very obscure that not only the Inhabitants know little or nothing of what has passed in their own Country but even England a Learned and Inquisitive Nation skilful beyond comparison in the Histories of all other Countries is nevertheless but very imperfectly informed in the Story of Ireland though it be a Kingdom subordinate to England and of the highest importance to it This could never be so if there were extant any compleat or coherent History of that Kingdom which indeed there is not those relating to the Times before the Conquest being Fabulous and those since but Scraps and Fragments As for those Histories that treat of the Times before the English-Conquest Doctor Keating's is the best and is exceedingly applauded by some that did and others that did not know better Prospect in Pref. 13. Peter Walsh thinks 't is the only compleat History that we have of all the Invasions Conquests Changes Monarchs Wars and other considerable Matters of that truly ancient Kingdom But after all it is no more than an ill-digested Heap of very silly Fictions And P. W's Prospect which is in effect the Epitomy
the common sort are not only capable but also very apt to learn any thing that is taught them so that I do impute the Ignorance and Barbarity of the Irish meerly to their evil Customs which are so exceeding bad Davis 150. that as Sir John Davys says Whoever use them must needs be Rebels to all good Government and destroy the Commonwealth wherein they live and bring Barbarism and Desolation upon the Richest and most fruitful Land in the World But the Irish Capacities are not to be questioned at this Day since they have managed their Affairs with that dexterity and Courage that they have gotten the whole Kingdom of Ireland into their Possession and by wheedling some and frightning others they have expelled the Body of the English out of that Island However let us not be dismaid for they are but the same People our Ancestors have so often triumphed over and although they are not to be so contemned but that we may expect they will make one good Effort for their Estates and Religion yet we may still depend upon it That their Nature is still the same and not to be so changed but that they will again vail their Bonnets to a victorious English Army AN EPITOME OF S R WILLIAM PETTY'S LARGE SURVEY OF IRELAND Divided into its 4 Provinces 32 Counties and the Counties into Their Several Barronies wherein are Distinguished y e Archbishopricks Bishopricks Citty 's Places that Return Parliament Men. also the Roads Bogs and Bridges By Phillip Lea At the Atlas and Hercules in Cheapside near Fryday Street LONDON The History of IRELAND From The Conquest Thereof By the ENGLISH to this Time By RICHARD COX Esq r Printed For JOSEPH WATTS at y e Angell in S t Pauls Church Yard THE REIGN OF Henry Plantagenet FITZ-EMPRESS Conqueror and Lord of IRELAND HENRY the Second of that Name King of England a Brave and Powerful Prince ambitious of Glory and the Enlargment of his Empire cast his Eye upon Ireland as a Country most easie to subdue and of great Advantage to him when conquered There were not wanting some Learned Men who affirmed The King had very fair Pretences if not good Title to that Island Speed 472. for besides the Conquests which the Kings Arthur and Edgar had formerly made there Spencer's view 33. they alledged That it was by Leave of the British King Gurgunâ—â—s Campion 26 28. and under Stipulations of Tribute that the Irish were first permitted to settle themselves in that Kingdom Besides the first Inhabitants of Ireland were Britains and those People which the Irish Historians call Fir-bolg and Tuah de Danan i. e. Vir Belgus i. e. Populus Dannonius were no other than the Belga and Dannonit Ancient Inhabitants of England To which might be added That Bayon from whence the Irish pretend to come Lib. P. Lambeth 153. was part of the Kings Dominion So that either Way his Majesty was their natural Prince and Sovereign But however that were yet the King had 〈◊〉 cause of War against the Irish because of the Pyracies and Outrages they daily committed against his Subjects and the barbarous Cruelties they exercised on the English whensoever they fell into their Power buying and selling them as Slaves and using Turkish Tyranny over their Bodies Speed 473. so that the Irish themselves afterwards confessed That it was just their Land should be transfer'd to the Nation they had so cruelly handled Wherefore the King as well to revenge those Injuries as to recover that Kingdom put on a Resolution to invade it But first it was necessary to consult the Pope in that Matter because he pretended no less than three Titles to Ireland First the Universal Patent of Pascâ— Oves which by their Interpretation was Synonimous to Rege Mundum Lib. P. Lambeth 48. Secondly the Donation of Constantine the Great whereby the Holy See was entituled to all the Islands of the Ocean Thirdly The Concession of the Irish Ibid. 154. on their Conversion to Christianity by which they granted the Temporal Dominion of their Country unto S. Peter's Chair And tho' the Answers to these Frivolous Pretences were easie and obvious viz. to the First That whatsoever Spiritual Jurisdiction was given by those Words yet our Saviour's Kingdom not being of this World it is certain no Temporal Dominion is granted thereby And to the Second That Constantine had never any Right or Possession in Ireland and therefore could not give to another what he had not himself And to the Third That the Allegation is false and the Popes had never any Temporal Dominion in Ireland but the same remain'd under their own Native Kings and Monarchs But this Forgery is yet more manifest Because the Irish were not converted by any Emissaries from Rome as appears by the Ancient Difference between the Churches of Ireland and Rome in some Baptismal Rites and the Time of celebrating the Feast of Easter Nevertheless the Pope's Licence in those Superstitious Times would create Reputation especially with the Clergy and his Benediction would as they fancied facilitate their Success and therefore it was thought fit That the King should send his Embassador John Salisbury to the Pope 1156. Sullevan 59. who was by Birth an Englishman and by Name Adrian IV. And how fond soever the Holy See doth now pretend to be of Ireland since the English Government and Industry have rendred it considerable 't is certain the Pope so little regarded it at that time when he received but small Obedience and less Profit from it that he was easily prevailed with to issue the following Bull. ADrian the Bishop Hanmer 107. the Servant of the Servants of God to his most dear Son in Christ the Noble King of England sendeth greeting and Apostolick Benediction Your Magnificence hath been very careful and studious how you might enlarge the Church of God here in Earth and encrease the Number of his Saints and Elect in Heaven in that as a good Catholick King you have and do by all means labour and travel to enlarge and increase God's Church by teaching the Ignorant People the True and Christian Religion and in abolishing and rooting up the Weeds of Sin and Wickedness And wherein you have and do crave for your better Furtherance the Help of the Apostolick See wherein more speedily and discreetly you proceed the better Success we hope God will send for all they which of a fervent Zeal and Love in Religion do begin and enterprize any such thing shall no doubt in the End have a Good and Prosperous Success And as for Ireland and all other Islands where Christ is known and the Christian Religion received it is out of all doubt and your Excellency well knoweth they do all appertain and belong to the Right of S. Peter and of the Church of Rome and we are so much the more ready desirous and willing to sow the acceptable Seed of God's Word because we know
the same in the latter Day will be most severely required at our Hands You have our well-beloved Son in Christ advertis'd and signified unto us That you will enter into the Land and Realm of Ireland to the end to bring them to Obedience unto Law and under your Subjection and to root out from among them their foul Sins and Wickedness as also to yield and pay yearly out of every House a yearly Pension of one Penny to S. Peter and besides also will defend and keep the Rites of those Churches whole and inviolate We therefore well allowing and favouring this your godly Disposition and commendable Affection do accept ratifie and Assent unto this your Petition and do grant That you for the dilating of God's Church the Punishment of Sin the Reforming of Manners planting of Virtue and the increasing of Christian Religion do enter to possess that Land and there to execute according to your Wisdom whatsoever shall be for the Honour of God and the Safety of the Realm And further also we do strictly charge and require That all the People of that Land do with all Humbleness Dutifulness and Honour receive and accept you as their Liege Lord and Sovereign reserving and excepting the Right of Holy Church to be inviolably preserved as also the yearly Pension of Peter-Pence out of every House which we require to be truly answered to S. Peter and to the Church of Rome If therefore you do mind to bring your Godly Purpose to effect endeavour to travail to reform the People to some better Order and Trade of Life and that also by your self and by such others as you shall think meet true and honest in their Life Manners and Conversation to the end the Church of God may be beautified the True Christian Religion sowed and planted and all other things done that by any means shall or may be to God's Honour and Salvation of Men's Souls whereby you may in the end receive of God's Hands the Reward of Everlasting Life and also in the mean time and in this Life carry a Glorious Fame and an Honourable Report among all Nations Together with this Bull the Pope sent King Henry a Gold-Ring as a Token of Investiture and somtime after a succeeding Pope Alexander III confirmed the former Grant by the following Breve ALexander the Bishop Hanmer 141. the Servant of the Servants of God to his dearly beloved Son the Noble King of England greeting Grace and Apostolick Benediction Forasmuch as things given and granted upon good Reason by our Predecessors are to be well allowed of ratified and confirmed we well considering and pondering the Grant and Priviledge for and concerning the Dominion of the Land of Ireland to Vs appertaining and lately given by Adrian our Predecessor We following his Steps do in like manner Confirm Ratifie and Allow the same reserving and saving to S. Peter and to the Church of Rome the yearly Pension of one Peny out of every House as well in England as in Ireland provided also that the Barbarous People of Ireland by your means be Reformed and Recovered from that filthy Life and abominable Conversation that as in Name so in Life and Manners they may be Christians and that as that Rude and Disordered Church being by you reformed the whole Nation may also with the Profession of the Name be in Acts and Deeds Followers of the same But saith Rossus of Warwick and he was no Protestant The King of England is not bound to rely on the Pope's Grant for Ireland Speed 472. nor yet to pay that Tax because he had a Precedent Claim to that Kingdom by hereditary Right Others object against these Bulls in another manner and particularly Philip O Sullevan who says They are void for many Reasons First Because they were obtained on false Suggestions and the Infallible Popes were deceived in their Grants Secondly That Regal or Sovereign Power is not granted by them but only that the Kings of England should be Lieutenants or Deputies to the Pope and Collectors of his Peter-Pence Thirdly That they were on a twofold Condition of paying Tribute and converting the People which not being performed the Bulls are void But because it is scarce credible that any Subject should be so Malicious against his Prince you shall have it in his own Words Rex hoc Decretum impetravit falsa Narrans ut ex ipso Decreto ego colligo pag. 59. Non Dominum Hiberniae sed Praefectum causa colligendi Tributi Ecclesiastici pag. 59. b. And again pag. 60. Non ut Rex aut Dominus Hiberniae sed ut a Pontifice Praefectus sic ego accepi ut Exactor Collector Pecunâ—ae quae ad Sedem Apostolicam pertinebat pag. 61. Ac mihi quidem rem totam sollicita Mentis acie contemplanti nihil Juris esse penes Anglos videtur For besides says he their Title was founded in Adultery meaning Dermond Mac Morough's they have exercised Fraud and Cruelty against the Catholicks that entertained them kindly and the very Temples have not escaped them Hinc igitur nemo ignorabit Hiberniam non Jure sed Injuria Narratione minime vera Sullevan 61. fuisse ab Anglis primo obtenta pag. 61. b. Nor can any Body believe says he that the Pope ever design'd so great an Injustice as to deprive the Irish Kings of their Birth-right Ibid. 62. and give it to Strangers And then he tells us That Laurence O Toole Archbishop of Dublin did obtain of the Pope a Bull to deprive the English King of his Government in Ireland but he dyed in his Return in France and is since canonized But says he supposing the Popes Grant at first were good yet 't is forfeited by Breach of Condition since the English did neither propogate Religion nor pay the Peter-Pence Postea omni Jure plane exciderunt Conditiones a Papa dictas constitutasque transgressi Nam Pensionem Divi Petri de medio sustulerunt nullam certam Religionem nullam firmam Fidem habent pro Deo Ventrem Voluntatem Libidinem colunt By this and the Approbation this Scandalous and Lying Treatise met with in Spain and the Repetition of the same things by divers others in their bitter Libels on the English People and Government and particularly by the Author of Analecta Hiberniae it is manifest that there are some Enemies of the Crown of England so malicious and unjust that they would make use of the most frivolous Pretences in the World to wrest the Kingdom of Ireland from the Dominion of the English Kings But as God Almighty has hitherto even many times to a Miracle protected the British Interest in Ireland so I doubt not unless we are wanting to our own Preservation but that he will continue that Noble Island under the Jurisdiction of the Crown of England for ever In the mean time though we lay no stress on the Popes Bulls yet because they are Argumenta ad Hominem and
Conclusion had destroyed three of his Objections for if the Irish were in almost continual Rebellions as he says and is true how could he expect they should enjoy Offices sit in Parliaments or have Benefit of the Kings Laws But the weakness of these Objections will yet more plainly appear by the following Answers To the First the Instances are few and it is bad Logick to draw general Consequences from the Actions of two or three particular Men especially such as so bitterly reflect on a Government or Nation besides all these three were Papists and their Sacrilege does not concern the Protestant Government of Ireland which is what Mr. Sullevan design'd to asperse To the Second If this Author had consulted the Ecclesiastical Catalogue he would have found that the Natives had more than their share of Bishopricks and Arch-Bishopricks and that to the ruine of most of the Sees and in the Military List he might have found the Baron of Dungannon Neal Garuff Macguire O Connor and many more who had Pay or Pension and yet it is so far from being criminal to prefer the Colony before the Native to Offices of Trust and Profit in a conquered Country that it is a necessary Duty to do it Ne Victi Victoribus Legem darent at most this Partiality is but in matters of Favour so that there is no wrong and 't is founded on good Law and sound Policy But what would this Objecter and his Companions say if they should see a Popish Governor in Ireland against all Law and Policy to make it criminal to be an Englishman and a cause of deprivation to profess the Religion by Law established To the Third Several of the Irish Potentates did sit in former Parliaments and particularly in the Parliaments of the 8th of Edw. 2. O Hanlon O Neal O Donnel Macgenis O Cahon Mac Mahon and many more Irish Lords were present but since the Parliaments are better regulated 't is true that none are suffered to sit in the House of Lords but such as are Lords of Parliament by Law viz. by Writ or Patent but 't is as true that the principal men of the Irish have or had Titles that qualifie them to sit there as O Neal Earl of Tyrone O Donel Earl of Tyrconnel O Bryan Earl of Thomond Mac Carthy Earl of Clancarthy O Bryan Earl of Insiquin The Lords Macguire Clare Glanmalira and Dungannon Kavenagh Baron of Balion O Carol Baron of Ely and many more To the Fourth Since the Irish would not admit their Countries to be made Shire-Ground nor suffer Sheriffs to exercise any Authority in them so that they were not amesnable to the Kings Laws but were governed by their own Brehon Laws so that the English could have no Justice against them nor could the King punish Murder without sending an Army to do it there was no reason they should have the Benefit of that Law they would not submit to And this I take to be the true Reason why it was denied them Davis 6. 'T is true they often Petitioned for the Liberty to be Plaintiffs but they would not at the same time put themselves in a condition to be Defendants nor come within the Jurisdiction of the Kings Courts but by starts and for their benefit and therefore assoon as the Kingdom was throughly subdued and reduced into Shires so that the Kings Writ did run throughout the Realm the Irish had also an equal Benefit of the Law and were received into the Condition of Subjects So that this Objection has been long since quite taken away As to the Fifth They were not so ignorant but that they knew the necessity of leaving a Tenure in the King besides there was some small Reservation or Crown-Rent reserv'd by Contract or Agreement in every Patent and therefore they did not expect it as free as they surrendred it however they got well enough by the bargain for in lieu of a precarious Estate for Life at most they got legal Titles of Inheritance by the Kings Grants and certainly they had little reason to complain whilst as our Author confesses they enjoy'd both the Profits and the Possession But let us return to King Henry the Second who found work enough in France and was advised by his Mother Maud the Empress and others at a great Council held on that occasion Speed at Winchester to postpone his Irish Designs until he could meet with a more favourable opportunity which not long after hapned For Dermond Mac Murrough King of Leinster Regan having forced O Neale O Mlaghalin and O Caroll to give him Hostages grew so insolent at these successes that he became oppressive to his Subjects and injurious to his Neighbours more especially by the Rape of the Wife of Orourk King of Brehny 1167. who was Daughter of O Mlaghlin King of Meath Stanihurst whereupon he was invaded by his Enemies Cambrensis and abandoned by his Subjects and Tributaries particularly by Morough O Borne Hasculphus Mac Turkil Governor of Dublin and Daniel Prince of Ossory and after many Disasters 1168. was forced to quit his Country and betake himself to the King of England for Assistance He was accompanied by his Trusty Servant Auliff O Kinade and sixty others and safely arrived at Bristol where he was generously entertain'd at S. Austin's Abbey by Robert Fitzharding Regan M. S. and so having refresh'd himself and Servants he went forward on his Voyage to Aquitain where the King then resided He appeared before the King in a most shabby Habit 1169. says Friar Clin Stanihurst 6â— suitable to the wretched condition of an Exile He fell at his Majesties feet and emphatically bewail'd his own Miseries and Misfortunes He represented the Malice of his Neighbours and the Treachery of his pretended Friends and the Rebellion of his Subjects in proper and lively Expressions he suggested that Kings were then most like Gods when they exercised themselves in succouring the Distressed and that the Fame of King Henry's Magnificence and Generosity had induced him to that Address for his Majesties Protection Assistance But the King being engaged in France could not aid him personally however being mov'd with Dermond's cunning Speeches submissive Deportment Hooker 1. he pitied his Misfortunes entertain'd him kindly and gave him some Presents and then took his Oath of Allegiance and gave him the following Patent HEnry Stainhurst 66. King of England Duke of Normandy and Aquitain Earl of Anjou c. Vnto all his Subjects English Normans Welsh and Scots and to all Nations and People being his Subjects Greeting Whereas Dermond Prince of Leinster most wrongfully as he informeth banished out of his one Country hath craved our Aid Therefore for asmuch as we have received him into our Protection Grace and Favour whosoever within our Realm subject to our Commands will Aid and Help him whom we have embraced as our Trusty Friend for the Recovery of his Land let him be
which they were wont to extort upon such Towns and Villages of the Churches as were near and next bordering upon them Fifthly That when Earick or Composition is made among the Lay-People for any Murther That no Person of the Clergy though he be kin to any of the Parties shall contribute any thing thereunto but as they be guiltless from the Murther so shall they be free from Payment of Mony for any such Earick or Release for the same Sixthly That all and every Good Christian being Sick and Weak shall before the Priest and his Neighbours make his last Will and Testament and his Debts and Servant's Wages being paid all his Moveables to be divided if he have any Children into three Parts whereof one Part to be to the Children another to his Wife and the third Part to be for the Performance of his Will And if so be he have no Children then the Goods to be divided into two Parts whereof the one Moyety to his Wife and the other to the Performance of his Will and Testament And if he have no Wife but only Children then the Goods to be likewise divided into two Parts whereof the one to himself and the other to his Children Seventhly That every Christian being Dead and dying in the Catholick Faith shall be reverendly brought to the Church and to be buried as appertaineth Finally That all the Divine Service in the Church of Ireland shall be Kept Used and Observed in the like Order and Manner as it is in the Church of England For it is Meet and Right That as by God's Providence and Appointment Ireland is now become Subject and under the King of England so the same should take from thence the Order Rule and Manner how to Reform themselves and to Live in better Order For whatsoever Good Thing is befallen to the Church and Realm of Ireland either concerning Religion or peaceable Government they owe the same to the King of England and are to be thankful unto him for the same For before his coming into the Land of Ireland many and all sorts of Wickedness in Times past flowed and and reigned among them all which now by his Authority and Goodness are abolish'd And so says Cambrensis they having owned the King Supreme in Church and State he confirmed their Canons by his Royal Authority And it seems to me That at the same Synod the King declared his Pleasure to govern Ireland by the Laws of England Whereto they consented and swore Obedience accordingly for thus my Author phrases it Leges Angliae sunt ab omnibus gratanter receptae juratoria cautione praestita confirmatae Temple 5. And though others say This was done at a Synod Matth. Paris held about this Time at Lismore Yet I rather believe That the Bishop of Lismore his presiding at Cashel as he did being the Pope's Legate gave rise to the Mistake of the Place than that there should be two such famous Synods celebrated in the same Province in one Year But however that be this is certain That the King soon after his return into England caused an antient Treatise 4 Inst. 12. called Modus tenendi Parliamentum to be transcribed in a Parchment-Roll and to be sent into Ireland for their better Instruction The King kept his Christmas at Dublin in as great State as that Place would admit of for there was not any House to be found there that was capable of his Retinue and therefore he was necessitated to build a long Cabin with smooth'd Wattles after the Fashion of the Country and almost in the Nature of a Tent which being well furnished with Plate Housholdstuff and good Chear made a better Appearance than ever had been seen in Ireland before that Time and accordingly it was admired and applauded by the Irish Potentates who flocked thither to pay their Duty to the King But it was Time for Henry to mind his Foreign Affairs and therefore in order to his return to England he went to Wexford and there he staid almost three Months during which Time the Weather was so tempestuous that Ships durst not adventure to Sea so that the King could neither get to England nor receive any Intelligence from thence At length after Mid-Lent a Vessel arrived with the bad News of the King's Sons being in Rebellion and of the coming of the Pope's Legates to Interdict the Kingdom for the Murder of Becket He was also distressed in Ireland by the Plague which raged in his Army and by the want of Victuals which now began to be very scarce and dear so that he was necessitated to hasten to England although he was much troubled to leave Ireland in that unsetled Condition and without some Castles and Fortresses which he design'd and thought necessary for its Conservation But the Kings Jealousie was not so much of the Irish as it was of Strongbow whose Reputation and Interest were very great And therefore to ballance him the King raised several Grandees and gave them large Portions of Land together with great Jurisdictions and Priviledges particularly he gave Vlster to the famous John de Courcy and Meath to Hugh de Lacy and left Lacy with twenty Gentlemen and Robert Fitz-Stephens and Maurice Fitz-Girald with twenty more Governours of Dublin Waterford was committed to the Care of Humphry de Bohun Robert Fitz-Barnard and Hugh de Gondeville who had twenty Gentlemen to attend them and William Fitz-Adelme Philip of Hastings and Philip de Bruce had the like number of Gentlemen to keep Wexford And so in the Morning on Easter-Monday the King went on Board and was by Noon the same Day landed at S. Davids in Wales He left Hugh de Lacy Chief Governour Some call him O Râ—â—â—k or Lord Justice of Ireland who kept his Residence at Dublin and thither came to him O Mlaghlin of Meath to complain of some Hardships and Inconveniences he pretended to suffer in that Country or rather to adjust Matters between them about their respective Interests and Estates in Meath for he desired a Parly at the Hill of Taragh To which Lacy very readily consented And so after reciprocal Oaths for each others Safety 1173. they met at the Time and Place appointed O Mlaghlin had treacherously prepared an Ambush and when he found his Opportunity he gave them the Signal and upon their Approach he with a Pale Grim Countenance and with a Spar in his Hand made up to Lacy and assaulted him But it happened That one Griffith the Night before the Parly had dreamt That a parcel of Hogs fell upon Lacy and had killed him if he had not slain the great Boar This Dream being told to Maurice Fitz-Girald he gave such regard to it as Superstitious Men commonly do to such Whimsies and believing that it did forbode some Danger to Lacy he caused Griffith and six more secretly to arm themselves and to ride near the Place of Parley as it were for Pleasure and to be ready
Favour and consequently luxurious they always followed the Court and hated to be put in Frontier Garrisons or Places of Danger They were says Cambrensis great Talkers Boasters and Swearers very Proud and Contemners of all others greedy of Places of Places of Honour and Profit but backward in undertaking any hazardous and dangerous Action or performing any Service that might deserve them Moreover many of the English and Welch were dispossest of their best and safest Castles to make Room for the Normans and forc'd to take others in Exchange on the Frontiers by which means they were impoverish'd and discourag'd Add to this That several of the faithful Irish who had submitted to the English Government and lived within their Quarters and thereby became acquainted with the English Conversations Humors Strength Policies Seats and Habitations were likewise dispossess'd to make Room for the Normans and thereby forced to revolt to the Irish and became the most Dangerous of all the Enemies as being most Knowing and most Provok'd And thus it came to pass that after Earl John had wasted his Army in small and unprofitable Skirmishes and had staid eight months and done no other Good than that he built the Castle of Tybrach perhaps Typerary Lismore and Ardfinin the King sent for him and his Beardless Counsellors and in his Room substituted John de Courcy Earl of Vlster Lord Lieutenant of Ireland he brought over with him about four hundred Volunteers 1185. September And soon after his arrival he made a Progress into Munster and Connaught to put those Countries in order but it seems he fell into an Ambush or had some Skirmish with the Irish for it is said That he lost twelve Knights in his Return from Connaught 1186. On Midsummer-day the Prime of Limerick slew four Knights and a great part of the Garrison of Ardfinin And soon after by a Slight drew that Garrison into an Ambush by exposing a Prey to their View which they thought to have taken but he fell upon them and surprized and slew most of them But the Irish had not so good luck in Meath where they of Kenally had made Incursions and taken a Prey for William Petit rescued the Prey defeated them with great Slaughter and sent an hundred of their Heads to Dublin Old Lacy was now busie building his Castle of Derwath and himself working with a Pick-ax for Diversion when one of the malicious and ungrateful Workmen took the Opportunity whilst he was stooping Cambden 151. and with another Pick-Ax knock'd out his Brains And it seems there was an Insurrection thereupon for it is said That Courcy and Young Lacy revenged the Murder and reduced all things to quiet But it seems afterwards there grew some Distast between Courcy and Lacy so that Lacy who was the better Courtier supplanted Courcy who was the better Soldier and got himself into his Room This Courcy came from Stoke-courcy commonly call'd Stogussy in the County of Somerset I find that Robert de Courcy was made a Baron at Westminster 33 Henry 1. but whether he was the Ancestor of this Family I will not determine This Earl of Vlster had a natural Son John Lord of Kilbarrock and Raheny who was murdered by the Lacyes so that it is the Brother of this Earl John that was the Ancestor of the Noble Family of Courcy Lord Baron of Kingsale In the mean time King Henry died in Normandy on the sixth Day of July 1189. He was so well pleased with the Conquest of Ireland Davis 11. that he placed the Title of Lord of Ireland in his Royal Style before his Hereditary Estates of Normandy and Aquitain Baron Finglas M. S. And yet that Country was at that Time so inconsiderable or so little improv'd that there were not five Castles or Piles for Defence of Irish building in the whole Kingdom Dublin Cork and Waterford were built by the Easterlings and all the rest have been built since the Reduction of Ireland This King was both Wise and Valiant he was also Generous to the highest Degree so that he deserved to be ranked among the bravest Princes of that or any other Age and perhaps had made as great a Figure in History as any of them if the Undutifulness of Becket and the Rebellion of his own Sons had not interrupted his Designs However there are some who will never forgive him the Conquest of Ireland and therefore do load his Memory with many Malicious Aspersions equally Ridiculous and False Polichronicon l. 7. c. 21. They say his Grandmother could not endure the Mass and that her Husband ordered four Knights to hold her by Force whilst the Priest was celebrating but in spight of them she flew out of the Window with two of her Sons and was never seen after And that 't is no Wonder they that come of the Devil should go to the Devil And that King Henry's Embassador urging the King's Son to have Peace with his Father was answered That it was Natural to their Brood to hate one another That Henry was a Bastard and that S. Bernard the Abbot prophesied of him That from the Devil he came and to the Devil he should go That his Father had gelded a Bishop and that himself had murdered S. Thomas of Canterbury That his Father had Carnal Knowledge of Henry's Queen Elianor and abundance more of such silly Stuff THE REIGN OF John Earl of Moreton LORD of IRELAND Afterwards King of England Duke of Normandy c. RICHARD I 1189. for his Valour Sirnamed Ceur de Lyon by unquestionable Right Succeeded his Father on the Throne of England and was crowned at Westminster the third Day of September 1189 but his Style was no more than Speed 482. Rex Anglor dux Normannor Acquitan comes Andegavor For John Earl of Moreton youngest Son of the deceased King by virtue of the aforesaid Donation at the Parliament at Oxford anno 1177 succeeded his Father in the Sovereignty of Ireland And therefore we find the Pope's Legate had Commission to exercise Jurisdiction in Anglia Davis 19. Wallia illis Hiberniae partibus in quibus Johanes Comes Moretonii potestatem habet dominium For tho' it be a Fundamental Maxim of State That Ireland must not be separated from the Crown of England And tho' it be also an undoubted Maxim of Law That the King cannot alien any part of his Dominions yet neither of these were thought to be transgressed by the aforesaid Donation because it was made to the King's Son whose Interest and Expectations in England were thought to be sufficient Security for his Good Behaviour What Controulment Earl John might have met with in the Soveraignty of Ireland if the King Richard had been at Leisure to inspect that Matter is incertain But it is manifest That the King was so taken up with his Voyage to the Holy Land and so embarassed by the unfortunate Consequences of it that he never did
Annum for the other two parts saving and reserving to the King two Cantreds with the Inhabitants and liberty of building Castles therein The King liked the Proposal well enough and communicated it to the Lord Justice and referr'd it to him adding That it would do well if the Lord Justice could squeeze a Fine of four hundred Marks from the King of Connaught together with a yearly Tribute of Cows 1208. to supply such Castles as should be built in those Cantreds Hugh de Lacy was made Lord Deputy upon the Lord Justice his going to England and soon after viz. the Eighth of November the King by Patent Dated at Woodstock whereunto Meyler Fitz-Henry Lord Justice is Witness did confirm to William Fitz Philip Barry the three Cantreds of Olethan Muskry Dunegan and Killedy which Fitz Stephens had given his Father in the Kingdom of Cork 4 Inst 359. to be held of the King by Ten Knights Fees Lib. GGG and he also granted to William Marshal the Marshalship of Ireland in Fee as also the Cantred of Kilkenny About this time Jeofry Morison or Mac Moris was troublesome in Munster wherefore the Lord Deputy invaded Typerary Hanmer 186. and took Thurles he also took Castlemeyler and demolished it but the Irish say he lost more men in this Expedition than he brought back And now the King finding many Complaints of Thieves Tories and Robbers which were become a Nusance in Ireland sent the following Writ for their expulsion REX Meyler Prin 250. fil Henr. Justic Hiberniae c. omnibus aliis Baron fidelibus suis Hibern c. Sciatis quod ad voluntatem consilium dilectorum fidelium nostrorum Com. W. Maresc Walteri de Lacy aliorum Baronum nostrorum Hibern qui nobiscum fuerunt in Angl. per consilium fidelium nostror Angl. volumus statuimus quod Latrones Hibern expellantur de Terra nostra Hibern quod ipsi receptores eorum deducantur secundum Legem Angl. ideo vobis mandamus quod ita fieri faciatis in hujus rei testimonium has Literas nostras Patent vobis mittimus Teste Meipso apud Southhampt 23 Die Martii But Lacy was so elevated with the aforesaid Victories how dear soever they were bought that he look'd on all below him with Contempt and became so impatient of Competition that he was outragious against all his Enemies and particularly against John de Courcy Lord of Raheny and Kilbarrock Natural Son of the great John de Courcy whom the Lacies basely and barbarously caused to be murdered whereupon great Stirs and Dissatisfactions arose in Ireland even among the British Temple 6. whereof the Irish made their advantage Hanmer 187. and under pretence of being burdened with Taxes there was a general Defection throughout all the Realm Dublin was inhabited mostly by a Colony of Bristol Men 1209. and it was customary with them for love of Sport and Air to walk abroad toward Cullenwood every Easter-Monday but now being unarmed they were surprized by the Mountaneers of Wicklow the Birnes and Tooles c. who murdered three hundred of the Citizens wherefore that Day is ever since called Black Monday and for a long time after was solemnly observed by the Mayor Sheriffs and Citizens of Dublin in a brave and splendid manner and to supply this Loss the City of Bristol sent a new Colony to replenish Dublin But the King as well to secure his goverment from the ambition of Lacy whereof he grew exceeding jealous as also to suppress the Rebellion of the Irish found it necessary to make a Voyage to that Countrey and therefore with a considerable Army he sailed thither and on the Eighth Day of June landed at Waterford 1210. where O Neal and above Twenty other Irish Potentates came and made their humble Submissions and did Homage and Fealty unto him The Lacies conscious of their Demerits durst not abide the Arrival of the King but secretly fled into France where in Disguise they served the Abbot of St. Taurin in the quality of Gardeners till their unskilfulness manifested they were not educated in that way which gave the Abbot some suspicion of them and that led him into so strict an Enquiry that to satisfie the Abbot they were obliged to discover the Truth Speed 508. The good man did so sympathize with their Misfortunes and pitied their Distress that he effectually interceded with the King for their Pardon which at length he obtain'd Walter paying for Meath 2500 and Hugh for Vlster 4000 Marks Cattalus or rather Carolus O Conner alias Crovederg the Valiant and Active King of Connaught was the only Man of Note that opposed King John but he was an unequal Match for the King of England Cambden 152. and therefore was easily subdued and taken Prisoner Wherefore the King having no more of Military Matters to execute in Ireland seriously set himself to mend the Civil State of that unfortunate Country and first he caused Money to be Coyned ad Pondus Nummi Angliae and made it currant in both Kingdoms by his Proclamation which was the first Sterling Money that was Coyned in Ireland Lib. M. 25. and this done he set himself to establish the English Laws in that Kingdom For though King Henry had done as much to introduce the English Laws there as that Season and other Circumstances would permit yet partly for want of Sheriffs and the Distribution of the Kingdom into Counties but chiefly because of the unsetledness of the Country and the rebellious humour of the Irish it could not at that time be fully effected Wherefore King John to supply those Defects as far as he was able divided Leinster and Munster the only part he had in quiet and actual possession into the Counties of Dublin Kildare Meath Vriel Caterlogh Kilkenny Wexford Waterford Cork Limerick Typerary and Kerry and appointed Sheriffs and other Officers for them after the manner of England He also caused an Abstract of the English Laws and Customs to be drawn in writing Inst 141. b. 4 Inst 349. whereunto he affixed his Seal and left it in the Exchequer in Dublin and by general consent in Parliament and at the instance of the Irish he ordained that the English Laws and Customs should thenceforward be observed in Ireland Temple 6. and in order to it he erected Courts of Judicature at Dublin But the Brehon Law and the other Irish Customs indulged more to the Tyrannie of the great Men and yet did not hold the Commons to a strict and regular Discipline as the Laws of England did and therefore the very English were so corrupted by ill Example that the English Laws were not regarded nor had in Estimation as they ought but were look'd upon both by the Irish and degenerate English Davis 90. lib. M. as a Yoke of Bondage so that Henry III was necessitated oftentimes to enjoyn the Observation of them In
publickly opposed the King's Alienation or Resignation of his Dominions to the Pope 1213. He governed the Kingdom very well but at the end of two Years he went to Rome either to solicit Aid for the King against the Barons or to be present at a General Council He left Geofry de Marisco 1215. Lord Keeper of Ireland to whom nevertheless Sir Edmond Butler was Assistant or Coadjutor It was about this Time the Citizens of Dublin obtained a Licence to build a Bridge over the Liffy where they pleased And not long after they also got a Fee-Farm of the City of Dublin from the King at a certain Rent but I take that to have been anno 1217. and if so the King here meant must be Henry III. It seems these Times were very Quiet for I find no mention of any War or Rebellion except some small Stirs in Connaught which were not so Great or Considerable as that the Particulars should be transmitted to posterity In the mean Time William Earl Marshal who came to Ireland anno 1207. was employed in building his Castle of Kilkenny and the Abbey of Black-Fryers there He also incorporated that Town by the Name of Sovereign Burgesses and Communalty and granted them a Privilege to be quit of Toll Lastage and Pontage and all other Customs throughout Leinster and afterwards went to England And thus stood the Government of Ireland during the Life of King John who died at Newark the nineteenth Day of October 1216. 1216. THE REIGN OF HENRY III. King of England And LORD of IRELAND c. HENRY the Third not then Ten years old succeeded his Deceased Father in all his Titles and Estates 1216. and in the presence of the Popes Legate William Earl Marshal and others he was declared King and Crowned at Glocester by the Bishops of Winchester and Bath and at the same time he did Homage to Pope Innocent and the Church of Rome Brady 522. for the Kingdoms of England and Ireland and swore to pay yearly the Thousand Marks which his Father had promised to the Holy See William Earl Marshal who was also Earl of Pembrook was Protector of the King and Kingdom Ib. 523. and by Proclamation encouraged the Nobility Gentry and other the Kings Subjects to continue faithful to him which they were the more easily perswaded to because Lewis Prince of France and his Party began to decline and were solemnly excommunicated or rather the same Excommunication was published and denounced every Sunday and Holy-Day There likewise issued a Writ to the Kings Subjects in Ireland in haec verba REX Archiepiscopis Prin 250. Episcopis Abbatibus Comitibus Baronibus Militibus libere tenentibus omnibus fidelibus suis per Hibern constitutis Salutem Fidelitatem vestram in Domino commendantes quam Domino Patri nostro semper exhibuistis nobis estis diebus nostris exhibituri Volumus quod in signum Fidelitatis vestrae tam praeclarae tam insignis libertatibus Regno nostro Angl. Ã Patre nostro nobis concessis de gratia nostra dono in Regno nostro Hibern gaudeatis vos vestri Haeredes in perpetuum quas distincte in Scriptum redactas de communi consilio omnium fidelium nostrorum vobis mittimus signatas Sigillis Domini nostri G. Apostolicae Sedis Legati fidelis nostri Com. W. Maresc Rectoris nostri Regni nostri quia Sigillum nondum habuimus easdem processu temporis de majori Consilio proprio Sigillo signaturi Teste apud Glouc. 6 die Februar And the Entry on the Roll is Homines Hiberniae habent libertates Angliae And another Writ Brady Append. 143. under the Test of the Earl Marshal was sent to Hugh de Lacy to invite his Return in this Writ which runs in the Name of the King his Majesty condescends to expostulate with Lacy that he the King ought not to be blamed for his Fathers unkindness to Lacy and assures him that he shall have Restitution and Protection if he would come back and upon Receipt of it Lacy did readily comply with the Kings Desire Geofry de Marisco continued Lord Justice or Governor of Ireland Burlace 15. to whom on the 16th of April following Henry de Londres was added as Assistant or Co-adjutor at least in Ecclesiastical Matters 1217. and for the Reformation of the Church The King sent a Writ to the Lord Justice giving him thanks for his faithful Service to the deceased King John and desiring that he would persevere in the like to himself especially during his Monority when he stood in need of the Lord Justices assistance and advice Prin Hist H. 3. fol. 38. and requires him to take the Oath of Fealty of the Nobility of Ireland and all others that are obliged thereto and assures them they shall enjoy the same Liberties in Ireland as he hath granted to his Subjects in England There was also another Writ sent to the Lords Spiritual and Temporal to assist the Lord Justice in the Kings Service And there was yet another Writ for a thousand Bacons Lib. GGG Lambeth two Ship-load of Corn and a Ship-load of Oats Mandatum est Justiciario Hiberniae quid mittet in Angliam mille Bacones duas Navatas Frumenti unam Navatam Aveni So that England must not deny but that it has at some time been beholden to us About this time William Earl Marshal incorporated the Town of Calan and gave it the following Charter COncessi Burgensibus meis de Calan omnimodas Libertates quas decet Burgenses habere mihi licet conferre viz. quod nullus Burgensis trahatur in causam vel respondeat de ullo placito quod proveniat infra Metas Burgi in Castello Lib. in Lambeth vel alibi nisi in hundredo villae exceptis placitis quae sunt de hominibus hospitii mei Concessi etiam eisdem Burgensibus Matrimonium contrahere sibi filiis filiabus viduis sine licentia Dominorum suorum nisi forte forinseca tenementa teneant de me in capite extra Burgum Lucas de Netervil was chosen by the Chapter Archbishop of Armagh 1217. and went to the King for Confirmation but could not obtain it Ware de Fresul 17. because the Election was made without the Kings License Whereupon the Monks compounded with the King for three hundred Marks of Silver and three of Gold and so they took out a Conge de esâ—ier and repeated the Election and then Netervil was consecrated by Langton Archbishop of Canterbury About this Time viz. 2 Hen. 3. the King wrote to Ireland for Aid to pay off a Debt due from him to Lewis Son of the King of France Soon after Henry de Londres was by Pope Honorius the Third made Legate of Ireland and held a Synod at Dublin which made many good Canons But the Lord Justice had displeased the King by his male-administration of Affairs in Ireland or perhaps had
Flames but the Devout Citizens first made a Collection for the Repair of the Church and then set themselves to the re-edifying their own Houses And so we come to a Trial 1284. very unusual in Courts of Justice in Ireland tho' too frequent in the Field viz. that of Battle Ware presul 142. for Jeofry Saintleger Bishop of Ossory in a Writ of Right for the Mannor of Sirekeran in Ely O Carol recovered the same and the Trial was by Battle between the Bishops Champion and the Champion of his Adversary The Lords and Potentates of Ophaly were grown strong enough to take and burn the Castle of Ley 1285. and it seems Theobald Verdon going to revenge that Injury lost both his Men and his Horses which was followed with a greater Misfortune for the next Morning Girald Fitz-Maurice was betrayed by his Followers and taken Prisoner Nor had the English better Success at Rathdod for in an unfortunate Skirmish there Sir Gerard Doget Ralph Petit and many more were slain and the Lord Geofry Genevil had much ado to save himself by Flight Amidst these Disturbances Burlace 31. the Lord Justice obtained from the King a Pension of five hundred Pound per annum for his Expence and Charge in the Government to continue as long as his Justiceship but if any extraordinary Accident should require more Expence than the Writ prescribes That a Vice-Treasurer be appointed to receive and pay the Revenue as the Lord Justice and the Court of Exchequer shall think fit But the next Year was more favourable 1286. so that Philip Stanton in November burnt Norwagh and Ardscol and other Towns and the great Rebel Calwagh was taken at Kildare which superseded these Stirs for a Time Nevertheless this Year was fatal to many Noblemen viz. Maurice Fitz-Maurice who died at Rosse as Girald Fitz-Maurice Oge did at Rathmore and the Lord Thomas de Clare could not escape the Common Fate to which the Lord Justice himself was forced to submit So that John Sandford 1287. Archbishop of Dublin was chosen Lord Justice His Government was the more uneasie to him because Richard Burk 1288. Earl of Vlster and Walter Lacy Lord of Meath confederated against Theobald de Verdon and Besieged him in the Castle of Athloan and came with a great Army as far as Trim However this was in a great measure recompenced by the Plenty of the Year which was so great even in England that a Bushel of Wheat was sold for four Pence It was usual in this King's Reign To send the new English Statutes in some reasonable time after they were made to be proclaimed and observed in Ireland Thus in the thirteenth Year of his Reign he sent by Roger Bretun the Statutes of Westminster the first of Glocester of Merchants and of Westminster the second to the Lord Justice Fulborne to publish and notifie them to the People And this Year the like was done by the Statute called Ordinatio pro Statu Hiberniae which was enacted in England and sent to Ireland to be observed there and is to be seen in French in the second part of the Ancient Statutes printed at London 1532. And the Statutes of Lincoln and of York were also sent to Ireland Ex lib. Alb. Scac. Hib. to be enrolled in the Chancery and to be published and notified to the People 20 Novemb. 17 Edw. 1. And it is to be observed That after Parliaments were held in Ireland yet the English Statutes did extend to Ireland as the eleventh of Edward III Lib. M. Lamb. of Drapery and the twenty seventh of Edward III of the Staple and the fourth of Henry V cap. 6-touching the Promotion of Clerks of the Irish Nation and many more But it is time to return to the Lord Justice whose Service the King had occasion to make use of in England and in several Foreign Embassies in all which he behaved himself honourably He was succeeded in Ireland by William Vescy 15 Novemb. 1290. Lord Justice Whose Government was disturbed by O Hanlon in Vlster and O Mlaghlin in Meath who were again in Rebellion but Richard Earl of Vlster had the good Fortune to suppress O Hanlon with a few Blows and the Lord Justice did as much for O Mlaghlin and pursued him so close that at last he was taken and slain by Mac Coughlan who grew so proud upon that Service that he set up for himself and gave a great Defeat to William Burk at Delvin and to the English in Ophaly And tho' the King in the thirteenth Year of his Reign had a Grant from the Pope of the Tenth of all Ecclesiastical Revenues in Ireland for seven Years toward the Holy War which was followed with a Grant of a Fifteenth from the Temporality yet now upon the Expiration of that Grant he wrote to the Bishops and Clergy for a Dism of their Spiritualities to defray his Debts in redeeming his Nephew Charles But they unanimously answered Quod concessioni petitionis praefatae minime supercederent But Cambden assures us That the Temporality granted another Fifteenth To this Lord Justice Cambden 78. Baliol King of Scotland did Homage for some Lands he held in Ireland and about the same time it was ordered 4 Inst 356. That the Treasurer of Ireland should account yearly at the Exchequer of England 1293. And the same Year came over Gilbert de Clare Earl of Glocester whose Wife Joan of Acres was the King's Daughter But now there arose great Feuds between John Fitz-Thomas Fitz-Girald Lord of Ophaly and the Lord Justice whereupon the Lord Justice did underhand encourage the Irish to do all the Prejudice they could to Fitz-Girald and his Partisans hence arose mutual Complaints and reciprocal Impeachments so that both of them went or were fent for into England But it will not be unpleasant to the Reader to have the Particulars of this famous Controversie in the Words of Holingshead The Lord Justice hearing many Complaints of the Oppressions the Country daily received Holingshead 35 which he thought reflected on him and insinuated his male Administration therefore to disburthen and excuse himself he began in misty Speeches to lay the Fault on the Lord John Fitz-Giralds Shoulders saying in parable wise That he was a great occasion of these Disorders in that he bare himself in Private Quarrels as fierce as a Lyon but in these Publick Injuries as meek as a Lamb. The Baron of Ophaly spelling and putting these Syllables together spake after this Manner My Lord I Am heartily sorry that among all this Noble Asembly you make me your only Butt whereat you shoot your Bolt and truly were my Deserts so hainous as I suppose you would wish them to be you would not labour to cloud your Talk with such dark Riddles as at this present you have done but with plain and flat English your Lordship would not stick to impeach me of Felony or Treason for as mine Ancestors with
that Land and to go personally thither and an Army was design'd for him and he was created Duke of Ireland in order to that Expedition and notwithstanding all this on the twenty third of July 1393. the King sent him a Letter to stop his Voyage because his Majesty intended to go to that Kingdom in person For the King was netled with an Answer his Ambassadors received in Germany when they were solliciting for the Imperial Crown that they did not think him fit to be their Emperor who could not keep what his Ancestors had gain'd in France nor rule his insolent Subjects in England nor tame his rebellious Vassals in Ireland and therefore partly to vindicate his Reputation and partly to divert the Melancholy which had seiz'd him on the Death of his Wife he undertook a Royal Voyage to Ireland with four thousand Men at Arms and thirty thousand Archers under S. Edwards Banner It seems that Sir Thomas Scroop was sent before him to prepare for the Kings Reception for I find him named Lord Justice on the 26th of April 1394. 1394. But however that be it is certain that on the Second Day of October Richard the Second King of England Landed at Waterford with a mighty Army whereof he made but small use for the Irish betook themselves to their old Stratagems of feigned and crafty Submissions wherewith they had deluded and abused King Henry the Second and King John in former times However Mowbray Earl of Notingham and Marshal of England had a special Commission to receive the Homage and Oaths of Fidelity of all the Irish of Leinster by vertue whereof Girald O Birne Donald O Nolan Malachias O Morough Rory oge O More Arthur Mac Morough Morough O Connor and others made their humble submission by an Interpreter in the open Field at Baligory near Carlow on the 16th of February They did Homage in solemn manner and made their Oaths of Fidelity to the Earl Marshal laying aside their Girdles Skeins and Caps and falling down at his Feet upon their Knees which being performed the Marshal gave each of them Osculum Pacis Moreover they were bound by several Indentures upon great Penalties to be paid to the Apostolick Chamber viz. O Birne twenty thousand Marks O Nolan ten thousand pounds c. not only to continue Loyal Subjects but that by a certain day prefix'd they and all their Sword-men should clearly relinquish and give up unto the King and his Successors all the Lands and possessions which they held in Leinster and taking with them only their moveable Goods should serve him in his Wars against his other Rebels In consideration whereof the King was to give them Pay and Pensions during their Lives and to bestow the inheritance of all such Lands upon them as they should recover from the Rebels in any other part of the Realm And thereupon a Pension of eighty Marks per annum was granted to Art Mac Murrough Chief of the Cavenaghs which was continued to his Posterity till the time of Henry the Eighth although they did nothing for it But the King having received Letters from O Neal wherein he stiles himself Prince of the Irishry in Vlster and yet acknowledgeth the King to be his Sovereign Lord and Dominus perpetuus Hiberniae removed to Drogheda to take the Submissions of the Irish of Vlster Thither came to him O Neal O Hanlon O Donel Mac Mahon and others who with the like humility and ceremony as aforesaid performed their Homage and Fealty to the Kings own Person in these or the like Words mutatis mutandis Ego Nelanus O Neal Senior tam pro meipso quam pro filiis meis tota Natione mea Parentelis meis pro omnibus Subditis meis devenio Ligeus Homo vester c. And in the Indenture between O Neal and the King he is bound not only to remain faithful to the Crown of England but also to restore the Bonaught of Vlster to the Earl of Vlster as of right belonging to that Earldom and amongst other things usurped by the O Neals These Indentures and Submissions with many more of the same kind for there was not a Chieftain or Head of an Irish Sept but submitted himself in one Form or other the King himself caused to be enrolled and testified by a Notary Publick and with his own hands delivered the Enrolments to the Bishop of Salisbury who on the 25th of June delivered to the Court of Exchequer two Hanapers one containing thirty nine and the other thirty six Instruments which were all there recorded or enrolled so that they have been carefully preserved and are now to be found in the Remembrancers Office and the Copies of them all are to be seen at Lambeth Libro D. In the mean time Lib. G. Lambeth on the first of February the King wrote a Letter to his Unkle the Duke of York who it seems was his Deputy in England signifying that there were three sorts of People in Ireland viz. Irish Savages or Enemies Irish Rebels and English Subjects and that perhaps the Rebels had cause and provocation to do as they have done and that therefore he has given them Truce till Easter and designs to pardon them generally and concludes with a Desire of his Advice in this Particular The Duke and the Council on the 19th of March return an Answer Lib. M. That they had formerly given their Opinion to prosecute the Rebels but that his Majesty being on the Place best knew what was fit to be done and that they did not mislike his Intention provided the Rebels did pay some considerable Fines towards the Charge of the Kings Voyage and also took out their particular Pardons within a limited Time Lib. G. and not long after finding that the King had accepted the Irish Submissions and valued himself upon the Atchievement they send him a congratulatory Letter and humbly pray his Majesty to return to England Several of the Irish Historians one of them misleading another say that the King did call a Parliament at Christmas and about Shrovetide return'd to England but as I am sure he did not return in many Weeks after Shrovetide so I believe he held no other Parliament in Ireland at this time than that there being a great Concourse of the Chief Men of the Land to Dublin to attend the King it is probable the King consulted with them about the publick Affairs and that they complained to his Majesty of such Grievances as needed to be redress'd Lib. G. and particularly That whereas the Chancery us'd to pay into the Exchequer two thousand Marks per annum for the Great Seal besides defraying the Charge of that Court it now hardly pays its own Officers their Salaries because Grants for which the Parties formerly paid an hundred pound are now made for ten shillings and Secondly That James Cotenham Deputy Admiral of Ireland to the Earl of Rutland committed great Abuses and exacted a Tribute of
twenty pence or two shillings from every one that passed the Seas On the twenty fifth Day of March the King knighted four Irish Kings 1395. Selden tit hon 842. and some other great Lords whereof Mr Selden out of Froisart gives the following Account Four Kings of several Provinces in Ireland that submitted themselves to Richard II were put under the Care of Henry Castile an English Gentleman who spake Irish well in order to prepare them for Knighthood by the Kings Command he informed them of the English Manners in Diet Apparel and the like He asked them If they were willing to take the Order which the King of England would give them according to the Customs of England France and other Countries They answered They were Knights already and that the Order they had taken was enough for them and that they were made Knights in Ireland when they were seven Years Old and that every King makes his Son Knight and if the Father be dead the next of Kin does it and that the manner is thus The new Knight at his making runs with slender Lances against a Shield set upon a Stake in a Meadow and the more Lances he thus breaks the more Honour continues with his Dignity But Mr. Castile told them They should receive a Knighthood with more State in the Church and afterwards being perswaded and instructed especially by the Earl of Ormond they did receive Knighthood at Christ-Church Dublin after their Vigils performed in the same Church and a Mass heard and some others were knighted with them but the four Kings in Robes agreeable to their State sate that Day with King Richard at the Table And so Davit 202. when the King had supplied the Courts of Justice with able Men particularly with Sir William Hankford Chief Justice who was afterwards Chief Justice of England and done his Endeavor to establish a Civil Plantation in the Mountains of Wicklow he returned to England about Midsummer 1394. as I suppose for on the fourth of July 1394 Roger Mortimer Earl of March was sworn Lord Lieutenant Pryn. 294. And not long after the aforesaid excellent Ordinances of 31 Edw. 3. were ratified revived and exemplified and sent into Ireland to be more duly observed than hitherto they had been But the Scene was changed and the Irish despising the weak Forces the King had left behind him began to lay aside their Mask of Humility and to make Incursions into the Borders of the Pale Nevertheless the English were not daunted their Valour supplyed what was wanting in their Number Cambd. particularly Sir Thomas de Burgh and Walter de Birmingham with their Forces slew six hundred of the Irish and their Captain Mac Con and the Lord Lieutenant and the Earl of Ormond wasted the County of Wicklow and took O Birnes House whereupon the Lord Lieutenant made seven Knights But this Victory was much overballanced by the Loss of forty principal Englishmen slain by the O Tools on Ascension-day and not long after by the Death of the Lord Lieutenant himself who was slain at Kenlis in Ossory by the O Birnes on the twentieth of July 1398. And thereupon Roger Gray was chosen Lord Justice 1398. pro tempore until the King sent over his half Brother Thomas Holland Duke of Surry Lord Lieutenant 1398. who landed at Dublin the seventh of October 1398. but did not long continue in that Office before the King pretending a Resolution to revenge the Death of his Cousin and Heir the Earl of March who was slain by the Irish as aforesaid He left the Government of England in the Hands of his Vnkle the Duke of York And on the first Day of June Richard 1399. King of England landed at Waterford with a good Army which he marched to Dublin through the wast Countries of Murroughs Kinshelaghs Cavenaghs Birns and Tooles but the Army was much distressed for want of Victuals and Carriages in those Deserts so that he performed no memorable Exploit save that he cut and cleared the Paces in the Cavenaghs Country and knighted Henry the Duke of Lancaster's Son afterwards Henry V for his briskness against the Irish On the sixth of June being the Friday after the King's arrival Jenico de Artois his faithful Gascoign slew two hundred Irish at Ford in Kenlis in the County of Kildare And the next Day the Citizens of Dublin made Incursions into Wicklow and killed thirty three Irishmen and took eighty Prisoners And on the twenty sixth of June the King came to Dublin and received the Submission of many Irish Lords But whilst he was consulting how to proceed he received the unwelcome News of the Duke of Lancaster's Progress in England whereupon he imprisoned his and the Duke of Glocester's Sons in the Castle of Trym and though he sent the Earl of Salisbury before him to gather an Army in Wales yet the King followed after so slowly that the Army was disperst before he arrived in England with which Misfortune his Courage fell so that on Michaelmass day he tamely surrendred the Crown and gave a just occasion for this true Remark Baker 152. That never any Man who had used a Kingdom with such Violence gave it over with such Patience He was afterwards deposed by Parliament and several Articles exhibited against him one of which was That he forced divers Religious Persons in England to give Horses Arms and Carts towards the Irish Expedition And another was That he carryed into Ireland the Treasure Reliques and other Jewels of the Crown which were used to be kept in the King's Coffers from all Hazard The King created Edward Plantagenet Earl of Cork in the twentieth Year of his Reign And the same Year gave a Licence under the Privy Seal to William Lord Courcy to buy a Ship to pass and repass to and from England And in this Reign happened this famous Case One Thomas a Clerk in England obtained a Judgment at Westminster against Robert Wickford afterwards Archbishop of Dublin and upon Affidavit That the Defendant lived in Ireland and had Goods and Lands there and the Sheriffs Return That he had no Lands nor Goods in England the Plaintiff had a Writ against the said Archbishop in haec verba IDeo vobis mandamus quod de terris catallis ejusdem Roberti Lib. M. jam Archiepiscopi in Terra nostra Hiberniae fieri facias praedict decem libras illas habeatis coram c. This Archbishop died anno 1390 so that this Writ must issue before that time THE REIGN OF HENRY IV. King of England c. And LORD of IRELAND HENRY Duke of Lancaster eldest Son of the famous John of Gaunt fourth Son of King Edward the Third upon the Resignation of King Richard procured him to be deposed in Parliament and himself to be elected King and the Crown to be entailed on him and the Heirs of his Body His Claim was as Heir to Henry III but finding that
to and from England Fifthly That a certain Fund be appointed for their Pay Sixthly That at the King's Charge he might have a Family or two out of every Parish in England to inhabit Ireland Seventhly To have Power of granting Benefices and of making a Deputy And Lastly That the Demesnes of the Crown may be resumed and the Acts of Absentees may be executed The Lord Lieutenant within a Week after he came to Dublin caused the Earl of Kildare and three of his Family to be arrested and suffered the Earls Goods to be rifled and spoiled by the Duke's Servants and kept the Earl himself in Prison in Dublin Castle until he paid three hundred Marks It is recorded that the Lord Lieutenant was desperately wounded in an Encounter at Kilmainham and hardly escaped with Life but it is not mentioned how nor by whom but it seems he design'd to revenge it and to make a general Hosting for he made Proclamation that all such as ought by their Tenures to serve the King should assemble together at Ross He also held a Parliament at Kilkenny for a Tallage to be granted but what Success he had in these Assemblies is not so manifest as it is that he went to England on the 13th of March leaving Thomas Butler 1409. Prior of Kilmainham his Deputy in whose time the King gave the Sword to the City of Dublin and changed their PROVOST into a MAYOR and not long after the Barbarous Mac Gilmore being routed and pursued by the Savages fled to the Church of the Friers Minors at Carigfergus which he had formerly defaced but they got into the Windows whence this Tory had formerly taken the Iron Bars and there they put an end to his Villany and his Life In Vlster Jenico de Artois the famous Gascoigne behaved himself briskly and slew eighty of the Rebels in a Skirmish he had with them But on the twenty first of May or rather the thirteenth of June the Parliament began at Dublin 1410. and made it Treason to take Coyn and Livery Lib. D. and on the tenth of July the Lord Justice took the Castles of Mibraclide in Offerol and De-la-mare It seems he proceeded to invade O Birns Country with fifteen hundred Kerns or Irish Souldiers and the Consequence was that they betrayed him and half of them went over to the Enemy so that it had gone hard with the Lord Justice if the Power of Dublin had not been there and yet he escaped not without loss for John Derpatrick was there slain The next Year was probably more quiet 1411. for there is nothing recorded of it except some considerable Marriages amongst the Grandees On the tenth of April 1412. O Connor did much Mischief in Meath and took an hundred and forty English and O Tool and Thomas Fitz-Maurice Sheriss of Limerick kill'd each other in a Duel About this time the King granted the Town and Ferry of Inishonan Lib. G. to Philip de Barry and it is to be noted that almost in every Parliament holden in England during this Reign the danger of Ireland is remembred although very little was done for it because of the frequent Troubles in England and so we come to the 20th day of March on which the King died at the Abbot of Westminster's House in the fourteenâ—h Year of his Reign and of his Age the forty seventh He died so very poor that his Executors refused to administer and therefore the Archbishop of Canterbury who is Ordinary to the Court where-ever it is exposed the Kings Goods to Sale and King Henry the Fifth bought them for the value to be paid the Executors to be disposed of according to his Fathers Will Rolls Abr. 906. but it seems he never paid the Money for it was afterwards ordained in Parliament 4 Inst 335 that the Executors should not be sued by the Creditors The Bishop of Meath is said to have been Lord Justice about the Year 1402. But because I do find him omitted by others and do not find that he did any thing worth mention I have therefore not inserted him as Lord Justice in Order THE REIGN OF HENRY V. King of England c. And LORD of IRELAND HENRY the Fifth succeeded his Father without any opposition and all the Nobility taking it then for a Law that the Crown belonged to the Heir of him that died last seized swore Homage and Allegiance to him before Coronation 1412. which was not usual in those days but this Magnanimous Prince was so taken up with Designs against France that Ireland was but little regarded in his Reign For the present He continued in the Government Thomas 1413. Prior of Kilmainham who did not long remain therein before he surrendred unto Sir John Stanly Lord Lieutenant he Landed at Clantarf the 7th of October and on the 6th of January after died at Ardee whereupon on the 11th of February the Nobility elected Thomas Crawly Lord Justice He was twice Chancellor and then Archbishop of Dublin and was a Man of fingular Piety and Learning and it is to be noted That the Parliament sate at Dublin the 26th of February so that it could not have above fifteen days of Summons though the Day of the Lord Justice his Admittance to the Government and the Day of the Session be included the Irish burnt the Pale during this Parliament as they used to do and therefore a Tax or Tallage was demanded but not granted and so that Parliament was dissolved after it had sate fifteen Days However 1414. the valiant Jenico de Artois invaded the Territory of Macgenis but was so unfortunate to lose many of his Men at Inor whereupon the Irish grew so insolent that the Lord Justice was necessitated to go out in person However he went no farther than Castledermond and there entrusting the Army with the Military men he remained with his Clergy in Procession and at Prayers for the Success of his small Army and the Event answered his expectation for the English slew an hundred of the Irish near Kilkea but that small Victory was soon over-ballanced by a Defeat which the English of Meath received from O Connor on the 10th of May to the Loss of Tho. Maureverar Baron of Shrine and many others and to the imprisonment of Christopher Fleming and John Dardis This Loss discovered the necessity of sending a Martial Man to the Government of Ireland and therefore on the 10th day of September Sir John Talbot Lord Furnival Lord Lieutenant Landed at Dalkye and immediately made a Circular Progress round the Pale in warlike manner He began with the Birns Tools and Cavenaghs on the South and so passing to the O Moors O Connors and O Ferrals in the West and ending with the O Relyes Mac Mahons O Neals and O Hanlons in the North he brought them all to the Kings Peace but he brought no Forces with him out of England and therefore though he had Strength enough to
to the Lord Justice 1422. whose Servants were on the Seventh of May attacked and defeated by the Irish Purcel Grant and five and twenty English more were slain and ten taken Prisoners and two hundred escaped to the Abby of Leix and to revenge this the Lord Justice invaded O Mores Country and defeated his terrible Army in the red Bog of Asby he relieved his own Men and burnt and preyed the Rebels Lands for four days until themselves came and sued for Peace And it seems O Dempsy notwithstanding his Oath of Obedience invaded the Pale and took the Castle of Ley from the Earl of Kildare which the Lord Justice had justly restored to the Earl whereupon Campion makes a severe Remark on the Irish That notwithstanding their Oaths and their Pledges they are no longer true than they feel themselves the weaker In the mean time Mac Mahon play'd the Devil in Vrgile and burnt and spoil'd all before him Camp 97. but the Lord Justice also revenged that Prank and forced Mac Mahon to submit and many other Noble Exploits did this good Governor for whose Success the Clergy of Dublin went twice every week in solemn Procession praying for his Victory over those disordered Persons which now in every Quarter of Ireland had apostatiz'd to their old Trade of Life and repined at the English And when I have mentioned a Deed made 9 Hen. 5. which is to be found Lib. GGG 24. at Lambeth whereby this Earl of Ormond constituted James Fitz-Girald Earl of Desmond his Seneschal of the Baronies or Signiories of Imokilly Inchicoin and the Town of Youghal during his Life I have no more to add but that this Victorious King after he had conquered France submitted to the common Fate on the last Day of August 1422 in the Flower of his Age and the Tenth Year of his Reign THE REIGN OF HENRY VI. King of England c. And LORD of IRELAND HENRY the Sixth was but nine Months old at the Death of his Illustrious Father 1422. and therefore the deceased King had by his last Will appointed John Duke of Bedford to be Regent of France Humphry Duke of Glocester to be Governour of England and Thomas Duke of Excester and Henry Bishop of Winchester to be Guardians of the Young King's Person All which was duly observed and the Infant King was proclaimed in Paris and the Nobility that were there swore Allegiance to him James Earl of Ormond continued Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and upon a Petition preferred by the House of Commons to the King about the manifold Murders Robberies Rapes Riots and other Misdemeanours committed by the Irish in England Lib. M. it was enacted there That all Persons born in Ireland should quit England within a time limited except Graduates in either University Clergymen beneficed those that have Land in England or are married there or those whose Parents are English and even such are to give Security of their good Behaviour And not long after came over Edmond Mortimer 1422. Earl of March and Vlster Lord Lieutenant He died afterwards of the Plague at the Castle of Trym which was his own Inheritance And in his stead came John Lord Talbot 1425. Lord Justice In whose time the Barretts a Family of good account near Cork did by Indenture covenant to be obedient to the Earl of Desmond who was exceeding Powerful and lorded it over great part of Munster with a high Hand This Governour resigned to James Earl of Ormond 1426. Lord Justice In whose time John Duke of Bedford 4 Instit 360. Regent of France obtained a Patent for all the Mines of Gold and Silver within England Ireland c. rendring to the Church the tenth Part to the King the fifteenth Part and to the Owner of the Soil the twentieth part And then Sir John de Gray 1427. Lord Lieutenant landed at Hoâ—th the thirty first of July and was sworn the next Day but no mention is made of any thing he did but that he went for England and left Edward Dantzy Bishop of Meath 1428. his Deputy He was for a time Treasurer of Ireland and dyed the fourth of January 1428. Upon Notice whereof Sir John Sutton Lord Dudly was sent over Lord Lieutenant He held a Parliament in Dublin Friday next after the Feast of All Saints 1429. at which it was enacted That the Sheriff upon Pain of Amercement should add to the Panel of Jurors the Place Estate and Mistery of every Juror And in the Preamble to this Act the Lord Lieutenant is Styled The Right Noble and Right Gracious Lord. And on the sixth of the same November the King was crowned at Westminster And soon after the Lord Lieutenant returned and left Sir Thomas Strange 1429. Lord Deputy in whose time the King was crowned at Paris 1431. and took the Oaths and Homage of the Nobility and People there And now happened the famous Case of the Prior of Lanthony which was That a Judgment in the Common Pleas being removed to the Irish Parliament was affirmed there Whereupon a Writ of Error was sent from England but the King's Bench in England would not take cognizance of a Judgment in the Parliament of Ireland to reverse it And therefore the Prior petitions the King That the Record may be transmitted to the House of Lords in England to be examined there Sir Thomas Stanly was made Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 1432. and it seems that he called a Parliament which enacted two Statutes that were afterwards repealed by 11 Jac. 1 cap. 5. And then he went to England leaving Sir Christopher Plunket Lord Deputy 1432. he was afterwards Baron of Killine in Right of his Wife Heir of the Cusacks and his second Son became Baron of Dunsany But Sir Thomas Stanly 1435. Lord Lieutenant returned and gave a Check to the Irish who were insolent beyond Measure and incroaching everywhere on the Pale making the best Advantage of the King's Minority and the Absence of the Military Men in France but the Lord Lieutenant with the Power of Meath and Vriel took Moyle O Donel Prisoner and slew a great many of the Irish And afterwards about Michaelmas he went again to England and left Richard Talbot Archbishop of Dublin 1436. Brother to the Earl of Shrewsbury Lord Deputy he was sometime Lord Chancellor of Ireland and was elected Primate of Armagh but he refused to change his Bishoprick Lion Lord Wells 1438. Lord Lieutenant in whose time a second Law was made in England Lib. M. obliging the Irishmen to return into their Native Country And another Statute was made in Ireland to stop the Passage of any more into England And on the twelfth of June 17 Hen. 6. Robert Fitz-Geofry Cogan granted all his Lands in Ireland being half the Kingdom of Cork to James Earl of Desmond and gave a Letter of Attorney to put him in Possession of Kyrrygrohanmore Lib. G. Downdrinane
BROTHERHOOD of St. George But to proceed William Sherwood 1475. Bishop of Meath was Lord Deputy to the Duke of Clarence he held a Parliament at Dublin Friday after the Feast of St. Margaret which makes it Treason to bring Bulls or Apostiles from Rome and orders the Lords of Parliament to wear Robes on pain of one hundred Shillings and enjoyns the Barons of the Exchequer to wear their Habits in Term-time and Enacts That if any Englishman be damnified by an Irishman not amesnable to Law he may reprize himself upon the whole Sept or Nation And that it shall be Felony to take a Distress contrary to Common Law which was a very necessary Act in those Times and is the only Act of this Parliament that is printed and though it be an English Case yet it may be useful in other Countries and therefore we will mention That George Nevil Duke of Bedford was this Year degraded 4th Instit. 355. because he had not any Estate left to support the Dignity Henry 1478. Lord Grey of Ruthen Lord Deputy held a Parliament a Drogheda which repeal'd all the Acts of the aforesaid Parliament of 12 Edw. 4. and then he resigned to Sir Robert Preston Lib. G. Lord Deputy who on the 7th of August was created Viscount Gormanston but he held the Government but a little time before he surrendred to Girald Earl of Kildare Lord Deputy he held a Parliament at Naas Friday after the Feast of St. Petronilla which Enacted 1478. 1. That Distresses taken for Rent might be sold And 2. That Non-Residents might be chosen Parliament-men 1480. but on the twelfth of August the Earl of Kildare was made Deputy to the Kings Son Richard Duke of York for four years from the fifth of May following Lib. M. by the Dukes Patent under the Kings Privy Seal quod nota and the Earl by Indenture with the King did Covenant to keep the Realm surely and safely to his power and was to have eighty Archers on Horse-back and forty other Horsemen called Spears and six hundred pound per annum to maintain them and if the Irish Revenue cannot pay it it shall be sent out of England This Lord Deputy held another Parliament on Monday after the Translation of St. Thomas at which it was Ordained 1. That no Hawks should be carried out of the Kingdom without great Custom And 2. That the Pale should have no correspondence with the Irish and it seems this Parliament Naturaliz'd Con O Neal Davis 93â— who had married the Lord Deputy's Daughter What the incomparable Spencer in his View of Ireland relates of the Duke of Clarence and Moroughen Ranagh O Brian is not to be placed in the Reign of Edward the Fourth because George Duke of Clarence was never actually in Ireland whilst he was Lord Lieutenant of that Kingdom but always managed that Province by Deputies and therefore I suppose that what Spencer has related will better suit with the Government of Lionel Duke of Clarence in the Reign of Edward the Third who did indeed marry the Heiress of Vlster and performed the other Atchievements Mr. Spencer writes of It was in this Kings Reign that the Jubile which before was every Fiftieth Year was by Pope Sixtus the Fourth brought to be every five and twentieth year and that the Primacy of Scotland was setled upon the Archbishop of St. Andrews And thus stood the Government of Ireland during the Reign of King Edward the Fourth who between the French King the troublesome Earl of Warwick the discontented Lords and the Attempts of the Wife and Friends of Henry the Sixth found so much work at home that Ireland was in a manner neglected and left to the Protection of the Fraternity of St. George when on the ninth Day of April 1483 the King died in the two and fortieth Year of his Age and of his Reign the three and twentieth THE REIGN OF RICHARD III. King of England c. And LORD of IRELAND UPon the Death of King Edward his Son the Prince of Wales being then at Ludlow was Proclaimed King by the Name of Edward the Fifth and in his way to London was perswaded by the means of his Unkle the Duke of Glocester to dismiss great part of his Guards as well to save the Charge as to avoid giving Cause of Suspicion and Reasons of Jealousie to such as doubted that so numerous an Attendance was entertain'd upon Designs prejudicial to them And so having luckily mounted this first step to the Throne the Duke of Glocester proceeded to confederate with the Duke of Buckingham and the Lord Hastings and by their assistance he first seized on the Earl Rivers and others of the Kings Relations and Friends and then got the King himself into his power and brought him to London using a thousand Artifices to make the People believe that the Queen-Mothers Kindred designed the extirpation of the Ancient Nobility the Slavery of the People and the Ruine of the Kingdom This Duke of Glocester wheedled or bribed to that degree that he was chosen Protector by the unanimous Consent of the Council and afterwards got the Kings Brother out of Sanctuary at Westminster and under specious Pretences of their Security both the Princes were conveyed to the Tower of London in a most pompous and splendid manner and there they were afterwards murdered by the Appointment if not by the Hands of their Unkle King Richard took upon him the Regal Office on the 18th day of June 1483. and before the Murder of his Nephews and he was Crowned together with his Queen on the 6th day of July 1483. and being very busie in England to establish the Crown he had usurped he did not think it advisable to make any Alterations in Ireland but continued in that Government Gerald Earl of Kildare Lord Deputy to Edward the Kings Son who held a Parliament at Dublin wherein it was Enacted That the Mayor and Bayliffs of Waterford might go in Pilgrimage to St. James of Compostella in Spain leaving sufficient Deputies to govern that City in their absence 2. That the Corporation of Ross might reprize themselves against Robbers and that no Persons should alien their Free-hold in Ross to a Foreigner without the Licence of the Portriff and Council of that Town but these being private Acts are not Printed It seems that the next Year the Earl of Kildare as Deputy to the Earl of Lincoln 1484. Lord Lieutenant did hold another Parliament at Dublin wherein six private Acts only were made and not long after conven'd another Parliament at Trim which either did nothing at all or nothing worth mentioning but a subsequent Parliament at Dublin gave a Subsidy of Thirteen shillings and four pence out of every Plow-Land to the Deputy towards his Charges in the Service he did against the Irish wherein O Connor it seems was a Partner or Co-adjutor for he also had ten Groats out of every Plow-Land in Meath for
his Reward And this is all I find done in Ireland during this Kings Reign 1485. which ended at the Battel of Bosworth on the two and twentieth Day of August 1485. THE REIGN OF HENRY VII King of England c. And LORD of IRELAND HENRY TVDOR 1485. Earl of Richmond Heir of the House of Lancaster by the Victory at Bosworth obtained the Crown of England and had the more solemn Possession of it at his Coronation on the thirtieth Day of October following To these two Pretences of Conquest and Possession he added the more specious Title of an Act of Parliament and yet thought himself not secure until he married Elizabeth Daughter of Edward IV in whom the Right really lay she being Heiress of the House of York However he governed as in his own Right and that so absolutely that he suffered not the Queen to intermeddle in State Affairs even so much as was usual for the Wife of a King Gerald Earl of Kildare whom he found Deputy to the Earl of Lincoln Wares Annals 2. he continued Deputy to the Duke of Bedford he also continued the Chancellor Treasurer and other Officers of State whom he knew partial to the White-Rose without joyning others of his own Party with them because he would theâ—eby insinuate That he had a Confidence in their Integrity and that he was elevated above Fear or Suspicion Nevertheless Sir Thomas Butler Earl of Ormond whose Family were fast Friends to the House of Lancaster and for which they had suffered exceedingly was not neglected but was by Act of Parliament in England restored both to Honour and Estate and soon after he was sworn of the Privy Council in England Lib. G. Lamb. And it seems that the Family of Desmond was also restored because I find that the Lord of Kerry did this Year recover some Lands in that County by Assize in the Court-Palatine there before Thomas Copinger Gent. Seneschal of the Liberties of Kerry unto James Earl of Desmond I should not have observed that Edmond Courcy was now made Bishop of Clogher but that he was the first Englishman that ever sat in that See There is not much mention made of any Disturbances this Year Ware 3. except that remarkable Contest between James Keating and Marmaduke Lumley about the Priory of Kilmainham Keating had been deprived by the great Master of that Order anno 1482 being accused of pawning or selling divers Ornaments of the House and particularly a Piece of the Cross and for alienating and incumbring the Revenues of the Priory and Lumley was substituted in his room but as soon as Lumley arrived at Clantarfe to take possession of his new Dignity Keating with a Company of Men came thither and took him Prisoner and detained him in Custody until he resigned all the Writings and Instruments of his Election and Confirmation and then Keating gave him the Preceptory of Kilsaran in the County of Louth But Lumley complained of this Usage as well to the King of England as to the great Master of the Order at Rhodes and at length prevailed to get Keating excommunicated whereas he was so inraged that he turned Lumley out of his Preceptory by Force and put him in Prison in spight of Octavianus de Palatio Archbishop of Armagh who did his Endeavour to protect Lumley It is probable that Lumley died in Prison because we hear no farther of him and because it is certain he never came to be Prior And as for Keating although he did make a shift to keep the Priory almost nine Years afterward by strong Hand yet at last he was ignominiously ejected and died in Poverty and Disgrace being succeeded by James Vale. It became a Question this Year in England 1 Hen. 7. 4. b. How the Attainder of this King should be taken off but it was unanimously resolved by all the Judges That the Possession of the Throne or the Assumption of the Royal Dignity did take away all Imperfections Incapacities and Attainders whatsoever And it is observeable that the Judges say The taking upon him to be King did all this for the Crown did not Descend to Henry VII because he was not the true Heir but afterwards married her that was so Nor can any thing properly descend to a person attainted because the Blood is corrupted so that he cannot be Heir to any Body But the King perceiving that the Faction of York was at work in Ireland 1486. sent for the Lord Deputy to repair to him into England but he being loath to undertake that Journey procured Letters from the Council June 4. importing That his Presence was so necessary in Ireland that he could not at present be spared from that Government And by these Means he excused himself for a while In the mean time Lambert Symnel a Youth of a lovely and fascinating Countenance and of a princely Behaviour was well instructed by a crafty Priest Sir Richard Symon to personate the Earl of Warwick only Son of George Duke of Clarence for which Duke being their Countryman born the Irish had a wonderful Respect as indeed they had generally for all the Family of York This Youth had learned his Lesson so well that Margaret Dutchess of Burgundy resolved to set him up against King Henry although there were two great Flaws in this Contrivance The one was That the true Earl of Warwick was in King Henry's Hands in the Tower of London The other That he was not right Heir to the Crown because there were Children of King Edward the Fourth still living Nevertheless she sent this Counterfeit Prince to Ireland where he met with all the Countenance he could desire as well from the Lord Deputy as from almost all the rest of the Nobility Gentry Clergy and People the Archbishop of Armagh the Bishop of Clogher and the Families of Butler and S. Lawrence and the City of Waterford only excepted And though the King caused the true Earl to be taken out of the Tower and shewn publickly in London which marred all their Designs there yet the Irish were not thereby Discouraged but confidently accused the King of Imposture as he did them and therefore that Project was not so effectual to him as was another of getting a Bull from the Pope requiring the Clergy to excommunicate the Rebels as often as the King should desire it which did him a great deal of Service But Mac Mahon took advantage of these Stirs and invaded Louth which he burnt and preyed according to the Custom of making War in those Days he destroyed twenty eight Villages in that Country And the Tempest was no less fatal to Vlster where it rooted up Trees and threw down Houses In May the Dutchess of Burgundy sent over two thousand Germans under the Command of Martin Swart an old Soldier with them there came the Earl of Lincoln the Lord Lovel and others and were kindly received and lovingly entertained by the Nobility Gentry and People of
days But go too suppose he never be had What is Kildare to blame for it more than my good Brother of Ossory who notwithstanding his high Promises having also the Kings Power is yet content to bring him in at leisure Cannot the Earl of Desmond shift but I must be of Council Cannot he hide him except I wink If he be close am I his Mate If he be befriended am I a Traytor This is a doughty kind of Accusation which they urge against me wherein they are gravell'd and mir'd at my first denial You would not see him say they Who made them so familiar with mine Eye-sight Or when was the Earl within my view Or who stood by when I let him slip Or where are the Tokens of my wilful Hoodwink But you sent him word to beware of you Who was the Messenger Where are the Letters Convince my Negatives see how loose this idle Gear hangeth together Desmond is not taken well you are in fault Why Because you are Who proveth it No body What Conjectures So it seemeth To whom To your Enemies Who told it them They will swear it What other Ground None Will they swear it my Lord Why then of like they know it either they have my hand to shew or can bring forth the Messenger or were present at a Conference or privy to Desmond or some body bewrayed it to them or they themselves were my Carriers or Vicegerents therein Which of these Parts will they chuse For I know them too well To reckon my self convict by their bare Words or heedless Sayings or frantick Oaths were but meer Mockery My Letters were soon read were any such Writing extant my Servants and Friends are ready to be sifted Of my Cozen Desmond they may lie loudly since no man here can well contrary them Touching my self I never noted in them so much Wit or so fast Faith that I would have gaged on their silence the Life of a good Hound much less mine own I doubt not may it please your Honours to oppose them how they came to the knowledge of these Matters which they are so ready to depose but you shall find their Tongues chained to another mans Trencher and as it were Knights of the Post suborn'd to say swear and stare the utmost they can as those that pass not what they say nor with what face they say it so they say no truth But on the other side it grieveth me That your good Grace whom I take to be wise and sharp and who of your blessed disposition wisheth me well should be so far gone in crediting these corrupt Informers that abuse the ignorance of your State and Countrey to my peril Little know you my Lord how necessary it is not only for the Governor but also for every Nobleman in Ireland to hamper the uncivil Neighbors at discretion wherein if they waited for Process of Law and had not those Lives and Lands you speak of within their reach they might hap to lose their own Lives and Lands without Law You hear of a Case as it were in a Dream and feel not the smart that vexeth us In England there is not a mean Subject that dare extend his hand to fillip a Peer of the Realm In Ireland except the Lord have Cunning to his Strength and Strength to save his Crown and sufficient Authority to take Thieves and Varlets when they stir he shall find them swarm so fast that it will be too late to call for Justice If you will have our Service take effect you must not tie us always to those judicial Proceedings wherewith your Realm thanked be God is inured Touching my Kingdom I know not what your Lordship should mean thereby If your Grace imagine that a Kingdom consisteth in serving God in obeying the Prince in governing with Love the Commonwealth in supporting Subjects in suppressing Rebels in executing Justice in bridling blind Affections I would be willing to be invested with so Vertuous and Royal a Name but if therefore you term me a King in that you are perswaded that I repine at the Government of my Sovereign or wink at Malefactors or oppress civil Livers I utterly disclaim that odious Term marvelling greatly that one of your Graces profound Wisdom would seem to appropriate so sacred a Name to so wicked a thing But howsoever it be my Lord I would you and I had changed Kingdoms but for one Month I would trust to gather up more Crumbs in that space than twice the Revenues of my poor Earldom But you are well and warm and so hold you and upbraid not me with such an odious Term. I slumber in a hard Cabin when you sleep in a soft Bed of Down I serve under the King's Cope of Heaven when you are served under a Canopy I drink Water out of my Skull when you drink Wine out of Golden Cups my Courser is train'd to the Field when your Jennet is taught to Amble when you are Graced and Belorded and Crouched and Kneeled unto then find I small Grace with our Irish Borderers except I cut them off by the Knees Hereupon the Cardinal finding that Kildare was no Fool adjourned the Cause till farther Proof could be produced however being fretted at this Speech he remanded the Earl to the Tower contrary to the Opinion of most of the Council Speed 775. it seems he was afterwards Bayl'd on the Recognizance of the Duke of Norfolk and was again imprisoned upon some Light the Cardinal had gotten of the Message to O Neal and O Connor which Kildare had sent by his Daughter the Lady Slane It is reported That whilst the Earl and the Lieutenant of the Tower were at Play together at Slide-groat a Mandate was sent by the Cardinal to execute Kildare the next day Whereupon he changing Countenance the Earl swore by S. Bride That there was some mad Game in that Scroll but fall how it will this Throw is for a huddle says he Speed 775. And being told of the Contents of the Letter he desired the Lieutenant to know the King's Pleasure therein which he did and the King was surpriz'd at the thing for he knew nothing of it and to controll the Sawciness of the Priest as he phrased it gave the Lieutenant his Signet for a Countermand whereat the Cardinal stormed But it seems to me that this Story is a meer Fiction because I find not one Word of Kildare's Trial and it is not credible that they would execute a Man of his Quality before he was legally Tried and Condemned Afterwards this Earl was again enlarged out of Prison on very considerable Bayl viz. the Marchioness Dowager of Dorset Ware 119. the Marquess of Dorset the Lords Fitz-Walter and Mountjoy the Bishop of S. Asaph Richard Lord Grey John Lord Grey Leonard Lord Grey Sir Henry Gilford Sir John Zouch and John Abbot of Vale-Royal and was not long after restored to the King's Favour When the Earl of Kildare went to England
Souls paid Tribute to Caesar though no Christian greater Honour then surely is due to your Prince His Highness the King and a Christian one Rome and her Bishops in the Fathers Days acknowledged Emperors Kings and Princes to be Supreme over their Dominions nay Christs own Vicars and it is much to the Bishop of Rome's shame to deny what their precedent Bishops owned Therefore his Highness claims but what he can justifie the Bishop Elutherius gave to S. Lucius the first Christian King of the Britains so that I shall without scrupling vote his Highness King Henry my Supreme over Ecclesiastical Matters as well as Temporal and Head thereof even of both Isles England and Ireland and that without Guilt of Conscience or Sin to God and he who will not pass this Act as I do is no true Subject to his Highness XIII That the King and his Heirs and Successors for ever shall have the twentieth part of the yearly Profits Revenues Rents Farms Titles Offerings and Emoluments Spiritual and Temporal belonging to any Archbishoprick Bishoprick Abbacy Monastery Priory Arch-Deaconry Deanry Hospital Comandry College House Collegiate Prebend Cathedral-Church Collegiate Church Conventual Church Parsonage Vicarage Chantry or Free Chappel or other Promotion Spiritual whatsoever And the King was so well pleased with this Act Lib. H. that he sent a particular Letter of Thanks to the Lords Spiritual for granting him the twentieth part of their Livings yearly for ever XIV That no Subject shall be shaved above his Ears or wear Glibbs or Crom-meals i.e. Hair on the upper Lip or Linnen died in Saffron or above seven yards of Linnen in their Shifts and that no Woman wear any Kirtle or Coat tucked up or embroydered or garnished with Silk or couched ne laid with Usker after the Irish Fashion and that no Person wear Mantles Coats or Hoods after the Irish Fashion except Women Horse-boys Cow-boys and Soldiers at the rising out and Hostings all which may wear Mantles And that every body shall endeavour to learn the English Language and conform to the English Fashion c. XV. And that Benefices shall not be given to any that cannot speak English unless after four Proclamations in the next Market-Town to the Benefice on four several Market-Days a Person that can speak English cannot be got and that then an honest able Irishman may be admitted on his Oath that he shall do his utmost endeavour to learn the English Language and observe the English Order and Fashion and teach those under him to do the like and shall keep an English School in his Parish to that purpose c. XVI An Act for the Suppression of Abbies XVII An Act against transporting of Wool and Flocks XVIII An Act about the Proof of Testaments XIX The Act of Faculties prohibiting the Subjects from paying any Pensions Cences Portions Peter-pence or any other Impositions to the use of the Pope and extinguishing and suppressing them for ever and authorizing Commissioners appointed by the King to grant Faculties and Dispensations as the Archbishop of Canterbury may do in England by vertue of the Act of Faculties there which is made of Force in Ireland XX. That Poyning's Act be suspended pro hac vice XXI An Act for Limitation of Actions on Penal Statutes viz. That Actions in the King's Name be commenced within three years after the Offence and Actions Popular within one year XXII An Act for prostrating the Wares on the River Barrow c. XXIII An Act for uniting and annexing the Parsonages and Vicarages of Dungarvan c. to the Crown XXIV That no body presume to leaze Corn whilst there be any Stacks or Reeks of Corn in the Field And that every man that cannot keep his Child at School do at ten years of Age put him to Handicraft or Husbandry XXV That the Leases made or to be made by the King's Commissioners viz. Saintleger Pawlet c. shall be good and valid any defect of Inquisition or Office c. notwithstanding Lastly An Act for the first Fruits of the great Abbies and Monasteries c. which were not vested in the King by the above Act ch 16. But this Statute is become useless by a subsequent Act that gives all the Abbies c. to the King And these are all the Acts of this Parliament to be found in the printed Statute-Book which I do not pretend to have critically or exactly abridged because I think it necessary for every man that will be nicely instructed in any Statute-Law to read the Statute at large and not to trust to an Abridgment but I have endeavoured to give such an Historical Account of these Acts as may illustrate this Collection and give the Reader some Light into the Affairs of those times Nor must it be forgotten that many of these Statutes are made in the later Sessions of this Parliament Anno 1537. And besides these Printed Acts there was another Law made at this Parliament against Fosterings and Marriage with the Irish and it was thereby made Treason to marry with the Child of any Man who had not swore allegiance and entred into Recognizance to observe it but this severe Law was repeal'd 11 Jac. 1. cap. 5. But whilst the Nobility and Gentry were at the Parliament O Connor made use of the opportunity as he used to do and invaded the Pale his Fury lighted most on the Barony of Carbry in the County of Kildare which he preyed and burnt and to revenge it the Lord Trimletstown and the Vice-Treasurer Brabazon with such men as they could on the sudden get together made an Incursion into Offaly and in like manner wasted and destroyed that Country which obliged O Connor to return home as fast as he could Sir William Brereton was likewise sent to the Confines of Vlster to parly with O Neal who complained That the League made between the Lord Deputy Skeffington and him was not duly observed on the English side so after some Expostulations upon that Point the same Agreement was renewed and confirmed And about the same time the King to reward the City of Waterford for its Loyalty and firm adhesion to the Crown sent to that City a gilt Sword and a Cap of Maintainance But John Earl of Desmond being dead the new Earl James who was a very active or rather a turbulent man began new Disturbances in Munster but he was timely opposed by the Lord Butler who wasted his Lands in the County of Limerick and repair'd and Garrison'd the Castle of Loghguir and it seems that the Lord Deputy came to Kilkenny the twenty fourth of July and having adjourned the Parliament Lib. D. as aforesaid he came to Loghguir the last of July and the next day he went to Carrigonel and took it the second of August and they say for some private Advantage redelivered it to the former Owner on the sixth of August they marched to Bryans-bridge and took the Castles and broke the Bridge but by the improvidence of
they procur'd as good a Bed-fellow for the Ambassador though she was of meaner Quality this Liquorish Harlot unfortunately met with a small Bottle of choice Balm valued at two thousand Crowns which was given to the Bishop by Solyman the Magnificent when he was Ambassador in Turky she was invited by its Odour to try its Relish and it seems liked it so well that she licked it all out whereat the Bishop grew so outragious and loud that he discovered his Debauchery frightned the Woman away and made sport for the Irishmen and his own Servants After this the Bishop met with O Neal and the Titular Primate Robert Wachop in a secret place and heard the Overâ—ures of them and their Confederates and it is not to be doubted but they came to an Agreement because the Bishop soon after went to Rome but being unable to separate the Pope from the Interests of the Emperor this Negotiation had no effect In the mean time two of the Cavenaghs viz. Cahir Mac Art of Polmonty and Girald Mac Cahir of Garochil had fierce Contests about their Territory at length it came to a Battel as it were by consent and about an hundred on each side were slain but Cahir Mac Art had the better of it and finally obtain'd that Signiory But the Exchequer being empty the Lord Deputy designed to levy a Tax upon the People but the Earl of Ormond would by no means suffer that 〈…〉 whereupon the difference grew so high between him and the Lord Deputy that at last it came to mutual Impeachments whereupon both of them were sent for to England and by the King's Mediation were reconciled whilst the ambodexter Allen was imprison'd in the Fleet and deprived of the Great Seal and Sir Thomas Cusack was made Lord Keeper and not long after viz. about the twenty eighth day of October the Earl of Ormond and thirty five of his Servants were poyson'd at a Feast at Ely-House in Holborn so that he and sixteen of them died but whether this hapned by Accident or Mistake or were done designedly could not be discovered Sir William Brabazon was sworn Lord Justice on the first of April 1546. although his Patent bore Date the sixteenth of February Ware 174. In his time hapned a strange and unnatural Action for Bryan Lord of Upper Ossory sent his own Son Teige Prisoner to Dublin where he was executed and in July Patrick O More and Bryan O Connor with joint Forces invaded the County of Kildare and burnt Athy but the Lord Justice immediately pursued them and leaving a Garrison at Athy he marched into Offaly and made a Fort at Dingen now Philipstown and forced O Connor to fly into Connaught But the Necessities of the State obliged the King to Coyn Brass or mixt Moneys and to make it currant in Ireland by Proclamation to the great dissatisfaction of all the People especially the Soldiers and about the same time Edward Basnet Dean of St. Patrick's in Dublin and the Chapter after some Reluctancy surrendred their Possessions to the King Three Things are observable in the Letters during this King's Reign 1. None of them do mention either the Year of our Lord or the Year of the King's Reign though all of them do take notice of the Day of the Month whereby this Part of the History was so perplex'd and confus'd that I will not promise that I have always guess'd the time aright though I have used my utmost diligence and endeavours to do so 2. All the Letters of this Reign conclude thus So knoweth God to whom we pray for your Graccs Prosperity or to that effect but these Words So knoweth God are always in although in the subsequent Words there is some Variation according to the Fancy of the Writer 3. Most of the Letters from the great Irish Lords even some of English Extraction are subscribed with a Mark very few of thembeing able to write their Names Sir Anthony Saintleger Lord Deputy returned on the sixteenth day of December with Sir Richard Read who was made Lord Chancellor in the room of Cusack and Cusack was made Master of the Rolls And thus stood the Government of Ireland during the Reign of King Henry the Eighth who Died on the twenty eighth day of January in the thirty eighth Year of his Reign and of his Age the fifty sixth THE REIGN OF EDWARD VI. KING OF England France AND IRELAND EDWARD 1546. the Sixth of that Name since the Norman Conquest was born at Hampton Court on the twelfth Day of October 1537. and succeeded his Father in the tenth Year of his Age on the twenty eighth Day of January 1546. and on the first of February Edward Seymour who was the King's Unkle by the Mother was made Protector of the King and Kingdoms and was afterwards created Duke of Somerset and on the twentieth Day of February the King was crowned at Westminster with great Solemnity Sir Anthony Saintleger continued in the Government of Ireland Ware 177. at first by the name of Lord Justice and afterwards by the Title of Lord Deputy and he proclaimed the new King on the twenty sixth Day of February 1547. and not long after Sir Richard Read was made first Lord Keeper and afterwards Lord Chancellor and the Earl of Desmond was constituted Lord Treasurer of Ireland on the twenty ninth Day of March and on the seventh Day of April the Privy Council was sworn viz. Sir Richard Read Chancellor George Archbishop of Dublin Edward Bishop of Meath Sir William Brabazon Vice-Treasurer Sir Girald Ailmer Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench Sir Thomas Luttrel Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas James Bath Esq Lord chief Baron of the Exchequer Sir Thomas Cusack Master of the Rolls and Thomas Houth Esq one of the Judges of the King's Bench to whom afterwards others were added But the O Birnes took advantage of the Change of the Government and hoping that the Infancy of the King would occasion Disturbances in the State they began to be very unruly and troublesome insomuch that the Lord Deputy was necessitated to invade their Country he pursued them so close that he slew their Captain and drove themselves into the Woods and Fastnesses He also took two of the Fitz-Giralds who had formerly been Proscribed and now joyned with O Toole and he brought them and other Prisoners to Dublin where they were executed Nor were Patrick O More and Brian O Connor less forward than the rest but briskly invaded the County of Kildare and loaded themselves with Prey and Plunder but the Lord Deputy came seasonably to intercept them and having killed two hundred of the Rebels upon the Place the rest of them with their light-footed Captains fairly ran away But the Government of England wisely considering the fickle Inclinations of the Irish and the danger of a general Defection of that Nation from a Protestant King seasonably provided for that Kingdom so that Edward Bellingham with the
aut servitio dicto Comiti Tyrone suisque Haeredibus impendendo ac immediate parebit obediet Domino Regi sub ejus pace defensione perpetuo remaenebit suaeque Celsitudini de tempore in tempus solvet Bonagium Bonnaught caetera omnia Debita quoties ad id per Dominum Deputatum Concilium requisitus rogatus fuerit c. And on the eighteenth of July the like Order was made between O Donel and his Sons and several Proprietors of Tyrconel and O Donel's Authority was limited and both Parties were obliged to obey the Order on pain of forfeiting all their Estate And about the same time Brian Mac Mahon and Hugh Oge made their Submissions at Kilmainham and were pardoned the five hundred Marks they had forfeited by breach of their former Articles Lib. D. In the mean time the Scotch Islanders sent some Forces to the assistance of the Irish in Vlster but Andrew Brereton with five and thirty Horse met with two hundred of them and defeated them with great slaughter and by his good Conduct quieted Vlster and was therefore made General or Governor thereof But the Lord Deputy being recall'd took Shipping at Houth on the 16th day of December and being offered Testimonials of his good Government from the Council he modestly refused saying That if his Innocence would not defend him he would use no other Remedy than his Belief of the Resurrection of the Dead He was certainly a brave Man and an excellent Governor and would have been sent back with Honour if his Infirmities whereof he died the next year had not prevented it Sir Francis Bryan 1549. Lord Justice was chosen by the Council on the twenty 7th day of Decemb and sworn at Christ-Church in Dublin on the 29th but he enjoyed this Honour but a little while for the County of Typerary being infested by O Carol the Lord Justice made a Journy thither in favour of the young Earl of Ormond who was but twelve years old to protect the Country and on the second of February died at Clonmel whereupon Sir William Brabazon Lord Justice was elected by the Council he committed the Government of the County of Typerary to Edmond Butler Archbishop of Cashel and made a Journy to Limerick where Teig O Carol submitted and entred into Covenants of paying a yearly Tribute into the Exchequer and of serving the King with a certain number of Horse and Foot at his own charge and of renouncing his Pretences to the Barony of Ormond and afterwards the same Teig O Carol surrendred to the King his Country of Ely O Carol containing ninety three Plow-Lands and a half and the King re-granted the same to him and Created him Baron of Ely and by O Carol's means Mac Morough O Kelly and O Mlaghlin were now taken into Protection and Pardoned and by the Lord Deputy's Mediation the Earls of Desmond and Thomond who were wrangling about Bounds and the protection of each others Tories or Out-laws were reconciled on the eleventh of March Lib. D. and about the same time Dermond O Sullevan a great man in the County of Cork was together with his Castle or dwelling-House accidentally blown up by Gunpowder and his Brother Amalfus who succeeded him was likewise not long after killed But Bulloign being restored to the French on the twenty-fifth day of April 1550. the King was thereby enabled to send eight thousand Pound of the Money received there and four hundred men of that Garrison into Ireland which he did And thereby the Lord Justice was put into a Condition of pursuing Charles Mac Art Cavenagh Ware 188. who was again in Rebellion and was proclaimed Traytor and the Lord Justice acquitted himself so well in that Matter August that he killed many of Cave-nagh's Followers and burnt the Country But the French King hearing that the English marched an Army into Scotland lookt upon that Assault of his Ally as a Breach of the Peace with him and therefore sent an hundred and sixty small Vessels with Ammunition and Corn to assist the Scots it hapned that sixteen of them were shipwrackt on the Coast of Ireland however the King of England to obviate any Designs the French might have against his Dominions set forth a Fleet of twenty Ships and Pinnaces under the Lord Cobham which guarded two Harbors on the South and one in the North toward Scotland On the twenty third of October Richard Butler second Son of Pierce Earl of Ormond was Created Viscount Mountgarret and a little before that viz. on the tenth of September Sir Anthony Saintleger Ware 190. Lord Deputy returned to Ireland and Sir Thomas Cusack was made Lord Chancellor To this Deputy Mac Carty submitted in humble Manner and was pardoned and it seems that this Lord Deputy had Orders to call a Parliament but I do not find that there was any in Ireland during this King's Reign On the fourth of November Charles Mac Art Cavenagh made his Submission to the Lord Deputy at Dublin in presence of the Earls of Desmond Thomond Clanrickard and Tyrone the Lords Mountgarret Dunboyn Cahir and Ibracan and renounced the Name of Mac Morough and parted with some of his usurped Jurisdiction and Estate But let us cast an eye on the Affairs of the Church and we shall find that the Reformation made but small progress in Ireland since the same year produced Bishops of each sort for on the tenth of May Arthur Macgenis was by provision of the Pope constituted Bishop of Dromore and confirmed therein by the King and Thomas Lancaster a Protestant was on the third day of September made Bishop of Kildare However Bish Brown's Life 13. on the sixth of February the King sent the following Order for the Liturgy of the Church of England to be read in Ireland in the English Tongue EDWARD by the Grace of God c. Whereas our Gracious Father King Henry the Eighth of happy Memory taking into consideration the bondage and heavy yoke that his true and faithful Subjects sustained under the Jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome as also the Ignorance the Commonalty were in how several fabulous Stories and lying Wonders misled our Subjects in both our Realms of England and Ireland grasping thereby the Means thereof into their hands also dispensing with the Sins of our Nations by their Indulgences and Pardons for Gain purposely to cherish all ill Vices as Robberies Rebellions Thefts Whoredoms Blasphemy Idolatry c. He our Gracious Father King Henry of happy Memory hereupon dissolved all Priories Monasteries Abbies and other pretended Religious Houses as being but Nurseries for Vice and Luxury more than for Sacred Learning Therefore that it might more plainly appear to the World that those Orders had kept the Light of the Gospel from his People he thought it most fit and convenient for the preservation of their Souls and Bodies that the Holy Scriptures should be Translated Printed and Placed in all Parish-Churches
Knight of the Garter came over Lord Lieutenant Lib. C. says Burlace Lord Deputy says the Statute-Book He arrived at Bullock and was sworn in Christ-Church on the thirtieth day of August His Instructions bear Date the tenth of May and are to this effect First That the Army or rather Garrison shall be three hundred twenty six Horse eight hundred sixty four Foot and three hundred Kern Secondly That Port-Corn shall be reserved towards victualling the Army Thirdly That he endeavour to People Vlster with English and to recover Lâ—cale Newry and Carlingford from the Scots and to recompence Sir Nicholas Bagnal for his Interest in Vlster Fourthly Lib. H. That Mac Cartymore be ordered to hold his Estate after the English manner as the Earls of Thomond and Clanrickard do And he had also other Instructions to him and the Council to set up the Worship of God as it is in England and to make such Statutes next Parliament as were lately made in England mutatis mutandis and to dispose of Leix and Offaly to the best Advantage of the Queen and the Country This Lord Deputy held a Parliament at Dublin on the twelfth day of January which enacted the following Laws and then was dissolved on the twelfth of February First That the ancient Jurisdiction over the State Ecclesiastical and Spiritual be restored to the Crown And Foreign Authority abolished and that the Acts of Appeals and Faculties be revived and also as much of the Act of Marriage as concerns Consanguinity And the Act of Repeal made the 3 and 4 Philip and Mary repealed And an Act of 3 and 4 Philip and Mary to revive three Statutes concerning Heresie and the three Statutes therein named be repealed except so much thereof as concerns Premunire And that the Queen and her Successors may appoint Commissioners to exercise Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction And that all Officers and Ministers Ecclesiastical or Lay all Ecclesiastical Persons and every one that has the Queen's Wages shall take the Oath of Supremacy on pain of losing his Office And shall be uncapable to take any Office Ecclesiastical or Temporal if he obstinately refuses the Oath tendered to him He that sues Livery or takes Orders must take the Oath And a Penitent upon taking the Oath shall be restored to his Office of Inheritance He that shall extol maintain or advance Foreign Jurisdiction shall for the first Offence lose his Goods and if they be not worth twenty Pound then a Years Imprisonment without Bail besides and if it be an Ecclesiastical Person shall likewise lose all his Benefices and the second Offence to be Premunire and the third High-Treason provided the Prosecution for Words be within half a Year after the speaking Nothing shall be adjudged Heresie but what has been so by the Scripture first four General Councils or some other General Council by express Words of Scripture or shall be by Act of Parliament That there must be two Witnesses And that no Man be esteemed as Accessary till two Witnesses prove he knew the guilt of the Principal before he relieved him c. Secondly An Act for Uniformity of Common-Prayer Thirdly An Act for Restitution of the First-Fruits and twentieth part of Spiritual Benefices to the Crown Fourthly An Act for consecrating Archbishops and Bishops Bramhal 438. And it is observed by Archbishop Bramhal That no Papists ever did or could make the least Objection against the Ordination of the Protestant Bishops in Ireland For besides that Archbishop Brown the first Protestant Bishop in Ireland was ordained by the Bishops of Canterbury Rochester and Salisbury and many of the Irish Bishops were ordained by Brown The very Popish Bishops did assist at the Consecration of most of the Protestant Bishops and complied with the Government and kept their Sees until they had sacrilegiously betrayed the Church and alienated most of its Possessions one Bishoprick being left so poor that it had but forty Shillings per annum Ware de Praesulibus 27. and another but five Mark Thus Loftus Archbishop of Armagh was consecrated by the Popish Archbishop Curwin Ibid. 128. 59. Thomas Lancaster the first Protestant Bishop of Kildare Ibid. 148. was consecrated by Archbishop Brown and John Merriman Ibid. 188. the first Protestant Bishop of Down and Connor was consecrated by Lancaster when Primate Bale Bishop of Ossory was consecrated by the Popish Bishops of Armagh Kildare and Down Casy Bishop of Limerick was consecrated by Archbishop Browne assisted by the Popish Bishops of Kildare Ferns and Leighlin c. Fifthly An Act of Recognition of the Queen's title Sixthly That it be Premunire to say the Queen has no Right to the Crown and Treason to write it Seventhly That the Priory of S. John of Jerusalem be united to the Crown The Parliament being dissolved the Deputy went immediately to England to give an Account thereof and by the Queen's Orders substituted Sir William Fitz Williams 1559. Lord Deputy he was sworn in Christ Church on the fifteenth of February and his Patent bears date at Westminster the eighteenth day of January 2 Eliz. In his time Shane O Neal broke out again into Rebellion Cambd. 121. and overthrew O Reyly in the Field and took Calagh O Donel Lord or Chief of Tyrconnel Prisoner together with his Wife and Children and afterwards lived with her in Adultery and kept her by Force and he seized upon O Donel's Castles Lands and Goods and in all things behaved himself as King of Vlster 1560. And about the same time Money which in King Henry the Eighth his Days was much debased was raised near to the intrinsick value and Sterling Money was stamped but it was made currant at a fourth part more than it passed for in England so that an English nine Pence was twelve Pence Irish and so it continued until the Year 1601. when her Majesty's vast Expence in Ireland forced her by the Advice of the Lord Buckhurst to mingle Brass with the Silver which was therefore called mixt Monies but the Government then was so steady that the Soldiers suffered it without Mutiny although it was of infinite Prejudice to them But to proceed Thomas Earl of Sussex came over again Lord Lieutenant 1560. I suppose in April for on the seventh of May the Queen sent him Orders to perswade the Earl of Kildare to go to England and that the Queen would lend him Money in England on his Bond and if the Earl refused then the Lord Lieunant was to shew him the Queen 's positive Commands to that effect and if he still declined the Voyage then the Lord Lieutenant was to apprehend him This Lord Lieutenant brought with him new Instructions Lib. C. 1. To build Castles in Leix and Offaly and to people those Countries by granting Estates to the Planters and their Heirs Males 2. To settle Vlster and to admit Surleboy Tenant to the Lands he claims in Fee binding him to contribute to the Publick Service
Twenty six before they came to Ireland and Fifty one in Ireland whereof Twenty four were Monarchs and Thirty three in Scotland and so succeeded by Hereditary Right from his Illustrious Irish Ancestors Now I say that they have gotten such a Rightful Hereditary King Analecta Hiberniae the Reader must not expect to hear of any more Irish Rebellions but on the contrary that their peaceable and Loyal Deportment will distinguish between Rightful and Usurping Princes Consanguinei Regis analecta Hib. 208. and that now theâ—â— own Kindred is restored to them we may expect to find that they will take pleasure and delight and a conscionable Pride as they phrase it to be Ruled and Commanded by their own Relations Ib. 276. Germen Hibernorum spes seminis jubar sanguinis and that their great Endeavours for the Kings of England of that Line to whom they are tyed by the Bond of * Cui obligati sumus vinculo sanguinis Consanguinity will be the Work of a Simpathy of Blood if there be any Truth in the Reports or Flatteries of the late Irish Historians or in the Speech of the present Recorder of Kilkâ—nny But alas these thin Pretences which in Ireland are thought Stratagems are easily seen through in England where it is believed that there is something more Criminal in Heresie then can be expiated by Extraction and therefore they expect that the Royal Family of the Stuarts whilst it continues Protestant must have their share of opposition and disturbance even from their own Irish Country-men and with as malicious Circumstances as any other Protestant Princes have had and how far they were in the right of it is Summarily related in my Epistle to the Reader but shall here be more at large explained JAMES VI. King of Scotland 1602. Succeeded the Deceased Queen Elizabeth on the Throne of England by unquestionable Right Ir. Stat. 2. Jac. 1. cap. 1. I say unquestionable notwithstanding the Book published against his Title and Right of Succession by Parsons the Jesuit under the name of Doleâ—an for the material Allegations of that Author are notoriously false and which is worse himself knew that they were so as Peter Walsh hath assured us Letter to the Bishop of Lincoln p. 212. and it is manifest to all the World that the King was the only Son of Mary Queen of Scots Daughter of King James the Fifth Son of James the Fourth by Margaret his Wife who was the eldest Daughter of Henry the Seventh by Elizabeth Heiress of the House of York and so was Heir to both the Families of York and Lancaster And was therefore Proclaimed King without any opposition Secretary Cecill himself reading his Title as also Queen Elizabeth's Will at Whitehall Gate on the 24th day of March 1602. And as to Ireland CHARLES Lord MOUNTJOY continued Lord Deputy 1603. and was afterwards made Lord Lieutenant of that Kingdom and having received Letters from the Council of England with a Proclamation of the new King he first Signed the Proclamation and all the Council did the like in Order and then with great Solemnity they published and proclaimed the same in Dublin on the Fifth of April and about the same time he received kind and gracious Letters from the King then in Scotland by one Mr. Leigh whom therefore the Lord Deputy Knighted The Earl of Tyrone who was brought to Dublin in Company with the Lord Deputy on the 4th day of April could not refrain from Tears on the News of Queen Elizabeths Death nor can we blame him for it for besides the unsecurity of the Pardon or Protection he relyed on being derived from a Princess that was Dead and an Authority that was determined before it was executed He had also lost the best opportunity in the World either of continuing the War with advantage or of making a profitable and meritorious Submission to the new King nor did he want Pretences and Circumstances that would have made his free Submission highly valuable and exceeding honourable however since he had missed the Season of doing better he thought it prudent to do the best for himself that his Circumstances would permit and to secure the Protection and Estate that were promised him and accordingly the 6th day of April the Lord Deputy did not only renew his Protection in King James his Name but soon after gave him Liberty to return to Ulster to settle his Concerns but first the Earl put in his Hostages and also renewed his Submission in a set Form of Words wherein he abjured all foreign Power and Jurisdiction in general Morison 279. and the King of Spain's in particular and renounced the Vraights of Ulster and the name of O Neal and all his Lands except such as should be granted to him by the King and he promised future Obedience and to discover his Correspondence with the Spaniard And at the same time he wrote to Spain for his Son Henry but without effect for he was afterwards found strangled at Brussels no Body knows how and on the 15 th day of April O Rourk in like manner by his Letters humbly offer'd to submit to his Majesties mercy which Offer was accepted These Great men having thus submitted and the Kingdom but especially Ulster being so wasted and destroyed that the Famine encreased to the degree of eating one another as I have already mentioned in my former Part. And the number of the Irish being exceedingly lessened by their many tedious and obstinate Rebellions and those that remain'd except Cities and Towns being so poor that the very estated Men had not wherewithal to stock or cultivate their Land nor had any improvements left upon their Estates Bello peste inedia fatigati Analecta Hib. 207. except perhaps a dismal Castle and a few pittiful Cabins One might expect that this miserable Condition which required a long interval of Rest and Peace to amend it would oblige these People to live peaceably and Loyally under this new King of their own Lineage And perhaps it might have done so if the Universities of Salamanca and Validolid had not about this time sent over their Determination of that knotty Point that Vexata Questio Whether an Irish Papist may obey or assist his Protestant King Which they resolved in the Negative by two Assertions Sullevan's Cath. History 203. 1. That since the Earl of Tyrone undertook the War for Religion and by the Pope's Approbation it was as meritorious to aid him against the Hereticks as to fight against the Turks And 2. That it was mortal Sin any ways to assist the English against him and that those that did so can neither have Absolution nor Salvation without deserting the Hereticks and repenting for so great a Crime But this New Declaration of two such famous Universities and the Impatience of their busie Priests set them a madding again so that they wanted nothing but Power to make a more general and formidable
of March 1625 having in his Life-time created the Irish Nobility hereafter mentioned viz. February 23d 1603. Rory O Donell Earl of Tyrconnel February 23d 1615. Sir Arthur Chichester Baron of Belfast since Earl of Donegal July 14th 1616. Brabazon Baron of Ardee since Earl of Meath September 29th 1616. Sir Richard Boyle Baron of Yough-hall afterwards Earl of Corke May 25th 1617. Ridgeway Baron of Galenridgeway since Earl of London-Derry July 20th 1617. Moor Baron of Melefont since Earl of Drogheda Septemâ—er 6th 1617. Touchet Earl of Castlehaven and Baron Orior February 17th 1617. Lambert Baron of Cavan since Earl of Cavan Ibid. Bourk Baron of Brittas May 8th 1618. Hamilton Baron of Strabane January 31st 1618. Blunt Baron Mountjoy Ex. June 29th 1619. Mac Donald Viscount Dunlucâ— since Earl and Marquess of Antrim February 19th 1619. Sir Richard Wingfeild Viscount Powerscourt July 1620. Preston Earl of Desmond Viscount Dunmore Ex. May 1621. Dockwray Baron of Culmore Ex. Ibid. Blany Baron of Monaghan March 1st 1621. Henry Power Viscount Valentia Ex. Theo. Butler Viscount Tullagh THE REIGN OF CHARLES I. KING OF England Scotland France AND IRELAND CHARLES the only surviving Son of the Deceased King James 1625. by undoubted Right succeeded his Father in all his Dominions on the 27th day of March 1625 and was accordingly Proclaimed the same day and on the 23d day of June following he was Crowned at the Abby of Westminster with great Solemnity and as to Ireland HENRY Viscount FALKLAND was continued Lord Deputy and other inferior Officers likewise were confirmed in their respective Places but the Affairs of England being not a little out of Order the Irish took advantage thereof to be very high and insolent at home to which they were much encouraged by the Bull of Urban the 8th of the 30th of May 1626. to the English Catholicks exhorting them rather to loose their Lives then to take Noxium illud illicitum Anglicanae fidelitatis Juramentum 1626. quo non Solum id agitur ut fides Regi servetur P. W. Remonstrance 11. sed ut sacrum Universae Ecclesiae sceptrum eripatur Vicariis Dei Omnipotentis that pernicious and uâ—lawful Oath of Allegiance of England which his Predecessor of happy Memory Paul 5th had condemned as such Hereupon it was found necessary to increase the Army to the number of Five thousand Foot and Five hundred Horse the Charge whereof amounted unto 64240 l. 1 s. 2 d. which was more then the Kings Revenue out of which the Civil List was nevertheless to be paid so that it was necessary to find out some other Bund for the support of the Army and until that could be done the Lord Deputy and Council on the 14th of September by their Letters did recommend several Troops and Companies of the Army to the Counties and Towns of the Kingdom to be maintained for three Months and so from three Months to three Months until the last day of March 1628 and this whole Charge or Incumbrance on the Countrey was estimated at 36951 l. 6 s. 7 d. ½ and in the King's Letter of the 22d of September 1626. to raise this Army and that the Countrey should maintain it with Money Cloaths and Victuals his Majesty promises in lieu thereof to Grant certain Graces to the Countrey and particularly to suspend the Composition But the Gentlemen that were Agents from Ireland did to ease the Kingdom from that oppression offer to pay 40000 l. a Year for three Years in the nature of three Subsidies and to pay it quarterly from the first of April 1628. which was accepted of and the same was Paid accordingly until the first day of October 1629. On the 16th of May 1626. 1626. The King reciting a Complaint of Sir Samuel Smith's against the Lord Chancellor and that there was difference between the Lord Deputy and Chancellor 1. Because the Chancellor refused to Seal some Patents offered to him 2. Because he denied to appoint Judges for Circuits when thereunto required by the Deputy 3. Because he refused to appoint Justices of Peace at the Lord Deputies Nomination and made one Justice of the Peace against his Express prohibition to which the Lord Chancellor made Answer That in the first Case there was matter of Equity Convenience of State and Question in Law unresolved and that in the sesond Case he had directions in the time of King James and that in the third Case it was the Priviledge and Jurisdiction of his place Therefore the King orders That the Chancellor bear fitting respect to the Lord Deputy who is his Majesties Representative and as to the Matters in Debate if the Chancellor refuse to Seal any Patent in question for Reasons of State that the Cause be debated in Council and if then they think it fit and the Chancellor still refuses till he has appeal'd to his Majesty as he may it shall be at his Peril if the State suffer by his delay if the Question be in Law that the Judges decide it and if the Chancellor be not satisfied therewith he ought to appeal to the King for farther Directions and particularly about the Patent for Tanning Leather As to the Second if the Chancellor will not appoint Judges as the Lord Deputy desires that then it be refer'd to the Council-board and their Sentence be definitive as to that And as to the Third the Chancellor will not refuse to make any Man a Justice of the Peace recommended by the Lord Deputy if he does that then the Order of the Council-Table shall govern that Matter and in all these Cases it becomes the Chancellor to repair to the Deputy and acquaint him with his Reasons whenever he refuses And as for Sir Samuel Smith's Complaint his Case was that he had the sole Nomination of those that should be Licensed to Sell Aquavitae and did set that Priviledge to one Miagh for the County of Cork the King appoints the Chief Justice Chief Baron and Sir John King to Arbitrate that Matter and to make Reparation to Miagh whose Patent must be called in because he is an infamous Person and unfit for that Trust and a new Patent for that County must be Granted to whom Sir Samuel Smith shall name In the same Month of May the King sent an Order to the Lord Deputy to make a Lord High Steward c. for the Tryal of the Lord of Dunboyn by his Peers upon an Indictment found against him in the County of Typerary for killing a Man and in January after the Earl of Marleburgh Duke of Buckingham and the Lords of Pembrook Dorset Grandison Conway and Carlton and Sir Richard Weston were made Commissioners or rather a Committee for Irish Affairs And on the Eighth of February Edward Brabazon Baron of Ardee was ordered to be Earl of Catherlogh but for what Reasons I know not he had not that Title but was afterwards made Earl of Meath And on the Second of March his Majesty sent an Order
and Oliver Castells 1. That the Nobility wer over-taxed in the Subsidies 2. And were kept Close Prisoners tho' not Impeach'd of any Capital Crime 3. And could not get Licence to absent unless they leave their Proxy with one of the Chief Governors naming 4. That some have Titles of Honour that have no Lands in the Kingdom 5. That the Nobility were stop from going to Petition the King 6. That Trade is decayed by Illegal Taxes as Twelve pence apiece on Hides 7. That Causes are arbitrarily decided at Council-board and in other improper Judicatories 8. That Paâ—ents are made void extrajudicially on private Opinions 9. The Monopolies of Tobacco Starch Sope Glass Tobacco-pipes c. 10. The Procedings of the High-Commission 11. The exorbitant Fees and pretended Customs exacted by the Clergy 12. The Proclamation against buying Gunpowder but out of the Store and restraining Hunting within Seven Miles of Dublin 13. That the Parliament in its Members and Actions hath not had its natural Freedom 14. That the Subject is denied the Benefit of the Act of Limitation 15. The taking excessive Fees 16. The Seizing of Linen Yarn and Cloth for not being exact according to Rule 17. The Oppressions of Officers And in this Parliament on the Fourth of March Captain Audley Mervin brought up an Impeachment of High-Treason from the Commons to the Lords against Sir Richard Bolton Lord Chancellor John Lord Bishop of Derry Sir Gerrard Lowther Lord Chief Justice of the Common-Pleas and Sir George Ratcliff and made an eloquent Speech on that Occasion The Charge consisting of Three Articles was General for subverting the Laws and introducing Arbittary Government by extrajudicial and unjust Decrees for inflicting infamous Punishments by Pillory c. on Persons of Reputation and subverting the Rights of Parliament But it seems there was a Dispute raised Whether the House of Lords in Ireland had Power of Judicature in Capital Cases Whereupon Captain Audley Mervin made a most excellent Speech in the Lords House in Parliament 24 May 1641. And afterwards he Impeached Sir George Ratcliff then in the Gate-house Westminster in the Parliament of England of the aforesaid Articles and adds That he joyned with the Earl of Strafford in taking out Eighty thousand Pounds out of the Exchequer to buy Tobacco and that he countenanced Papists to build Monasteries c. On the Sixteenth of March 1640. Secretary Vane sent the Lords Justices the following Letter by His Majesty's Command Right Honorable HIS Majesty hath commanded me to acquaint your Lordships with an Advice given him from abroad and confirm'd by His Ministers in Spain and elsewhere which in this distemper'd Time and Conjuncture of Affairs deserves to be seriously considered and an especial Care and Watchfulness to be had therein Which is That of late there have passed from Spain and the like may well have been from other Parts an unspeakable number of Irish Churchmen for England and Ireland and some good old Soldiers under pretext of asking leave to raise Men for the King of Spain whereas it is observed among the Irish Fryars * * In Spain there a Whisper runs as if they expected a Rebellion in Ireland and particularly in Connaught Wherefore His Majesty thought fit to give your Lordships this notice that in your Wisdoms you might manage the same with that dexterity and secrefie as to discover and prevent so pernicious a Design if any such there should be and to have a watchful Eye on the Proceedings and Actions of those who come thither from abroad on what pretext soever And so herewith I rest Your Lordships most humble Servant HENRY VANE In the mean time the Earl of Strafford came to his Tryal in England and it was the most Solemn that ever was in that Kingdom and at length he was Attainted by Act of Parliament and accordingly beheaded on the 12th day of May 1641. and the Earl of Leicester was the same day appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in his stead His Tryal is excellently wrote at large by Mr. Rushworth to which I must refer the curious Reader but because every Man has not that Book by him I have Cursorily extracted so much of it only as I thought pertinent to his History wherein if I have not been very exact it was because the Inquisitive may easily inform themselves as well as I by having recourse to the Original which I had not leisure to examine more carefully than I have done The Third Article which is the First relating to Ireland is that he should say That Ireland was a conquer'd Nation and that the King might do with them what he pleased and that the Charters of the Corporations were worth nothing and did bind the King no farther than he pleased To which the Earl Answers That he never spoke those words and that the Scope and Intent of what he did say was to ingratiate his Majesties Government to the People and that his words were well accepted at that time however they come to be resented now That the Charters of Dublin were Anno 1634. brought before the Council and still are in the hands of the Clerk of the Council because besides other Abuses the Papists of that City engrossed all the Trade and denied Liberty to such as came out of England to set up there which he hath so far remedied as that there are Three Englishmen now in Dublin for One that was there when he came to the Government and the Charters are not Condemned but enjoyed to this day so that he aim'd at a Reformation in favour of the English but did not design the Destruction of the Charters The Fourth Article was That the Earl of Cork having begun a Suit at Law to recover a Possession he had lost by Colour of an Order from the Lord Deputy and Council the Lord Deputy threatned to imprison him unless he would surcease his Suit saying That he would have neither Law nor Lawyers dispute or question his Orders and that he said upon another the like Occasion That he would make the Earl of Cork and all Ireland know that so long as he had the Government there any Act of State there made or to be made should be as binding to the Subjects of that Kingdom as an Act of Parliament and that he question'd that Earl in the Castle-Chamber upon Pretence of a Breach of an Order of Council-Table To this the Earl of Strafford answered That the Council-Table was a Court of Record in Ireland wherein they proceeded formally by Bill Answer Examination of Witnesses c. and therefore the Orders of it are binding and ought to be obey'd he denies he compar'd it to a Parliament and denies that the Earl of Cork was prosecuted for disobedience of an Order of Council only The Fifth Article was That in time of Peace 12th of December 1635. he did give and procure to be given Sentence of Death against the Lord Mountnorris at a Council of War for saying of an Accidental
conceived they were greatly distressed and wished That he could use Means whereby they might be eased Hence he discoursed with Trueman who was but a silly Fellow and got from him Words whereby he discovered a Good-will to the Scotch Nation and some Discourse about the Castle of Carigfergus insomuch that he got Trueman's Letter to recommend him into Scotland whither he pretended a Desire to go to serve under their Command Upon this Giles produced the Letter in Evidence against him and so he was condemned and executed And this I take to be the Substance of what was offered for or against the Earl of Strafford On the Eleventh of May the Irish Parliament sat again 1641. and the Colonels John Barry Taaf Garret Barry and Porter having Orders from England to transport Four thousand of the Irish Forces to Spain some of the Popish Members of the Lower House did urge divers Arguments to hinder that Design As First That the Irish might gain Experience abroad and return to be evil Instruments at home Secondly That Ireland wanted Men for Husbandry Thirdly That Spain was an Hereditary Enemy to England and therefore might infect these Men with dangerous Principles concluding That they did not know how soon those very Regiments acquainted with every Creek in the Kingdom might be returned on their own Bowels having naturally a Love to their Religion which such an Incendiary as Spain might inflame with the highest prejudice So shamelesly did they cloak their Designs ' of stopping these Soldiers to assist in the following Rebellion under these Cobweb pretences of the Publick Good However their Project succeeded to their mind and notwithstanding the Contract with the Spanish Ambassador for their Transportation the Soldiers were from time to time delay'd and Garret Barry and his whole Regiment and most of the rest did afterwards joyn in the Irish Rebellion This Session of Parliament was spent by the Papists who were the most numerous Party in the House in fruitless Declarations and Protestations private Petitions and Votes upon needless Queries These last together with the Judges Answers to them are to be found at large Burlace Append. 1. 2. I shall only recite one of them viz. Quere 15. Whether the issuing of Quo Warranto's against Burroughs that anciently and recently sent Burgesses to Parliament to shew Cause why they did so be Legal And if not What Punishment ought to be inflicted upon the Occasioners Procurers and Judges of and in such Quo Warranto's To which the Answer is That the Proceedings in such Quo Warranto's are coram non Judice illegal and void and the Right of sending Burgesses to Parliament is questionable in Parliament only and the Occasioners Procurerâ— and Judges in such Quo Warranto's and Proceedings are punishable as in Parliament shall be thought consonant to Law and Justice Moreover some Members of this Parliament who had the following Rebellion in their Design did in order to inform themselves of the Quantity of the Stores Ammunition and Provisions and the Place where they were deposited suggest That there was a Plot by some of the Lord Stafford's discontented Servants to destroy the Parliament and therefore procured a Committee of both Houses to be appointed to search the Rooms under the Place where they sat which they did but sound no Powder there Then they desired to see where the Stores were but the Lord Justice Burlace who was Master of the Ordnance denied them that Request which they took very ill The Popish Party did also oppose the Disbanding of the new Army raised by the Earl of Strafford however it was at length effected on the Tenth day of * Rather July quaere August and the Arms and Ammunition were carefully brought into His Majesty's Stores In the mean time it being convenient to give the Members a short Recess to attend their Harvest and their other Occasions and there being no sudden expectation of the Irish Committee's Return from England the Parliament by their own Consent was on the Seventh of August adjourn'd to the Ninth of November which for want of greater cause of Complaint was afterwards reckon'd amongst their Grievances But contrary to all Mens expectation the Irish Committee of Parliament in the latter end of August return'd loaden with Graces and Favours for that Kingdom particularly in reference to the Customs especially of Wooll and Tobacco whereof the Lords Justices sent immediate notice to the several Ports of the Kingdom and in this short Interval of Parliament busied themselves in framing such Bills to pass the next Session as the Committee had obtain'd His Majesty's Consent unto And in this quiet and serene Condition was the Kingdom of Ireland not suspecting the least Disturbance from the Papists who were not under any Persecution upon the account of Religion their Clergy exercising their Functions as safely and almost as publickly as the Protestants They were obliged to the King by the easiest of Governments and the Graces and Concessions he had lately vouchsafed unto them and they were fastned to the English by all the Ties of Interest Friendship Marriage and which is more in their esteem Gossipping and Fostering And they were engaged to propagate the Publick Peace by their own happy free and flourishing Condition for now the Papists without taking the Oath of Supremacy freely enjoyed the Offices of Sheriffs of Counties Magistrates of Corporations c. But all this was over-ballanced by their Bigotry and National Malice which opened one of the bloodiest Scenes that ever was seen in the World For on Saturday the Twenty third of October 1641. being a Day dedicated to St. Ignatius Temple 16. a fit Patron for such a Villany broke out a most desperate and formidable Rebellion an universal Defection and general Revolt wherein not only all the mere Irish but almost all the Old English that adher'd to the Church of Rome were openly or secretly involved The Conspirators pitched upon the Day because it was Market-day at Dublin and therefore a Concourse of People would the less be perceived or suspected and they chose the time of Year because Harvest was in and the Half-years Rent generally in the Tenants Hands and because the Season of the Year would hinder Relief from England until the next Spring before which time they hoped to have effected all their Designs It was a premeditated Rebellion Lord Justices and Councils Letter foretold by Sir Henry Bedingfeild a Roman Catholick of Norfolk in April before and suspected by the King as appears by Sir Henry Vane's Letter ante pag. 64. And it was in contrivance partly at home and partly abroad before the Troubles either of England or Scotland began Memoirs 22. It was communicated to the English Papists by the Popish part of the Irish Committee then in England Husbands 2. part 247. And it was finally concluded and resolved on at the Abby of Multifernam and the * Dr. Jones's Examination Appendix 9. Scheme of the Government
Parliament take Advantage to incense the English against the King Queen and Prince if we should shut all our Doors against them That the Pope has sent the Irish Forty Thousand Pistols and Mazarine will send Six Thousand more c. These Letters being read Mr. Baron said his Embassy was on two Points First To excuse the not sending Three Thousand Men to the King of France according to Promise which he had done to Content and the second was to sollicit Aids from the Queen which at first she promised sufficient to bring the War to the wished Period but at the second Audience she was quite off from it being so persuaded by her Protestant Councillors And that Cardinal Mazarine sent them Twelve Thousand Livres which is all he could procure The year 1647. 1647. began with the * * March 30. Arrival of Colonel Castle 's Regiment which was sent by the Parliament to the Marquis of Ormond's Assistance and was followed by Colonel Hungerford's * * April 30. Regiment and Colonel Long 's and by the Commissioners themselves who landed the 7th of June and brought with them 1400 Foot and 600 Horse and immediately they proceeded to the Treaty which was on the 18th of June concluded on the Articles mentioned Appendix 39. And the same day the Marquis of Ormond Extrema necessitate compulsus says Mr. Beling page 47 surrendered Dublin Tredagh and his other Garisons unto them but kept the Regalia until the 25th of July and then delivered up them also and went to England This Action of the Marquis of Ormond's hath some Resemblance to that of King Henry the 7th in marrying his eldest Daughter to the King of Scotland they were both Actions of great Foresight and Prudence and as the later hath united Scotland to the rest of Great Britain so the former hath preserved Ireland in obedience to the Crown of England and therefore the Confederates especially the Nuncio Party whose Designs were diametrically opposite to that which happened do hate the Name of Ormond above all others and have written * * Deserter of Loyal Friends by Bishop of Fernes and Vindiciae eversae by John Ponse and the bleeding Iphigenia c. Volumes of Scandals and unjust Reproaches against him for preferring the English before the Irish whom they call his own Country-men But we must look back and see what the Confederates did to prevent this Agreement with the Parliament and in truth they did but little of themselves for their Talent was greater in breaking Articles of their own making then those that were made by others I cannot find they did any thing more than send a Letter of the 28th of March to Invite the Lord of Dunsany and Sir Nicholas White to a Conjunction with them and with part of their Army besiege the Castle of Carlow on the 18th of April of which last Ormond immediately sent notice both to the Lord Lisle in Manster and to Monroe in Ulster in hopes that they would make some Excursions to save the place by Diversion which they could not and so it was surrendered upon Articles But there happened a lucky opportunity if they would have embraced it of making a Peace with the King notwithstanding that some of the Parliament Succors were arrived for the Parliament Commissioners when they came over brought Bills of Exchange that were not authentick and in the mean time Winter Grant a Papist and a subtile Man was sent over to Ireland by the Queen to hasten a Peace if possible and his Instructions in order to it were to be varied used or rejected as the Lord Lieutenant upon the place should think fit and to deliver or suppress the Letters he had to the Nuncio and to the Confederates as Ormond should advise by whom he was to be governed in all things and he brought with him 14 Blanks to be filled up as the Lord Lieutenant should please and he was to know Ormond's Opinion whether the Prince should come to Ireland or not Hereupon Winter Grant on the 15th of April went to the Supreme Council with Directions to promise the Confederates That if they agree to a Cessation the Lord Lieutenant will not receive any more of the Parliament Forces in three weeks from the 18th Instant but they would not consent to so short a Truce but on the 10th of May they did write That they must insist on the Propositions of the Congregation at Waterford but are willing to make good the Propositions made by Dr. Fennel and will readily assist to preserve Dublin for the King against the Parliament And it seems they had wrought upon Winter Grant for he by his Letter of the 13th of May presses the Conclusion of the Peace and offers that the Irish Armies shall drive back the Parliamentarians But to these Instances Ormond returned this Answer to Mr. Grant on the 15th of May That the two first of Dr. Fennell's * * See them ante Page 185. Propositions are fit between Neighbouring Princes in a League Offensive and Defensive but not between Subjects and their King and that there is no possibility of a Peace whilst they insist on the Propositions of the Congregation at Waterford and that these feigned Offers are for vile Ends either to Calumniate if we dont or Deceive us if we do Accept them However he wrote more moderately to the Confederates but they never vouchasafed to send him a Reply And it ought to be noted That the Lord Lieutenant carried himself so well in this matter that even the Queen and Prince did approve of what he had done and in evidence thereof afterwards sent him over to the Government of Ireland anno 1648. and Sir Robert Talbot Mr. Oliver Darcy Mr. Beling and Mr. Thomas Dungan did confess to the Lord Digby That Ormond could not avoid doing as he did which I should not have mentioned Vindiciae eversae 48. but that some of the Confederates in word and in writing with the greatest Malice and Bitterness imaginable without considering the King's Directions in the Case or the insuperable Necessity of that Action have accused the Marquis of Disloyalty in delivering up the King's City and Sword to His Majesty's Enemies and for saying Si alterutris ex perduclibus necessario tradenda essent se Anglis potius quam hibernis consignaturum Vindiciae eversae 63. That if he must surrender it to any of the Rebels he would rather do it to the English than the Irish But perhaps a curious Reader may be inquisitive to know the Mystery of Ormond's keeping the Regalia almost five weeks longer than he did the City and it was this There were many Anti-Nunciotists amongst the Confederates who were willing to leave the Kingdom and be transported into France under the Command of the Marquis of Ormond and Monsieur Talon was every day expected with French Ships to that purpose but he did not come within the time and after it was expired Ormond could
our Reign 1641. Appendix XIV The Oath of Association taken by the Irish Rebels The Preamble WHereas the Roman Catholicks of this Kingdom have been inforced to take Arms for the necessary Defence and Preservation as well of their Religion plotted and by many foul Practices endeavoured to be quite supprest by the Puritan Faction as likewise their Lives Esttates and Liberties as also for the Defence and Safeguard of His Majesties regal Power just Prerogatives Honour State and Rights invaded upon and for that it is requisite that there should be an unanimous Consent and real Union between ALL the Catholicks of this Realm to maintain the Premises and strengthen them against their Adversaries It is thought fit by them that they and whosoever shall adhere unto their Party as a Confederate should for the better Assurance of their adhering Fidelity and Constancy to the Publick Cause take the ensuing Oath The Oath of Association J. A. B. do profess swear and protest before God and his Saints and his Angels that I will during my Life bear true Faith and Allegiance to my Sovereign Lord Charles by the Grace of God King of Great Britain France and Ireland and to his Heirs and lawful Successors and that I will to my Power during my Life defend uphold maintain all his and their just Prerogatives Estates and Rights the Power and Priviledges of the Parliament of this Realm the fundamental Laws of Ireland the free Exercise of the Roman Catholick Faith and Religion throughout this Land and the Lives just Liberties Possessions Estates and Rights of all those that have taken or shall take this Oath and perform the Contents thereof and that I will obey and ratifie all the Orders and Decrees made and to be made by the Supream Council of the Confederate Catholicks of this Kingdom concerning the said publick Cause and that I will not seek directly or indirectly any Pardon or Protection for any Act done or to be done touching this general Cause without the Consent of the Major part of the said Council and that I will not directly or indirectly do any Act or Acts that shall prejudice the said Cause but will to the hazard of my Life and Estate assist prosecute and maintain the same Moreover I do further swear that I will not accept of or submit unto any Peace made or to be made with the said confederate Catholicks without the Consent and Approbation of the General Assembly of the said confederate Catholicks And for the preservation and strengthening of the Association and Union of the Kingdom that upon any Peace or Accommodation to be made or concluded with the said confederate Catholicks as aforesaid I will to the utmost of my Power insist upon und maintain the ensuing Propositions until a Peace as aforesaid be made and the matters to be agreed upon in the Articles of Peace be established and secured by Parliament So help me God The Propositions mentioned in the aforesaid Oath 1. THAT the Roman Catholicks both Clergy and Laity to their several Capacities have free and publick Exercise of the Roman Catholick Religion and Function throughout the Kingdom in as full Lustre and Splendor as it was in the Reign of King Henry the Seventh or any other Catholick Kings his Predecessors Kings of England and Lords of Ireland either in Ireland or England 2. That the secular Clergy of Ireland viz. Primates Arch-Bishops Bishops Ordinaries Deans Deans and Chapters Arch-Deacons Prebendaries and other Dignitaries Parsons Vicars and all other Pastors of the Secular Clergy and their respective Successors shall have and enjoy all and all Manner of Jurisdictions Priviledges Immunities in as full and ample Manner as the Roman Catholicks Secular Clergy had or enjoyed the same within this Realm at any Time during the Reign of the Late Henry the Seventh Sometimes King of England and Lord of Ireland Any Law Declaration of Law Statute Power and Authority whatsoever to the contrary notwithstanding 3. That all Laws and Statutes made since the Twentieth Year of King Henry the Eighth whereby any Restraint Penalty Mulct Incapacity or Restriction whatsoever is or may be laid upon any of the Roman Catholicks either of the Clergy or of the Laity for such the said free Exercise of the Roman Catholick Religion within this Kingdom and of their several Functions Jurisdictions and Priviledges may be repealed revoked and declared void by one or more Acts of Parliament to be passed therein 4. That all Primates Archbishops Bishops Ordinaries Deans Deans and Chapters Archdeacons Chancellors Treasurers Chaunters Provosts Wardens of Collegiate Churches Prebendaries and other Dignitaries Parsons Vicars and other Pastors of the Roman Catholick Secular Clergy and their respective Successors shall have hold and enjoy all the Churches and Church-Livings in as large and ample Manner as the late Protestant Clergy respectively enjoyed the same on the First Day of October in the Year of our Lord 1641 Together with all the Profits Emoluments Perquisites Liberties and the Rights to their respective Sees and Churches belonging as well in all places now in the Possession of the Confederate Catholicks as also in all other places that shall be recovered by the said Confederate Cathollcks from the adverse party within this Kingdom saving to the Roman Catholick Laity their Rights according to the Laws of the Land Appendix XV. The Pope's Bull to the Irish HAving taken into our serious consideration the great Zeal of the Irish towards the propagating of the Catholick Faith and the Piety of the Catholick Warriers in the several Armies of that Kingdom which was for that singular fervency in the true worship of God and notable care had formerly in the like case by the Inhabitants thereof for the maintenance and preservation of the same Orthodox Faith called of old the Land of Saints and having got certain notice how in imitation of their Godly and Worthy Ancestors they endeavour by force of Arms to deliver their thralled Nation from the Oppressions and Grievous Injuries of the Hereticks wherewith this long time it hath been afflicted and heavily burthened and gallantly do what in them lieth to extirpate and totally root out those workers of Iniquity who in the Kingdom of Ireland had infected and always striven to infect the Mass of Catholick Purity with the pestiferous Leaven of their Heretical contagion We therefore being willing to cherish them with the gift of those Spiritual graces whereof by God we are ordained the only disposers on Earth by the mercy of the same Almighty God trusting in the Authority of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul and by vertue of that power of binding and loosing of Souls which God was pleased without our deserving to confer upon us To all and every one of the faithful Christians in the aforesaid Kingdom of Ireland now and for the time Militating against the Hereticks and other Enemies of the Catholick Faith they being truly and sincerely penitent after Confession and the Spiritual refreshing of themselves with
Irish Rebels and finding how they are in all likelihood in danger to be overborn by the power and potency of their said Adversaries do in all humility beseech your Lordships first to call to mind that his Majesty hath by his Royal assent unto an Act of Parliament obliged himself not to grant any Pardon or terms of Peace to the aforesaid Rebels without the consent of his Parliament of England and accordingly that your Lordships would not suffer any part of his Majesties Honour to be betrayed to calumny in assenting to such packed terms of Peace as they have already contrived to draw your Lordships unto without the consent of the said Parliament of England and without admitting your Petitioners to a free and full debate of the cause whereby they may vindicate his Majesty and themselves from that unnatural aspersion which the Irish would maliciously fasten on them by making the one the fauter and the other the occasion of their Rebellion And that the matter may not be carryed with such indulgency towards them as that to extenuate their real enormities your Petitioners must be made guilty of imaginary crimes and undergo a heavier censure for demanding Justice than they for perpetrating all their Treasons and that their Lives Fortunes and Posterities and which is dearest their Religion may not be sold or sacrificed to the malice of the Irish Papists or if this lawful favour shall be denied them that they may have leave to protest against any such fatal and destructive conclusions as are in hand to be made with the aforesaid Irish Rebels without consent of the King and Parliament or your Petitioners privity and that their fictious pretences of assisting his Majesty wherewith they have too long already abused himself and his Ministers on purpose to protract the War in England may not be a sufficient wile to delude your Lordships any longer but that your Petitioners and not Persons disaffected to their Religion and Nation now to be preserved or ruined may be heard to plead in this cause before any Judgment be given therein and that the Examples of their former and frequent breaches of the Cessation yet unrepaired may be accounted a reasonable caution to your Lordships to expect little better observation of any Peace that shall abridge them of their devilish designs And your Petioners shall ever Pray for your Lordships increase of Honour and Happiness Signed by the Lord Broghill the Magistrates of Cork Kinsale Youghall and Bandonbridge and above Three Hundred other Persons Append. XXVI The Articles between Sir Knelme Digby and the Pope Articles to be sent to the Lord Rimucini to be put in Execution in Ireland with Power to add to and take from them according to the present State of Affairs and as need shall be which will be better understood there upon the place 1. THAT the King of Great Britain do effectually grant in the Kingdom of Ireland the free and publick Use of the Roman Catholick Religion allowing the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy to be restored to the Catholicks with all the Churches and Revenues according to the Custom of the said Religion And as to the Monasteries pretended to have been released to the Possessors by Cardinal Pool Legate in the Time of Queen Mary that it be debated in a free Parliament in Ireland what may or can be done in that Point as likewise touching the three Bishopricks that of Dublin and the other two which are in the Hands of the Heretick Protestants under the Obedience of the King 2. That he annul and repeal all the Penal Laws and others whatsoever made aginst the said Catholicks on the Account of their Religion from the beginning of the Defection of Henry the Eighth to this Day 3. That for the better establishing the free and publick Exercise of the Catholick Religion and to add more Force and Security to the Repeal of the said Laws the King do call a Parliament in Ireland independent on that of England 4. That the Government of the Kingdom of Ireland and the principal Offices there be put into the Hands of the Catholicks and that Catholicks be made capable and promoted to Offices Honours and Degrees in that Kingdom in like manner as the Protestants have been till this Time 5. That the King do put into the Hands of the Irish Catholicks or at least such English Catholicks as the Supream Council of Ireland shall approve of the Town of Dublin and the other two which are held in his Name in Ireland 6. That he join his Forces with those of the Irish to drive the Scots and Parliamentarians out of Ireland 7. This being performed by the King and what else may in Ireland be added or altered in these Articles by the Lord Rimucini His Holiness is willing to pay to the Queen of Great Britain a Hundred Thousand Crowns of Roman Money 8. That the said King do repeal all the Laws made against the Catholicks of England and particularly the two Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance so as they may enjoy their Revenues Honours Liberties and Priviledges as other the Gentlemen of that Kingdom do so that their being Catholicks shall be no manner of prejudice to them and that in the first Parliament or other Settlement of the Affairs of England His Majesty do approve and confirm the aforesaid Repeal and in the mean Time that they do actually enjoy all manner of Equality with the Protestants 9. That an Agreement be made between the King and the Supream Council of Ireland to transport into England a Body of an Army of Twelve Thousand Foot under Irish Commanders and Officers to whom shall be joyned Three Thousand or at least Two Thousand Five Hundred English Horse under Catholick Commanders upon such Conditions to be adjusted between them concerning the Government of the Army the Ports of their Landing and Places of Security as shall be adjudged just and convenient 10. When the said Forces shall be entred into England and joyned together in any Place His Holiness will pay the first Year a Hundred Thousand Crowns of Roman Money by a Monthly Proportion the same to be continued the second and third Year as â—â—is Forces shall stand and according to the Advantage that shall â—e made by the said Army 11. And lastly because the first six Articles may speedily be put in Execution His Holiness will expect the performance of them in six Months from the Date of these Presents and as to the Eighth and Ninth that require perhaps longer Time he will stay four Months more besides the Six beyond which he will not be tyed to this present Promise At Rome the 30 th Day of November 1645. Append. XXVII The Articles made by the Earl of Glamorgan WHereas much time hath been spent in meetings and debates betwixt His Excellency James Lord Marquess of Ormond Lord Lieutenant and General Governour of His Majesties Kingdom of Ireland Commissioner to His most Excellent Majesty Charles by the Grace of God King of
Protestant Doctrines about Free-Will Predestination and Justification and illustrates the Doctrine of Justification by this plain Simile viz. As the Eye only sees yet if separated from the Body cannot see so Faith alone justifies yet if it be alone that is if it be separated from good Works it cannot justifie because saving Faith is always a fruitful Faith he shews that S. Patrick and Paladius opposed and confuted the Errors of Pelagius and Celestius about the Grace of God and both Claudius and Sedulius affirmed That no Man is without Sin except the Man Christ Jesus and that there is no Perfection in this Life and whatsoever Men have from God is of Grace because they have nothing of due The third Chapter treats of Purgatory and Prayer for the Dead and first he shews the Cheat of S. Patrick's Purgatory which that good Man never dream'd of his Treatise de tribus habitaculis relates to Heaven Earth and Hell and has not the least mention of Purgatory it was a later Invention of the Monks and so firmly believed by their Votaries that S. Caesarius a German Monk has the confidence to advise all those who doubt of Purgatory to go to Ireland to S. Patrick's Purgatory in Loghdirge and he shall be convinced And Doctor Tyrry assures us That it is famous over all Europe but O Sullevan has gone farther Sullevan 23 and in his Catholick History of Ireland has given us the description of the Rooms and Furniture in this Purgatory and the several sorts of Punishments inflicted there and has acquainted us with the Methods of getting in and safely getting out again But after all this has proved the most fulfom Cheat that ever was imposed on Mankind and being about the Year 1636 digged up by the Order of the Lords Justices this Purgatory was found to be a small Cave under Ground where the Damps arising from the Earth so influenced crazy Melancholy People as to make them dream or fancy whatever they were beforehand told they should see But to proceed the Primate quotes the Saying of Sedulius and the Canon of an ancient Irish Synod That after this Life either Life or Death succeedeth and that Christ has loosed our Guilt and finished our Punishment He shews the Forgery of a story on S. Brendan inserted into the new English Legend but not to be found in the Ancient Manuscript He observes That the Oblations made for the Dead in former times were Sacrifices of Thanksgiving and not of Propitiation because they were made for such as they were confident were in Heaven as for S. Brendon c. And he concludes with the Saying of Claudius and Colombanus That when we come to the Judgment Seat neither Job nor Daniel nor Noah can intreat for any one but every one must bear his own Burthen To which I add the Saying ascribed by the Synod to S. Patrick mentioned page 36. He who deserveth not to receive the Sacrifice in his Life how can it help him after his Death In the fourth Chapter he cites Sedulius telling us That 't is Impiety to adore any other but God and reproving the Heathen for Simplicity in thinking that the Invisible God would be worshipped by a Visible Image to which Claudius adds That God is not to be worshipped in Metal nor in Stone And S. Patrick assures us That no Creature is to be sworn by but only the Creator And as for the Liturgy there was no Uniformity therein but several Forms of Divine Service were used in divers Parts of the Kingdom that the Roman Use began to be introduced by the Pope's Legate in the twelfth Century and was perfected by Christianus Bishop of Lismore in the Synod of Cashel and confirmed by Henry II wherein it was ordered That all Divine Offices of Holy Church should thenceforward he handled in all Parts of Ireland according as the Church of England did observe them The Word Mass is synonimous to Liturgy and therefore used for Evening Prayer but it commonly signifies the Sacrament being the principle Part of Divine Service and the Word Sacrifice did import then what we understand by the Word Sacrament now and might be either offered to God or given to the People and not as the Mass is now wherein the Priest doth all He farther sheweth that they received the Sacrament in both kinds and instances Hildmer's Wife and S. Bridget and her Companions c. and particularly that the Popish Legends mention That one of S. Bridget's Miracles happened when she was about to drink out of the Chalice He shews that the Holy Men of those Ages did use the Phrase of Scripture and called the Sacrament the Body and Blood of our Saviour because they thought the Impossibility and Unreasonableness of Transubstantiation would secure Mankind from Mistake for Christ being alive in Heaven cannot be corporally in the Sacrament because he is there represented as Dead and his Body Broken and his Blood Shed and there is no such thing in rerum natura for Christ being Raised from the Dead dyeth no more Rom. 6. 9. He quotes Sedulius and Claudius Henry Crump and Johannes Scotus distinguishing between the Sacrament and the Body of Christ that was crucified In Chap. 5 he proves by the Epistle of Lanfrank to King Tiâ—lagh That the Irish did not use Chrism in Baptism and by the Testimony of S. Bernard That the Irish in his time did not understand or did neglect Confession Confirmation and Marriage he proves that Confession in former Times was Publick and that Penance was but a Testimony of Penitence and always preceded Absolution and cites Claudius to prove that Sacerdotal Absolution is declarative and ministerial and not absolute Sedulius calls Marriage a Gift but not Spiritual ergo 'tis no Sacrament the Synod attributed to S. Patrick prohibits the Incest of marrying a Brother's Wife which was the Case of Henry VIII and Kilianus suffered Martyrdom for dissolving such an Incestuous Marriage by Gozbertus Duke of Franconia and that Clemens Scotuâ— was condemned by the Council of Rome anno 745 as a bringer in of Judaism among Christians by maintaing such Incestuous Marriages which Cambrensis says were common in Ireland he proves by Sedulius and S. Patrick That no Divorces were to be made except for the Cause of Fornication and that Coelibacy was so far from being enjoyned the Clergy That S. Patrick's Father was Calphurnius a Deacon and his Grandfather Potitus a Priest There was Order taken in the Synod held by S. Patrick Auâ—ilius and Isserninus That the Wives of the Clergy should not walk abroad with their Heads uncovered and Gildas reprehends the Clergy for corrupting their Children by evil Example and he proves by the Epistle of Pope Innocent III That the Sons and Grandsons did use to succeed their Fathers and Grandfathers in Ecclesiastical Benefices To which I add That this was so true in the See of Armagh that they feared that Archbishoprick would be made hereditary no less than ten
Pretence was Ridiculous because there were others of the same Lineage before him in the Pedigree and it was notorious That the Right of Succession was in Ann Daughter of Roger Mortimer Earl of March Son of Philippa Daughter of Lionel Duke of Clarence third Son of King Edward III. and accordingly her Grand-son afterwards possest the Kingdoms by the Name of Edward IV. And also finding that it was more vain to claim by Conquest when there was no fighting he was at last forced to rely on the Consent and Election of the People which was the Title his Embassadors insisted upon in the Courts of Foreign Princes Thus was the Foundation laid of those tedious and bloody Wars that afterwards ensued between the Houses of York and Lancaster commonly distinguished by the Appellations of the Red-Rose and the White that being the cognizance of the House of Lancaster and this the Badge of the Family of York This King was crowned on the thirteenth Day of October anno Dom. 1399. 1399. and Ireland was committed to the Care of Sir John Stanly 1399. Lord Lieutenant who came over thither Cotton's Records 390. on the tenth Day of December In his time the King obtained a Subsidy in England for three Years to provide for the Affairs of Ireland c. And about Whitsontide the Constable of Dublin-Castle and others near Strangford in Vlster encountred the Scots at Sea 1400. but with very ill Success for many Englishmen were there slain and drowned About this time the Town of Kilkenny was walled by Robert Talbot 1401. And about May the Lord Lieutenant repaired to England leaving his Brother Sir William Stanly Lord Deputy who on the twenty third Day of August surrendred unto Stephen Scroop Lord Deputy to the King's Son Thomas Duke of Lancaster who it seems came over only to provide and prepare for the Reception of Thomas Duke of Lancaster Seneschal of England and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland who landed on S. Bines-Day And on the fifth of July John Drake Mayor of Dublin with a Band of Citizens encountred and defeated four thousand Irish Outlaws near Bray in the Borders of Wicklow and slew four hundred ninety three of their best Men. This Lord Lieutenant held a Parliament in Dublin 1402. in September during which Sir Bartholomew Verdon James White Christopher White and Stephen Gernon slew John Dowdal Sheriff of Louth in Vrgile and committed sundry other Felonies and Robberies for which they were Outlawed and their Estates disposed of by Custodiam Cotton's Records 431. but afterwards the King pardoned them their Lives and restored them their Estates during their respective Lives only In October Daniel O Birne Lib. D. for him and his Sept or Nation submitted to the Lord Lieutenant and promised Allegiance and good Behaviour and to manifest his Sincerity he granted to the King the Castle of Mackenigan with the Apurtenances And on the thirteenth of December the Lord Lieutenant by Indenture set the Ferny in the County of Louth except the King's Castle to Aghy mac Mahon for Life Davis 48 at the Rent of ten Pound per Annum and Mac Mahon covenanted to be a good Subject And in February following O Reyly covenanted with the Lord Lieutenant and also swore to perform to the King during the minority of Mortimer all the Covenants he was obliged to perform to Roger Mortimer Earl of March and Vlster In May Sir Walter Betterly Steward of Vlster 1403. and thirty English were all slain And on the eleventh of November following the Duke returned to England and left Sir Stephen Scroop Lord Deputy 1404. who on the twenty sixth Day of October resigned to James Earl of Ormond 1405. Lord Justice who in April 1405 held a Parliament at Dublin and there the Statutes of Dublin and Kilkenny were confirmed as also the Charter of Ireland And this good Act was followed by good Success for in May two Scotch Barks were taken near Greencastle and another near Dalkye with their Captain Macgolagh Moreover the Merchants of Droghedae made Incursion into Scotland and brought thence both Pledges and Preys And the Dublinians also entred Scotland at S. Ninian and behaved themselves valiantly They also did the Welsh much harm and brought from thence the Shrine of S. Cubins which they placed in Christ-Church Dublin However the Irish burnt Oghgard and on the sixth of September the Lord Justice died at Gauran and was succeeded by Girald Earl of Kildare 1406. who probably was chosen Lord Justice by the Council In his time the Dublinians and their Neighbours on Corpus Christi-Day vanquished the Irish Enemies and took three Ensigns and brought to Dublin the Heads of those they had slain And the Prior of Conal had as good Success in the Plains of Kildare for with twenty Englishmen he defeated two hundred Irish and killed many of them But after Michaelmas came over Sir Stephen Scroop Lord Deputy He held a Parliament at Dublin in January which in the Lent after ended at Trim And about the latter end of February Meyler Birmingham slew Cathol O Connor About May the Lord Deputy 1407. accompanied with the Earls of Ormond and Desmond the Prior of Kilmainham and other Captains and Gentlemen of Meath set out from Dublin and invaded the Territory of Mac Morough at first the Irish had the better but at length the Constancy and Resolution of the English prevailed and O Nolan and his Son and others were taken Prisoners and after this was done they marched speedily to Calan in the County of Kikenny upon some Intelligence they had of the Rebels being thereabout and they so surprized them that the whole Party was routed and O Carol and eight hundred Men slain upon the Place But in June the Lord Deputy went to England and the Nobility and Council elected James Earl of Ormond Lord Justice In whose time a barbarous Tory called Mac Gilmore who is reported to have destroyed forty Churches and was never Christened had taken Prisoner Patrick Savage a Gentleman of great Esteem in Vlster they agreed upon his Ransome to be two thousand Marks and his Brother Richard was to become Hostage for it But this Subtle Barbarian managed the matter so that he received the Ransome according to Agreement and afterwards he murdered both the Brethren This Lord Justice held a Parliament at Dublin 1408. which confirmed the Statutes of Dublin and Kilkenny and also the Statute against Purveyors And on the second of August Thomas Duke of Lancaster came over Lord Lieutenant It seems that the Terms on which he undertook the Government were these First Lib. G. He was to hold the Place for seven Years Secondly He was to have five hundred Men at Arms and one thousand Archers for three Years Thirdly To have a Years Pay in Hand and afterwards to be paid every half Year Fourthly One thousand Marks per annum for himself and to be paid the Charge of Transportation
York Second Son of Edward the Fourth to whom the Crown did really belong if he were living and this Perkin did personate him so well that there remains some doubt to this day whether he were an Impostor or not but supposing he was it was cunningly contrived to let him first appear in Portugal as a Child that had in a skulking manner fled from the Cruelty of his usurping Unkle besides Portugal was a Place with which the Duchess of Burgundy had not much Correspondence and therefore it could not be suspected that she had a hand in the Cheat but however that be young Perkin set Sail from Lisbon and arrived safely at Cork where he was kindly received by the Citizens and particularly by John Walters an eminent Merchant of Cork who probably was then Mayor and whose Apprentice Perkin had been as they say he wrote Letters to the Earls of Kildare and Desmond for their Assistance against King Henry but before he received their Answers he received Letters from the French King inviting him thither and so to France he went and was royally received and entertained until that King made Peace with King Henry and then Perkin made a seasonable Retreat into Flanders where he was exceeding welcome to his supposed Aunt the Duchess of Burgundy and there we will leave him for a while and return to our â—ord Deputy He held a Parliament at Dublin 1493. on Friday after Midsummer which it seems vacated some Indictments and Inquisitions that had formerly been made to the prejudice of this Lord Deputy by the Means of the Lord Portlester and now the Tables being turn'd and the Votaries of the House of Lancaster at Helm the Lord Portlester himself was questioned in the Exchequer for the miss-management of his Office of Treasurer This Parliament did also repeal a former Act made against the City of Waterford and restored that City to all its ancient Liberties and Priviledges and it is probable that there was also an Act of Parliament now made for the general Resumption of all the Crown Lands that were alienated or granted away since the first year of King Henry the Sixth but none of the Acts of this Parliament are Printed except one for the cleansing of the Water-Course in St. Patrick-street in Dublin and so this Parliament being dissolved in August the Lord Deputy on the sixth of September following resigned to Robert Preston Viscount Gormanstown Lord Deputy to the Duke of Bedford who it seems had not Commission to call a Parliament nevertheless he did call one which met at Drogheda and made several Statutes which were absolutely void for the Defect aforesaid however they were expresly repeal'd by 10 Hen. 7. cap. 23. And these farther Reasons were given for it 1. That the Lord Lieutenant had surrendred his Patent before the Summons And 2. Because the Parliamentary Summons did not issue to all the Shires but to four Shires only On the Twelfth of September this Lord Deputy called several of the Nobility to Trim where they subscribed Articles for the Peace of the Kingdom viz. That no man should make War without the Deputies Consent and that several Extortions and Tributes that were used and demanded should be abrogated and suppressed and that Murderers Thieves and Vagabonds should be punished c. There were present at this Assembly Alexander Plunket L. Chancellor Girald Earl of Kildare the Bishops of Meath Kildare the Lords of Slane Delvin Killeen Houth Trimletston and Dunsany c. And they gave Recognizanse and Hostages for the observation of those Articles and after this he called the Parliament aforesaid In October the late Lord Deputy Fitz-Symons went into England to give the King a full Account as well of his own Government as of the present State of the Kingdom of Ireland and not long after viz. in November following the Earl of Kildare hearing he was impeach'd in England went also thither to justifie himself before the King but the L. Deputy leaving the Government in the Hands of his Son followed the Earl to England and by the Assistance of Sir James Ormond Lord Treasurer of Ireland he so far prevailed that Kildare's Justification was rejected and himself sent over Prisoner to Ireland to the end the Matter might be more fully examined upon the place 1494. by Sir Edward Poynings Knight of the Garter Lord Deputy whose chief Errand was to suppress the Abettors of Perkin Warbeck he came over the thirteenth of September and immediately made great Alterations amongst the Ministers of State Henry Dean Bishop of Bangor he constituted Lord Chancellor Sir Hugh Conway was appointed Treasurer Thomas Bouring was made Chief Justice of the Kings Bench as John Topcliff was of the Common Pleas and Walter Ever was made Chief Baron of the Exchequer all which were Englishmen born and good Lawyers and were sworn of the Privy Council of Ireland This Deputy brought over with him about one thousand Souldiers and resolved to invade Vlster to pursue some of Perkins's Friends that fled thither it is strange he should use the Earl of Kildare's assistance in this Expedition however together they went accompanied with Sir James Ormond who had resigned the Office of High Treasurer they did great Execution on the Irish and harass'd the Territories of O Hanlon and Mac Genis and others It was suggested That Kildare did secretly treat and conspire with O Hanlon to destroy the Lord Deputy for which he was Attainted as shall be shewn hereafter but it seems he was innocent of that Matter not only because O Hanlon cleared him upon Oath two years after but also because he was acquitted in England upon full hearing before the King Nevertheless Kildare's Brother did at this time seize on the Castle of Caterlogh whereupon the Lord Deputy was necessitated to clap up a sort of a Peace with O Hanlon and Macgenis and so having taken their Oaths and Hostages he immediately marched to Caterlogh which after ten days Siege 1494. was surrendred unto him And so in November on Monday before the Feast of St. Andrew sate that famous Parliament at Drogheda which Enacted I. That the Treasurer might appoint his under-Officers here as is used in England and shall account once a year here before the Barons of the Exchequer and such of the Council as the Lord Deputy shall appoint and the same Accounts to be certified into England and finally determined and setled there II. That no Minister of Justice viz. The Chancellor Treasurer Judges Clerk or Master of the Rolls nor any Officer Accomptant shall have their Places but during the King's Pleasure III. An Act adnulling a Prescription which Traytors and Rebels claimed in Ireland The Reason of this Act was because Richard Duke of York at his last being in Ireland did Cause an Act to be made That Ireland should be a Sanctuary for Refugees and that it should be Treason to disturb any body there by any Writ Privy Seal or other Matter from England and
Monasterpheoris in the King's County And this Year began the Lateran Council under Julius II which ended under Leo X anno 1518. Kildare having the last Year put himself into a Condition of appearing early and formidably abroad this Spring 1512. undertook an Expedition into Vlster the Castle of Belfast which he had demolished nine Years since was now again repaired but unable to resist the Power of the Deputy it was again the second time taken and destroyed It is not recorded that Kildare met with much opposition so that he had little to do but to burn and waste the Country and to gather the Preys together most part whereof he divided among his Soldiers Rokeby Archbishop of Dublin held a provincial Synod at Dublin but what they did non constat for the Canons are lost And the Lord Deputy built the new Chappel in the Choir of Christ Church Dublin where himself was afterward buried About this time the Citizens of Dublin did assault the Earl of Ormond in S. Patrick's Church and shooting at random defaced Images c. For which Sacrilege they were enjoyned this Penance by a Legate sent on purpose viz. That the Mayor should go barefoot through the City before the Eucharist on Corpus Christi Day which was performed accordingly But because of the manner of Expression used in those Days and some other Curiosities in the Story I will insert it at large in the Words of Holingshead Between Gerald Earl of Kildare and James Butler Hâ—â—ingshead 82. Earl of Ormond their own Jealousies â—ed with Envy and Ambition kindled with certain lewd factious Abetters on either side as generally to all Noblemen so especially to both those Houses very incident ever since the ninth Year of Henry the Seventh bred some trouble in Ireland The Plot of which mutual Grudge was grounded upon the factious Dissention which was in England between the Houses of York and Lancaster Kildare cleaving to York and Ormond relying to Lancaster to the upholding of which Discord both these Noblemen laboured with Tooth and Nail to overcrow and consequently to overthrow one the other And for so much as they were in Honour Peers they wrought by Hook and by Crook to be in Authority Superiors The Government therefore in the Reign of Henry the Seventh being cast on the House of Kildare James Earl of Ormond a deep and far reaching Man giving back like a butting Ram to strike the harder Push devised to inveagle his Adversary by Submission and Courtesie being not then able to over-match him with Stoutness or Preheminence Whereupon Ormond addressed his Letters to the Deputy specifying a Slander raised on him and his That he purposed to deface his Government and to withstand his Authority And for the clearing of himself and his Adherent so it stood with the Deputy his Pleasure he would make his speedy Repair to Dublin and there in an open Audience would purge himself of all such odious Crimes of which he was wrongfully Suspected To this reasonable Request had the Lord Deputy no sooner condescended than Ormond with a puissant Army marched towards Dublin incamping in an Abby in the Suburbs of the City named S. Thomas Court The approaching of so great an Army of the Citizens suspected and also of Kildare's Counsellors greatly disliked Lastly the Extortion that the lawless Soldiers used in the Pale by several Complaints detected These three Points with divers other suspicious Circumstances laid and put together did minister occasion rather of further Discord than of any present Agreement Ormond persisting still in his humble Suit sent his Messenger to the Lord Deputy declaring That he was prest and ready to accomplish the Tenor of his Letters and there did attend as became him his Lordship his Pleasure and as for the Company he brought with him from Munster albeit suspicious Brains did rather of a malicious craftiness surmise the worst than of charitable Wisdom did judge the best yet notwithstanding upon Conference had with his Lordship he would not doubt to satisfie him at full in all Points wherewith he could be with any Colour charged and so to stop up the Spring from whence all the envious Suspicions gushed Kildare with this mild Message intreated appointed the Meeting to be at S. Patrick his Church where they were ripping up one to another their Mutual Quarrels rather recounting the Damages they sustained than acknowledging the Injuries they offered The Citizens and Ormond his Army fell at some jar for the Oppression and Exaction with which the Soldiers surcharged them with whom as part of the Citizens bickered so a round knot of Archers rushed into the Church meaning to have murthered Ormond as the Captain and Bell-Wether of all this lawless Rabble The Earl of Ormond suspecting that he had been betraied fled to the Chapter-House put too the Door sparring it with Might and Main The Citizens in their Rage imagining That every Post in the Church had been one of the Soldiers shot hab nab at random up to the Rood-Loft and to the Chancel leaving some of their Arrows sticking in the Images Kildare pursuing Ormond to the Chapiter-House-door undertook on his Honour That he should receive no Villany Whereupon the recluse craving his Lordships Hand to assure him his Life there was a Clift in the Chapiter-House-Door pierced at a trice to the end both the Earls should have shaken Hands and be reconciled But Ormond surmising that this Drift was intended for some further Treachery that if he would stretch out his Hand it had been percase chopt off refused that Profer vntil Kildare stretch'd in his Hand to him and so the Door was opened they both embraced the Storm appeased and all their Quarrels for that present rather discontinued than ended In this Garboil one of the Citizens surnamed Blanchfield was slain This latter Quarrel being like a green Wound rather bungerly botcht than soundly cured in that Kildare suspected That so great an Army which the other alledged to be brought for the Guard of his Person to have been of purpose assembled to outface him and his Power in his own Country and Ormond mistrusted That this tracherous Practice of the Dublinians was by Kildare devised These and the like Surmises lightly by both the Noblemen misdeemed and by the continual twatling of Fliring Clawbacks in their Ears whispered bred and fostered a Malice betwixt them and their Posterity many Years incurable which caused much Stir and Unquietness in the Realm until the Confusion of the one House and the nonage of the other ended and buried their mutual Quarrels Ormond was nothing inferior to the other in Stomach and in reach of Policy far beyond him Kildare was in Government mild to his Enemies stern to the Irish such a Scourge that rather for despite of him than for Favour of any part they relyed for a time to Ormond came under his Protection served at his Call performed by Starts as their manner is the Duty of good Subjects Ormond was
H. Lambeth to this effect That the Irish were not to be reduced but by Conquest and that if the Army undertook but one Province at once then two thousand five hundred Men would suffice but their Conâ—ederacies would make it necessary to attack them in several Places at once and then less than six thousand would not do the Business all which must be paid and victualled out of England That Ireland is five times as big as Wales and therefore the Conquest would not be perfected in ten Years And that when it is conquered it must be inhabited by a new Colony of English for the Irish will relapse do what you can In Munster there were great Fewds between James Earl of Desmond and Cormock Oge Lader Mac Carthy of Muskry Ware 's Annals 104 says Mac Carty Riagh but is mistaken the Archbishop of Dublin and other Commissioners went to Waterford to appease them but in vain for Desmond persisted to burn and prey Mac Carthy's Lands And Cormock Oge was not backward to revenge the Injury for being Confederate with Sir Thomas Desmond the Earl's Unkle and yet implacable Enemy they fought a Battle with the Earl in September killed one thousand of his Men put himself to Flight and took two of his Unkles John and Gerard Prisoners But the Lord Lieutenant January 1521 Lib. H. being weary of the Government or indisposed in his Health obtained the King's leave to return and left behind him a good Reputation and by the King's Orders his intimate Friend Pierce Earl of Ormond February Lord Deputy who fearing the Defection of the Irish because the Earl of Surry had carryed with him all the Forces he brought out of England whereby the Army was left exceeding weak And being also doubtful of an Invasion from the Scots he desired of the Cardinal That six of the King's Ships might be ordered to cruise between Ireland and Scotland I have seen a Patent of Denization to Charles Mac Carthy of Castlemore too long here to be recited though there are many things observable in it particularly the Proviso Quod idem Cormacus homagium ligeum nobis faciet ut est justum And I suppose the like Proviso was in all other Patents of that sort and imported that the should have the Benefit of the Law no longer than they persisted in their Allegiance But though the King's Army was not in Action 1522. yet O Neal's and O Donel's were for the last Years Injury manet alta mente repositum However they managed their Wars rather like Tories than Soldiers for after some light Skirmishes O Neal pretending a Retreat on a sudden rushed into Tyrconnel where he burnt and demolished all he could find and particularly O Donel's best Castle of Ballyshanon Which he in the mean time revenged by an incursion into Tyrone and thence returned loaden with Prey and Prisoners And thus these valiant Princes made War almost fatal to both sides without Blows or Battle But let us leave the Camp and a while turn to the Court Lib. H. where we shall find an Irishman sent by Mac Gilpatrick Chief of Vpper Ossory to the King to complain against the Deputy He met the King going to Chapel and delivered his Embassie in these Words Sta pedibus Domine Rex Dominus meus Gillapatricus me misit ad te jussit dicere Quod si non vis castigare Petrum Rufum ipse faciet bellum contra te This Year was fatal to Ireland no less by the Plague than the Sword it raged especially at and about Limrick the Mayor whereof died of that Distemper And about this time died the famous Poynings and at Christmas the City of Rhodes was forced by the Turk The Earl of Kildare who returned in January last got leave of the Deputy to invade the Country of Leix 1523. and being accompanid with Jons Fitz-Simons Mayor of Dublin and some Citizens he entred the Country and burnt a few Villages but he was intercepted by an Ambush and lost a great many of his Followers and with some Difficulty made his Retreat And now Jealousies and Discords began to arise between the Earls of Ormond and Kildare which were so maliciously fomented by evil Instruments that the Affinity between them was little considered nor did their Animosities determine otherwise than by the Ruine of one Family and the Infancy of the other Among all their Followers James Fitz Gerald had most Credit with Kildare and Robert Talbot of Belgard was the chief Favorite of Ormond This Talbot was going to keep his Christmas at Kilkenny with the Deputy but being met by James Fitz Gerald near Ballymore was by him slain or rather murdered which so exasperated the Earl of Ormond that he immediately sent to England an Impeachment against Kildare Hereupon a Commission issued to Sir Ralph Egerton 1524. Sir Anthony Fitz-Herbert and James Denton Dean of Litchfield to examine that Matter with Instructions That if the Earl of Kildare purged himself of the Crimes objected that then they should depose the Deputy and place Kildare in his room This Commission and Instructions were procured by the Marquess of Dorset Kildare's Father-in-Law and the Success was according to his Desire for after a slight Enquiry into this Affair the Commissioners made a formal Agreement between both Earls by an Indenture dated the twenty eighth of July and in a little time after deprived Ormond of the Government and placed in his stead Gerald Earl of Kildare Lord Deputy It seems that his Patent and other necessary Circumstances were prepared beforehand for the Indentures made between the King and this Earl bear date the fourth of August 16 Hen. 8. and import That he took the Government as from Midsummer before and that the Earl of Ormond should receive the Revenue till that time That the Earl shall support the Government of Ireland with the Revenue of the Country and shall not take Coyn and Livery Lib. H. but at Hostings and then his Soldiers shall be content with Flesh Bread and Ale on Flesh-Days or two Pence in lieu of it and Fish or Butter on Fish-Days or two Pence in lieu of it the Foot Soldiers shall be content with three half Pence a Day in lieu of the said Allowance and Boys shall be content with what they can get or a Penny in lieu of it and each Trooper shall take but twelve Sheaves of Oats a Night or two Pence in lieu thereof The Day this Lord Deputy was sworn Con O Neal carried the Sword before him to Thomas-Court where he entertained the Commissioners at a splendid Banquet And so these Commissioners having determined this great and some lesser Controversies returned into England and according to their Instructions carried with them the aforesaid James Fitz-Gerald as a Prisoner The Cardinal Wolsy the implacable Enemy of the Giraldines was glad of this occasion to affront that Noble Family and therefore caused this James Fitz-Gerald to be carried through the
our Service nor our good Meaning towards our Prince's Crown availeth yet say not hereafter but in this open Hostility which here we profess and proclaim we have shewed our selves no Villains nor Churls but Warriors and Gentlemen This Sword of Estate is yours and not mine I received it with an Oath and used it to your Benefit I should stain mine Honour if I turned the same to your Annoyance Now have I need of mine own Sword which I dare trust As for the common Sword it flattereth me with a painted Scabbard but hath indeed a pestilent Edge already bathed in the Giraldines Blood and now is newly whetted in hope of a farther destruction Therefore save your selves from us as from open Enemies I am none of Henry's Deputies I am his Foe I have more mind to Conquer than to Govern to meet him in the Field than to serve him in Office If all the Hearts of England and Ireland that have Cause thereto would joyn in this Quarrel as I hope they will then should he soon be made sensible as I trust he shall of his Tyranny and Cruelty for which the Age to come may lawfully score him up among the Ancient Tyrants of most abominable and hateful Memory Having added to this shameful Oration Ibid. many other slanderous and foul Terms which for divers respects I spare to mention he would have surrendred the Sword to the Lord Chancellor who being provided for the Lord Thomas his coming and also being loth that his Slackness should seem disloyal in refusing the Sword or his Frowardness over-cruel in snatching it upon the first Proffer took the Lord Thomas by the Wrist of the Hand and requested him for the Love of God the Tears trickling down his Cheeks to give him Audience for two or three Words which granted the Reverend Father spake as ensueth My Lord although Hatred be commonly the Handmaiden of Truth because we see him that plainly expresseth his Mind to be for the more part of most men disliked yet notwithstanding I am so well assured of your Lordship's good inclination towards me and your Lordship so certain of my entire Affection towards you as I am emboldned notwithstanding this Company of Armed Men freely and frankly to utter that which by me declared and by your Lordship followed will turn God willing to the Avail of you your Friends Allies and this Country I doubt not my Lord but you know that it is Wisdom for any man to look before he leap and to sound the Water before his Ship hull thereon and namely where the Matter is of weight there it behoveth to follow sound sage and mature Advice Wherefore my Lord sith it is no May-game for a Subject to levy an Army against his Prince it lieth your Lordship in hand to breath longer on the Matter as well by forecasting the hurt whereby you may fall as by revolving the hope by which you are fed What should move your Lordship to this sudden Attempt I know not If it be the Death of your Father it is as yet but secretly mutter'd not manifestly publish'd and if I should grant you that your Zeal in revenging your Father's Execution were in some respect to be recommended yet Reason would you should suspend the Revenge until the Certainty were known And were it that the Report were true yet it standeth with the Duty and Allegiance of a good Subject from whom I hope in God you mean not to dissever your self not to spurn and kick against his Prince but contrariwise if his Sovereign be mighty to fear him if he be profitable to his Subjects to honour him if he command to obey him if he be kind to love him if he be vicious to pity him if he be a Tyrant to bear with him considering that in such case it is better with patience to bow than with stubbornness to break For sacred is the Name of a King and odious is the Name of a Rebellion the one from Heaven derived and by God shielded the other in Hell forged and by the Devil executed And therefore whoso will observe Histories or weigh the Justice of God in punishing Malefactors shall easily see that albeit the Sun shineth for a time on them that are in Rebellion yet such sweet beginnings are at length clasped up with sharp and sour Ends. Now that it appeareth you ought not to bear Armour against your King it resteth to discuss whether you be able though you were willing to annoy your King For if among mean and private Foes it be reckoned for Folly in a secret Grudge to profess open Hatred and where he is not able to hinder there to shew a willing mind to hurt much more ought your Lordship in so general a Quarrel as this that concerneth the King that toucheth the Nobility that appertaineth to the whole Commonwealth to foresee the King's Power on the one side and your Force on the other and then to judge if you be able to cock with him and to put him beside the Cushion and not whilst you strive to sit in the Saddle to lose to your own undoing both the Horse and the Saddle King Henry is known to be in these our days so puissant a Prince and so victorious a Worthy that he is able to conquer Foreign Dominions and think you that he cannot defend his own He tameth Kings and judge you that he may not rule his own Subjects Suppose you conquer the Land do you imagine that he will not recover it Therefore my Lord flatter not your self overmuch repose not so great Affiance either in your Troop of Horsemen or in your Band of Footmen or in your multitude of your Partakers what Face soever they put now on the Matter or what Success soever for a season they have because it is easie for an Army to vanquish them that do not resist yet hereafter when the King shall send his Power into this Country you shall see your Adherents like slippery Changlings pluck in their Horns and such as were content to bear you up by the Chin as long as you could swim when they espy you sinking they will by little and little shrink from you and percase will duck you over head and ears As long as the Gale puffeth full in your Sails doubt not but divers will cleave unto you and feed on you as Crows on Carrion but if any Storm happen to bluster then will they be sure to leave you post alone sticking in the Mire or Sands having least help when you have most need And what will then ensue of this The Branches will be pardoned the Root apprehended your Honour distained your House attainted your Arms reversed your Mannors razed your Doings examined at which time God knoweth what an Heart-burning it will be when that with no colour may be denied which without shame cannot be confessed My Lord I pour not out Oracles as a Soothsayer for I am neither a Prophet nor Son of a Prophet
Rebels to enter the City and animate them more to fight within than without the Walls and they also believed That very many of Fitz-Girald's Army being Inhabitants of the Pale and forced to the Camp were in their Hearts for the City and this they were induced to believe because most part of the Arrows shot over the Walls were unheaded Upon these Considerations they resolved to sally and gave out from the Walls That new Succours were come from England and as if it had been so immediately rushed out through Fire and Flame and the Enemy believing they were new-arrived Soldiers and that the Citizens durst not adventure so briskly immediately fled leaving one hundred Gallowglasses slain and their Falcon taken Thomas Fitz-Girald himself lurked at the Grey-Fryers in Francis-street till next morning and then he got to the remainder of his shattered Army In the mean time the Earl of Kildare was committed to the Tower Holingshead 88 because he had contrary to the King 's express Command furnished his Castles out of his Majesty's Stores And though he answered That it was done to defend the Pale against the Borderers and that if he designed Treason he was not such a Fool as to fortifie his Castles and at the same time to adventure his Person into their Hands however he stuttered so much and delivered his Speech in such staggering and maffling manner that they concluded him Guilty and committed him And now hearing of his Son's Extravagancies he broke his Heart and died in the Tower in September Fitz-Girald being in great want of Artillery and Ammunition and somewhat cooled by the late defeat sent James Delahide and others to treat with the City upon these Articles I. That his Men that were Prisoners should be enlarged II. That the City should pay one thousand Pound in Mony and five hundred Pound in Wares III. To furnish him Ammunition and Artillery IV. To interceed with the King for his Pardon and his Followers Mr Fitz-Symons Recorder was appointed to answer to the I. That if he would deliver their Children they would enlarge his Men. To the II. That they were impoverished with his Wars and could not spare either Wares or Mony To the III. If he intended to submit he had no need of them if he did not they would not give him Rods to whip themselves That they expected he would request good Vellam Parchment to ingross his Pardon and not Artillery to withstand his Prince To the IV. They promised all Intercession they could by Word or Letter Whilst they were treating thus one William Bath of Dollars-Town a Lawyer stepped forward and said My Masters What need all these Circumstances Let us all drink of one Cup Which Words cost him his Life the next year It seems Fitz-Girald agreed with the Citizens on their own Terms and Hostages being given on both sides he raised his Siege and sent his Artillery to Houth but went himself to Minnooth to see that Castle fortified and furnished In the mean time the two Hamertons with one hundred and eighty Soldiers arrived out of England at Houth and on their March to Dublin were encountred near Clantarf by Thomas Fitz-Girald and two hundred Horsemen and though they fought valiantly and one of the Hamertons wounded Fitz-Girald in the Forehead yet being over-powered they were all slain or taken Prisoners and their Ships were forced from Houth and a Vessel freighted with choice English Geldings was also taken by Captain Rouks Fitz-Girald's Pirate and the Horses were sent to Fitz Girald And not long after landed both the Eglebees and Dacres with their Horsemen at the Skerries and Sir William Brereton and his Son John with two hundred and fifty Soldiers well appointed and Captain Salisbury with two hundred Archers lastly Landed at the Slip near the Bridge of Dublin Sir William Skeffington Lord Deputy he was Master of the Ordnance in England and therefore was by the Irish who put Nick-names upon every Body even of themselves as Dermond Buckagh Tiege Mauntagh c. in derision called The Gunner he was received with great Joy by the City and had the Sword delivered to him by the Lord of Trimletstone who was made Chancellor in the place of Archbishop Cromer Baron Finglass who wrote a M. S. Treatise of the Decay of Ireland was made Chief Justice of the King's Bench as Luttrel was of the Common Pleas and Girald Ailmer Chief Baron of the Exchequer and William Brabazon Vice-Treasurer This Deputy also brought with him Leonard Lord Grey designed Marshal of Ireland and Gracious Letters from the King to the City of Dublin That part of the English Fleet which sailed near Tredagh met with Brode the Pyrate and forced him a Ground so that he and nine of his Men were taken at Tredagh and sent Prisoners to Dublin whereat Fitz-Girald was so much enraged that he threatned to besiege Tredagh and it is probable he marched that way for it was averr'd at Dublin That he was actually before the Town And therefore the Lord Deputy immediatly viz. the twenty eighth of October marched out to raise the Siege of Tredagh and he staied in and about that Town till the fourth of November and then finding no Enemy near that Place he returned to Dublin having first proclaimed Fitz-Girald Traytor at the High Cross of Tredagh The Lord Deputy would have pursued Fitz-Girald and his Confederates but that the Winter was too near and himself was indisposed moreover he daily expected Supplies of Men and Mony from England and he knew that Fitz Girald had strengthned his Party by a new Confederacy with O Neal and O Connor And therefore being necessitated to postpone his Designs till the Spring some say he made a Truce with Fitz-Girald until January but that seems improbable because the Pale suffered exceedingly this Winter the Preservation of which must have been the chief Consideration for a Truce if there were any Fitz-Girald had in his Possession six principal Castles viz Minooth Portlester Rathingan Catherlagh Ley and Athy and having well manned and furnished them he took a Journey into Connaught not doubting but that his Castle of Minooth would hold out till his Return but he was very much out in his Calculation for the Lord Deputy on the fifteenth of March laid Siege to that Castle and placed his Battery on the North Side of the same towards the Park and Sir William Brereton who had slain one hundred of Fitz-Girald's Men on the sixth of March did now summon the Castle of Minooth with Offers of Pardon and Reward to which a scoffing and ludibrious Answer was returned with much boasting after the Irish manner Whereupon the Artillery began to play but made no considerable Breach in a Fortnights time and therefore though it was so closely besieged that there was neither egress or regress from or to the Castle yet being sufficiently provided of all Necessaries and particularly of a good Garrison of an hundred choice men it might have held out
Title of Captain General brought over six hundred Horse and four hundred Foot whose Pay came to twelve hundred and twenty six Pound per Month viz seven hundred and seventy Pound for the Horse and four hundred fifty six Pound for the Foot and about Midsummer they landed at Waterford and being joyned by the Lord Deputy they invaded the Countries of Leix and Offaly and proclaimed O More and O Connor Traytors and having dispersed the Forces of the Rebels the Lord Deputy repaired the Fort of Dingen and built the Fort of Campaum alias Prolector now called Maryburgh whereupon O More and O connor were forced to submit and Bellingham was knighted and made Marshal of Ireland The Castle of Athloan was likewise repaired and garrisoned by Special Orders from England and the Vice-Treasurer Brabazon had the Care and management thereof and performed it effectually in spight of the great Opposition he met with from Dominick O Kelly and other Great Men of Connaught And this auspicious Year did also produce the mighty Victory which the English obtained over the Scots at Mussleburgh But as the Reformation proceeded in England 1538. so the Popish Zeal and Superstition increased in Ireland Ware 180. and the Pale it self began to be disturbed with it for Richard Fitz-Eustace and Alexander his Brother Sons of the Viscount Baltinglass were busie forming a Rebellion in the County of Kildare but the Presence of the Lord Deputy without Blows brought them to a Submissiom and stifled this Infant Conspiracy in the Cradle and it was well it did for this rebellious Distemper was very infectious and in a little time would have spread over the whole Kingdom the Lord of Baltinglass himself was a little tainted with it but by the means of Sir Edward Bellingham when Lord Deputy the Viscount was pardoned In the mean time the Lord Deputy Saintleger was sent for to England and carried with him O More and O Connor as Prisoners but upon their Submission they were received into Favour and honoured with a Pension of one hundred Pound per annum out of the Exchequer during their Lives which O More enjoyed not very long for he died within the Year suddainly at London Sir Edward Bellingham who had been sent into England with an Account of the Submission of the County of Kildare was now sent back Lord Deputy he landed at Dalkye on Whitson-Eve and two Days after he received the Sword at Christ-Church according to Custom He was a Zealous Protestant and a brave Soldier and by his means Sir John Allen was again made Lord Chancellor As soon as he was setled Davis 62. he marched into Leix and Offaly against Cahir O Connor and others that were brewing new Treasons there and forced them to submit and brought the Country to that degree of Subjection that he is said to be the first Man since Edward the third's time that enlarged the English Borders beyond the Pale and from Offaly the Lord Deputy marched to Delvin against Mac Coughlan whose Country he totally destroyed The Lord Deputy had express Orders to set up a Mint at Dublin which he did but it continued but a very little time for want of Bullion And this Year on the twenty second Day of April the City of Dublin which at first was governed by a Provost and by King Henry the Third subjected to a Mayor and Bayliffs and by Henry the Fourth was honoured with a Sword obtained their Bayliffs to be changed into Sheriffs and John Rians and Robert Eyons were the first two Sheriffs that were chosen or appointed for that City In the mean time Sir Francis Bryan who had married the Countess Dowager of Ormond and was made Marshal of Ireland and Governour of the Counties of Typerary and Kilkenny could by no means agree with the Lord Deputy their Differences grew at length to that height that Sir Francis impeached the Lord Deputy in England and prevailed to have him sent for to answer the Accusation But whilst that affair was transacting Ware 182. Teige O Carol plyed his own Business diligently and after a stout Defence he took and demolished the strong Castle of Nenagh and drove the English out of that Country In Vlster Manus O Donel quarrelled with his Son Calvagh and at length it came to Blows so that on the seventh Day of February Calvagh was routed and Manus Mac Donough O Cahan and many of his Followers were slain In the Lower Delvin Teige Mac Mlaghlin and Edmond Fahy with their united Forces did all the Mischief they could and almost totally destroyed that part of Mac Coughlans Country Nevertheless the Lord Deputy sent an Irish Brigade under the command of Donough O Conner accompanied with the Sons of Cahir O Connor to aid the King in his War against Scotland On the eighteenth of November Cormock Roe O Connor who was proclaimed Traytor came to Dublin and with Tears in his Eyes begged Pardon of the Lord Deputy and Council in Christ-Church and had it But being of a turbulent Spirit he soon after relapsed into Rebellion and being taken by the Earl of Clanrickard he was sent to Dublin and hanged so true is that Observation of Caesar Williamsons Nec gentem ullam reperies Cui peccare slere magis naturale est It is worthy Observation Holingsh 109. That though the Earl of Desmond for his Quality and vast Estate was made Lord High Treasurer yet he was not of the Privy Council nor indeed qualified to be so for he was Rude and Savage both in Apparel and Behaviour he had neither Learning nor Manners but lived after a barbarous fashion in the Country among the Wild-Irish and perhaps had not so much as a Glass-Window to his Houses and yet he was the best landed Subject in the King's Dominions About Christmas the Deputy sent for him to Dublin but he refusing the Lord Deputy himself with about twenty Horse made that haste to Munster that he took the Earl sitting by the Fire in his own House not at all suspecting that Expedition And it was well for him that he was so surprized for he was not only brought to Dublin and instructed in his Duty to his Prince and in good Manners and Civility towards his Fellow-Subjects but was also by the Lord Deputy's means pardoned and restored to the King's Favour so that he continued a good Subject ever afterwards during his Life and was so grateful to his Benefactor the Lord Deputy that he would pray for him constantly after every Meal And now it happened that the Earl of Tyrone Macguire Fylemy Roe O Neal 1549. and others referr'd all their Differences to the Lord Deputy and Council who on the twentieth day of June made their Decree wisely ordering Independency on O Neal. Therere are Copies of all these Decrees at Lambeth Lib. D. And they are to the same effect as that of Macguire's viz. Quod erit liber Ware 184. exemptus ab omni subjectione
November 1558. And it is observable That though she was a very zealous Papist yet the Irish were not quieter during her Reign than they were under her Brother but on the contrary their Antipathy against Englishmen and Government induced them to be as troublesome then as at other times and prevailed with Mr. Sullevan to give this severe Character of her Reign Sullevan cath hist. 81. That although the Queen was zealous to propagate the Catholick Religion yet her Ministers did not forbear to injure and abuse the Irish Quae tametsi catholicam Religionem tueri amplificare conata est ejus tamen Praefecti Conciliarii injurias Ibernis inferre non destiterunt THE REIGN OF ELIZABETH QUEEN OF England France AND IRELAND ELIZABETH 1558. the only surviving Child of Henry the Eighth succeeded her deceased Sister Queen Mary on the seventeenth day of November 1558. and in the five and twentieth year of her Age the Parliament who were all Papists then sitting she was by their common consent immediately Proclaimed Queen And though Mary and Elizabeth could not be both legitimate no more than their Father could have two Wives at once for if the first Marriage and Dispensation were not good then was Queen Mary spurious and if they were valid then was Elizabeth the Issue of an adulterous Bed yet by a rare Example of Fortune they both enjoyed Successively the Dominions of their Father and Elizabeth succeeded as Heir to Mary But nothing in History is more strange than that the Papists who had the whole Power in their hands should so peaceably accept of a Queen who according to their Doctrine and by Act of Parliament primo Mariae was a Bastard and by Report was a Protestant and not so much as make one Essay in behalf of the Queen of Scots who was a Catholick Princess and in their Opinions the right Heir But the true Reason was because they believed Elizabeth would declare her self a Catholick and also marry the King of Spain both which Matters she managed so wisely that even the King of Spain himself was deceived thereby iâ— perhaps his Dread and Hatred of the Scots the ancient Allies of France did not prevail with him to favour Elizabeth even though she should prove a Protestant rather than see the English Crown placed on the Queen of Scotland who had espoused the Interests of France and was inseparably linked to them Nevertheless it must be confessed That the Statesmen of that time whose Interests and Designs were Popish were much overseen and did not build their Conjectures upon Reasons that were any thing solid for it was Elizabeth's greatest Interest to regard her own Legitimacy and it was notorious that by marrying King Philip her Sister's Husband she must justifie by her own example the Marriage of Henry the Eighth with his Brothers Wife and by submitting to the Authority of the Pope she must at least tacitly allow his Dispensation for the Marriage of Henry the Eighth and Princess Katherine both which things would by consequence bastardize her and render her Reign and Life precarious The Papists quickly perceived their Oversight and to redeem that Error fell into a worse and refused to Crown their Sovereign whom they had but a little before unanimously Proclaimed but at length it was performed by Doctor Oglethorp Bishop of Carlisle on Sunday the twenty fifth of January 1558. Thomas Earl of Sussex was Lord Deputy of Ireland and with an Army of one thousand three hundred and sixty Foot and three hundred and twenty Horse had kept that Kingdom for some time in a more peaceable and quiet condition than usually him the Queen continued for a while and sent him Instructions written by Sir William Cecil's own hand viz. That a new Survey should be made of all Lands Spiritual and Temporal and no Leases to be made but on the best Survey Secondly Lib. C. The Leases for Customs of Ports not to be renewed without increase of Rent Thirdly Leix Offaly Irys Glanmaliry and Slewmarge to be distributed according to Act of Parliament to Tenants and their Heirs Males Fourthly The Exchequer to be regulated according to that of England and a Book about the Methods of the Exchequer Signed by the Queen and subscribed by the Officers of that Court was sent to the Deputy but not long after he was recalled and thereupon the Council elected Sir Henry Sydny Lord Deputy whose Government was something troublesom by means of Shane O Neal who took upon him the Name of O Neal and disclaimed the English Jurisdiction because by the Laws of England he could not inherit for Henry the Eighth had given the Earldom of Tyrone to Con O Neal with Remainder to his Son Matthew whom for the present he made Baron of Dungannon as hath been already related This Con had two Sons Matthew and Shane but Shane alledging that Matthew was a Bastard and the Son of a Smith of Dundalk as inded he had been reputed for fifteen years did claim the Inheritance and having murthered his Brother Matthew and imprisoned his own Father who thereupon died with grief he set up for himself and broke out into Rebellion The Lord Deputy marched to Dundalk to fortifie and defend the English Pale and sent for Shane O Neal who lay at a House of his six Mile from Dundalk to come to him thither but Shane desired to be excused and prayed that the Lord Deputy would be pleas'd to be his Gossip and that then he would come and do all that should be requisite for her Majesties Service and though this seem'd dishonourable that the Deputy should be Gossip to a Rebel before Submission yet the necessity of the Queens Affairs required it and therefore he consented and on the last day of January he and James Wingfield Christned the Child After the Solemnity was over the Deputy expostulated with Shane about his Rebellion O Neal alledged the Bastardy of Matthew and that Con's Surrender was void because he had but an Estate for Life in his Principality nor could have more by the Law of Tanistry nor could surrender but by consent of the Lords of his Country and that even by the English Laws the Letters Patens were void because there was no Inquisition taken before they were pass'd nor could there be any Inquisition till Tyrone were made Shire-ground That he was elected O Neal by the Country according to custom and that he is the legitimate Son and Heir of his Father and that his Title to all he claims is by Prescription The Deputy replied That the Matter was of great moment and that he doubted not but that the Queen would do what was right and just and therefore advised him to a quiet and loyal Deportment till her Majesties Pleasure were known and so they parted in a friendly manner and by this means Shane O Neal continued pretty quiet during this Deputy's Government but on the twenty seventh of August Thomas Earl of Sussex 1559.
was not to be given to Irish or Scots The Earl was to be Captain-General for seven years and was to plant his Part as well as the Queen should hers until there should be a thousand English Inhabitants on each Moyety And so being made Earl-Marshal of Ireland he set about the necessary Preparations for his Irish Voyage and to that end borrowed ten thousand Pounds of the Queen on a Mortgage of his Lands in Essex But the Lord Deputy being unwilling to have any body independent on him in that Kingdom especially so great a man cloathed with such a large Authority and accompanied with such considerable Forces gave all the opposition he could to this Noble Undertaking of the Earls until at length this Medium was found out That the Earl of Essex should take a Commission from the Lord Deputy to be Governor of Vlster wherewith both Parties were satisfied or at least they acquiesced in the Expedient In the mean time Mr. Edward Tremain was sent over to the Lord Deputy 1. To know why he desired so earnestly to return to England Lib. c. 2. To enquire what was the yearly Charge of that Kingdom what number of Men in Pay and how disposed of when any were disbanded or dead and when their rooms supplied and how many more there be than was appointed in March was twelve-month 3. To know what has been received of the Impost of Wines since Michaelmas last and what is in Arrear and if he could not discover it then to move the Deputy to certifie the Quantum of each 4. To know of the Deputy and Lord President in what state Munster is and how to be preserv'd 5. To know what is done or intended to be done with Desmond and his Brother John and how their Creditors in England shall be paid 6. To enquire how Connaught stands and how the Castles of Athlone and Roscomon are and the condition of the Earl of Thomond and Clanrickard and his Sons 7. To enquire into the Outrage committed against Sir Barnaby Fitz Patrick and the taking away his Wife and Children and how the Offenders are punished and how the Birns and Cavenaghs stand affected 8. To tell the Deputy that the Earl of Essex with two thousand Men will in August next come to inhabit the forfeited Lands in the Glins Routs and Clandeboy that in the mean time the Deputy guard the Frontiers of the Pale that way and Publish that Essex comes to repel the Scots and not to hurt the Irish 9. To tell the Deputy not to raise more Forces but if his Ormond's and Kildare's Forces are not sufficient against the O Mores and Connors to borrow two or three hundred from Essex for that Expedition and pay them 10. To preserve the Corn c. in the Ardes till Essex comes 11. To know why he gave Commission to Sir John Perrot to sell Marul's Ship wherein was Goods of all Nations The English had a very hopeful Prospect of the Earl of Essex's undertaking in Vlster so that many Persons of Quality and abundance of Gentlemen concerned themselves in the Expedition The Lords Darcy and Rich Sir Henry Knowles and four of his Brothers Michael Carves and his Brother John and Henry William and John three Sons of the Lord Norris and many others accompanied the Earl in this Voyage and they Landed together at Carrigfergus in the latter end of August 1573 and assoon as they Landed Bryan Mac Phelimy waited on the Earl and in most submissive manner tendred his Duty to the Queen and his Service to Essex but assoon as he perceived that the Earl's Forces were not so considerable as was reported he presently apostatized and joyned in Rebellion with Turlogh Lynogh About the same time or rather a year sooner Sir Thomas Smith sent his Natural Son together with one Chatterton to make a Plantation in the Ardes Cambd. Eliz. 190. but young Smith was murdered by Neal Bryan Artho who was afterwards killed by Sir Nicholas Malby and so that Design became unsuccessful and the Earl did not speed much better for after the Expence of much Treasure and a years time he returned to England This year the Money sent by the Queen into Ireland Lib. H. since she came to the Crown was computed and it amounted to four hundred and ninety thousand seven hundred and seventy nine Pounds seven shillings and six pence halfpeny and the Revenue of Ireland in the same period of time came to no more than one hundred and twenty thousand Pounds It is reported of Bryan Mac Fylemy that he had thirty thousand Cows besides other Cattel and it is certain that the Lord Rich within a Month after he came to Ireland returned to England on his private Occasions and Henry Knolls was by Sickness forced to do the like and many others upon frivolous Pretences left the Earl of Essex and went back to England Cambd. Eliz. 202. besides his Soldiers were raw and it was late in the Year and his Commission was not yet sent him being purposely delayed by the Deputy so that all these and some other Difficulties concurr'd to make Essex's Expedition unfortunate Nevertheless he took the Castle of Liffer from Con O Doâ—el and in a Skirmish he killed two hundred Irish and took Bryan Mac Fylemy and his Wife and his Brother Rory Oge Prisoners In the mean time 1574. the Earl of Desmond notwithstanding his Oath to be a true Prisoners made his escape out of the Castle of Dublin whereupon the Deputy marched into Munster to prevent new Coâ—â—â—otions and ordered the Earl of Essex to guard the Borders of Vlster which very much hindred his Progress in building Fortifications in Clandeboy however he obeyed and at length the Earl of Desmond was prevailed upon to reconcile himself to the Government Sir Henry Sydny 1575. Lord Deputy arrived on the twelfth of September and was sworn on the eighteenth at Tredagh to which Place he went directly from the Skyrries because the Plague raged in Dublin It is observable of this great and good man that although he did most excellent Service in Ireland yet he was but ill rewarded for it in England and therefore he was with great difficulty prevailed with to accept the Government this seventh and last time for as he expressed himself in his Letter he cursed hated and detested Ireland above all other Countries not that he had any dislike of the Country but that it was most difficult to do any Service there where a Man must struggle with Famine and Fastnesses inaccessible Bogs and light-footed Tories and yet when these and all other Difficulties were surmounted no Service in the world was less reputed valued or requited than that and it is farther remarkable of him that though he was four times Lord Justice and three times Lord Deputy of Ireland yet he never purchased a Foot of Land in that Kingdom The Lord Deputy's Instructions were to find means to pay the Queens Debts if possible
Superstition that the Irish Priests who are the most ignorant Clerks in the World could lead these Noblemen by the Nose into the greatest Folly Ingratitude and Disloyalty that ever was known so that henceforward we must expect to find these English Lords in open Rebellion with the Irish against the Crown of England The victorious Malby encamped that night by the Abby of Monaster Neva and after two or three days removed to Rakele and encamped there a Party of the Earl of Desmond's came confidently within a Mile of the Camp but were well beaten for their pains and some that were taken Prisoners discovered many of Desmond's Designs and that he had been in the Field ever since the Battel of Monaster Neva but they needed not to be so nice in their Examinations for that very Night put the Matter out of doubt and Desmond and his Brother did personally assault the English Camp but came off as they used to do with Loss and Disgrace however the Marshal thought it necessary to remove to Askeaton having first setled a Garrison at Rakeal and he performed what he designed although the Enemy did frequently skirmish with him in his March and then having notice of the Deputy's Death he placed Sir William Stanly and Captain Carew at Adare and sent the rest of the Army to other Garrisons Hereupon the Rebels insulted at a great Rate bragging that they would take all the Garrisons and Sir John of Desmond with four hundred Foot and fifty Horse actually besieg'd Adare so that the Garrison durst not peep abroad till their victuals failed them and then Necessity whetted their Courage and made their Swords as sharp as their Stomachs so that Sir John was forced to retire The English had but one small Cot which would hold about eight Men and by help of it an hundred and twenty Men of the Garrison of Adare were wafted over the River Hooker 162 into the Knight of the Glinns Country and being unexpected there they did great Execution but they staid so long that the Knight of the Glin and Sir John Desmond had got together thirty Horse and four hundred Foot some Irish and some Spaniards and overtook them and entertain'd a brisk Skirmish for about eight hours nevertheless the English made good their Retreat without any considerable Loss and killed about fifty of the Enemy Sir William Pelham Lord Justice was chosen by the Council 1579. and sworn in Christ-Church Dublin on the eleventh of October and immediately he Knighted the Lord Chancelor Gerard and youg Edward Fitton After Dinner Cambd. Eliz. 239. the Council sate and directed Letters to all the considerable Irishmen to confirm them in their Loyalty particularly to Pheagh Mac Hugh Sir Hugh O Reily Sir Hugh Macguire Turlogh Lynogh c. and they also appointed the Earl of Ormond to be Governor of Munster and Sir Warham Saint-Leger to be Provost Marshal thereof and ordered Desmond's Son to be conveyed to the Castle of Dublin to be safely kept The Lord Justice having dispatched the Chancellor to England to inform her Majesty how Matters stood in Ireland and having committed the Care of the North-Borders to the Earl of Kildare marched into Munster taking with him the three Bands lately brought from Berwick by the Captains Walter Case and Pikeman he came to Kilkenny the nineteenth of October and kept Sessions two Days and sate in Person insomuch that Edmond Mac Neil and other notable Traytors were then executed and he also reconciled the Earl of Ormond and the Lord of Upper Ossory At Cashel the Earl of Ormond came to him with two hundred and thirty Men and hence his Excellency sent Letters to the Earl of Desmond to repair to him that he might reconcile him and Sir Nicholas Malby thence he went to Limerick where he was well received and the Mayor Presented him with a thousand Armed Citizens here also he was met by Malby and the Army and the next day he went to a Village called Fannings where he gave Orders for a General Hosting or Rising out and thither came the Countess of Desmond with Letters from her Husband Hereupon the Earl of Ormond was sent to expostulate with Desmond upon sundry Articles whereto he returned a trifling Answer on the the thirtieth of October complaining of old Injuries c. Wherefore other Letters were sent from Crome where the Lord Justice then was but to no purpose for though Desmond protested Loyalty yet he would not come to the Camp nay he was known to act rebelliously even while he was writing his Protestation for the Lord Justice being removed to Rakeal was allarm'd by some Rebels whereof four being killed one was found to be Desmond's Butler and himself was not far off wherefore he was Proclaimed Traytor in the Camp the second day of November 1579. unless he should surrender himself in twenty days and immediately the Army proceeded to destroy his Country with Fire and Sword And it must not be omitted that the Lords of Gormanstown and Delvin who were of the Council and attended the Lord Justice in this Expedition were so tainted and corrupted with Popery that they refused to sign the Proclamation against Desmond for which they were afterwards severely reprimanded by a Letter from the Lords of the Council in England On the third of November the Lord Justice removed to Puble O Bryan and Mustered the Army and so leaving two hundred and fifty Horse and eight Ensigns of Foot with the Earl of Ormond he returned to Limerick The Earl of Desmond thought to divert the Army from farther prosecution in Conilogh by making an Incursion into Imokilly and being there at the request of the Seneschal of Imokilly he attack'd Youghal and finding small resistance he easily took and afterwards plundered that Town whereupon the Earl of Ormond sent Captain White and a Company of Soldiers in a Ship from Waterford and they valiantly entred into the Town by the Water-gate but being over-powered by the numerous Forces of the Seneschal's White and most of his Men were slain and the rest with great difficulty escaped to their Ship Hereupon Desmond grew so insolent November 20. 1579. that he wrote an arrogant Letter to the Lord Justice importing that he and his Brethren were entred into the Defence of the Catholick Faith under the Protection of the Pope and the King of Spain and advised the Lord Justice to joyn with him and nine days after he wrote Circular Letters to such of the Lords and Gentlemen of Leinster as he thought to be rebelliously inclined the Form of which Letters may be seen in the following Letter which he sent to Pheagh Mac Hugh MY well beloved Friend I commend me to you It is so that I and my Brother are entred into the Defence of the Catholick Faith and the overthrow of our Country by English Men which had overthrown the Holy Church and go about to over-run our Country and make it their own and to make us
and sixty Horse and thence he went to Connaught to settle the new President Sir Nicholas Malby and so on the sixth of September he came to Dublin and on the fourteenth of the same Month at St. Patrick's Church he surrendred the Sword to Arthur Lord Grey Baron of Wilton Knight of the Garter 1580. Lord Deputy whose Instructions bearing date in July were 1. To observe former Instructions whereof he shall have a Copy 2. To assure the Irish of the Queens Protection and Favour if they deserve it 3. To hinder the Soldier from oppressing the Subject and to notifie this by Proclamation and to punish the Offenders though Captains 4. To shorten the War by effectual Prosecution 5. To continue the Justice of Munster and to encrease his Allowance as you and the Council think fit 6. After All-hollantide to disband as many of the new Soldiers as can be well spared and secure their Arms. 7. Not to grant Pardons and Protections but upon especial reasons and to mention the Crime in the Pardon This Lord Grey before he was sworn viz. in August having notice that one Fitz Girald with his Company which he had in the Quens Pay was revolted to the Lord Baltinglass and being joyned with Pheagh Mac Hugh and other Rebels had secured themselves in the fastnesses of Glendilogh in the County of Wicklow and did daily encrease both in number and mischief ordered a smart Party to attack them Cosby an experienced Soldier disswaded the Attempt but having positive Orders the Foot entred the Glins whilst the Lord Grey with the Horse scowred the Plains but the Rebels being well acquainted with these Woods Camb. Eliz. 241. laid their Ambushes so cunningly that the English could neither fight in that divelish place nor retire out of it Courage could but little avail them whilst being mired in the Bogs they were forced to stand still like Butts to be shot at Discipline or Conduct were of no use in that place where it could not be practised in short the English were defeated and the whole Company slain except some few that were rescued by the Horsemen August 25. and amongst the rest Sir Peter Carew Collonel Moor and the valiant Captains Audely and Cosby were killed in this unfortunate Conflict About the latter end of September seven hundred Spaniards and Italians under the Command of San Joseph an Italian landed at Smerwick in Kerry being sent by the Pope and King of Spain to propagate Catholick Religion in Ireland they immediately built a Fort and called it Fort del ore and they fortified and furnished it the best they could having brought with them Money and Ammunition and Arms enough for five thousand Men. Ormond encamped at Traley and the next day marched toward the Fort which the Spaniards deserted and retired to the fastness of Glanigall Cambd. Eliz. 242. but finding the English Army was small three hundred of them went to their Fort again and the next day sallied on the English who came to view the Fort whereupon Ormond finding he was not sufficiently provided with Artillery and other Necessaries retired to Rakele where he met the Lord Deputy The Deputy accompanied with the Captains Zouch Rawleigh Denny Macworth c. and about eight hundred Men discamped from Rakele and marched towards the Enemy but Captain Rawleigh well knowing the Customs of the Irish stayed some hours behind in Ambush till several Kearns came into the forsaken Camp as they were accustomed to scrape up what was left-behind but he surprized them all and punished them according to their Deserts Now was Sir William Winter return'd with his Fleet out of England so that he by Sea and the Lord Deputy by Land laid close Siege to the Fort having first summoned it and received for Answer That they held it for the Pope and the King of Spain to whom the Pope had given the Kingdom of Ireland and not long after the Spaniards made a Sally which was well received by Captain Denny and the Assailants were forced to retire That Night the English raised a Battery with great dexterity Cambd. Eliz. 242. which was ready by Break of Day nevertheless the Spaniards made a Sally but very faintly and without effect nor did they do any thing the third Day worthy their Reputation and on the fourth Day being close pressed from Land and Sea and all Conditions refused they yielded at Mercy which was too sparingly extended to them every one being put to death except the Commanders which very much displeased the Queen although there was a necessity for it by reason of the paucity of the English Army and the number of the Rebels approaching Sir John Fitz-Girald Lord of the Decies being a Prisoner to the Earl of Desmond was here found and set at Liberty the Fort was razed and the Army dispersed into Garrisons the Lord Deputy returned to Dingle where Ormond met him with Supplies and there Captain Zouch with four hundred and fifty Men was left Governor of Kerry and Desmond and had all the Victuals given him that were found in the Fort and then the Deputy returned to Limerick Now came out of England six new Companies under Barkley Cruse and others whereof Barkly and two hundred Men were placed at Askeaton and the rest were sent into Connaught where the Mac an Earla's or Clanrickard's Sons began to be unruly as the Lord Baltinglass and his Complices were in Leinster The Deputy having left Ormond Governor of Munster returned to Dublin where he took care of the other Provinces and being supplied with an hundred and fifty Horse out of England which were set out by the English Clergy under the Command of William Russel Son to the Earl of Bedford and Bryan Fitz-Williams he committed to the Custody of Wingfield Master of the Ordnance the Earl of Kildare and his Son in Law the Lord Delvin who were suspected to favour the Leinster Rebels whereupon the Lord Henry Fitz-Girald retired into Ophalia and was detained by the O Connors till the Deputy sent Ormond and several Persons of Quality for him to whom after much ado he was delivered and with his Father sent into England together with the said Baron of Delvin There was certainly a Plot to surprize the Lord Deputy Camb. Eliz. 257. and to seize on the Castle of Dublin Sullevan 93 and to Massacre the English and John Nogent one of the Barons of the Exchequer and others were Executed for it but whether they were guilty or not I leave as I found it doubtful however it seems that this severity frightned Thurlogh Lynogh O More O Brine and the Cavenaghs into a Submission In the mean time Captain Raleigh went to Dublin to complain of the Barryes and Condons Hooker 173. and obtained a Commission to seize upon Barryescourt and the rest of Barryes Estate and had some Horsemen added to his Company to enable him thereunto but Barry had notice of it and to prevent him Burned
Kerry to the Sheriff and the Lord of Lixnaw with the Lord President of Munster he returned to Dublin the 9th of August 1584. In his way he took Pledges from Pheagh Mac Hugh and appointed Sir Henry Harrington to take the like from O Birne O Toole and the Septs of O More and O Connor and committed the Kings County to the care of Sir George Bourcher and of the Queens County to Sir Warham Saint Leger he also appointed Commissioners to take Hostages of the Cavenaghs and when he came to Dublin he decided a Controversy between Philip and Sir John O Reyley to both their Satisfaction About this time the Lord Deputy published Orders to be observed by Justices of the Peace one whereof was lodged with every Custos Rotulor Lib. C. the most material of them were to keep Sessions Quarterly to enquire into Penalties of Statutes forfeited Recognizances Contempts Breach of Peace winking at Malefactors Confederacies and Parlies with Tâ—â—ytors or notorious known Theives that all Men and Women from Sixteen to Seventy be Booked and Sworn to Allegiance else committed to Goal to have General Musters every year and see the People are Armed according to Law to have Buts and common Pounds to make two High-Constables Substantial Gentlemen in every Barony and printed Books of their Duty to be sent them and also two petty Constables in each Barony to send to Goal all Spies Carrows Bards and Idlers c. To appoint two Searchers for every Parish to Search the Houses and Persons not Gentlemen for Beef Pork or Mutton and if any such be found and no notice was given to the Searcher of the Killing thereof the Party shall be punished by Fine and to cause all Cattle to be marked with Pitch or Ear-mark on pain of Forfeiture On the 25th of August The Deputy with One thousand Foot some Kearns and the Risings out of the Pale and some Lords of Munster and well accompanied with Officers and Persons of Quality set out from Dublin and came the 29th to Newry where Turlogh Lynogh submitted and put in Pledges as did also soon after Macgenis Mac Mahon Turlogh Brasilogh and others The Lord Deputy having thus secured the Country ordered some Ships to Loghfoyle to attack the Scots that way which they got notice of and immediately retired and went off to Scotland almost in sight of the English Ships and their escape was imputed to the negligence of the Sea-Commanders However the Deputy proceeded to the Ban himself Ormond and the Nobility kept Clandeboy side and General Norris and the Baron Dungannon kept Tyrone side The Deputy spoiled Brian Carrows Country and forced him and Surleboy to fly to Glancomkeane with their Creights and Cows Norris took a prey of 200 Cows from Ochane which gave great relief to the Army but 100 of his stragling Boys and Servants were cut off by Brian Carrows men and some that came to their Rescue were wounded and soon after Mr. Thomas Norris was wounded in the Knee with an Arrow and Oliver Lambert was taken Prisoner in Ochanes Country nevertheless the Rebels fled from the English and were worsted in most encounters so that Captain Meriman brought a good Prey from their fastness and Norris scour'd Glancomkene-wood preyed Brian Carrows Country and slew them that were put to defend it Hereupon Ochane submitted and put in Hostages and was the first Rebel in Arms that was pardoned since the Deputy came over then went the Deputy to besiege Dunluce and sent Artillery by Sea to Skerries portrush and thence by men it was drawn two miles it soon brought the Ward to parley and to surrender this impregnable place and the fame of this Exploit made the Warders desert Donfert and these losses forced Surleboy to submit and put in Hostages and to beg Pardon which was granted him Whilst the Deputy abode in Vlster O Donell and O Toole submitted themselves unto him and there happening some Controversies between Turlogh Lynogh and others of the O-Neals he caus'd them to implead one another by Bill and Answer that so those Contests might be regularly decided he also gave them an Oath of Allegiance and drew the Grandees of Vlster to a Composition for the maintenance of 1100 Soldiers at their own charge the Queen allowing every 100 men 250 Pounds Lib. M. per annum also they agreed to surrender their Estates and take new Patents and in like manner the Lady Camphell and Donell Gorme made their Submismissions at the Camp near Dunluce on the 18th of September and obtain'd a Grant of that part of the Glinns formerly Massets paying 50 Bieves yearly and supplying 80 Soldiers to serve the Crown when required And so the Deputy left 200 Foot and 50 Horse at Colrain and came to Newry on the 28th of September to which place Turlogh Lynogh brought Henry Son of Shan O Neal and delivered him prisoner to his Lordship Con mac Neal Oge was forc'd to content himself with the upper Clandeboy and the Lieutenancy or Government of Vlster was divided between Turlogh Lynogh the Baron of Dungannon and Sir Henry Bagnall and this great Service being thus effected the Deputy return'd to Dublin the 11 of October Hence the Deputy gave an account to the Lords of the Council in England of his great Success and proposed that for 50000 per annum added to the Revenue for three years he would wall seaven Towns Athloan Dingle Colrain Liffer Sligo Newry and Mayo and build seaven Castles at Black-water and Ballishannon Bellick Broad-water in Munster Castlemartine in the Routs Galin in the Queens County and Kilcomane and erect seaven Bridges at Colrain Liffer Ballishannon Dundalk Fermoy Veale near Slevelogher and Kells in Clande-boy and with the help of the Vlster Composition he would likewise maintain 2000 Foot and 400 Horse during that time he desired 600 Soldiers and a Chief Justice might be sent over that Tamistry might be abolished and the Irish Lands pass'd in Patent to the Proprietors on English Tenures to all which he received a smooth but dilatory Answer and therefore wrote again to the Parliament of England the 17 of January 1584. to the same effect and with like success Nevertheless this active Governour proceeded to doe what he could to repair the broken and miserable Estate of Ireland he encouraged the Bishops to the Repair of Churches and wrote to England that no more Bishopricks might be granted in Comendam and he also divided Vlster into Counties and placed Sheriffs Justices of Peace Constables and other Officers in them And then he summoned a Parliament to meet the 26th of April 1585. at Dublin and caused the Irish to conform to the English Habit to which they have a great aversion because they esteem it a mark of Subjection The Irish Lords were obliged to wear Robes and the better to induce them to it the Deputie bestowed Robes on Turlogh Lynogh and other principal men of the Irish which they embraced like fetters so that one of
Month. But the Lord Deputy was again allarm'd with a new Invasion of the Scotish Islanders and therefore Turlogh Lynogh being old the Baron of Dungannon was encouraged to oppose them but lest he should grow too popular by that Authority the Deputy thought it necessary to march into the North with such Forces as he had ready he left Dublin the 26th of June and passed speedily to Dungannon where most of the Irish Gentlemen of Vlster except James Carow came to him and submitted to his Lordship's command Hence the Deputy sent Captain Dawtry to the King of Scotland to pray restitution of the Irish Ships and Goods taken by his Subjects and that he would stop the Islanders from destroying Ireland to which he received a kind and favourable Answer dated at Saint Andrews the fourth of August 1585. but it came too late Four hundred Islanders arrived in Vlster and were joined by as many more under the Conduct of Con Mac Neal Oge's Son Hugh Mac Felim's Son O Kelly Mac Cartane c. and on the 28th of July were encountred by Captain Strafford and 170 Soldiers and a few Kernes who continued the Fight from Morning to four in the Afternoon still gaining Ground of the Enemy of whom 24 were slain and 40 wounded and of the English but 8 killed and 12 wounded and here my Authour truly observes that the Irish never gave the English a defeat but upon shrinking from them The Enemy passed the River Ban and went into Tyrone but were so pursued by the Baron of Dungannon and Captain Strafford that they were forced to repass the Ban and to retire toward Dunluce and finding no quiet there they went to Inisowen and designed to surprise Strabane but Hugh Duffe O Donell gave notice hereof to Captain Merriman and offered his assistance and so Merriman with 160 Soldiers and O Donell with a few of his fâ—llowers marcht all night to surprise the Scots But 〈◊〉 their great amazement they found the Scots in a readinesâ—â—nd above 600 strong so that they were able to divide 〈◊〉 Army into three divisions so to assail the Royalists threâ— several ways whilst the English being so few were forced to keep in one entire Body Alexander Mac Surly who commanded the Scots challeng'd Merriman to a Combate and a lusty Gallowglasse being by said he was the Captain and so to the Duel they go the Gallowglasse stund the Scot at the first blow but he recovering himself kill'd the Gallowglasse and thereupon Merriman stept out and fought Alexander a good while with Sword and Target and so wounded him in the Leg that he was forced to retreat and thereupon his Army being discouraged were totally routed and Alexander being hid under a Turf in Cabbin was discovered and his Head cut off and set on a Pole in Dublin But how fortunate soever the Summer Progress was yet the Deputy's Enemies complain'd against it as chargeable and unnecessary so that he was forced to return to Dublin the 16th of August where old Surlyboy came and submitted unto him The chief Articles against the Deputy were That he was severe and forc'd the People to the Oath of Allegiance and pryed into men's Patents and endeavour'd to promote Laws against Recusants and to repeal Poyning's Act and this Impeachment was abetted by the Chancellour whom being also Archbishop of Dublin the Deputy had disoblig'd by endeavouring to appropriate the Revenues of St. Patrick's Church to the new design'd University and by carrying himself too Magisterially in the Government with the Chancellour Sir Henry Bagnal Secretary Fenton and others of the Council sided so that it grew into a powerfull Faction by which the Deputy was often thwarted at Council Board and else where The Lord Treasurer of England was a fast Friend to the Arch-bishop so that by his means the appropriating of the Livings of St. Patrick's Church was stopt and other Affronts were put upon the Deputy which so enraged him that he spoke some passionate words of the Queen which were the cause of his Ruine afterwards and particularly having received some kind Letters from the Queen after some ill usage that he resented Look ye says he to the standers by now the Queen is ready to bepiss her self for fear of the Spaniard I am become her white Boy again This Deputy was supposed to be the Son of Henry the Eighth and had much of his towring Spirit in him When he was Condemn'd he ask'd the Lieutenant of the Tower whether the Queen would sacrifice her Brother to his frisking Adversaries meaning the Lord Chancellour Hatton who he said came into Court by the Galliard He was condemn'd on the Preists forged Letter and dyed suddenly in the Tower and his Son Sir Thomas Perot was restor'd to his Estate Nor did these his open Enemies only impeach him themselves but they also instigated the Lords and Gentlemen of the Pale as was believed to complain by their Letter of the 15th of July 1585. that besides the 2100 l. which they had consented should be levyed in lieu of the Cess the Lord Deputy design'd to impose a second Charge of 1500 l. per annum upon them thereby to make Her Majesty's Government intolerable to them but some of these Lords and Gentlemen being afterwards undeceiv'd generously wrote their Retractation of their former mistake to the Lords of the Council of England Nevertheless the Deputy proceeded in his duty and issued a Commission to two and twenty Gentlemen whereof Sir Richard Bingham Lib. L. 15th July 1585. White and Waterhouse were of the Quorum Authorizing them to compound between the Queen and the Subject and between the Lord and the Tenant for Cess Cuttings and other incertain Exactions and to bring the Inhabitants of Connaugh and Twomond to a composition of paying ten Shillings per annum for every quarter of Land containing 120 Acres besides a certain number of Soldiers amongst them on every rising out they proceeded by Inquisition by a Jury to find out the number of Plow-lands and the County of Mayo was found to contain 1448 quarters of Land whereof 248 might be exempted and paid 600 l. per annum and contributed 200 Foot and 40 Horse at their own charge when required and 50 Foot and 15 Horse in such manner as the Peers and English Bishops ought to do Sept. 1585. and this was done by Indenture whereby they voluntarily renounced the Irish Captainships Styles and Titles and abolish'd the Irish Gavelkind and Tanistry and agreed to hold their Lands by Patent according to Law and the like was done in the rest of Connaugh and the whole Province was found to contain 8169 quarters of Land whereof 2339 being exempted there remain'd 6836 liable to an annual Rent of 3418. 5. 8. and to contribute 1054 Foot and 224 Horse to the General Hostings in Connaugh and 332 Foot and 88 Horse at any time for Forty days any where in Ireland And Twomond for 1259 Plow'd Land agreed to pay 543 10 0
usual allowance except the Sallary of 200 Marks per ann which must be reserved for his Brother the Lord President and that the Vice-president's Pension of twenty shillings a day be immediately stopp'd Lib. C. 5. That the Queens Orders be publickly read in Council except they require secrecy and then to be communicated to such of the English Council only as are ordinarily attending on the State 6. That all Offices be given to fit persons who are personally to officiciate except in special cases 7. That the Courts be removed out of the Castle 8. That the Secretary of State keep the Signet as in England and that he make all Bills Warrants and Writings that require Signature and that he keep a Register thereof and have his Fees for the same 9. That the Parliament being ended Vlster might be so settled that the Deputy might repair into Munster to watch the Motions of Spain 10. That suspected persons be secured and that the suspected Inhabitants in Towns be disarm'd and that the Loyal Townsmen be arm'd and disciplin'd and that those that were lately Rebels be enjoyned to keep at home and if the Spaniards land that the Forage be destroy'd and the Cattel removed up into the Countrey The Queen also gave Secretary Fenton particular Instructions about the Plantation of Munster and devised a Plot to this effect Lib. C. That the Undertaker for 12000 Acres should plant 86 Families upon it viz. his own Family should have 1600 Acres one chief Farmer 400 two good Farmers 600 between them other two Farmers 200 apiece fourteen Free-holders each 300 fourty Copyholders each 100 and twenty sixâ— Cottagers and Labourers 800 Acres between them and so proportionably for a lesser Signiory And she ordered that if any unforfeited Lands be intermix'd with the forfeited that the party should be compounded with to his content and brought out that so the Undertaker might have his Manour entire and she also ordered a better Survey to be made of the escheated Lands for the direction of the Commissioners in setting them out to the Undertakers It the mean time the Town of Dingle in Kerry was incorporated with the like Privileges as the Town of Drogbedah enjoyed and there was also a superiority granted to that Corporation over the Harbours of Ventry and Smerwick and the Queen also gave the Townsmen 300 li. towards the walling of the Town The Earl of Desmond and his Complices had forfeited a vast Estate amounting in all to 574628 Acres of Land the Earl himself had a prodigious Revenue for those times and perhaps greater than any other Subject in her Majesty's Dominions For his Rents were as followeth  l. s. d. In the County of Limerick 2413 17 02 Corke 1569 01 11 Kerry 2711 01 02 ½ Waterford 0242 14 02 Typerary 0060 00 00 Dublin 0042 08 00 Total 7039 02 07 ½ And this great Estate except what was restored to Condon the White Knight c. was by the Queen who was intent on the peopling of Munster disposed to certain Undertakers   Rent per ann  Acres l. s. d. Com. Waterford Sir Lib. M. 166. Christopher Hatton 10910 060 07 09 Com. Cork Waterford Sir W. Raleigh 12000 066 13 04 Com. Kerry Sir Edw. Denny 06000 100 00 00 Ibid. Sir William Harbart 13276 221 05 04 Ibid. Charles Harbart 03768 062 15 04 Ibid. John Holly 04422 073 14 00 Ibid. Capt. Jenkin Conwey 00526 008 18 08 Ibid. John Champion 01434 023 18 00 Cork Sir Warham Saint Leger 06000 016 13 04 Ibid. Hugh Cuff 06000 033 06 08 Ibid. Sir Thomas Norris 06000 033 06 08 Ibid. Arthur Robins 01800 010 00 00 Ibid. Arthur Hide 05574 030 19 02 Ibid. Fane Beecher and Hugh Worth 24000 133 06 08 Thomas Say 05778 031 18 08 Arthur Hyde 11766 065 02 10 Edmund Spencer 03028 017 07 06 Cork and Waterford Richard Beacon 06000 033 06 08 Lymerick Sir William Courtney 10500 131 05 00 Ibid. Francis Barkly Esq 07250 087 10 00 Ibid. Robert Anslow 02599 027 01 06 Ibid. Rich. and Alex. Fitton 03026 031 10 05 Ibid. Edmund Manwaring Esq 03747 039 00 7 ½ Limerick Waterf Typerary Sir Edward Fitton 11515 098 19 02 Limerick William Trenchard Esq 1â—000 155 00 00 Ibid. George Thorton Esq 01500 015 12 06 Ibid. Sir George Bourcher 12880 134 04 04 Ibid. Henry Billingsley Esq 11800 147 10 00 Typerary Thomas Earl of Ormond 03000 016 13 04   1976 07 05 And on the 14th of February Letters were written to every County in England to encourage younger Brethren to be undertakers in Ireland and particularly Popham Attorney General was appointed in Somerset-shire to treat with them The Queen's Proposals were to give them Estates in see at 3 d. per Acre in Limerick Conilagh and Kerry one with another and 2 d. per Acre in Cork and Waterford every 300 Acres Demesn to maintain a Gelding every 200 Acres of Tenancy a Foot man arm'd no Irish to be permitted to reside on the Land They were to be Rent-free till March 1590. and to pay but half Rent for three Years from thence they were to hold in Soccage and to have Liberty for ten years to transport the Growth of their Land to any place in amity with England without Custome and to doe no Service till Michaelmas 1590. and then but moderately and be free from Cess for ever and to have Liberty to transport necessaries from England without Custome and they were promised that there should be Garisons on their Frontiers and that they should have Commissioners to decide their Controversies in Munster Lib. D D D. but some of these Covenants the Queen did not perform and particularly that of keeping Forces for their Security and it seems that some of the Undertakers did encroach upon the Lands of the Loyal or protected Irish or at least they made so general a complaint of it that they obtain'd a Proclamation to issue to restrain it In the mean time the Burks a powerfull family in Connaugh finding that they lost much of their Authority by the aforesaid Compositions and the Establishment of a Regular Government in that Province repented of what they had done and formed many groundless Complaints whereupon the Bishops of 〈◊〉 and Meath c. were commissioned to examine and doe them right The Commissioners were indulgent to them and they promised submission and acquiescence but nevertheless in few days after they seduced the 〈◊〉 Joyces c. and went into Rebellion and manned Castle Nikally and Thomas Row's Castle At the same time Mahowne O Brian held the Castle of Clan Owen against the Queen but Bingham in seven days time won it and flew O Brian and razed that Castle and another of Fardaraugh Mac Donels to the ground and Richard Burk on Proof of Confederacy was executed by Marshal Law However the Burks proceeded in their Rebellion and murthered Sixteen of the Officers of Connaugh and invited the Scotish Islanders who to the
levying Forces two year before to distrain for Rent he pretended due to him in the Ferny Camd. Eliz. 447. The Irish say he had hard measure and instance much foul practice in the Prosecution and Tryall but however that be the poor Gentleman was hang'd and his Countrey divided between Sir Henry Bagnall Cap. Henslow and four of the Mac Mahouns under a yearly Rent each of them giving considerable Bribes to the Deputy as they said in their Complaint to the Council of England but the Lord Deputy in his Answer did vindicate himself from these unjust Aspersitions or at least endeavour to doe so however it must be observed that from henceforward the Irish loathed Sheriffs and the English Neighbourhood as fearing in time they might all follow the Fate of Mac Mahoun and therefore in the great Treaty near Dundalk in Jan. 1595. they all desired to be exempted from Garisons Sheriffs and other Officers In May 1590. the Earl of â—â—â—one went for England where he was in an easie manner râ—â—trained of his Liberty because he came over without the Deputy's Licence but upon his submission he was discharged of his Confinement and came to a new Agreement with the Queen which is to be found at large Morison 9. and offered Hostages thereof provided they might be kept in some Merchant's House in Dublin or some Gentleman's House in the Pale and be exchanged every three Months The reason why he was so much favour'd and trusted was because he advised the suppression of the Name of O Neal which was really of great importance and he was believ'd to be sincere because being the Son of a Bastard he could have no pretence to it and it stood not with his interest that any body else should have it and so his Power and Authority was in England thought to to be a Bridle upon Turlogh Lynogh and the Sons of Shane O Neal. On the 28th of May 1590. seaventy one Soldiers of Sir Thomas Norris's Company mutinied for want of Pay they came arm'd to the Castle Gate The Deputy offered them two month's Pay but they insisted upon all whereupon he courageously caused the Gate to be opened and sent them a Message that whoever entered the Castle should be hanged as a Traitour they answered that they did not intend to enter upon that the Deputy rode out to Church Sir Geo-Carew Master of the Ordnance bearing the Sword before him the Mutiniers made a Guard for him and begg'd his Lordship would consider them but he briskly rode up to one of them and finding many Gentlemen behind him he ordered them to disarm the Mutiniers but they prevented it by laying down their Arms and placing themselves on their Knees supplicated his Lordship's favour and though they were tied two and two together and sent to Newgate to vindicate the Authority which they had affronted yet because their Indigencies were great I suppose they came off without much severity About December four considerable Prisoners escaped out of the Castle of Dublin December 1590. not without the privity of a great Man well bribed as was supposed viz. the two Sons of Shane O Neal O Donell's Son and Philip O Reily but the Weather being very bad and the Journey tedious Art O Neal one of the Prisoners dyed by the way but the rest escaped to Vlster where the two other Sons of Shane O Neal fell into the power and possession of the Earl of Tyrone anno 1594. who kept them Prisoners and would by no means enlarge them or deliver them to the Deputy Tyrone on the 9th of August appeared at Dublin and confirmed the Agreement he had made in England but when he was urged to the performance of it the used many shifts and delays and desired the like security might be requir'd of his Nighbours This Winter Turlogh Lynogh's Men were wounded by Tyrone's and the next Summer the Marshal Bagnall's Sister was taken away and married to the Earl of Tyrone so that he became again obnoxious to the State and odious to the Marshal because he had another Wife then living Wherefore on the 16th of July he wrote to the Lords of the Council in England that Turlogh's Men were preying his Country and were killed by their own fault and in October following he wrote to the Deputy that the Marshal's Sister married him voluntarily and that he was lawfully divorced from his former Wife In the mean time viz. July 1591. Tyrone was made a County and divided into eight Baronies Dungannon being appointed for the Shire-town which amongst other things and particularly the Authority of Marshal Bagnall so fretted Tyrone that 't is believed it was this Summer confederated between him and the rest of the Irish to defend their pretended Rights and Religion against all Heretical Opposers and not to admit Sheriffs into their Countries This Winter Commissioners sate at Monaghan in order to settle the Country on the Queen's Patentees and had 100 Soldiers for their Guard they were allarmed and disturbed at the rumour that Con Tyrone's Son was appoaching for which Tyrone was blam'd but he answered That they were frighted at the sight of two Horsemen there being no more near them at the time of the Allarm However the State grew every day more and more jealous of him and the â—ather because he entertained a Friendship with Hughroe who escaped out of Dublin Castle as aforesaid and was now the O Donell his Father being dead and had surprized the Castle of Montross nor did Tyrone's pretence that he did this in order to make O Donell a good Subject give any satisfaction to the State although at the same time he craftily desired the Lords of the Council to interpose so that he might have the Marshal's Love and that they might live friendly together On the 12th of July a Commission issued to Sir Thomas Norris Sir Robert Gardiner Sir Nicholas Walsh 1592. Roger Wilbraham and James Gold to compound with the Inhabitants of Munster for Cess and Purveyance c. and thereupon in September following the Commissioners did make a Composition for three years which amounted yearly to the following Summs viz. The Barony of Orrery 20 00 00 Condons 06 00 00 Kinalea 15 00 00 Ibawne 25 00 00 Fermoy 25 00 00 Ivelegham and Gormlehan alias Barrymore 42 00 00 Clanmorris 50 00 00 Desmond 30 00 00 County of Waterford Poers Country 45 00 00 Decyes 35 00 00 Â Coshmore Coshbride 12 00 00 Â Ifeagh 18 00 00 Â Imokilly 60 00 00 Â Barretts 23 00 00 Â Conrâ—yes 05 00 00 Â Duhallow 30 00 00 Â Muskry 35 00 00 Â Bear and Bantry 13 06 08 Â Carbry 80 00 00 The Barony of Connilo was to pay 25 s. for every quarter of Land and small County but five Shillings per annum and the rest of the County of Limerick 10 s. per annum for every Plow-land The Barony of Kyrricurry was to pay 1 6 8 in lieu of all charges
other Stewards of the British Farmers and Inhabitants of the City and County of London-Derry ☞ by means whereof the worthy Plantation of that Country is almost destroyed and the Inhabitants are reduced to great Poverty and many of them forced to forsake the Country the same being the first and most useful Plantation in the large Province of Ulster to the great weakning of the Kingdom in this Time of Danger the said Plantation being the principal Strength of those Parts IX The late Erection of the Court of High-Commission for Causes Ecclesiastical in these necessitous Times the Proceedings of the said Court ' in many Causes without Legal Warrant and yet so supported as Prohibitions have not been obtained though legally sought for And the excessive Fees exacted by the Ministers thereof and the Encroaching of the some upon the Jurisdiction of other Ecclesiastical Courts of this Kingdom X. The exorbitant Fees and pretended Customs exacted by the Clergy against the Law some of which have been formerly represented to your Lordship XI The Petitioners do most heartily bemoan that His Majesty's Service and Profit are much more impaired than advanced by the Grievances aforesaid and the Subsidies granted in the last Parliament having much increased His Majesty's Revenue by the buying of Grants and otherwise And that all His Majesty's Debts then due in this Kingdom were satisfied out of the said Subsidies and yet His Majesty is of late as the Petitoners have been informed in the House of Commons become indebted in this Kingdom in great Sums And they do therefore humbly beseech That an exact Account may be sent to His Majesty how and in what manner his Treasure is issued XII The Petitioners do humbly conceive just and great Fears at a Proclamation published in this Kingdom in Anno Domini 1635. prohibiting Men of Quality or Estates to depart this Kingdom into England without the Lord Deputy's Licence whereby the Subjects of this Kingdom are hindred and interrupted from free Access to Address to His Sacred Majesty and Privy-Council of England so declare their just Grievances or to obtain Remedies for them in such sort as their Ancestors have done in all Ages since the Reign of King Henry the Second and great Fees exacted for every of the said Licences XIII That of late His Majesty's Attorney-General hath exhibited Informations against many ancient Burroughs of this Kingdom into His Majesty's Court of Exchequer ☜ to shew cause by what Warrant the said Burroughs who heretofore sent Burgesses to Parliament should send Burgesses to the Parliament And thereupon for want of an Answer the said Privileges of sending Burgesses were seised by the said Court Which Proceedings were altogether coram non Judice and contrary to the Laws and Privileges of the House of Parliament and if way should be given thereunto would tend to the Subversion of Parliaments and by consequence to the Ruin and Destruction of the Commonwealth And that the House of Commons hath hitherto in this present Parliament been deprived of the Advice and Counsel of many profitable and good Members by means thereof XIV By the Powerfulness of some Ministers of State in this Kingdom the Parliament in its Members and Actions hath not its natural Freedom XV. And lastly That the Gentry and Merchants and other His Majesty's Subjects of this Kingdom are of late by the Grievances and Pressures before said and other the like brought very near to Ruin and Destruction And the Farmers of Customs Customers Waiters Searchers Clerks of Unwarrantable Proceedings Pursuivants and Gaolers and sundry others very much enriched whereby and by the slow Redress of the Petitioners Grievances His Majesty's most faithful and dutiful People of this Kingdom do conceive great Fears that their Readiness approved upon all Occasions hath not been of late rightly represented to His Sacred Majesty For remedy whereof the said Petitioners do humbly and of right beseach your Lordship That the said Grievances and Pressures may be speedily redressed and if your Lordship shall not think fit to afford present Relief that your Lordship might admit a select Committee of this House of Persons uninteressed in the Benefit arising of the aforesaid Grievances to be licensed by your Lordship to repair to his Sacred Majesty in England for to pursue the same and to obtain fitting Remedy for their aforesaid and other just Grievances and Oppressions And upon all just and honourable Occasions they will without respect of particular Interest or Profit to be raised thereby most humbly and readily in Parliament extend their utmost Endeavors to serve His Majesty and comply with His Royal and Princely Occasions And shall pray c. As soon as the Lord Deputy had notice of this Remonstrance and perceived the Fury of the Irish Parliament he took occasion to Prorogue it on the Twelfth day of November but whatever he could do was ineffectual to stem the Tide which now ran too violent against him And therefore being heart-broken with his own and the Earl of Strafford's Misfortunes he died suddenly on the Third day of December 1640. Whereupon ROBERT Lord DILLON of Killkenny-West afterwards Earl of Roscomon Sir WILLIAM PARSONS Knight and Baronet Master of the Court of Wards were on the Thirtieth of December sworn Lords Justices 1640. But the Lord Dillon beings for his Intimacy and Alliance with the Earl of Strafford obnoxious to the aforesaid Irish Committee he was at their Instance removed and Sir WILLIAM PARSONS Master of the Court of Wards Sir JOHN BORLACE Master of the Ordnance were sworn Lords Justices on the Tenth of February to whom the King by his Letters of the Fourth of January before sent Orders at the Request of the Irish Committee That the Irish Subsidies which heretofore were Forty thousand Pounds should be reduced to a less Sum than formerly and that all Letter 's sent to the Chief Governor or other Publick Officers touching Publick Affairs or the Subjects Private Interests should be entred in the Signer-Office in England to the end the Subjects upon occasion might take Copies thereof and that all Dispatches from Ireland should be safely kept apart for the easier and readier recourse thereto and that His Majesty approves of the Repair of His Subjects to appeal to Him notwithstanding any Prohibition in Ireland to the contrary and orders That no body be prosecuted or molested on that score and that the Irish Committee shall have Copies of all Records Certificates Orders of Council Publick Letters or other Entries that are necessary to manifest or prove their Grievances And this Letter was on the Tenth of February 1640. by the Irish Parliament then sitting ordered to be entred amongst the Records and Ordinances of that House And soon after Rushw 15. the Irish Parliament did vote the following Grievances to be transmitted to their Committee in England which it seems were couched in Two Petitions one to the King and the other to the Parliament and both carried over by John Bellew
sometimes tore and burnt them and that they were inhumanly Cruel in several instances of Men Women and Children and much more of the same sort for which I refer to the Remonstrance it self which is already in Print with the Examinations annexed thereunto But because there is great noise made about the Kings sworn Servant Sir John Read and the Questions demanded of him upon the Rack It is fit I should give a brief Account of that Matter and it happened to be thus Lieutenant Colonel Read was in the latter end of December intrusted with a Message to the King from Three Lords and four Chief Gentlemen of the Pale but they finding that Succours come out of England but slowly and being in great hopes to take Tredagh kept Road with them to attend the Success of that Siege which not hapning according to their Expectation they were forced to raise it in the beginning of March and then and not till then did Read surrender himself as a Prisoner to the English Army which was at that time abroad under the Marquess of Ormond and he was immediately sent to Dublin with a Guard of Twenty Horse and having with many Oaths Curses and Imprecations denied any knowledge of the Irish Rebellion he was together with Captain Mac Mahown put upon the Rack where they were asked these Three Questions 1. Who were the chief Complotters in this Rebellion 2. The Time when it was Plotted 3. The Place where and how to be Acted To which they answered That Sir Philemy O Neal Macguire and Philip O Rely were the chief Conspirators and that the Plot was laid presently after the Dissolution of the Army in the North and that it was to be Acted in all parts of the Kingdom and to kill Man Woman and Child of the Protestants utterly to root them out and that all the Papists in the Pale had Consented to it and promised their Assistance to their utmost Power But on Saturday the 2d of April the Lieutenant General Ormond marched out with Five hundred Horse Three thousand Foot and Five Field Pieces and encamped that Night at Rathcoole and tho he received an Express there that his Lady and Children whom he had not seen in Six Months before were arrived at Dublin yet preferring the Publick before his Private Concern he marched without seeing them to Naas and burnt the Country as he went and having lost a Trumpeter and Four Soldiers by the Garison of Tipper he caused that Castle and all that were in it to be blown up and sent his wounded Men on Carrs to Dublin with a Guard of Twelve Horse but they were set upon by the Rebels and tho' the Horse escaped yet the wounded Men and Carr-men were taken and Murdered and by this Accident all intercourse was stopt between the State and the Army But when the Army came near Killcullen the Lords of Castlehaven and Antrim and the Dutchess of Buckingham came in a Coach to Visit the Lieutenant General and were kindly received by him and the whole Army passing by saluted them which I note to shew the Reader that the Lord of Castlehaven was not under any necessity of joyning in the Irish Rebellion but might have lived quietly at home if he had pleased On the 5th at Night the Army came to Athy and relieved that Town and the next day Sir Patrick Weams was sent with a Detachment of four Troops to relieve the Castle of Catherlogh but upon their approach the Rebels being Seven hundred strong burned the Town and fled however the Irish lost Fifty Men in the pursuit and so Weams having relieved that Castle and therein Five hundred English almost starved and also the Castle of Cloghgrenan and taken good store of Cattel returned the same Night to the Army and the Castle of Ballilivan was relieved the same day by another Party under Sir Charles Coot and the Castle of Rheban by another Detachment which also took the Castle of Bert and in it Eight Rebels who were hanged On the 7th the Lieutenant General leaving Colonel Crawford at Athy marched to Stradbally and on the 8th came to Maryburogh and the next day fell Sick of a Fever which lasted till Tuesday after however on the 10th being Easter day Sir Charles Coot Sir Thomas Lucas and Six Troops of Horse were sent to relieve Bi r and some other places they were to pass a Cawseway which the Rebels broke and had cast up a Ditch at the end of it but Coot made Thirty of his Dragoons alight and in Person lead them on and beat off the Irish with the Slaughter of Forty Rebels and their Captain and then relieved the Castles of Bi r Burrous and Knocknemease and having sate almost Forty eight hours on Horseback and lost and spoiled a Hundred Horse in this Expedition they returned to the Camp on Munday Night without the loss of one Man and this was the prodigious Passage through Montrath Woods which indeed is wonderful in many Respects and therefore justly gave occasions for the Title of Earl of Montrath to be entail'd upon the Posterity of Sir Charles Coot who was the chief Commander in this Expedition On the same 10th day of April about Seven thousand Irish Men under the Lord Mountgarrett appeared on the other side the River Barrow within two miles of Athy whereof Colonel Crawford sent Notice to the Lieutenant General whereupon he marched to Athy on the 13th and rested there the 14th and finding the Enemy had more than double his number and that he had done the work he come out for by relieving the aforesaid Garisons he thought it imprudent to Fight at such disadvantage or upon such odds to hazard his Army and consequently the Kingdom and therefore intended to march towards Dublin without seeking the Enemy and yet resolved not to shun them if they came in his way but the Rebels had by some means or other got notice of his Design and therefore passed the Barrow by the Bridge of Moygan with intentions to disturb the march of the English Nevertheless Bettel of Kilrâ—sh on Friday Morning about Seven a Clock 15th of April Ormond rose from Athy and kept on the direct Rode to Dublin the Rebels kept another way on the Right hand divided from the former by a Bog about a mile broad and four mile long both Armies marched in view of each other with Drums beating Colours flying and kept equal pace until both Rodes met whereupon the Lieutenant General fearing they might fall upon his Reer in that narrow Pass gave Orders to draw up the Army in Battalia Saying That he was resolved to fight the Enemy tho' all the Rebels in Ireland were there together the Irish did the like and not being incumbred with Garriages as the English were their Army was soonest in Order which might have been of advantage to them but they made none of it chusing rather to Receive than Give the Charge in short the English came up to their Ground
Ormond answers that Reply and the Twenty ninth of August they answer that And so after many alternate Messages and Expostulations on the First of September they began to ascertain the respective Quarters and the Irish Commissioners having on the Second of September proposed That the Limitation of Quarters should relate to the Day of Concluding the Cessation the Marquis of Ormond on the Third of September did offer a Temporary Cessation from that Day that they might be at the more leisure to manage the Treaty To which they answer the same day That the Lord Moor and Colonel Monk had invaded their Quarters and Garison'd some Undefencible Houses and Castles and if those be restor'd they are contented that both Armies may withdraw to their respective Garisons Ormond replies That he will consent to withdraw both Armies and as to the Restitution of Places it shall be considered in the Settlement of the Quarters and that many of those called Undefencible Places tho' not thought worthy of a Garison yet were for a long time absolutely in his Power and in the English Quarters and some of them not far from the Gates of Dublin and therefore not fit to be restor'd On the Fifth of September they proceeded about limiting the respective Quarters and on the Sixth of September Ormond writes to them That he heard their Forees besieged Tully a Garison Commanded by Sir George Wentworth who was imployed in procuring Necessary Provisions for him and desires the Siege might be rais'd But the Commissioners reply'd That Monk went to Wicklow the Twenty sixth of August and continues there ravaging and destroying the Country That this very Garison of Tully took away the Corn at Madingstown and therefore they could not hinder a Reprisal but if any of his Lordships Provisions be intercepted they shall be restor'd On the Seventh of September Ormond insisted on withdrawing their Forces from Tully and thereupon they sent an Order to Castlehaven to draw off his Army knowing I suppose that he had taken the Castle and propos'd a Temporary Cessation to the Marquis On the Eighth of September Ormond proposes That the Protestant Clergy and Proprietors may have a Proportion of their Estates in the Irish Quarters to support them and that where Goods were delivered in trust to any Irishman they may be restor'd On the Ninth Quarters were setled and the Preservation of Woods agreed upon but for the Clergy and Proprietors nothing could be done because the Cessation was Temporary and Sufferings of that kind they said were reciprocal On the Tenth of September the Irish Commissioners denied to continue a Cessation as to the County of Kildare unless it may be for the whole Province of Leinster which Ormond would not consent to Then they offered a Supply of Thirty thousand Pounds but on the Eleventh the Marquiss sent a Message to the Commissioners to order the Earl of Castlehaven to forbear farther Acts of Hostility since the Treaty was so near a Conclusion which they did and Ormond did the like to his Forces But it seems Castlehaven notwithstanding their publick Orders knew their private Meaning and therefore marched farther off to the Castle of Disert in the Queens County which he took after the Cessation was finished But on the Twelfth they insisted upon the Name and Title of His Majesty's most Faithful Subjects the Catholicks of Ireland and said That they used it in their immediate Addresses to the King but Ormond replied That he held it not proper at that time to be used to him On the Thirteenth they agreed That the Quarters should relate to the Day of the concluding the Cessation but the Marquis insisted That it was indecent for them to use Force in the County where His Majesty's Commission of Favour was executing and therefore required the Restitution of what they had taken in the County of Kildare since the last of August But on the Fourteenth of September this was refused on pretence that the English had incroach'd upon them in the same County by Garisoning undefensible Places but they offered the fourth Sheaf of Tully and all such Places so subdu'd or 800 l. in lieu of it The Marquis then propos'd to have the Cessation declar'd as from that time since all was agreed but the Commissioners said the Articles might be perfected by next day Noon and till then the Cessation could not be said to be made And so on the Fifteenth day of September the Cessation was concluded and the Articles and Instrument mentioned Appendix 16. were perfected and a Proclamation by the Lords Justices and Council for the Observation thereof issued accordingly bearing date at Dublin the Nineteenth day of September 1643. and Circular Letters were likewise sent by them to all Parts of the Kingdom to give Obedience thereunto But before the Marquis of Ormond would finish this Treaty he consulted all the Great Men and the Chief Commanders then with him who gave their Opinions as in the following Instrument is contained WHEREAS the Lord Marquis of Ormond hath demanded the Opinions as well of the Members appointed from the Council-board to assist his Lordship in the present Treaty as of other Persons of Honor and Command that have since the beginning thereof repaired out of several Parts of this Kingdom to his Lordship They therefore seriously considering how much His Majesty's Army here hath already suffered through want of Relief out of England though the same was often pressed and importuned by His most Gracious Majesty who hath left nothing unattempted which might conduce to their Support and Maintenance and unto what common Misery not only the Officers and Soldiers but others also His Majesty's good Subjects within this Kingdom are reduc'd And further considering how many of His Majesty's Principal Forts and Places of Strength are at this present in great distress and the imminent Danger the Kingdom is like to fall into And finding no possibility of prosecuting this War without large Supplies whereof they can apprehend no hope nor possibility in due time They far these Causes do conceive it necessary for His Majesty's Honor and Service That the said Lord Marquis assent to a Cessation of Arms for one whole Year on the Articles and Conditions this day drawn up and to be perfected by virtue of His Majesty's Commission for the Preservation of this Kingdom of Ireland Witness our Hands the Fifteenth day of September 1643. Clanrickards St. Albans Roscomon Richard Dungarvan Edward Brabazon Inchiquin Thomas Lucas James Ware Michael Ernly Foulk Hunks John Pawlet Maurice Eustace Edward Povey John Gifford Philip Persival Richard Gibson Henry Warren Alanus Cooke Advocatus Regis But the News of this Cessation met with different Entertainment according to the Interests and Inclinations of those it was carried to At the Court of England it was received with Joy and Ormond's Conduct and Fidelity magnified beyond measure It was admired that he could preserve His Majesty's Grandeur throughout the whole Treaty by not admitting the
World upon whose Loyalty and Conduct in the Affairs of Ireland His Majesty did most depend But there is yet a greater Mystery in the matter and it was thus Whilst Ormond was in England the Scots * Earl of Lanerick Earl of Lauderdale 〈…〉 Commissioners finding what usage was design'd to the King did endeavour to retreive the Honour of their Nation by doing something extraordinary in his Favour and the Presbyterians every where finding the prevailing Independents did despise the Sanctity of the Covenant and the Supporters thereof began to be Alarm'd so a proper Juncture of doing Service to the King was suddenly expected hereupon Ormond by the Kings Order met the Scotch Commissioners near Marlow and they for Scotland and he for Ireland undertook to promote His Majesties Service and in order to it he went to France and so into Ireland to prosecute this Design and not in Answer to the Irish Ambassy as they sancied and the same Reason prevailed upon Insiquin to joyn with him and it was pursuant to this Treaty that the Earl of Lanerick then Duke Hamilton invaded the Kingdom of England But as soon as the Parliament Commissioners in Ireland understood 27th July that the Marquiss of Ormond intended to return to that Kingdom they did all that was possible to prevent his Design and upon bare Suspicion seized upon Sir Maurice Eustace Sir John Gifford Sir Francis Willoughby Colonel William Flower the Lieutenant Colonels Ryves Capron and Smith Major John Stephens and Captain Peirce and kept them Prisoners in the Castle for some days and then sent them in Custody to Chester and they also kept Sir Thomas Lucas and Colonel Byron Prisoners at Tredagh As for the Military Motions this Year tho' they were not many nor in many Places Munster being entirely quiet and very little either of Leinster or Ulster disturbed yet they may be esteemed very considerable because they were between the Irish themselves for Insiquin had managed his Affairs so prudently by assisting the weaker side and the Nuncio had Acted so rashly in Excommunicating the Supream Council and their Adherents that Owen Roe and Preston and their Followers were engaged in as * Quod quidem ille acrius quam unquam fecerat in communes Religionis Regni hostes in Confederatos presecutus est Beling 118. fierce and as spiteful a War as any that had been since the Rebellion broke out so that Preston assisted by the Marquiss of Clanrickard took Athâ—one and besieged Athy and Insiquin in favour of the Supream Council besieged Fortfalkland and tho' Owen Roe came to relieve it and posted his Army so advantagiously between Insiquin and Munster that the English had certainly been starved if the generous Bounty of the Marquiss of Clanrickard had not supplyed them with Necessaries yet at length Owen Roe was forced to a retreat not much different from a Flight and the Fort was surrendered to Insiquiâ— and with these Losses November and this Disgrace Owen Roe was so netled that he ravaged over the whole County of Roscomon and took Jamestown and so obstinately Stormed Carigdrumrusk that Rory Macguire and most of his Regiment were there slain and in revenge of it the Garison being all Papists were put to the Sword And by this Campaign Owen Roe was so weakned that he offered a Cessation to Colonel Jones and to carry his Army to Spain if Jones would give him Liberty to do so And it seems That the Marquiss of Antrim had some Highlanders in the Counties of Wicklow and Wexford which being joyned with the Birnes and Cavenaghs who were of the Nuncio Faction and rejected the Peace gave such Disturbance to the Supream Council that they were fain to send Sir Edmond Butler and Sir Thomas Esmond to suppress them which at last they effected tho' not without considerable Slaughter on both sides In the mean time Jones took Ballysannon Nabber and Ballyho and many of the Scots being gone to assist Duke Hamilton's Invasion of England Colonel Monk by the means of Sir Price Coghrun and Lieutenant Colonel Cunningham surprized Carigfergus and in it Monroe September whom he sent Prisoner to London and then had an easie Conquest of Belfast and Colerain and Sir Charles Coot had no very hard one of the Fort of Culmore and for those good Services the Parliament Presented Colonel Monk with 500 l. and made him Governour of Carigfergus But in November the Irish Ambassadours to the Pope returned to Ireland and brought with them abundance of Relicks but no Money Beling 196. as may be easily gathered from the following Letter from Sir Richard Blake to Sir Robuck Linch Sir THIS day the Lord Bishop of Fernes and Mr. Plunket gave an account of their Negotiation to the House they made a full Representation to his Holiness of the desperate Condition of the Kingdom that without present and good Supplies which they expected from his Holiness there was no hope of the Preservation of the Catholick Religion or Nation That his Holiness was bound in Justice to do it his Nuncio here having in a General Assembly of the Confederates undertaken That the Sum promised Sir Kenelm Digby for the Wars of England upon good Conditions for Catholicks would be applied to the Service of the Catholick Confederates of Ireland but after four Months attendance their Answer was there being no Intelligence then of our Distance or Divisions with the Lord Nuncio or Owen O Neal That his Holiness hath sent by the Dean of Firmo a considerable Help unto us and that he had no account how that was disposed of That the Turks were in Candia and threatened Italy That there was great Scarcity of Corn in Rome and the adjoyning Territories and that a great Sum of Money must be issued to satisfy the Commoners That his Predecessor Pope Urban had left the Treasury empty and the See deeply charged with Debt That the Cardinals and others who had Pious Intentions to advance our Holy Cause were Poor and hardly able to maintain their own Ports so that nothing could be expected from them And for the Conditions the Agents expected from his Holiness for Religion upon our Treaty with the Queen and Prince he said that it was not proper for the See Apostolick to grant any Articles to Hereticks though it be true that Catholick Princes in Germany and other Kingdoms do it As for the Nuncio's Engagement That the Catholicks of Ireland should be Supplied by his Holiness in their Maintenance of the War that he had no such Commission though it was true that his Holiness would give Money for Conditions of Religion but none upon the Event of War Our Agents heard not of our Disunion and Raptures in this Kingdom until after their taking leave of his Holiness and then when the same was known and published in Rome they heard from some eminent Persons That what his Holiness was resolved to give for our Support he knew not to what Party he