among ancient writers Scytenland or Scotland So the Southern and more Westerne parts thereof were peopled from the Maritine parts of Spaine being the next continent not by the now Spanish Nation who are strangely compounded of a different admixture of severall people But as I said peradventure by the Gaules who anciently inhabited all the Sea coasts of Spaine the Syrians or some other of those more Eastern Nations who intermixing with the naturall Inhabitants of that Country made a transmigration into Ireland and so setled some Colonies there Ireland anciently divided into divers petty principalities The whole Kingdome of Ireland was divided into divers petty principalities and of later times there were five principall Chieftains viz. Mac Morough of Lemster Mac Cartye of Munster O Neale of Vlster O Connor of Conaght and O Malaghlin of Meath For such were the Irish denominations Isti reges non fuerunt ordinati solemnitate alicuius ordinis nec unctionis sacramento nec iure hereditarto vel aliqua proprietatis successione sed vt armis quilibet regnum suum obtinuit The black book of Christ-church in Dublin it is an ancient Manuscript kept there and I do not finde they were called Kings till about the time of the comming over of the English Giraldus Cambrensis who came into Ireland in the time of Hen. 2. of England being the first writer that gives them that Title Besides as they came not in either by hereditary right or lawfull Election so their investiture was solemnized neither by Unctiō or Coronation they made their way by the Sword had certain kinds of barbarous ceremonies used at their Inauguration kept up their power with a high hand and held the people most monstrously enslaved to all the savage customes practised under their dominion And thus they continued untill the Raign of Hen. 2. King of England in whose time the undertakings for the Conquest of Ireland were successefully made by most powerfull though private adventurers upon this occasion Dermott Mac Morough King of Lemster being by the Kings of Conaght and Meath enforced to flie his country made his repaire directly to Hen. 2. King of England The first enterprise of the English upon Ireland made by private adventurers then personally attending his Wars in France and with much earnestnesse implored his aid for the recovery of his territories in Ireland most injuriously as he pretended wrested out of his hands The King refused to imbarque himself in this quarrell yet graciously recommended the justice of his cause to all his loving Subjects and by his Letters Patents assured them that whosoever would afford the said Mac-Morough assistance towards his resettlement should not only have free liberty to transport their Forces Se nostram ad hoc tam gratiam noverit quam licentiam obtinere Gir. Cambren expugnata Hib. cap. 1. but be held to do very acceptable service therein Hereupon Earle Strangebow first engaging himself determined as a private Adventurer to endeavour his restitution with the utmost forces he could raise he lying then very conveniently at Bristol where Mac-Morough came unto him in his passage back from the King into Ireland There were certain conditions agreed upon between them and a transaction made by Mac-Morough of his kingdome of Lemster unto the Earl upon his marriage with his only daughter Eva. And so he being desirous to return speedily into his own country passed to St. Davids in South-Wales from whence is the shortest passage out of England into Ireland and there he further engaged Fitz-Stephen and Fitz-Gerald private Gentlemen in this service These by their power among their country-men in those parts having gotten together a patty of 490 men Cambr. cap. 3. transported them in three ships into Ireland landing at the Banne a little Creek neer Featherd in the county of Wexford and there joyning with some Forces brought unto them by Mac-Morough made their first attempt upon the town of Wexford they were gallantly seconded by Earl Strangebow who followed presently after with no very considerable forces and yet by the power of their arms within a very short time prevailed so far in the country as they made themselves masters thereof and so gained the possession of all the maritime parts of Lemster King Henry upon the news of their prosperous successe in the sudden reducement of so large a territory by such inconsiderable forces as they carried with them desirous to share with his subjects in the rich fruits K. Henry the 2. his expedition into Ireland An. 1172. as well as in the glory of so great an action undertook an expedition in his own person into Ireland the year following And so strange an influence had the very presence of this great Prince into the minds of the rude savage Natives as partly by the power of his arms partly by his grace and favour in receiving of them in upon their fained submissions most humbly tendred unto him he easily subdued a barbarous divided people The first beginnings of the Conquest of this Kingdome were thus gloriously laid by this King in the year of our Lord 1172. Now for the Land it selfe he found it good and flourishing with many excellent commodities plentifull in all kinds of provision the Soile rich and fertile the Aire sweet and temperate the Havens very safe and commodious severall Towns and little Villages scattered up and down in the severall parts of the country Rog. Hoveden cals it Palatium regium miro artificio de virgis levigatis ad modum patriae illius constructum fol. 528. but the Buildings so poor and contemptible as when that King arrived at Dublin their chief city and finding there neither place fit for receipt or entertainment he set up a long house made of smoothed wattles after the manner of the country and therein kept his Christmas All their Forts Castles stately buildings and other edifices were afterwards erected by the English except some of their maritime towns which were built by the Ostmanni or Easterlings who anciently came and inhabited in Ireland Christian religion setled in Ireland Moreover He found likewise by severall monuments of piety and other remarkable testimonies that Christian religion had been long since introduced and planted among the inhabitants of the land It is not certainly without some good grounds affirmed by ancient writers That in the fourth age after the incarnation of our blessed Lord and Saviour some holy and learned men came over out of forraigne parts into Ireland out of their pious desires to propagate the blessed Gospel throughout the Kingdome By Sedulius Palladius Patricius in the fourth age after the birth of our Saviour as Sedulius Palladius and besides severall others Patricius the famous Irish Saint A Britain borne at a place now called Kirk-Patrick near Glascow in Scotland then the utmost boundary of the Britains dominion in those parts who out of meer devotion came and spent much of their time among the
brought down out of every part for the victualling of those that lay encamped about the Town There was allotted to every Company consisting of a hundred men for their daily allowance one biefe and halfe a barrell of corne And that they might with the more facility bring in the Country people to furnish their Army with these proportions they made not only prohibitions that no corne should be carried to Dublin but so blocked up the wayes as the poore churles that lived somewhat distant from the City could not carry their corne thither without apparent danger whereby the Market began to be very ill provided and great want and scarcity was much feared by reason of the large accession of people come from severall parts of the Kingdom up unto the City for safety Whereupon the Lords Justices and Councell made Proclamations to be published That all such as had corne remaining within some few miles distance should as their usuall manner was bring it to the Market at Dublin and they should receive ready money for the same in case they did not that they would presently send out Parties and burn their corn as it stood in the haggards and so prevent the use the Rebels intended to make of it for the victualing of their Army By this meanes the City was indifferently well supplyed all that winter with corn the Country people though otherwayes very malicious against the English and Protestants being content though with much hazard to adventure the bringing their corn where they sold it at a good rate for ready money rather then to suffer it to be threshed out by Warrants from the Lord of Gormanston for the use of the Irish Army then lying before Tredagh But while they continue their fruitlesse and unprofitable attemps there having neither skill courage experience The sad condition of the publike affaires of the State nor any meanes to bring about their impetuous desires and fond endeavours for the taking in of that Town I shall briefly represent a view of the sad estate of our affaires in Dublin It was now almost full two Months since the breaking out of this Rebellion The Lords Justices and Councell out of their deep apprehensions of a generall revolt of all the Irish through the Kingdome did in the very beginning with much earnestnesse sollicite the present sending over of Succours out of England And as soone as they began to make a little further discovery into the strength of this Conspiracy and found their own wants and utter disabilities to make any long or considerable opposition against the universall power of the whole body of the Irish as it then began to appeare unto them firmly united with almost all the Old English that were of the Romish Profession incorporated into their party throughout Ireland they did with much more earnestnesse by their frequent Letters and severall Agents represent unto his Majesty and the Parliament of England the very ill even desperate condition they were in and therefore desired that supplyes both of men money and all kinde of warlick provisions might be sent away with all speed unto them declaring that unlesse they received them presently and that in great proportions they were not able longer to subsist as they stood now environed on all sides with multitudes of the Rebels but had just reason to apprehend their own present ruine and the inevitable losse of the whole Kingdome And because they conceived the Levies in England could not be so suddenly made nor the men so easily transported from thence into the North of Ireland where the Rebels appeared in greatest numbers and had by their most unparalled cruelty towards the English done most mischeife as out of Scotland They made a proposition to the Lord Lievtenant to move both his Majesty and the Parliament The sending of 10000 Scots into Ireland pressed by the Lords Iustices and Councell that 10000 Scots might be presently raised and sent over into those Parts This they pressed with much earnestnesse representing the very great terrour the meere Irish had of that Nation that their bodies would better sort with that Climate endure more hardship and with lesse distemper undergoe the toile and miseries of an Irish war that the transportation would be made with much more facility and lesse charge it being not above three or foure houres saile from some parts of Scotland into the North of Ireland That the Kingdome of Scotland had been lately in Armes and so had all provisions necessary for the furnishing of their men for this expedition in readinesse And lastly they having so good a foundation in the multitude of their own Countrymen so advantagiously settled there already would no doubt undertake the work with all alacrity and vigorously prosecute the warre with such sharpnesse as might testifie their deep resentment of the horrid cruelties exercised upon so many thousands of their own Nation by that barbarous people Commissioners sent out of Scotland to Treat with the Parliament of England concerning the reliefe of Ireland These Letters arrived very opportunely about the time of the Kings return from Edenburgh to the Parliament of England then sitting at Westminster And there being even then two Scotish Lords come out of the Kingdome of Scotland to Treat with the Parliament of England concerning the sending Forces from thence for the reliefe of Ireland His Majesty sent to the Lords and Commons to give them notice of their arrivall and withall desired that certaine Commissioners appointed by himselfe and both Houses of Parliament might bee presently named to Treat with them and from time to time give an account of their proceedings to his Majesty and both Houses This motion was with very great readinesse yeelded unto and it was ordered that the Earle of Bedford the Earle of Leycester Lord Lievtenant of Ireland the Lord Howard of Estric nominated by the House of Peeres And Nathaniel Fiennes Esquire Sir William Ermin Baronite Sir Philip Stapleton Knight John Hampden Esquire nominated by the House of Commons should Treat with the Scotish Commissioners concerning the affaires of Ireland and that there should be a Commission granted unto them to this effect under the great Seale of England together with particular Instructions to regulate the manner of their proceedings In the propositions given in by the Scotish Commissioners they did in the first place make offer of 10000 men in the name of the Kingdom of Scotland Propositions presented to the Parliament of England for the reliefe of Ireland And that they might be enabled to send them speedily away they desired an advance of 30000 l. of the brotherly assistance afforded unto them by the Kingdome of England and that what Armes and Munition they sent into Ireland might in the same proportions be returned unto them with all expedition Next they desired that some ships of Warre might be appointed to guard the Seas betwixt Scotland and Ireland to waft over their Souldiers which they designed to transport
down to posterity the noble atchievements and great victories already obtained by small numbers of the English forces over huge multitudes of these Irish Rebels THE TABLE THe Oiginall of the Irish fol. 1. The first enterprize of the English for the conquest of Ireland made by private adventurers during the reign of King Henry the 2d. King of England fol. 3. Christian Religion setled in Ireland in the fourth Age after the birth of our Saviour fol. 4. The numbers of British and Protestants murthered or otherwise destroyed since the beginning of the Rebellion unto the time of the making of the first Cessation of armes with the Irish Rebels fol. 6. The ancient malice born by the Irish towards the English fol. 7. The royall endeavours of Queen Elizabeth for the reducing of Ireland fol. 8. The miserable condition of Ireland when King James came to the Crown of England fol. 11. The Irish Commissioners present their grievances to King Charles His great readinesse to redresse them fol. 12. The Earl of Leicester declared L. Lieutenant of Ireland fol. 14. The happy condition of Ireland at the time of the breaking out of the Rebellion fol. 16. The manner of the discovery of the Conspiracy of the Irish for the seazing upon the Castle and City of Dublin fol. 18. The rising of the Irish within the Province of Ulster fol. 24. A Letter from the Lords Justices and Councell to the Lord Lieutenant fol. 28. A Proclamation issued out for the satisfaction of the Lords and chief Gentlemen of the English Pale fol. 37. The names of the chief Rebels in Ulster severall Forts and places of strength suddenly surprized by them fol. 39 Severall policies used by the Irish to prevent the rising of the English against them fol. 41. Sir Phelim O Neals proceedings in Ulster fol. 44. The second dispatch of the Lords Justices and Councell into England fol. 46. The Proceedings of the Parliament in England upon the first advertisements brought unto them of the Rebellion raised in Ireland fol. 48. Order taken for victualling the Castle of Dublin and for the safety of the City fol. 53. The sad condition of the City of Dublin fol. 61. The particulars of the first plot of the Rebellion fol. 65. The plot for a generall Rebellion in Ireland of an ancient date fol. 66. The Plot for this late Rebellion first discovered to the Lord Mac Guire upon Mr. John Bellewes return out of England with Commission to continue the Parliament in Ireland fol. 69 That the Lords of the English Pale were engaged in the first Plot is very probable fol. 73. The Romish Clergy and the Irish Lawyers great instruments in raising the Rebellion fol. 76. The means used by them to stir up the people fol. 78. The resolution of the Irish to root out the British out of Ireland fol. 84. Vpon their first rising they seize upon all the English mens goods and cattell next strip them naked and so turn them out of their doors fol. 88. A particular enumeration of severall bloody massacres and horrid cruelties exercised upon the British all testified upon oath and taken out of severall examinations inserted in the margine fol. 90. The Remonstrance of the Protestants of Munster fol. 110. The examinations of severall persons inhabiting within the severall Provinces of this Kingdom taken upon Oath wherein are deposed severall particulars concerning the murders and cruelties used by the Rebels to the British in all parts of the countrey fol. 116. Severall examinations concerning the Apparitions at Portnedown Bridge fol. 133. The cruelties acted by the Irish upon the British were before any provocation given them fol. 1. Concerning the adjournment of the Parliament in Ireland fol. 4. The approach of the Rebels to Tredagh and the defeat of the English forces sent for the relief of that Town fol. 16. The defection of the Lords and chief Gentlemen of the English Pale fol. 18. The manner of their conjunction with the Northern Rebels fol. 19. Their refusall to repair to the Lords Justices and Councell fol. 24. Their proceedings after they had joyned with the Northern Rebels fol. 29. The Kingdome of Scotland sends Commissioners to treat with the Parliament of England concerning the relief of Ireland fol. 32. Their Propositions debated in the House of Peers fol. 34. The revolt of the Province of Munster fol. 35. A Letter from the Lords Justices and Councell to the Lord Lieutenant fol. 39 The Irish Rebellion OR An History of the beginnings and first progresse of the generall Rebellion raised within the Kingdom of Ireland in the Year 1641. THE Kingdome of Ireland which hath for almost five hundred yeares continued under the Soveraignty of the Crown of England was presently after the first conquest of it planted with English Colonies long since worn out or for the most part become Irish And therefore it hath again in this last Age been supplyed with great numbers of people drawn out of England and Scotland to settle their habitations in that Country Now the most execrable plot laid by the Irish for the universall extirpation of all these British and Protestants the bloody progresse of their Rebellion within the compasse of the first two moneths their horrid cruelties in most barbarously murdering or otherwaies destroying many thousands of men women and children peaceably setled and securely intermixed among them and that without any provocation or considerable resistance at first made I intend shall be the present subject of the first Part of this ensuing Story The originall of the Irish The Irish want not many fabulous inventions to magnifie the very first beginnings of their Nation Whether the Scythians Gaules Africans Gothes or some other more Eastern Nation that anciently inhabited Spaine came and sate down first in Ireland I shall not much trouble my selfe here to enquire If wee should give credit to the Irish Chronicles or their Bards who deliver no certain truths we might finde stuffe enough for an ancient pedegree made up out of a most various strange composure of the Irish Nation But to let them passe there are certainly a concurrence of divers manners and customes such affinity of severall of their words and names and so great resemblance of many long used rites and still retained ceremonies as do give us some ground to believe that they do not improbably deduce their first originall from some of those people It may very well be conjectured for infallible Records I finde none that as the Eastern parts of Ireland bordering upon England were first planted by the old Brittaines * Toole of the old Britein word Toll a hil-country Birne of Brin woods Cauvenagh of Cauve strong The view of Ireland by Spencer fol. 33. Toole Birne and Cauvenagh the ancient Septs and still inhabitants of that part of the country being old British words And as the Northern parts of Ireland were first inhabited by the Scythians from whom it was called ** Ireland is often called Scotia maior
Irish and out of their zealous affectioÌ„s for the conversion of a barbarous people applied theÌ„selves with great care and industry to the instructing of them in the true grounds and principles of Christian religion And with so great successe and such unwearied endeavours did S. Patrick travail in this work as if we will give credit to some writers we must believe that the Church of Armagh was by him erected into an Archiepiscopal See three hundred and fifty Bishops consecrated great numbers of Clergy-men instituted who notwithstanding the notorious impiety and continued prophanesse of the common sort of people being most of them Monks by vow and profession of great learning very austere and strict in their discipline were so much taken notice of in those rude ignorant times by other Nations as in respect of them some gave unto the Island the denomination of Insula Sanctorum But so quickly did the power of holinesse decay in the land as the name was soon lost and even the very prints and characters thereof among the very Clergie themselves obliterated the life of the people so beastly their manners so depraved and barbarous as that King Henry when he entertained the first thoughts of transferring his Arms over into Ireland made suit unto the Pope that he would give him leave to go and conquer Ireland and reduce those beastly men unto the way of truth Rex Anglorum Hen. nuncios solennes Romam mittens regaâ—it Papam Adrianum ut sibi liceret Hibernia Insulam intrare et terram subiugare atquehomines illos bestiales ad fidem et viam reducere veritatis Mat Paris an 1156. Answerable whereunto was the tenor of Pope Adrians Bull as appears at large in Parisiensis whereby he gave him liberty to go over and subdue the Irish nation A sufficient demonstration of the condition of that people and what opinion was held of them as well by their holy father the Pope as other Princes And the King at his arrivall found them no other than a beastly people indeed For the Inhabitants were generally devoid of all manner of civility governed by no setled lawes living like beasts biting and devouring one another without all rules customes or reasonable constitutions either for regulation of Property or against open force and violence most notorious murthers rapes robberies and all other acts of inhumanity and barbarisme raging without controll or due course of punishment Whereupon He without any manner of scruple or farther inquisition into particular titles resolving as it seems to make good by the sword the Popes donation made a generall seizure of all the lands of the whole kingdom and so without other ceremony took them all into his own hands And that he might the more speedily introduce Religion and civility Rex antequam ab Hibernia redibat consilium congregavit apud Lismore ubi leges Angliae ab omnibus gratantur sunt accepta et iuratoria cautione prestita confirmata Mat. Paris an 1172. and so draw on towards the accomplishment of that great work which he had so gloriously begun he first in a great Counsell held at Lissemore caused the Laws of England to be received and setled in Ireland then he afterwards united it to the Imperiall Crown of England making large distributions to his followers by particular grants allotting out in great proportions the whole Land of Ireland among the English Commanders who made estates and gave severall shares to their friends and commilitants that came over private adventurers with them But before I passe further I shall take the liberty here to insert one observation out of Giraldus Cambrensis concerning the causes and reasons of the prosperity of the English undertakings in Ireland He saith that a Synod Ireland divided by K. Hen. 2. among his followers and other adventurers or Counsell of the Clergy being there assembled at Armagh and that point fully debated it was unanimously agreed by them all that the sins of the people were the occasion of that heavy judgement then fallen upon their Nation and that especially their buying of English men from Merchants and Pirates and detaining them under a most miserable hard bondage Decretum est itaque praedicto concilio et cum universitatis conscensu publice Statutum ut Angli ubique per insulam servitutis vinculo mancipati in pristinam revocentur libertatem Gir. Camb. expug Hib. c. 18 had caused the Lord by way of just retalliation to leave them to be reduced by the English to the same slavery Whereupon they made a publique act in that counsell that all the English held in captivity throughout the whole Land should be presently restored to their former liberty If so heavy a Judgement fell then upon the Irish for their hard usage of some few English what are they now to expect or what expiation can they now pretend to make for the late effusion of so much innocent English blood after so horrid despitefull and execrable a manner There being since the Rebellion first brake out unto the time of the Cessation made Sept. 15. 1643. which was not full two years after above 300000 Brittish and Protestants cruelly murthered in cold blood The numbers of British and protestants destroyed since the Rebellion destroyed some otherway or expelled out of their habitations according to the strictest conjecture and computation of those who seemed best to understand the numbers of English planted in Ireland besides those few which perished in the heat of Fight during the war King John came into Ireland during his minority though to little purpose The fruitlesse expeditions of K. Iohn and K. Richard 2. into Ireland but after about the twelfth year of his Raign upon the generall defection of the Irish he made a second expedition and during his stay there built severall Forts and strong Castles many of which remain unto this day he erected all the Courts of Judicature and contributed very much towards the settlement of the English Colonies as also of the civill Government King Richard the second made likewise in the time of his Raign upon the same occasion two other expeditions into Ireland in his owne person But both those Princes out of a desire to spare the effusion of English blood as also the expence of treasure being likewise hastened back by the distempers of their own Subjects in England were both content to suffer themselves to be again abused by the fained submissions of the Irish who finding their own weaknesse and utter disability to resist the power of those two mighty Monarchs came with all humility even from the farthest parts of the kingdom to submit to their mercy And yet it is well observed by some that say they returned back not leaving one true subject more behind them than they found at their first arrivall Howsoever by the very presence of these Princes and by the carefull endeavours of the Governours sent over by other of the Kings of England those
him upon his knees And howsoever before this glorious work was fully accomplished it pleased God to put a period to her dayes yet lived she long enough to see just vengeance brought down upon the head of that unnaturall disturber of the peace of the kingdome himself in a manner wholly deserted his country most miserably wasted and a generall desolation and famine brought in mightily consuming what was left undevoured by the sword It is very easie to conjecture in what a most miserable condition Ireland then was The miserable condition of Ireland when K. Iames came to the Crown of England the English colonies being for the most part barbarously rooted out the remainders degenerated into Irish manners and names the very Irish themlelves most mightily wasted and destroyed by the late wars and thereby much of the kingdome depopulated in every place large monuments of calamity and undiscontinued troubles King James of blessed memory found it at his first accession to the Crown of England in this deplorable estate whereupon he presently took into his care the peaceable settlement of Ireland and civilizing of the people And conceiving that the powerfull conjunction of England and Scotland would now overawe the Irish and contain them in their due obedience His lenity towards the Irish rebels and his endeavours for a civill reformation He resolved not to take any advantage of those forfeitures and great confiscations which he was most justly intitled unto by Tyrone's rebellion but out of his Royall bounty and Princely magnificence restored all the Natives to the entire possession of their own lands A work most munificent in it self and such as he had reason to believe would for the time to come perpetually oblige their obedience to the Crown of England And in this state the Kingdom continued under some indifferent terms of peace and tranquility untill the sixth year of his raigne Then did the Earl of Tyrone take up new thoughts of rising in arms and into his rebellious designe he easily drew the whole province of Vlster then entirely at his devotion But his plot failed and he finding himself not able to get together any considerable forces he with the principall of his adherents quitting the kingdom fled into Spain leaving some busie incendiaries to foment those beginnings he had laid for a new rebellion in Ireland and promising speedily to return well attended with forraigne succours to their aid But by the great blessing of Almighty God upon the wise Councels of that King and the carefull endeavours of his vigilant Ministers the distempers occasioned by the noise of that commotion were soon allayed and Tyrone never returning the peace of the kingdome much confirmed and setled King James hereupon being now so justly provoked by the high ingratitude of those rebellious traitours caused their persons to be attainted their lands to be seized and those six Counties within the Province of Vlster which belonged unto them to be surveyed and all except some small parts of them reserved to gratifie the well-affected natives to be distributed in certain proportions among British undertakers who came over and setled themselves and many other British families in those parts By this meanes the foundations of some good Towns soon after encompassed with stone wals were presently laid severall castles and houses of strength built in severall parts of the country great numbers of British inhabitants there setled to the great comfort and security of the whole kingdome And the same course was taken likewise for the better assurance of the peace of the country in the plantation of severall parts of Lemster where the Irish had made incursions and violently expelled the old English out of their possessions But howsoever the King was by due course of law justly intitled to all their whole estates there yet he was graciously pleased to take but one fourth part of their lands which was delivered over likewise into the hands of British undertakers who with great cost and much industry planted themselves so firmly as they became of great security to the country and were a most especiall means to introduce civility in those parts so as now the whole kingdome began exceedingly to flourish in costly buildings K. Charles great readinesse to redresse the grievances presented unto him by the Irish Commissioners 1640 The Lords L. Vicount Gormanstone L. Vicount Kilmaloc L. Vicount Costeloe L Vicount Baltinglas Commons Lemster Nic. Plunket Digbie Richard Fitz-garret Nic Barnewall Esq Munster Sir Hardresse Waller Io. Welsh Sir Donnogh Mac Cartie Conaght Robert Linch Geffrie Browne Thomas Burke Vlster Sir William Cole Sir Iames Mongomerie and all manner of improvements the people to multiply and increase and the very Irish seemed to be much satisfied with the benefits of that peaceable government and generell tranquility which they so happily enjoyed ANd now of late such was the great indulgence of K. Charles our Soveraign that now reigneth to his Subjects of Ireland as that in the year 1640. upon their complaints and a generall Remonstrance sent over unto him from both Houses of Parliament then sitting at Dublin by a Committee of foure temporall Lords of the upper house and twelve Members of the house of Commons with instructions to represent the heavy pressures they had for some time suffered under the government of the Earl of Strafford He took their grievances into his royall consideration descended so far to their satisfaction as that he heard them himself and made present provisions for their redresse And upon the decease of Mr. Wandsford Master of the Rols in Ireland and then Lord Deputy here under the said Earl of Strafford who still continued Lord Lieutenant of this kingdome though then accused of high treason and imprisoned in the Tower of London by the Parliament of England His Majesty sent a Commission of Government to the Lord Dillon of Kilkenny west and Sir William Parsons Knight and Baronet Master of the Wards in Ireland Yet soon after finding the choice of the Lord Dillon to be much disgusted by the Committee he did at their motion cause the said commission to be cancelled and with their consent and approbation placed the government upon Sir William Parsons and Sir Iohn Borlace Knight Sir Will. Parsons and Sir Iohn Borlace made L. Iustices Master of the Ordnance both esteemed persons of great integrity and the Master of the Wards by reason of his very long continued imployment in the State his particular knowledge of the kingdome much valued and well beloved among the people They took the sword upon the 9. of Febr. 1640. And in the first place they applied themselves with all manner of gentle lenitives to mollifie the sharp humours raised by the rigid passages in the former government They apply themselves to give contentment to the people They declared themselves against all such proceedings lately used as they found any wayes varying from the Common Law They gave all due encouragement to the
Councell of the ill condition and most imminent danger he found the Town to be then in that it was not possible to preserve it out of the hands of the Rebels without further strength both of horse and foot That in case the enemy should make any sudden approaches or attempt to surprize the Town he found such poor preparatives for defence within such apparant signes of disloyalty in the Townsmen and all things in such a desperate confusion as they should not be able by the best endeavours they could use to give any good account of that place Hereupon their Lordships presently resolved A Regiment raised by the Lo. Iustices at Dublin sent down under the command of Sir Henry Tichborne for the defence of Tredagh Novemb. 3. to leavy in the City of Dublin a Regiment of foot and to place them under the command of Sir Henry Tichborne for the defence of Tredagh And for this purpose there was very oportunely in the hands of the Vice Treasurer 3000 li. in a readinesse to be at that time sent over into England for the satisfaction of a publick engagement there This the Lords thought fit to make use of for the leavying and setting out of those men which Sir Henry Tichborne got together in very few dayes and having a Commission of government for the Town with some other private instructions he marched away with great alacrity and diligence the 3 of November and happily arrived next day at Tredagh A Regiment raised by Sir Charles Coot The Lords granted another Commission to Sir Charles Coot to levy a thousand men more which he most carefully endeavoured and within a very short time made up his Regiment wherein very many of the English who came up stripped and despoiled out of the North listed themselves for most of the men which escaped from thence with their lives being better able to suffer then the women and children outlived the miseries of their journey and putting themselves into severall companies some of them had the contentment to revenge the barbarous cruelty used by the Rebels towards them The second dispatch made by the L. Iustices and Councel into England Nov. 5. VPon the 5. of November the Lords made their 2d. dispatch unto His Majesty still at Edenburgh in Scotland At the same time they sent severall Letters into England to the L. Keeper Speaker of the house of Peers to the Speaker of the house of Commons to the Lo of his M ties most hon Privy Councel to the L. Lieutenant of Ireland in all which they did with much earnestnesse declare their present dangers together with the necessity of sending sudden relief In their Letter to the Lords of the Councel they did more particularly set down the miserable estate of the whole kingdom and the large progresse that the Rebellion had in few dayes made since it broke out They represented unto their Lordships the great outrages the Rebels had committed upon the British inhabitants in Vlster that they had seized upon all their estates and houses in five Counties of that Province possessed their Arms detained many of the principall Gentlemen prisoners That they had already slain many most barbarously hewed some to peeces that they have exposed thousands to want and beggery who had good estates and lived plentifully That the Rebellion began then to diffuse it self into the counties of Longford and Letrim and to threaten the English plantations in the King and Queens county that the inhabitants of the counties of Meath and Lowth began to fall upon the English near about them that they conceived there could not be lesse then 30000. who had already openly declared themselves in this Rebellion and were assembled together in severall great parties that they understood their designe was having got Dondalke to take in Tredagh and so to come up immediately to besiege the city and castle of Dublin that they gave out publikely their purpose was to extirpate the English and Protestants and not to lay down Arms untill the Romish religion were established the Government setled in the hands of the Natives and the old Irish restored to the lands of their supposed ancestors That they held it their duty to acquaint their Lordships with the lamentable estate wherein the Kingdome stood that his Majesty and the Parliament might understand it and so speedily provide for sending over to their relief 10000 Foot 1000 Horse together with some able Commanders 100000. l. in money and further provisions of Arms That unlesse these were presently sent to them they craved leave to repeat it again and again the Kingdom would be utterly lost all the English and Protestants in Ireland destroyed the peace of the kingdome of England disturbed by the Irish from thence and so England enforced to make a new conquest of it for that a Politique reformation would then be impossible But now before I passe further The proceedings of the Parliament of England upon the first advertisements brought unto them of the Rebellion raised in Ireland I shall here give an accompt of the arrival of these and the former Letters of the 25. of October addressed by the Lords Justices and Councel to the L. Lieutenant of Ireland Owen O Conally the happy discoverer of the first Plot who carried the first Letters over arrived at London the last day of October and late in the evening delivered those Letters to his Lordship who having read them over and received from him full information of all other parriculars within his knowledge repaired the next morning to the Councel-board and having there acquainted the Lords of His Majesties Privy Councel with them he was required by their Lordships to communicate them unto the Lords of the upper house of Parliament which he did accordingly the very same morning And they considering the high importance of them as soon as they had perused them Ordered that they should be presently sent down to the house of Commons by the Lord Keeper the L. Privy Seal L. High Chamberlain L. Admiral L. Marshal L. Chamberlain Earl of Bath Earl of Dorset Earl of Leicester Earl of Holland Earl of Berks Earl of Bristol L. Vicount Say E. Mandevile L. Goring L. Wilmot all of them being of His Majesties most honorable Privy Councel There were Chairs provided for these Lords in the house of Commons and they sate down there till the Letters were read and then having informed the house of such other parciculars as they had received concerning the generall Rebellion in Ireland they departed without any further conference or other debate upon them leaving the house of Commons to consider further of them Who presently Ordered That the House forthwith should be resolved into a Committee to take into consideration the matter offered concerning the Rebellion in Ireland as likewise to provide for the safety of the Kingdom of England This being done they fell into a most serious debate of this great businesse then before them they fully
one Tooly Conley parish Priest to Master Moore to Colonel O Neale in the Low-Countries who within few moneths after arrived with this answer from the said Colonel desiring them not to delay any time in rising out but to let him know of the day when they intended it and that he would not faile to be with them within fourteen dayes of that day with good ayd also desiring them by any means to seize on the Castle of Dublin if they could And further he saith that during the time of these their private meetings there landed at Dublin Colonel Birne Colonel Plunket Captain Brien O Neale and others who came with directions to carry men away and that these were acquainted with the Plot and did offer their service to bring it on and that they would raise their men under colour to carry them into Spain and then seize on the Castle of Dublin and with the arms found there arme their Souldiers and have them ready for any action that should be commanded them He further also saith that they had divers private consultations about the carrying on of this conspiracy not onely at Dublin but in severall other places in the Province of Vlster and that they had set down severall days for the putting of it in execution but meeting with some obstacles did not come to conclude of the certain time till about the beginning of September and that then they peremptorily resolved on the 23. of October for the day to execute this long designed plot in and that they had respect unto the day of the week which did fall on Saturday being the Market-day on which there would be the lesse notice taken of people up and down the streets that they then setled what numbers of men should be brought up out of the severall Provinces for the surprize of the Castle and what Commanders should lead them on that seeing the Castle had two Gates that the Lemster men should undertake to seize upon the little Gate which lay neerest to the place where the arms and munition was placed and that the great gate should be undertaken by those of Vlster and that Sir Phelim O Neale should be there in person but that he excused himself because he resolved at the same time to seize upon London Derry and that thereupon by the impottunity of the undertakers it was imposed upon him the said Lord Mac Guire to be there in person at the taking of the Castle of Dublin That it was further resolved what number of Forces should be brought up out of the other Provinces to make good those places if possessed by them and that Sir James Dillon did undertake to be there with 1000. men within four dayes after the taking of the Castle as also that it was resolved that every one privy to that matter in every part of the Kingdome should rise out that day and seize on all the Forts and Arms in the severall Counties as likewise on all the Gentry and make them prisoners the more to assure themselves against any adverse fortune and not to kill any but where of necessity they should be forced thereunto by opposition These particulars together with many other circumstances very considerable are set down in the relation given in by the Lord Mac Guire while he remained prisoner in the Tower of London but I have thought fit to forbear to relate them at large because I find that relation published by authority and so presented to the common view We shall find also that Mac Mahone in his examination taken when he was first apprehended by the Lords Justices and Counsel here doth testifie that all the chief of the Nobility and Gentry in this Kingdom were acquainted with the first plot and particularly that all the popish party in the Committee sent into England as likewise in both houses of Parliament knew of it In the Examnation of William Fitz Gerald it is there affirmed that Sir Phelim O Neale sending for him five days after his rising in Arms told him what he did was by directions and consent of the prime Nobility and Gentry of the whole Kingdom and that what he had done in the Northern parts the same was executed at Dublin and in all other Forts and Towns throughout Ireland As being a course resolved upon among the Lords and Gentry for the preservation of his Majesties Prerogative their own Religion and Liberties against the Puritan faction in England Scotland and Ireland and that the Lord of Gormanstone knew of this plot while he was in England is testified by Lieutenant Colonel Read in his Examination as also by the Lord Mac Guire in his relation who saith that Colonel Plunket told him that he being at London had acquainted some of the Irish Committee and particularly the Lord of Gormanstone with this plot and that they approved it well Colonel Plunket in his Letter to Father Patrick Barnwal Lord Abbot of Mellifont as he stiles him doth seem much to glory in the means he had used to incite the Lords and Gentry of the Pale to appear in that blessed cause as he tearms it and assures him that the Lord of Gormanstone whom he there cals Lord General will goe bravely on And now it will be no difficult matter to resolve what were the secondary steps and motions of this great plot as well as by what persons it was wrought out in Ireland and carried on to the very point of execution And first it is to be observed that howsoever Sir Phelim O Neale the Lord Mac Guire Philip O Rely Colonel Mac Brian The first contrivers of the Rebellion did not first openly appear in it Hugh Mac Mahone and their adherents chief of the Irish Septs in Vlster and other counties neer adjacent did first appeare upon the stage and by their bloody execution notoriously declare themselves chief actors in this horrid tragedy Yet this Rebellion was either altogether nor originally plotted by them most of them had but subordinate notions of it and they as other of the chief Nobility and Gentry throughout the Kingdom had severall parts assigned them to act at severall times in severall places and did but move according to the first resolutions taken and such directions as they had received from the first Conspirators I take it to be most probable after the generall plot came to be reduced into form that as the Lord of Gormanstone was one of the first and chief movers in it so he and the chief of the Pale joyned together to draw in as they had done in all former Rebellions the principall septs of the old Irish to engage themselves and to appear first in the businesse That the Lord of Gormanston and some others of the Engl. Pale were engaged in the first Plot is very probable And after they had joyned together and so finely ordered the matter as they had made it a generall rising as Sir Phelim O Neale tearms it of all the Catholicks throughout the
Kingdom with the generall consent of the prime Nobility and Gentry thereof then as it were with one generall voice they sounded forth from all the four Provinces of Ireland the same language they used the same Remonstrances and made the very same pretences for their justification they began the very self-same course first in stripping then banishing and murthering the British and Protestants onely in the North they drove on somewhat more furiously and spilt much more innocent blood then in any of the other three Provinces They agreed likewise in recalling their Commanders all the four Provinces had their particular Emissaries abroad Those of Lemster brought back Colonel Preston a Branch out of the House of Gormanstone who had long lived with good reputation in Flanders and him they made Generall of their Forces there but of Vlster they sent into Flanders likewise for Owen Roe O Neale upon whom they conferred the same charge in that Province The Munster men brought over Garrat Barry whom they made Generall of their forces And those in Conaught drew back one of the Burks to whom they gave the chief command of such men as they were able to draw together for the advancement of the common design All these held a due correspondency and in all their actions had a just concurrency towards the main end The great instrument chiefly imployed in this work of drawing the meer Irish into a firm combination with the old English as appears by the Lord Mac Guire's relation before mentioned was Roger Moore Esquire a person of a broken fortune Roger Moore the chief Person imployed to make a conjunction between the meer Irish and the English for raising a Rebellion by discent meerly Irish and issued out of the chief family of the O Moores in the County of Leax but by inter-marriages allied to some of the principall Gentlemen of the Pale He Treated with them about the Association he first broke the design to the northern Irish he was the man that made severall journeys in Lemster into Vlster and Conaught Sundry messages were enterchangeably sent and returned the summer before the breaking out of the Rebellion by his means and entercourse between them And all things were so ordered for their agreement as they were to goe hand in hand together some of the principall Gentlemen of the Pale as Colonel Plunket Captain Fox and others were designed to joyn with the Lord Mac Guire Mac Mahone Brian O Neale Con O Neale Hugh Birne for the surprize of his Majesties Castle of Dublin Cartan Major Domi to Owen O Neale in Flanders in his Examination taken February 1641. tels among many other remarkable passages of severall preparatives to this Rebellion as that Con O Neale brother to Daniel O Neale was sent by Owen O Neale into England and that while he resided there he received letters from the President Rosse which was Sir Phelim O Neale and that he assured him he went on very well in his businesse for Bâ—abant and Valence were joyned together which as he affirms signified in those Characters Vlster and Lemster and that he expected the comming of Lewes Lenoy viz. Daniel O Neale Besides as James Talbot Esquire testifies in his Letter of the 9. of November 1641. written to the Lords Justices out of the County of Cavan that he understood from Phillip Mac Mulmore O Rely that there were certain Covenants passed between the Lords of the Pale and the Northern Irish for the advancing of the Rebellion and that the Remonstrance from the principall Irish in the County of Cavan unto the Lords Justices and Councel sent by Dean Jones and Master Waldrone there then prisoner was framed in the Pale and brought unto the said Irish by Colonel Plunket one of their own And this was in the very beginning of the Rebellion long before any jealousies were entertained by the State of the adherence or conjunction of the old English with the Irish What those Covenants or Contracts were I cannot say but it is most certain some there were and some Covenants also entred into between the Northern Irish and the Lords and Gentlemen of the chief of both the other Provinces as well as Lemster and these were signed with their blood as Doctor Maxwel testifies in his examination he heard Sir Phelim O Neale say on the 19. of December 1641. in his own house and in the hearing of Master Joseph Travers and others If the Lords and Gentlemen meaning the Papists of other Provinces then not in arms would not rise but leave him in the lurch for all he would produce his Warrant signed with their own hands and written in their own blood which should bring them to the Gallowes And certainly had there not been some very strange and extraordinary engagements and more then I can well imagine it had not been possible that so many persons of quality having great possessions and many children should have declared themselves after they saw the main part of the plot for the surprize of the Castle of Dublin to fail and the power of the Northern Rebels begin to decline that the Parliament of England had with great alacrity and readinesse undertaken the War and not only engaged themselves to his Majesty to send over powerfull supplies both out of England and Scotland but by their publike Order of both Houses sent over to the Lords Justices and printed at Dublin in the Moneth of November fully declared their resolutions for the vigorous prosecution of the war of Ireland Nay the Cities of Galway and Limeric kept their designs very covertly not doing any open acts of hostility till after the arrivall of some Forces at Dublin out of England and that the siege of Drohedagh or Tredagh was raised and those bold perfidious Traitors beaten back into the North the Lords of the Pale banished by force of his Majesties Arms out of their own habitations which were all spoiled and laid waste Now that then they should declare themselves is more then a miracle to me and such a mystery as I should not know what to think of but that I find in the Lord Mac Guires relation before mentioned that they were acquainted with the first beginnings of this great plot and had a particular interest from time to time in the carriage of it on so as I think I shall not wrong them positively to determine that they were too deeply engaged slightly to retire and that howsoever upon the failing of it in the main piece they at first stood at a gaze and were put to take up second Counsels yet such was the strength of the conspiracy and their great confidence in the power of their arms as made them appear in due time to entertain their severall assignations and act their parts with great diligence and iudustry The wife of Philip O Rely in the County of Cavan told James Talbot as he openly related it to the Lords Justices at Counsel Board that she wondred very much
thought laid as it could not well faile and the day once prefixed for execution they did in their publicke Devotions long before recommend by their Prayers the good successe of a great Designe much tending to the prosperity of the Kingdome and the advancement of the Catholick cause And for the facilitating of the Worke and stirring up of the people with greater animosity and cruelty to put it on at the time prefixed they loudly in all places declamed against the Protestants telling the people that they were Hereticks and not to be suffered any longer to live among them that it was no more sinne to kill an English-man then to kill a dogge and that it was a most mortall and unpardonable sinne to relieve or protect any of them Then also they represented with much acrimony the severe courses taken by the Parliament in England for the suppressing of the Romish Religion in all parts of the Kingdome and utter extirpation of all professors of it They told the people that in England they had caused the Queens Priest to be hanged before her own face and that they held her Majesty in her owne person under a most severe discipline That the same cruell Laws against Popery were here ordered to be put sodainly in execution and a designe secretly laid for bringing and seizing upon all the principal Noblemen and Gentlemen in Ireland upon the 23. of November next ensuing and so to make a generall Massacre of all that would not desert their Religion and presently become Protestants The Irish revive their ancient animosities against the English And now also did they take occasion to revive their inveterate hatred and ancient animosities against the English Nation whom they represented to themselves as hard Masters under whose government how pleasant comfortable and advantagious so ever it was they would have the world beleeve they had endured a most miserable captivity and envassalage They looked with much envie upon their prosperity considering all the Land they possessed though a great part bought at high rates of the Natives as their owne proper inheritance They grudged at the great multitudes of their faire English Cattell at their goodly Houses though built by their own industry at their own charges at the large improvements they made of their Estates by their own travails and carefull endevours They spake with much scorne and contempt of such as brought little with them into Ireland and having there planted themselves in a little time contracted great fortunes they were much troubled especially in the Irish Countries to see the English live handsomely and to have every thing with much decency about them while they lay nastily buried as it were in mire and filthinesse the ordinary sort of people commonly bringing their Cattle into their owne stinking Creates and there naturally delighting to lye among them These malignant considerations made them with an envious eye impatiently to looke upon all the British lately come over into the Kingdome Nothing lesse then a generall extirpation will now serve their turne they must have restitution of all the Lands to the proper Natives whom they take to be the ancient proprietors and onely true owners most unjustly despoiled by the English whom they hold to have made undue acquisitions of all the Land they possesse by gift from the Crown upon the attainder of any of their Ancestors And so impetuous were the desires of the Natives to draw the whole Government of the Kingdome into their owne hands The ends proposed by the first plotters of the rebellion to enjoy the publicke profession of their Religion as well as to disburthen the Country of all the British inhabitants seated therein as they made the whole body of the State to be universally disliked represented the severall members as persons altogether corrupt and ill affected pretended the ill humours and distempers in the Kingdome to be growen to that height as required Cauteries deepe incisions and indeed nothing able to worke so great a cure but an universall Rebellion This was certainly the disease as appeares by all the symptomes and the joynt concurrence in opinion of all the great Physitians that held themselves wise enough to propose remedies and prescribe fit applications to so desperate a Malady In those Instructions privately sent over into England by the Lord Dillon of Costeloz presently after the breaking out of the Rebellion the alteration of the supream power in the government and setling of it in the hands of the Earl of Ormond giving leave to the Grand Councell of the Kingdome to remove such Officers of State as they thought fit and to recommend Natives to their places were there positively laid down to be a more likely meanes to appease these tumults then a considerable Army In the Remonstrance of the County of Longford presented about the same time to the Lords Justices by the same Lord Dillon as also in the frame of the Common-wealth found at Sir John Dungars House not farre from Dublin and sent up thither out of Conaught to be communicated to those of Lemster peeces which publikely appeared soon after the breaking out of the Rebellion the main points insisted upon in them and severall others The true causes of the Rebellion were restauration of the Publick profession of the Romish Religion restitution of all the Plantation Lands unto the Natives and settlement of the present Government in their hands All the Remonstrances from severall parts and that came out of the severall Provinces of the Kingdome doe concurre in these Propositions with very little or no difference And therefore that the desires with the first intentions of those who are now out in Rebellion may more cleerly appear I have thought fit here to insert them as I found them Methodically digested into certain Propositions termed The meanes to reduce this Kingdome unto Peace and quietnesse 1 THat a generall and free pardon without any exception be granted to all his Majesties Subjects of this Kingdome and that in pursuance thereof and for strengthning the same an Act of Abolition may passe in the Parliament here 2 That all marks of Nationall distinctions between English and Irish may he abolished and taken away by Act of Parliament 3 That by severall Acts of Parliament to be respectively passed here and in England it be declared that the Parliament of Ireland hath no subordination with the Parliament of England but that the same hath in it self supream Jurisdiction in this Kingdom as absolute as the Parliament of England there hath 4 That the Act of 12. Henry the seventh commonly called Poynings Act and all other Acts expounding or explaining the same may be repealed 5 That as in England there past an Act for a Trienniall Parliament there may passe in Ireland another for a Sexenniall Parliament 6 That it may be enacted by Parliament that the Act of the 2d of Queen Elizabeth in Ireland and all other Acts made against Catholicks or the Catholick Religion
State here as to enable them by the assistance of those small Forces they confusedly gathered together to hold out till the arrivall of the Succours sent out of England I leave it to every one to consider with how much advantage they might have gone on at that time towards the accomplishment of so desperate a Project And for my selfe I must professe that I am cleerly resolved that had they at first overmastered the unexpected difficulties and fatall impediments they met withall at home and possessed themselves of the Arms and Munition within the Castle of Dublin and so flesht and blooded in the slaughter of many thousands of the English Nation had transported a numerous Army of Irish Rebels and sodainly landed them in some good Port within the Kingdome of England They would have prevailed very farre towards the miserable desolation and ruine thereof It must be remembred in what a most unhappy discomposure the affaires were at that time there what a diseased body the State then had and what high distempers then strongly working soone after brake out what a strong party they might have found within and with what great reputation they would have marched on under the glory of their late victories atchieved in Ireland signalizing the power of their armes with such horrid cruelties and bloody butcheries as would have wrought a strange terror among the people Thus we see what were the Causes and first Motives to this unnaturall Rebellion as likewise who were the chiefe Actors and the great instruments designed by the first Plotters to predispose the people to a readinesse to take Armes for the rooting out of the British Inhabitants from among them The Preparatives being all made the Plot in all points ripe for execution it was carried on to the very evening before the day appointed for the taking of the Castle of Dublin without discovery And though it pleased God to bring it then to light as hath been declared and so happily to disappoint it in the maine Peece yet it tooke in the Northerne parts being that very day fully executed in most of the chiefe places of strength within the Province of Vlster And whereas the Priests did long before in their publick Devotions at Masse pray for a blessing upon a great Designe they had then in hand so now as I have heard they did in many places the very day before the breaking out of this Rebellion give the people a dismisse at Masse with free liberty to goe out and take possession of all their Lands which they pretended unjustly detained from them by the English as also to strip rob and dispoyle them of all their Goods and Cattell They had without doubt by one meanes or other either private or publick instructions not to leave to the English any thing that might afford the least comfort or hope of longer subsistance among them This was the main bait used to draw on the common people The English goods presented to the Irish as a chiefe means to raise them up against them and this wrought farre more powerfully then all other perswasions fictions or wilde chimeraes that they infused into them It is most apparant that the prime Gentlemen in all parts as well as the Clergy pressed them on to despoyle the English of all their Goods and Cattell well knowing their avaricious humour and greedy desires to get them into their possession and that they could not possibly finde out any other thing that would engage them more readily to undertake or more desperately to execute all manner of villanies then the hopes of enjoying so rich a prey now presented unto them The people made beleeve by their priests that it was a Meritorious act to kill the English The people being now set at liberty and prepossessed by their Priests with a beleefe that it was lawfull for them to rise up and destroy all the Protestants who they told them were worse then Dogs that they were Devils and served the Devill assuring them the killing of such was a meritorious act John Parry of Dâ—uermosh in the County of Armagh deposeth that O Cullan a Priest told his Auditors at Masse that the bodies of such as died in this quarrell should not be cold before their soules should ascend up into heaven and that they should be free from the paines of Purgatory and a rare preservative against the paines of Purgatory gathered themselves together in great numbers assembling in severall companies through the severall parts of the Northerne Counties with staves Margaret Bromley in her Examination deposeth that some of the Rebels would say after their cruell butcheries that they knew if themselves should now dye their soules should goe to Heaven and that they were glad of the revenge they had taken of the English sithes and pitch-forks for at first they had not many better weapons And so in a most confused manner they began tumultuously to drive away at the first onely the Cattel belonging to the English The Irish rise and first drive away all the Cattel belonging to the English and then to break into their houses and seize upon their goods It is true there were some murders committed the very first day of their rising and some houses set on fire but these as I conceive were for the most part out of private spleen or where they had particular instructions so to doe as they had from the Lord Mac Guire to kill Master Arthur Champion a Justice of Peace in the County of Fermanagh who with severall other of his neighbours were murthered at his owne house upon the 23. of October in the morning But certainly that which they mainly intended at first and which they most busily employed themselves about was the driving away the Englishmens Cattell and possessing their goods The Irish Gentlemen possesse themselves of the Goods belonging to the English under pretence of securing them Wherein the common people were not the onely actors but even the chiefe Gentlemen of the Irish in many placrs most notoriously appeared and under plausible pretences of securing their goods from the rapine and spoile of the common sort got much peaceably into their hands And so confident were the English of their good dealing at first as many delivered their goods by retaile unto them gave them particular Inventories of all they had nay digged up such of their best things as they had hidden under ground to deposite in their custody Much likewise they got by faire promises and deep engagements to doe them no further mischief to suffer them their wives and children quietly to retire and leave the Country But others and especially the meaner sort of people fell more rudely to work at the very first breaking up of their houses and using all manner of force and violence to make themselves masters of their goods The next act was to strip the English man woman child stark naken and to turn them out of their
over the poore surprized unresisting English in those Parts and had so deeply drenched their hands in the blood of those innocents as they thought to carry the whole Kingdome before them and therefore would yeeld to no Treaties but in a most barbarous manner tore the Order of Parliament together with the Letter sent unto them and returned a most scornfull Answer fully expressing thereby how farre they were from any thought of laying down Armes or entertaining any overtures towards an Accommodation Within few dayes after the adjournment of the Parliament the Lord Dillon of Costelo accompanied with the Lord Taffe imbarqued for England but by a most impetuous storme were driven into Scotland where they landed and went up to London At the Town of Ware their papers were seized upon by directions from the Parliament of England and their persons committed unto safe custody Mr Thomas Burk went over much about the same time and certainly upon the same errand When the unhappy breach began first betwixt the King and the Parliament of England and that his Majesty thought fit to retire to York those two Lords found meanes to make an escape and all three constantly followed the Court where in those high distempers that afterwards hapned in England they easily found meanes to ingratiate themselves at Court and had the opportunity to doe those good offices for their Country-men which brought on the Cessation of Armes with them in due time The Lords Iustices and Councell by their Letters bearing date about the 20 of November Letters written to the Lord Lievtenant gave unto the Lord Lievtenant a more certaine and full account of the state of the Kingdome then they could any wayes doe at the first breaking out of the Rebellion and thereby making known the very ill condition of their present affaires they moved that the supplies of men money Commanders and Armes mentioned in their former Letters might be with all speed sent over unto them and that his Lordship would presently repaire hither in his own person to undertake the management of the warre About the tenth of the Month of November their Lordships received an Answer from the Lord Lievtenant to their former Letters of the 25 of October whereby he gave them to understand that he had communicated their Letters to the Lords of his Majesties most Honourable Privie Councell and that by Order from their Lordships he had acquainted both Houses of Parliament with them that he had also sent to his Majesty still continuing at Edenborough in Scotland to represent the condition of their affaires and that he understood his Majesty had received some advertisements out of the North of Ireland of the present Rebellion there His Lordship also farther let them know that his Majesty had referred the whole businesse of Ireland to the Parliament of England that they had undertaken the charge and management of the warre that they had declared they should be speedily and vigorously assisted and had designed for their present supplies the summe of 50000 l. and had taken order for making of all further Provisions necessary for the Service as may appeare by the Order of Parliament made there at that time and trans-mitted over by the Lord Lievtenant together with his said Letters unto the Lords Iustices by whose command it was reprinted at Dublin November 12. 1641. as here followeth being intituled An Order of the Lords and Commons in this present Parliament in England concerning Ireland THe Lords and Commons in this present Parliament being advertised of the dangerous Conspiracie and Rebellion in Ireland by the Treacherous and wicked Instigation of Romish Priests and Jesuites for the Bloody Massacre and Destruction of all Protestants living there and other his Majesties Loyall Subjects of English blood though of the Romish Religion being ancient Inhabitants within severall Counties and Parts of that Realme who have alwayes in former Rebellions given Testimony of their fidelity to this Crown And for the utter depriving of his Royall Majestie and the Crown of England from the Government of that Kingdome under pretence of setting up the Popish Religion Have thereupon taken into their serious Consideration how those mischievous Attemps might be most speedily and effectually prevented wherein the Honour Safety and Interest of this Kingdom are most nearely and fully concerned Wherefore they doe hereby declare that they doe intend to serve his Majesty with their Lives and Fortunes for the suppressing of this wicked Rebellion in such a way as shall be thought most effectuall by the Wisdome and Authority of Parliament And thereupon have Ordered and Provided for a present Supply of Money and raysing the number of six thousand Foot and Two thousand Horse to be sent from England being the full proportion desired by the Lords Iustices and his Majesties Councell resident in that Kingdome with a Resolution to adde such further Succours as the necessity of those Affaires shall require They have also resolved of providing Armes and Munition not only for those Men but likewise for his Majesties faithfull Subjects in that Kingdome with Store of Victuals and other Necessaries as there shall be occasion and that these Provisions may more conveniently be transported thither they have appointed three severall Ports of this Kingdome that is to say Bristoll Westchester and one other in Cumberland where the Magazines and Store-houses shall be kept for the Supply of the severall parts of Ireland They have likewise resolved to be humble Mediators to His most Excellent Majesty for the encouragement of those English or Irish who shall upon their own charges raise any number of Horse or Foot for his Service against the Rebells that they shall be honourably rewarded with Lands of Inheritance in Ireland according to their Merits And for the better inducing the Rebels to repent of their wicked Attempts they doe hereby commend it to the Lord Lievtenant of Ireland or in his absence to the Lord Deputy or Lords Iustices there according to the power of the Commission granted them in that behalfe to bestow his Majesties gracious Pardon to all such as within a convenient time to be declared by the Lord Lievtenant Lord Deputy or Lords Iustices and Councell of that Kingdome shall return to their due obedience the greatest part whereof they conceive have been seduced upon false Grounds by the cunning and subtle practises of some of the most malignant Rebels Enemies to this State and to the Reformed Religion and likewise to bestow such Rewards as shall be thought fit and publisht by the said Lord Lievtenant Lord Deputy or Lords Iustices and Councell upon all those who shall arrest the Persons or bring in the Heads of such Traytors as shall be personally named in any Proclamation published by the State there And they doe hereby exhort and require all his Majesties loving Subjects both in this and in that Kingdome to remember their duty and conscience to God and his Religion and the great and eminent danger which will
in small vessels And then that upon landing of their men in Ireland there should be a 100 horse ready to joyn with every 1000 foot that they should send thither And that they should receive Instructions and Orders and in every thing obey the Scotish Generall 〈…〉 These propositions being taken into consideration in the House of Commons after they had duly considered of them and weighed the high necessities of this Kingdome that the Scots had 2500 men ready raised and that they could not so suddenly make provision any other way for the saving Ireland as by sending these Forces out of Scotland they readily condiscended unto them and having voted them severally they sent them up to the House of Peeres with their desires for a speedy concurrence in them These beginnings gave great hopes of the sudden reliefe of Ireland and it was now generally beleived that considerable Forces would be transported within a very short time out of Scotland for the defence of the Northern parts of this Kingdome especially considering with how much earnestnesse his Majesty in his Speech made to the Lords and Commons in Parliament on the 14 of December in this present yeare had pressed them to take to heart the businesse of Ireland and offered unto them whatsover his power paines or industry could contribute to the good and necessary work of reducing the Irish Nation to their true and wonted obedience But alas these great expectations were soone dashed The Forces designed for Ireland retarded and the Forces designed for Ireland as well out of England as Scotland strangely retarded by severall obstructions which daily arose in the transaction of the Irish affaires For first his Majesty in the same Speech wherein he conjured them by all that was deare to him or them to goe on chearefully and speedily for the reducing of Ireland did take notice of a Bill for pressing Souldiers for Ireland depending in the House of Peeres and declaring his dislike of putting it in that way told them he would passe it so were there a salvo jure put into it both for the King and people but withall told them that he thought him selfe little beholding unto him whosoever it was that began this dispute so farre trenching upon the bounds of his ancient and undoubted prerogative These passages in his Majesties Speech were deeply resented not only by the Lords who were more particularly concerned in them but by the House of Commons And therefore his Majesty had no sooner ended his Speech and left their House but that the Lords fell into consideration of the same and resolved that the King by taking notice of the debate in their House of the Bill concerning pressing of Souldiers had broken the fundamentall priviledges of Parliament And presently a Message was brought unto them likewise by Mr Hollis from the House of Commons to desire a conference with their Lordships by Committees of both Houses touching the Priviledges of Parliament At the conference they fully expressed the deep sence they had of the high injury offered unto them by his Majesty in invading their Priviledges and proceeded so farre as to come not only to Petition his Majesty and to desire that hee would be pleased to make known that person who had given him information so unduly of what had passed in their House but also to make a Protestation concerning their Priviledges This took up some time and the great misunderstanding even which then began to appear betwixt his Majesty and the Parliament had so strong an influence into the businesse of Ireland as notwithstanding the high necessities of this Kingdome and the great affections expressed by the Kingdome of England for our sudden reliefe here the resolutions were slow and the preparations went so heavily on as it was long before the House of Commons could finde meanes to enable the Lord Lieutenant to send so much as one Regiment away out of England for the defence of the Castle and City of Dublin then much distressed by the neare approach of the Rebels And now for the Forces to be sent out of Scotland into the Northern Parts of this Kingdome they meet with severall obstructions likewise The debate of the propositions presented by the Scotish Commissioners in the House of Peeres For first the Commissioners of Scotland had not power given them from the State there to Treat for the sending over a lesser number then 10000 men which the Lords here were very unwilling to condiscend unto But this obstacle was soone removed by the zealous affections of the House of Commons who as soone as the Propositions brought in by the Scotish Commissioners for the reliefe of Ireland were presented unto them voted their assent to Treat for the sending of the number of 10000 men out of Scotland according to the instructions given to the Commissioners by that Kingdome and sent up a Message to the House of Peeres by Sir Philip Stapleton Knight to lay before their Lordships the miserable estate of the Kingdome of Ireland and to let them know that the House of Commons conceived the best way for the preservation of it out of the hands of the Rebels was speedily to dispatch the Scots into the Province of Vlster and therefore desired that they would joyn with them in the Propositions received from the Scotish Commissioners Upon the receit of this Message the House of Peeres fell upon the said Proposition and after a long debate it was at length agreed that 10000 Scots should be sent into Ireland if the House of Commons would condiscend that at the same time there might 10000 English men bee as speedily sent likewise thither and thereupon desired a conference with the House of Commons that they might fully understand their resolution therein which being yeelded unto by the House of Commons The Lords at the conference pressed with much earnestnesse that they might be assured of the sending over of 10000 English at the same time that the Scots were to be sent away whereunto the House of Commons replyed that they were not to be capitulated withall that their actions were free as well without conditions as capitulations that they thought they had given sufficient certainty already of their resolution to send that number of English into Ireland and therefore desired that their Lordships would Vote the sending away of 10000 Scots by it selfe without any relation to the English spoken of by them This took up a large debate in the House of Peeres and was one maine cause of the slow proceeding on of the Treaty with the Scotish Commissioners I shall not undertake to determine at so great a distance from whence these obstructions grew but I am very sure wee could here easily finde that there were some such secret workings underhand against the good affections expressed by the House of Commons and by the Lords who were well affected to the service of Ireland as that this Treaty was very much retarded thereby and was not
but only within the virge of the City and such as they ordinarily took up there were either Irish whereof many ran presently away with their armes to the Rebels or poore stripped English and Inhabitants of this City who were raw men and though they afterwards being well exercised and trained to the use of their armes proved very good souldiers yet for the present they were very unfit for service As appeared in that little expedition Colonell Craford made out with his men to Finglas Some Forces sent out to encounter the Rebels who lodged within three miles of Dublin a little Town two miles distant from the City at the same time when Sir Charles Coot marched forth to beat Luke Nettervile with his undisciplined Regiment out of his quarters at Santry who having timely notice of his comming saved him the labour for he presently upon the rumour thereof dislodged and fled in so much haste as he left some of his best equipage and all his provisions behind him But that Party of Rebels Colonell Craford found at Finglas having placed themselves with good advantage behind great ditches stood better to their work and carried themselves so stoutly as our new raised men began to shrink and had not the Colonell and some other of his Officers behaved themselves very well that day their men had made a most dangerous and shamefull retreat This was the greatest expedition the Forces in Dublin were able to undertake at that time which no man will wonder at if he doth consider as it hath been related how the Town was in a manner surrounded on every side by severall Parties of the Rebels gathered together Dublin surrounded on every side by the Rebels all commerce was interrupted all provisions brought out of the Countrey for the supply of it intercepted as also that all the chiefe of the English Inhabitants had transported themselves their goods and their Families into England many of the Papists had upon other reasons retired themselves and what belonged unto them into the Countrey and there taken up their habitations within the Rebels quarters no manner of intercouse with any persons whatsoever that made their abode without the distance of two miles from any part of the City no intelligence to be had upon any termes from among the Rebels all courses taken for it disappointed severall Messengers hanged up and yet on the other side all our designs disclosed our weaknesse discovered and the most private resolutions by one meanes or other communicated unto them The Parties of the Rebels that lay neare about the City were these following Luke Nettervile being beaten from Santry lay with neare 2000 men at Swoords a Town six miles distant and possessed himselfe of the Castle of Artaine and some other places within two miles of the City On the West side of the City at Tassagard Rath-coole Castle Lyons and other little Villages within the compasse of six miles there lay 2000 more of the Rebels who were come down out of the Countyes of Carterlagh Kings County Kildare and other Parts under the command of Roger Moore and Sutton Eustace of Castle-Martin and others The Clandonells Birnes and Tooles were also come down in great numbers out of the County of Wiclow and had lodged themselves in some Castles towards the Sea side and in somes Villages at the foot of the Mountain not above three or foure miles distant from the Town on the South side How desperately these Forces threatned our ruine and sudden destruction will appeare by this ensuing Letter bearing date about the midst of December written from the Lords Iustices and Councell unto the Lord Lieutenant then attending for his dispatch A LETTER from the Lords Iustices and Councell to the Lord LIEVTENANT May it please your Lordship BY our Letters of the third of December we made known to your Lordship that Mr Hawtrige was then newly arrived with the Treasure sent us from thence which came but to sixteen thousand five hundred fourescore and tenne pounds a supply of Treasure farre short of that which is now become necessary to performe any considerable service here against the Rebels whose numbers are increased wonderfully insomuch as the Forces they have about Drogheda on all sides it and between Drogheda and this place reaching even within foure miles of this City are upon very credible report conceived to be above twenty thousand men and besides those numbers who are so united between this and Drogheda and thereabouts there are many thousands of them dispersed the whole Kingdome over for the meaner sort of people first rise generally and then those of better quality follow after and the fire which was first kindled in Vlster and lay awhile smothered in other parts begins now to break out so generally as the defection now appeares to bee universall throughout the whole foure Provinces so strangly rooted was the combination and that strengthned under the specious shew of a Warre for Religion for although before and since the Caution wee had from your Lordship We have on our part endeavoured not to give any apprehension to the Irish that England doth intend to make it a Warre of Religion yet as we formerly made known to your Lordship the Rebels labour mainely to have it so understood Nay they now goe so farre as they call themselves generally the Catholike Army a Title which hath drawn many thousands to their party and yet many joyned with them for no other reason then because they saw our Succours expected forth of England and Scotland deferred they rightly judging that without those Succours we are not able to defend them our selves and indeed untill those Succours come they must and will still encrease but if our men and armes were once arrived the very countenance of their comming would draw many from them to us and give some stop to the fury with which they yet carry all before them whithersoever they come They continue their rage and malignity aganst the English and Protestants who if they leave their goods or cattell for more safety with any Papist those are called out by the Rebels and the Papists goods and cattell left behind and now upon some new Councells taken by them they have added to their former a further degree of cruelty even of the highest nature which is to Proclaime That if any Irish shall harbour or relieve any English that be suffered to escape them with his life that it shall bee penall even to death to such Irish and so they will bee sure though they put not those English actually to the sword yet they doe as certainly and with more cruelty cut them off that way then if they had done it by the sword and they professe they will never give over untill they leave not any seed of an English-man in Ireland Nor is their malice towards the English expressed only so but further even to the beasts of their fields and improvements of their hands for they destroy all Cattell
of English breed and declare openly that their reason is because they are English so great is their hatred not onely to the persons of the English but also to every species of that Nation and they destroy all improvements made by the English and lay waste their habitations Wee formerly signified to your Lordship that to take away all jealousie from the Papists of the English Pale we would furnish them with some Armes and the rather because wee well know that in the last great Rebellion in Ireland the English Pale stood firme to the Crowne of England and that the Rebell Tyrone in the heigth of his power and greatnesse was never able to get into the Pale with his Forces whilst hee was in Rebellion and upon this occasion the Noblemen and Gentlemen of the Pale making deep professions of their loyalty to his Majesty in imitation of their Ancestors and with expressions seeming to abhorre the Contrivers of this Rebellion here against whom they offered their power and strength so as they might have Armes and we being well assured that if wee could gaine their concurrence with us it would much facilitate our work wee did at their earnest suit issue for them Armes for one thousand seven hundred men wherewith divers Companies were armed by them and some of them selves were appointed Governours of the Forces of the Counties and Captaines of their Compaines but so many of those Companies revolted to the Rebels and carryed away their Armes with them as we have recovered back but nine hundred and fifty Armes so as those whose loyalty We had reason to expect would help us are now through their disloyalty turned against us and are strengthned with our own Armes and without all question if those of the English Pale had done their parts as became good subjects with their Armes they had from us and those they might gather amongst themselves they might with our help not only have defended the Pale against the Rebels but might also have prevented the ruine and destruction wrought by their Tenants and Neighbours on the poore English and Protestants amongst them for the Noblemen and Gentry sate still and looked on whilst the English and Protestants were ruined before their faces the Papist in the meane time remaining secure without the losse of goods or any thing else When wee saw the power and strength of the Rebels still growing upon us more and more and approaching by degrees more neare to us and the English and Protestants robbed and spoyled even within two miles of this City in disdaine and affront of this State which are scornes of so high a nature as we could not endure if we had strength sufficient to represse their insolencies and when we observed the retarding of our Succours of men and armes from England or Scotland neither of both Succours being yet come nor as we heard so much as in view there or in Scotland and when we found apparantly that for want of those supplies we became in a manner so contemptible as we were in danger to be set upon for taking from us this City and Castle before our aides should come wee be-thought us of all the meanes we could of gaining time being confident that wee cannot be so deserted by the State of England but that some supplies may yet come unto us And therefore on the third of December we directed our Letters to divers of the Nobility of the Kingdome who were nearest to us and most of them being of the English Pale to be with us here on the eight day of this Month that we might conferre with them concerning the present state of the Kingdome and we hoped by their help to handle the matter so as we might gaine a few dayes time before our supprisall here by which time in all likelihood our Succours might arrive although it be boldly given out by the Rebels that we shall have no Succours from thence which they divulge to enbolden their party and to strike terror and discouragement into the well-affected amongst whom there are many so weak as to apprehend from thence too much feare whereby many are fled the Kingdome On the eigth day of this Moneth the Earle of Kildare the Lord Viscount Fitz-Williams and the Lord Barron of Houth came unto us but the rest of the Noblemen not comming deferred our conference and on the eleventh day of this Month we received Letters from seven of them namely the Earle of Fingale the Lord Viscount Gormonston the Lord Viscount Nettervile and the Lords of Slaine Trimblestone Dunsany and Lowth dated the seventh day of this Month and signed by them pretending a feare of a Massacre on those of their Religion and that therefore they are deterred to wait on us but doe rather think it fit to stand upon their guard and how that resolution of theirs may stand with the loyalty they professe wee humbly submit to his Majestie 's excellent judgment for whose royall view wee send you here inclosed a Copy of their said Letters When we received those Letters we did admire whence their feares of comming to us should arise but afterwards we heard that they had been in consultation with the Rebels which also as to most of them is confirmed by the enclosed Examination of Christopher Hampton and indeed we know no cause of feare they have of us unlesse their own guilts begot in them the feare they pretend and they spare not though unjustly to charge us with a neglect of their advises whereas not one of them to this House offered to us any advice or reall assistance towards Pacification of these troubles It became then publike nor could wee keep secret that which they had published to others that those Noblemen so farre sided with the Rebels as they now stood on their guard wee therefore adjudged it fit for vindicating the State from the aspersion which we found so publikely endeavoured to be laid upon us to publish the enclosed Proclamation as well to satisfie to the world as those Noblemen who certainly are abundantly satisfied in their own secret thoughts that wee never intended to Massacre them or any other that being a thing which we and all good Protestants doe much abhorre what ever the practice of their Religion is and hath been found to be by wofull experience in other parts whereof we confesse we are now in great danger if our long expected Succours come not the sooner to us and it may be gathered from that unexampled tyranny which the Rebels have already exercised towards those of our Nation and Religion who fell into their hands what we for our parts may expect from them but the dishonour and shame which may reflect upon the English Nation by exposing this State and Kingdome to so apparent ruine and with it the extirpation of Gods true Religion afflicts us more then the losse of our own lives and fortunes when all might be saved by sending seasonably those Succors Wee lately received Letters
from the Lady Ofaly and a Letter containing most insolent Menaces inclosed therein sent her from the Rebels to which shee sent them a noble Answer Copies whereof we send here inclosed One of the Rebels stiling himselfe Chaplaine Major and Overseer of the Coasts and Harbours lately sent a Summons in a proud and vaunting manner to one Edward Leech that was entrusted to keep the Iland of Lambay requiring the delivery up of that Iland to the Rebels which being done he gave Leech a Passe where in he stiles the Rebels Forces the Catholike Army A copy of which Summons and Passe we send your Lordship here inclosed and Leech told us that that mighty Chaplaine declared openly to him That he was Plotter of this Rebellion That he had spent in Travell and Prosecution of that design beyond Seas foure thousand pounds and that all the Kings in Christendome excepting the King of England and the King of Denmark have hands in this businesse A Castle in the Town of Langford held by the English who stood out awhile against the Rebels being in the end through want of victuals necessitated to be rendered up to them upon promise of quarter a Popish Priest standing with his Skeane in his hand watching for the comming forth of a Minister then amongst the English did by thrusting that Skeane into the Ministers guts and ripping up his belly give that as a signall to the Rebels for falling upon the rest of the English which they did accordingly assoone as the Minister was murthered killing some and hanging the rest most perfidiously On the ninth of this Month we received advertisement that great numbers of men were gathered together in War-like manner at Swoords in the County of Dublin within six miles of us they having the Army of the Rebels behind them on this side Drogheda whereupon we then immediately sent out our Warrant commanding them to disperse A Copy whereof we send your Lordship here inclosed which was not obeyed but a Letter sent us from Luke Nettervile Sonne to the Lord Viscount Nettervile and others of them A Copie whereof we likewise send here inclosed whereupon we published the inclosed Manifest for vindicating this State from their aspersions also And it is observable that those Gentlemen at Swoords could even on that very Tuesday night wherein they alledge they were so affrighted at their Houses assemble twelve hundred men together in that moment of time to have in readinesse against any attempt from the State whereas for many dayes before they could sit still and look on whilst an Army of the Enemy lay behind them betwixt them and Drogheda and whilst some of them openly declared Rebels and many of their neighbours who doubtlesse hold under-hand intelligence with the Rebels robbed and spoiled the English on all parts round about them and yet those Gentlemen could not in all that time be either so affrighted by the Rebels or so compassionate of their poore English neighbours as to assemble any men for the defence of themselves or those their poore English neighbours and certainly those Gentlemen might have been as believing in this State who have alwayes used lenity and mildnesse towards them as in the Forces of the Rebels which lie so neare behind them and who they know have murthered many of his Majesties good and innocent Subjects and for ought they know if there were not secret intelligence between them might have used them also in like manner But the truth is we conceive those Gentlemen had a minde to joyn with the Rebels and doe now take up pretences to cover their disloyalty and cast scandall on this Government The Rebels in the Pale as in other parts have caused Masses to be said openly in the Churches expelled the Ministers from Officiating in their Churches and forced divers persons for saving their lives and goods to become Papists openly professing that no Protestant shall be suffered to live in Ireland and whilst they insult thus over all the English and Protestants destroying them for no other reason but for that they are Protestants and English we let fall nothing against them touching Religion and yet they faine things against us tending that way to give some colour to their cruell proceedings The Rebels of the County of Kildare have taken the Naas and Kildare in the County of Kildare The Rebels of Meath have taken Trim and Ashboy in the County of Meath and divers other places The Rebels of the County of Dublin have possessed Swoords and Rathcoole and spoyled all the English and Protestants even to the Gates of Dublin and now about fifteen hundred of the Rebels of Wiclow are in and about Powerscait and about ten miles from this City There are also between this and the Naas within six or seven miles of us a thousand of the Rebels of Kildare and the Borders of Wiclow and Dublin so as we are in this City invironed by them on all sides by Land and they begin to stop accesses to us by Sea for the Fishermen on the Sea Coasts being all Irish and Papists Inhabitants in the Pale brake out also into Rebellion with the multitude and have robbed spoyled and pillaged even within the Bay of Dublin severall Barkes comming hither forth of England And if to revenge this villany on the Fishermen at Clantarfe and thereabouts so neere us we send forth a Party of Souldiers to burn and spoyle those Rebels houses and corn the Gentlemen of the Pale will immediately take new offence but that we will adventure upon for now there is no dalliance with them who so farre declare themselves against the State not caring what scorns are put upon the Government wherein is observable that the Landlord of Clantarfe is one of those Gentlemen risen in Armes at Swoords Your Lordship now sees not only the necessity of hastning with all possible speed our Succours of men and armes both out of England and Scotland in greater numbers then those at first designed seeing the breach appeares to be farre greater and the defection more generall then at first was conceived and yet so as such of them as are ready be not forced to stay for the rest but that those may be so ordered as to come after for no flesh can imagine unlesse they saw it as we doe the greatnesse of our danger who are but a handfull in comparison of the multitudes risen against us And we desire that the ten thousand designed to come from Scotland may be wholly sent away as well the five thousand intended to be left there in readinesse as the rest with direction to land as neare Dublin as they may and wheresoever they land to march to Dublin if possibly they can And to send away with all speed the Ships appointed for guarding these Coasts is also very necessary to be hastned and that two or three Ships of good strength follow after doubtlesse these Rebels expect a very great supply of Armes and Munition from forraign Parts either
Spaine or France And although out of the fore-sight we had of this extremity since these troubles began we have endeavoured to get in some provisions of victuall and corne yet we have not been able to provide our selves sufficiently to stand out any long siege nor can we now get in any more our Markets being almost taken away and the strength of the Rebels surrounding us so as wee can fetch in no more provisions wherefore we beseech your Lordship that the Magazins of Victuals designed to be setled on that side may be setled wirh all speed if it be not done already whereby we and the Succours we expect may not be in distresse of Victuals for our selves or them or oates for our horses Our want of Victuals is the more in respect of the daily accesse of the English spoyled in the Countrey The necessity of the defence of the Province of Munster required the immediate raising of a Regiment of Foot consisting of one thousand men and two Troops of Horse of threescore each Troop which threescore we appointed the Lord President to raise and for the payment and arming of of them wee humbly advise seeing we cannot doe it that money and armes be sent from thence to Youghall with a further supply of Armes and Munition for the stores in that Province now much wanting there And as the Rebels which have be set us and this City on all sides by Land doe threaten to cut off our Market at Dublin which we begin to feele already so they boldy declare that they will within a day or two cut off the watercourse which brings water to this City and Castle and that done that their multitudes will immediately burn our Suburbs and besiege our Walls which we confesse we yet want strength to defend and must want till our Supplies come forth of England or Scotland or both for here we have but about three thousand men the rest of the old Companies being dispersed in severall needfull Garrisons in the Countrey excepting seven Companies of them surprised and cut off by the Rebels at their first rising in Vlster and other Parts and about two hundred horse by pole of the old Army whereof many are Irish so as considering the spaciousnesse of this City and Suburbs to be defended the smalnesse of our number to defend them and the great numbers of Papists Inhabitants in this City and Suburbs and lastly the very great numbers of the Rebels who are so strong as to approach this City with many thousands and yet leave many thousands also at the siege of Drogheda wee cannot expect to bee able to defend this City for any long time against them without the arrivall of our expected Succours The Earle of Castle-haven on the tenth of this Month presented at this board the inclosed Oath tendered unto him by the Rebels to be sworn by him which he saith he refused to sweare and we heare they send it to all Parts to be tendered to the people pressing them to take the Sacrament thereupon We did lately in hope to gaine some time untill our supplies might come listen to an offer made by some Popish Priests to goe to the Rebels and Treat with them as you may perceive by the inclosed But since we finde there is little hope of it for some of the Priests are returned nothing being wrought thereby However it is fit your Lordship should know what wee doe we must now crave leave to declare to your Lordship that things being risen here to this heigth threatning not onely the shaking of the Government but the losse of the Kingdom as the Supplies of men Armes and more Treasure are of great necessity to be hastned away hither so is it also needfull that we enjoy your Lordships presence here for the conduct in your own person of the great and important affaires of this State as well in the Martiall as in the Civill Government which doe necessarily require it in this time of great imminent danger wherein so farre as we may be able to contribute any assistance with you we shall be ready to discharge our duties therein with that loyalty and uprightenesse of heart which we owe to his Majesty and the particular respect due from us to your Lordship but we hope you will bring that strength with you which may befit the greatnesse of the King our Master to send with his Leivtenant against so numerous enemies as these Rebels are become as well for the honour of his Majesty as for the terrour of those Rebels By what we have heretofore and now humbly represented to your Lordship you may in part see the greatnesse of the publike danger wherein this Kingdom now stands and particularly this City and Castle the principall piece thereof that if those be lost which we now againe assure your Lordship were never in so great perill to be lost since the first Conquest of this Kingdom by the Crown of England the whole Kingdom must quickly follow that the danger which must thereupon arise to the Kingdom of England is very great in many respects There is no possibility to prevent those evils with honour and safety to England but by Succours from thence or Scotland or both and that if those Succours come not speedily it cannot be avoyded but the Kingdom must be lost And if notwithstanding all this so often and truly made known by us to your Lordship we shall perish for want of Supplies we shall carry this comfort with us to our graves or any other buriall we shall have that your Lordship can witnesse for us to the Royall Majesty and to all the world that we have discharged our duties to God to his Majesty to that Nation and to this in humbly representing to his Majesty by your Lordship the chiefe Governour of the Kingdome the extremities and dangers wherein his Kingdome and people stand and the necessity of hastning Supplies hither by all possible meanes for preservation of both so as what ever become of our persons our memory cannot be justly stained with so wretched a breach of faith and loyalty to the King our Master as to forbeare representing thither the extremities wherein we are whether we have the credit to be believed or no and that we write truth and most needfull truth will be found true when perhaps we shall perish and which is more considerable the Kingdome also for want of being believed and succoured in time And so we remaine Your Lordships to be commanded William Persons Io Burlace Ormand Ossory R Dillon Char Lambart Ad Loftus Iohn Temple Charles Coot Francis Willoughby R Meredith From his Majesties Castle of Dublin 14 December 1641. Postscript BY our Letters to your Lordship of the 22 of November We did desire to be enformed from thence whether the Parliament here being once Prorogued may not againe be prorogued by Proclamation before they sit or whether it be of necessity that they must sit againe and the Parliament to