augmented and all manner of Caution and Circumspection used that might prevent in any probability the threatned Danger Dâ—ring these Transactions those Troops we had abroad were not idle but often marching many Miles into the Enemies Quarters not only beat them from their Posts and killed a great many of them but gave the Villages opportunity to rest in quiet under their Majesties Protection and freeing them from those Ravagements wherewith before they were distressed so that many who before stood out for fear of being plundered or destroyed came in and joyfully laid hold of the gracious Pardon offered them so that the face of things seemed to put on a Calm considering the Tempest that a little before had in a manner disjointed and put them out of Frame The Enemies Regular Troops missing of the Advantages they expected now gave way to the Outrages of the Rapperees more than ever having before a little restrained their Insolencies that the Advantage of Plunder might accrue to themselves so that they committed many barbarous Murthers in Villages and Loan-houses where their Force prevailed being mainly incited thereto by the revengeful Priests who shared with them in their Booty which made our Troops though the Season was very incommodious for marching by reason of the rains and quagginess of the ground and incroach upon them and frequently surprize them in their Randezvous beating them out of their Cabins and firing them over their Ears And now his Majesty providing for the Civil Affairs the Privy Council were the Lord Primate of Ireland the Lord Chancellour High Treasurer and Archbishop of Dublin for the time being the Duke of Ormond Earls of Meath Drogheda Longhford Ranelagh Granard and Viscount Lisburn the Bishop of Meath the Vice-Treasurer the Chancellor of the Exchequer the Chief Justices of the King's Bench Common Pleas Chief Baron of the Exchequer Master of the Rolls Principal Secretary of State and Master of the Ordnance for the time being Robert Fitz-Gerrard Sir Henry and William Hill Esquires The Judges appointed by his Majesty were for the King's Bench Sir Richard Raynel Mr. Justice Lyndon Sir Richard Stephens for the Common Pleas Mr. Justice Cox Mr. Justice Ieffersdon for the Exchequer Lord Chief Baron Hely Mr. Baron Echlin Sir Standish Harstrong Nor was the Civil Settlement alone considered but likewise the Ecclesiastical Promotions for the good and tranquility of the Protestant Churches of Ireland viz. Dr. March Bishop of Feras was advanced to the Archbishoprick of Cashel Dr. Tenison Bishop of Killala to be Bishop of Cloglier Dr. William King to be Bishop of London-Derry Dr. Digly Bishop of Lymirick to be Bishop of Elphin Dr. Vigorâ— Dean of Armagh to be Bishop of Ferus Dr. Wilson Dean of Rapho to be Bishop of Lymerick Dr. Fitz-Gerrald Dean of Cloim to be Bishop of Cloufort Dr. Lloyd Dean of Achonry to be Bishop of Killala So that now the face of things began to look pleasant however though it was in the dead of Winter our Troops abroad found some Action for one of our advanced Parties setting upon the Enemy near Castle-Town they killed 22 of them and took 5 Prisoners and Colonel Foulks gave a considerable Defeat to about 1500 Rapperees and trained Soldiers killing many of them and taking some Prisoners near the Bogg of Allen. Whilst these Successes were carried on with a high hand Colonel Brewer possessed himself of the Forts and Town of Lansborough and defeated about 3000 of the Enemy Soon after Major-General Tetteau heightned with his frequent Success and the beating some small Parties of the Enemy he marched his Forces towards the strong Town of Ross which had in it a Carrison of 600 Men under the Command of Colonel Maccarty the Lords Coursey and Slane and others of Note were also in the place upon the approach of our Men but not thinking themselves secure enough they poasted away for Lymerick and thereupon our Approaches being made 50 Danes and 50 of the Detachment out of Kingsale were ordered to storm a Fort cut out of a Rock which they did with so great a Resolution that they froze the Enemies Courage and soon made themselves Masters of it putting most they found therein to the Sword and many of those that endeavoured to swim from thence to another Rock were killed in the Water and marching thence to Tralee General Sheldon abondoned it with such speed that they had no time to set it on fire and so it fell entire into our hands and we having a small Fort at Fermoy-Bridge in the County of Cork the Enemy advanced with about 2000 Horse and Foot under the Command of one Carrol who upon his Approach sent to have it Surrendred Declaring that he knew the strength of the Place and that it was not tenable But upon his approach found such a warm Reception that after divers firings he being kill'd upon the place his Men took to their heels and that they might glory of something they burnt one House in their return Soon after this Defeat and the routing divers Parties of the Rapparees Colonel Brewer and Major Board went out with a detached Party of 150 Horse and about 200 Foot from Mullengar to relieve Marescourt and Mayvore with Provision and that done they took their way towards Ballymore and dislodged the Enemy on those Passes opening and freeing the Country and then returned to their Stations without the loss of any Men and soon after this Lieutenant Taylor defeated 400 of the Irish near Endery Lieutenant-General Ginkle upon notice that a great Body of the Enemy was gathering and some of them advancing towards Athlone he and Sir Iohn Lanier drew out a Party to oppose them who upon their approach retired in great confusion but being pursued by our Horse and Foot they were beat from the Retrenchments they had made as their last Refuge and the Chace being continued about 200 of them were killed and wounded and several taken Prisoners and our Men got a great Booty of Horses for the Enemy in their flight being hard pressed in the Rear quitted them and got into the Woods Colonel Hamilton being abroad meeting with a Party of the Enemy as they were Ravaging the Country near a place called Bautrey set upon them and at the first Charge put them into Disorder and soon after to open flight killing about 70 of them and taking some Prisoners with Booty c. And Captain Derby defeated another Party of them at Birre And now the Rapparees being more terrible to the Country People than the Enemies Regular Forces a Party was sent out to suppress them so that being frequently met withal a great many of them were killed and some that were taken Prisoners were Executed and lighting on a Party of about 400 Irish though he had then 100 Foot and 34 Horse having lessened his number by Detachments sent to find out the Rapparees he however drew up and Charged them with such Bravery that during the Action some more of his Men
and the like to every one that at a set day would appear and claim the Benefit of his Pardon before the Justice of Assize and Publick Justice for that purpose being setled in every Country it abated much of the Tyranny their Petty Lords had over them and made the Vulgar sort of them sensible of the Goodness of the English Laws of which before they had purposely been kept in Ignorance Being now for the most part freed from their Servitude and in the King 's immediate Protection so that if their Lords had a mind to Rebel they could not compel their Tenants to Rise as they had formerly done and Ireland being now divided into Shires the Circuits were erected in every Province and the English had their Lands alotted and more particular Colonies established so that Trade began to flourish and several Corporations of the City of London having purchased large Proportions of Land built a strong Town for their Securiâ—y against the Incursions of the Irish that might happen very advantageously situate on the Bank of a River and Lough which made a wonderful Change to all appearance in the face of Things but what can hinder a People from being miserable that will make themselves so as may not improperly say in spight of Providence the chief of the Irish were displeased at these Proceedings finding the English Improvement rendred such Plenty in the Kingdom as made their Land of little value and therefore many of them spightfully let them lye neglected to be over-run with Thistles and Briars cursing their Posterity if ever they had any Communication with the English or so much as Ploughed or Sowed by which their irreconcileable Hatred to us may be measured The ordinary sort of People notwithstanding their Lords Diâ—â—wasions finding they had not their former Power to compel perceiving Advantage to arise by this new Settlement inhabited very friendly with the English and by their Examples began to improve themselves in Industry and seemed averse to be stirred up as formerly upon every slight Occasion to Rebel insomuch that a long Peace ensued and that brought with it extraordinary Plenty but as nothing is certain or permanent upon Earth so in process of Time this golden Cord of Union between the two Nations was violently cut in sunder Troubles arising in the Year 1641. thro' a Mis-understanding and fomented Heats blown by secret Enemies and War being in prospect between England and Scotland several of the Native Irish Chiefs not finding the People prone to hearken to them incited the Popish Priests who by promising them Heaven for Obedience to their Commands and Damnation on the contrary with many other strange Stories and Things pushed them headlong on to one of the blackest Iniquities â—he Sun has for many Ages beheld and was too late discovered to be prevented for it happened that on the 23d of October the Irish headed by a great many of their Nobility and Gentry rose generally in Arms seizing upon divers strong Places Arms Ammunition and all that came to hand vowing the utter Destruction of all the English in Ireland to Extirpate them from the face of the Irish Earth both Root and Branch and this was discovered but one Night before it was to be executed by which Providence however Dublin and some other Places by the Imprisoning the Conspirators and Fortifying them with good Garisons were secured and became a Refuge to the Lives of many so that now one might every where behold Houses flaming the miserable People fly every where for their Lives whilst the Blood of many were mingled with Flames and the Earth made red by the Blood of those that were slaughtered in the Fields and Ways thousands were drowned in Rivers and Lakes till the Stream was glutted with the dead Bodies and they Bridged over the Waters many were ripped up alive and others tortured in a more cruel manner some were turned out into Snows and Frost and starved to death the Priests and Fryers going along with the Murtherers and beating them on to it with their Crucifixes telling them They were Hereticks and no longer to be suffered alive on the Earth and that it was so far from a sin to kill them that it was Meritorious and even Damnation it self to spare them giving the Sacrament to the more scrupulous of Conscience to confirm them in the Bloudy Enterprize so that in a short space before any Succour could come from England they destroyed by sundry barbarous ways 20000 Men Women and Children burnt most of their Houses and Villages killing their Cattel and suffering them to rot upon the Ground rooâ—ing up likewise their newly sprouted Corn as maliciously bent not only to destroy the People but in Hatred and utter Detestation all that appertained to them flattering themselves by the Inducement of old lying Prophesies to shake off the English Yoke and choose them a King from among their Country-men but Fate consented noâ— The King was at the beginning of this fatal Mischief in Ireland upon the Borders of Scotland labouring to compose the Differences recommending the Care of Ireland to his Parliament then sitting at Westminster who promised a speedy Relief and Assistance to the Protestants that were got together in Arms and stood upon their Defence Voting 50000 pound for to raise Forces and the Earl of Ormond was made Lieutenant-General of the Royal Forces in that Kingdom to joyn whom Sir Simon Harcourt was sent out of England with a Regiment So that the poor Remnant of the Protestants getting together made the Irish Papist that was so good at base and unmanly Murthers fly the Face of War But Troubles growing fast on in England by the Misunderstanding between King Charles the First and his Parliament and sprouting up into a miserable Civil War most of the guilty Persons at this time escaped unpunished But the small Force of the Proteâ—â—ants that were left being once united forced the Irish out of their strong Hold and restored the Face of Government yet about eighâ— Years after a Bloody Scene was acted for King Charles the First loosing his Kingdoms with his Life his Eldest Son Charles as his undoubted Right taking upon him the Kingly Dignity though in Exile England being cast as they termed it into a Model of a Free State or Republick the Marquess of Ormond Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland was commissioned to Labour the Securing that Country to the behoof of his Master King Charles the Second and finding no other Means to do it in that Imergency he closed his Interest with the Chief of the leading Irish concluding a Peace in the King's Name with the most considerable of them upon Submission and Obedience to his Majesty there being a Concession of certain Articles on the part of the Marquess to be performed when being joyned by the Marquess of Clanricard and the Lord Inchequeen the Earl of Castlehaven c. Trim and Tredah or Drogheda upon a Defeat they gave the Forces that came from England surrendered
sad Disaster on the Coast for being put on Board the Breda by what means is uncertain her Powder taking fire she blew up and most of those who were on Board were desteoyed the rest of the Fleet returned in Safety The Irish that yet kept the Field were not above 10000 yet they promised themselves great Recruits against the Spring In the mean while the Protestants conceived great Joy at this Success and in a grateful Acknowledgment to his Majesty who had been so signally instrumental in the Hand of Heaven for their Deliverance his Birth-day being the Fourth of November Old stile was observed in the reduced Places in an extraordinary manner but especially at Dublin where the Militia consisting of 2500 Foot and two Troops of Horse and as many of Dragoons were drawn out and gave several Vollies and in the Evening there was very fine Fireworks before the Lords Justices House on Colledge-Green and by their Order Claret was distributed to the People who drank their Majesty's Healths with all the Expressions of Duty and Loyalty and most of the Nobility and Gentry in and about the City were invited by the Lords Justices to a splendid Entertainment and Banquet the Day concluding with ringing of Bells and the Night with Bonefires and Illuminations as also other Publick Demonstrations of Joy and Triumph The Fifth of November being the Anniversary of the Popish Powder-Plot the Lords Justices attended by the Nobility Judges and other Persons of Quality in the Town with the King and Herauld at Arms and the Ensigns of Honour carried before them went to St. Patrick's Church and after their Return the Lords Justices gave the Nobility and Gentry another splendid Entertainment their Majesties Titles being at the second Course proclaimed in Latin French and English by the King at Arms the great Guns in the Castle continually thundring the general Joy in their roaring Language And that the Common People might not be wanting in sharing of their Bounty a whole Ox and an Hogshead of strong Bear was dealt out amongst them and at Night the general Joy was concluded with Bonefires and other Demonstrations of Publick Satisfaction The Soldiers being now mostly in their Winter-Quarters that they might have good usage and the Inhabitants of those Towns where they were quartered at the same time receive no damage the Lords Justices thought it neccessary to give their Orders concerning those Matters and accordingly issued out their Proclamation for regulating the Quarters of the Army and ascertaining the Rates to be allowed for the Soldiers Diet the Prizes of Provisions and the manner how the Inhabitants that trusted them should be paid for what they delivered out to them The Rapparies having already been fairly warned to desist from their Ravages and Burnings in the Countries under Obedience they notwithstanding enterprizing the like Captain Archer upon Notice that a Party of them were abroad marched against them with about Twenty of the Militia but upon his approach finding them much stronger than he had been informed after a hot dispute he found himself obliged to retire with the loss of four of his Men however not giving it over he immediately raised more of the Militia and the next Morning by break of day fell upon them a second time with better success for having put them to rout he killed about Twelve of them and took Twenty Prisoners enriching his Men with such Booty as those People had scraped together in those Countries where they had been for a considerable time doing much mischief And now the Lords Justices and Councel having reason to suspect that several dangerous Persons coming to the City of Dublin as Spies from the Enemies Quarters and upon other wicked Designs were sheltered in that City by Papists Natives who kept Taverns and other Publick Houses and there frequently met to continue as much as in them lay the Subversion of Their Majesties Government and the Ruin of their good Subjects of the Kingdom of Ireland thought fit to put out their Proclamation to prohibit and forbid all Papists Natives of the Kingdom to sell any Wine Beer Ale or other Liquors by Retail after the 25th of Decemb. 1690. upon pain of being proceeded against as Retailers of Wine and other Liquors without License By this time one Mac Finnan having got together about Four hundred Men being a mixture of the Irish Army and Rapporees marched towards Castle-town to surprize thirty Dragoons commanded by a Lieutenant detached thither from their Quarters at Iniskeen and although they had all the advantage they could wish yet the Lieutenant and his Men behaved themselves so bravely that they killed Ten of their Enemies but having spent their Ammunition and five of their own Party being killed they found themselves constrained to Surrender and had Quarter given them yet the Lieutenant his Serjeant and several of his Men were put to the Sword in cold blood however the Alarm reaching Iniskeen Major Culleford who commanded there Advanced with another detached Party and falling upon them in the height of their Success put them to the rout killing about 12 on the place took 5 Prisoners without the loss of a Man on our side Nor were the Commanders his Majesty had intrusted less watchful on all parts for Major-General Tettau marching from Cork to Killcreagh and on his way being joyned by others so that he made up a Body of 2200 Men he entred the County of Kerry where the Enemies Troops retired before him and coming into a Fortification at Scrovolard he attacked it and in two hours took it with little difficulty when advancing along the edge of the Mountains and sustaining the Rapparees fire without receiving any considerable damage they discovered towards Brewster field some of the Enemies Scouts whereupon 70 of our Dragoons and Horse having the Vanguard came up with a Party of 160 of the Enemies Horse who not enduring the Fire of our Men upon the first Charge retreated and falling by degrees into confusion at last came to plain running though there were several Irish Nobility and some considerable Officers amongst them yet such as our Men had not yet attacked put by this time the Country round about in a flame and our Forces not being far from Killarny hasted thither with all the speed they could to save that place and notwithstanding the Enemy upon their approach left it yet about twenty Cabbins were burnt by two Troopers that stayed behind for that purpose who as a Reward of their Undertaking were killed by our Men and Brewster's Forge saved and put divers of the Enemies Parties then abroad to the rout clearing the Country in a manner on that side whilst the Irish only bore up the little Courage they had left relying much upon the further Aid they expected from France However though the Season was far advanced our Men gave it not over as yet but for the better securing Winter-Quarters and preventing the Country from Plunder they took in several Castles as
coming in he put them utterly to the Rout killed and took Prisoners most of their Officers and recovered a great Booty And indeed the Winter not fit for the motion of great Bodies was spent in the piquering of Parties and settling the Civil as well as Military Affairs of the Kingdom and so continued till his Majesty went to Head the Confâ—derate Army in Flanders Sarsfield having a great Command among the Irish many of the Enemies chief Officers being gone for France under pretence of bringing fresh Recruits early in the Spring he drew together part of the shattered Army and some of the Militia at Knockany with a design to attack some of our Troops that were advantageously posted but was so warmly received that he found his Attempts very disadvantageous to himself and thereupon picking the most serviceable Men out of the Militia Troops sent them to joyn the Forces he had ordered to encamp in the Province of Connaught and put some of his Troops into Garrison and Winter-Quarters Notice being given to Lieutenant Spencer that a hundred Men of the Enemies Troops were advanced within a Mile of Copperquin in the County of Waterford with a design to surprize and carry off the Recruit Horses sent from England for Brigadier's Regiment he immediately marched with a Corner and 12 Troopers most of his Men being gone a Forraging and finding the Enemy in some disorder Charged them with his small Party and pressed them so hard that they retired into a Wood within a Mile of the place and thereupon 18 more of his Men coming up part of them dismounted entering the Wood whilst the rest on Horseback secured the Pass the Dispute lasted without firing on both sides for several hours in which they killed 40 of the Enemy and took the Captain that commanded them with 7 Soldiers Prisoners also their Arms and Accoutrements only one of the Lieutenant's Party being killed and two or three wounded Lieutenant Purcel being abroad with a Party fell in with the Rapparees and in several Encounters with them killed about 100 but attempting to burn their Cabbins in the County of Longford was way-laid by Sir Daniel O Neal's Regiment of Dragoons part on Horse-back and part on Foot but 35 of the Royal Regiment of Dragoons broke their whole Body upon a furious Charge killing 10 of them and taking 4 Prisoners with a Lieutenant and pursued the rest to Newcastle a Garrison they held in those parts yet in the hasty flight many of them quitted their Horses and took to the Bogs where some were lost These Successes were followed with others no less advantageous to us and unfortunate to the Enemy for Colonel Lillingstone being gone from Roscreagh joyned by another from a Neighbouring Garrison marched to Nonagh where he found the Enemy strongly posted yet charging them with great Resolution he dispossest them of those Posts and beat them into the Castle burning the Town where they had laid up great store of Provision and brought off a Booty of 300 Head of Cattel with the loss of 2 Soldiers and a Trooper's Horse the manner of the Attack being thus The Colonel detached 18 Horse and as many Foot and having them on Garrans or Irish Horse made all the haste he could to secure the Bridge of Nenagh about half a Mile from the Town whereupon the whole Garrison came out to make opposition but he maintained the Pass till his Foot came up and then leaving them at the Bridge he advanced with his Horse towards the Enemy who made many firings but so soon as our Men came near began to retreat and by degrees disordering themselves fell to running but being hotly pursued about 20 of them were killed and a Cornet taken Prisoner after which he sent a Detachment to secure the Pass on the other side of the Town towards Lymerick whilst the rest of his Men entred with the flying Enemy however many of them got into the Castle but our Men burnt the Town and got considerable Plunder And now open Force failing the Enemy they betook them to cruel Stratagems for a part of Colonel Foulk's Regiment being in their Quarters near Yaughal about 8 of them were set upon in a private House and murthered by surprize in a most despiteful manner the like treatment being supposed to be intended to all the rest had not this timely alarm'd them to stand to their Arms and defend themselves Upon suspicion of which Murthers divers were taken up and strictly examined at Dublin amongst which one of them being found Guilty and Executed in the Castle-yard owning at his Execution he buried the murthered Corpse but by no means could be induced to discover his Accomplices and several other were thereupon missing in other places supposed to be made away by them by the same means insomuch that the Lords Justices found themselves constrained to publish the following Proclamation to terrifie and deter the protected Irish from such unmanly Enterprizes of Barbarism The Proclamation of the Lords Justices c. WHereas notwithstanding the great Clemency extended by their Majesties to the Popish Irish Inhabitants of this Kingdom whereby upon their submission they have had equal Protection with their Brittish and Protestant Subjects yet such is the inveterate and implacable Malice of many of the Popish Irish that upon all occasions they not only relieve Their Majesties Enemies but joyn with them in the committing and concealing many horrid Murthers one of which of Eight Soldiers of Their Majesties Army inhumanly strangled at one time and in one place has by God's Providence been lately discovered near this City to have been committed by the Inhabitants of the place where the said Soldiers were quartered for which some of the Criminals have received just and deserved punishment and the Lords Iustices being fully satisfied that such Offences cannot be committed within the open and well-planted Counties of this Kingdom without the contrivance and help or at least the connivance of the protected Inhabitants and having received full Information that there is a Confederacy among many of the said protected Irish to give all Aid and Relief in their power to Their Majesties Enemies upon all occasions and to take all opportunities to destroy the Officers and Soldiers of Their Majesties Army and other Their good Subjects their Lordships being resolved to prevent as much as in them lies such their cruel and malicious Designs and to punish with all necessary severity those who shall be guilty or justly suspected of the same do publish and declare That if any such Murther shall hereafter be committed in any place within Their Majesties Quarters if the Popish Inhabitants of that Neighbourhood shall not use their utmost endeavour and diligence to apprehend the Malefactors and immediately discover all they know of such Fact to some Magistrate living near the place where the said Offence shall be committed so as the said Offenders may be apprehended and brought to punishment that then the Popish Irish Inhabitants of
there happened an Extraordinary Storm which did much Damage at Land but more by Sea The Adventure of London was cast away on the Coast and all her Men drowned A Vessel laden with Corn was driven from her Anchor in the Road and beaten to pieces but her Men saved and divers other Shipwracks were driven on shoar in the Ports of this Kingdom And now the Poor being very numerous by reason of Losses in the War care was ordered every where to be taken of them till they could better provide for themselves having conveniâ—â—â—â— Houses appointed for their shelter And the Militia of the Country was reviewed to know in what Condition it stood And the Lords Justices issued out a Declaration Prohibiting any Officer Clark or other Person or Persons whatsoever depending upon their Majesties Treasury either by himself or any other to use in part or in whole directly or indirectly to buy any Arrears or Debenture â—ue to any Officer Soldier or any Person or Persons that have been Employed in their Majesties Service the preceding War upon pain of forfeiting the benefit of every Contract or Agreement for such Arrears which shall be paid to the Party to whom they are due when the same shall come to be paid as also upon communication of such a Fault be dismissed from his or their Employment and declared being uncapable of serving in the Treasury for the future This saved a great many Officers and Soldiers much Money who to supply presant need would have taken a small matter for what was after paid them to the full And now though it had been stipulated and agreed by several Articles made with the Garrison of Lymerick Galloway c. That all Arms were to be delivered up unless such of the Nobility and Gentry as were allowed them for Defence of their Houses c. And this not being punctually observed a Proclamation was issued out by the Lords Justices to command all Persons who had any to Surrender or cause to be Surrendered to the Sheriff of the City Town or County or to the next Justice of the Peace all their Fire-Arms Swords Pikes Half-Pikes Halbards Partisans Skenns Bayonets and all other Arms Offensive and Defensive And upon failure or contempt to be prosecuted to the utmost Severity of the Law a Reward of Ten shillings was likewise proposed to any Person who should after the Tenth of March discover any Arms and the Concealer to be prosecuted at the next Assizes as a Contemner of their Majesties Royal Authority to be looked upon as Disturbers of the Peace and to forfeit the Benefit of the said Articles This made a great many of the Papists bring in their Arms for fear of a Discovery which they had kept till now perhaps to so sinister an end so that by this means the Peace being better assured the Protestants found themselves out of danger the Husbandmen manured their Ground with cheerfulness as not doubting to reap the benefit of their Labours which they had been long debarr'd to the undoing of many Thousands The Artificers fell again to their respective Crafts with courage So that the Land casting off its bloody stain laboured to forget its sorrow and though the usual Trade with France was prohibited yet â—rom England Scotland and Spain 〈◊〉 Necessaries were brought thaâ— uâ—ually supplied the Kingdom from abroad And that they might yet be more easie some illegal Proceedings being represented to the Lords Justices they put forth a Proclamation for suppressing them running to this Tennor viz. THAT the Lords Iustices being informed that several Iustices of the Peace Sheriâ—ffs and other Magistrates presuming on their Power in the Countries have by colour of their Authority in a most Illegal and Arbitrary Manner contrary to the known Laws of the Kingdom dispossessed several of Their Majesties Subjects not only of their Goods and Chattels but of their Lands and Tenements They therefore Command and Require all Iustices of the Peace Mayors Sheriffs and other Magistrates to forbear such Illegal Proceedings and not to Intermeddle with the Right Property Title or Possession of the Estates Goods or Chattels of any of Their Majesties Subjects other than by due Course of Law they are required and as they shall be able to justifie This was thrice proclaimed in all the Market-Towns that every one might take notice of it and have Redress of their Grievances if any should afterward be committed upon them or their Possessions yet it extented not to the prohibiting the searching for and taking away of Arms. And the better to Confirm and Inform all sorts of People being Dutiful and Loyal in their Majesties good Intentions towards them their Majesties Proclamation was published in the following words viz. WHereas by an Act made in Our Parliament at Westminster in the first Year of our Reign Entituled An Act for the better Security and Relief of their Majesties Protestant Subjects of Ireland it was amongst other things Enacted That all and every Person and Persons whatsoever should be absolutely Discharged and Acquitted of any from the payment of all the Quit-Rents Composition-Rents Heart-money Twentiâ—th-parts Payments and other chief Rents arising or payable out of any Houses Lands Tenements Hereditaments Rectores Tythes or Church-Livings incurring or becoming due to us at any time after the Five and twentieth Day of December 1688. until the said Kingdom of Ireland should by Us be declared to be Reduced and the War and Rebellion there ended We have now pursuant to the said Act of Parliament thought fit by and with the Advice of our Privy Council to issue out this Our Royal Proclamation hereby declaring That the said Kingdom of Ireland is reduced to Our Obedience and the War and Rebellion there ended And We do hereby Will and Require that all and singular such Rents and Payments and all other Duties payable to the Crown which shall henceforth grow incur or become due be duly answered and paid unto Us in such manner and under such Penalties and Forfeitures as if the said Act had not been made Dated the 3d of March 1691 2. And to the end that none of the Irish might be ignorant of what was intended for the good of the Nation another Proclamation was published in all the chief Towns of the Kingdom To Ascertain a Day to those that should be distinguished to be comprehended within the Articles of Lymerick c. To shew their said Rights and Claims to the said Articles the Lands and other Matters they desire Restitution of with the Place of their Being and Situation and that they should have fair Hearings and favourable Constructions made on their Claims and Petitions The Days and Places of Hearing to that purpose be set and appointed that none might pretend any mistake on that account not to come provided with sufficient Proof and Testimony of such their Rights and Claims according to the Tennor of the Articles of Lymerick and Galloway c. And that seeing several Protestants did inhabit Galloway