Armes This the Earle sent to the Lords Iustices the 23th of the same moneth which was long after the Irish Army was beaten from Drogheda and that your Majesties Army was fully Master of the field in all parts of the Pale And then the Lords Iustices and Councell thought not fit of themselves to harken unto it but forth with certified the same to the then Lord Lieutenant desiring your Maiesties directions therein And for their further proceeding on the 23th of March 1642. the Lord Montgarret sent to the Earle of Ormond then Lientenant Generall of your MaiesTies Army a paper of the grievances aswell concerning things done in England as Ireland and desired it might be shewed to the Lords Iustices and Councell that redresse might be given which lay not in their Lordships powers yet this also they sent to the then Lord Lieutenant to be shewed to your Maiestie About August one thousand six hundred forty and two the Remonstrants sent to the said Lieutenant Generall of your Maiesties Army a Petition directed to your Maiestie which his Lordship presented to the Lords Iustices who forthwith sent it away to your Maiesties principall Secretary and since then no other complaint hath beene heard of except that Remonstrance and except some particular motions hereafter mennoned By all which it fully appeares the Lords Iustices and Councell did no way frustrate any of their attempts to complaine to your Maiestie For the sense these Remonstrants seeme now to have of the late effusion of innocent bloud there T is well if they now beginne to be sensible of the effusion of the innocent bloud whereof indeed themselves only are guilty which will more plainely appeare by distinguishing the times which they causelesly confound Your Maiesties subiects being in full peace and trusting only to the protection of your Maiesties lawes these confederates and their bloudy instruments did in many parts of the Kingdome suddenly and treacherously assault and glut their long contealed malice in cruelly murthering by sundry kinde of tormenting deaths some hundred thousands of your Maiesties harmelesse Protestant subiects and dispoiling both them and all the rest of all their esTates and substance as is too manifest to the world nothing limiting their outragious aymes but professEd to all extirpation of all Brittish and Protestants All which time neither your Maiesties Governours nor your surprized subiects were able to make any considerable resistance And when afterwards your Maiesties forces out of England enabled your subiects to stand upon their defence and by your Maiesties Princely direction and authority to take due vengeance on their unparraleld wickednesse no man no not the confederates in their owne consciences can iustly charge your Maiesties Governours or protestant Subiects with bloud undeservedly shed in that necessitated way of their own defence and iust punishment of those former heynous acts But the confederates ought to bewayle the bloud of your Maiesties officers and servants fighting in your iust quarrell as an addition of waight to their former guilt Vid. Proclamation Octob. 3. 1641. Whereas on the other side aswell your Maiestie by your Princely Proclamation under your royall signature and privy Signer commanded them to lay downe Armes Vid. Proclamation 1 Novēa 1641. with intent doubtlesse to have mercy on them in a fit measure And your Maiesties Governours there partly by Proclamations promising in your Maiesties name mercy to all that should desist from force as hereafter is set downe And partly by imploying unto them a committee of Parliament there whom they scornefully reiected by tearing aswell the Committees Letters sent to them from Drogheda as the order of Parliament therewith sent And at another time by sending unto them certaine of their owne Clergy to treate and perswade with them whom they abused And partly by letters and faire messages moving them to cease and stay violence by appointing the Lord Moore and others to treate with them By appointing Sir Richard Barnwell and Patrick Barnwell to treate and perswade with them Did their utmost to induce them to returne to due obedience To come and submit their discontents to your Maties known Clemency and stop the issue of bloud which they so willfully had opened enraged And which gives further evidence of your Maties servants subjects peaceable inclination Your Majesties Iustices and Counsell did in the beginning of this Rebellion give severall Commissions to Lords and prime Gentrie of the Natives in the Pale and all the adjacent Counties authorising them to gather the Forces of the Countrey and to governe and command them for preservation of the Subjects in peace authorizing them in those Commissions to parley with Rebels protect and promise mercy to all that would returne to obedience so much confidence had the Lords Iustices in those old English and did desire to make them assured of their trust As the Lord Gormanston in Meath Lord Montgarret in Kilkenny Nicholas Barnwell in Dublin Walter Bagwell in Catherlagh Lord of Lowth in Lowth Sir Thomas Nugent in Westmeath Sir Robert Talbot in Wickloe Sir Iames Dillon in Longford and severall others as well in Munster as Conaught All which Commissions so issued even to so many of of the Remonstrants themselves were issued after the 23 of October and before the last of November 1641. In all which time or afterwards if they pleased they might have staid the spreading of the Rebellion if promise of mercy could have done it besides severall Commissions of Martiall Law to the Natives in each County But they contrary to all hope not only forbare to protect or reduce any but they soone after joyned with the Northerne and other Rebels to the confusion of the State and Government and destruction and banishment almost of all British and Protestants and as for those few Roman Catholicks who stood firme in loyaltie in those unseasonable times they have been embraced and used with that love and affection by your Majesties Governours and Protestant subjects which the Protestant subjects formerly shewed to them and as the Protestants have been As to their undutifull Challenge to your Majesties Princely and deeply merited expressions in your gracious Commission to your said Lieutenant Generall of your Army granted in compassion to these Remonstrants Your Majesties loyall subjects cannot observe their presumption without griefe of heart but doe in all humilitie leave the same to Your Majesties most discerning judgement Your Majesties Protestant subjects doe not beleeve nor ever could observe that any of Your Governours or Protestant subjects there have either directly or collaterally in adverse affection towards the Confederates advertised against or otherwise represented those Confederates to Your sacred Majestie then the truth urged and their bounden duty to Your Majestie and your service pressed them to doe To the first Article Artic. 1. It runneth upon generalls and is in substance generally untrue yet in further dutifull care to give Your Majestie satisfaction Instances herein are humbly offered to maintaine the
Nobility Gentry Officers of the Army and other Protestant Inhabitants in Ireland taking into serious consideration their sad condition the great necessity they were reduced unto and their extream sufferings by the late Conspiracy and horrid Rebellion there and finding by the Articles of Cessation and his Majesties Proclamation thereupon that the Rebels of Ireland were allowed to send Agents to his Majesty who would doubtlesse watch all opportunities to prejudice the Protestants and to indevour to cleare themselves of their ill-done actions the Protestant Petitioners met together at the Earle of Kildares house in Dublin where they framed a Petition to the then Lords Justices and Councell which they presented at the Couneell board and received their Lordships answer the twelfth day of the same Moneth which Petition and Answer follow In haec verbo TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE Lords Iustices and Councell The humble Petition of diverse of his Majesties Protestant Subjects of IRELAND Humbly sheweth THat your Petitioners being pressed by extream necessities and their great sufferings in the present Rebellion for remedy thereof desire to addresse themselves to his Sacred Majesty by their Agents and because they understand by his Majesties Proclamation and the Articles of Cessation lately published in Print that the Romish Catholicks are admitted to send Agents to his Majesty who will doubtlesse watch all opportunities to prejudice your supplicants They humbly pray that your Lordships will bee pleased to bee a meanes that they bee not admitted to his Majesty untill your supplicants Agents may bee present which shall bee with all convenient speed And to that end they humbly desire that your Lordships will bee pleased to grant licence unto such as your supplicants shall from time to time appoint to attend his Majesty touching the premisses And in regard that your supplicants conceive that the dissolving of this Parliament which by the alteration of the late Lords Justices will shortly determine unlesse by speciall Commission the same bee continued may prove of very evill consequence to his Majesties good Subjects They humbly pray that your Lordships will bee pleased to recommend the same effectually to his Majesties pious consideration that timely direction may arrive for continuance thereof Octobris 12. 1643. VPon consideration of this Petition Wee think fit to let the Petitioners know that his Majesty out of his gracious care of his affaires and good Subjects here hath been pleased already to signifie hither his Royall intention to call into England some such able and fitting Ministers or servants of his Majesty on this side as are fit to bee sent into England to assist in the treaty there when the persons to bee imployed to his Majesty from the Irish shall go over and his Majesties Royall purpose therein is already so farre advanced as the names of fit and able persons of eminent quality free from any exception and well experienced in the affaires of this Kingdome are already transmitted to his Majesty that so hee may make choyce of such as hee shall think fit so as all that could bee thought of necessary for the good of his Majesties Protestant Subjects his Majestie hath already provided for with great piety and wisdome Yet wee who well know his Majesties abundant care and tendernesse of his Protestant Subjects here being desirous to give the petitioners all needfull satisfaction in their desires so farre as may confist with the duty wee owe to his Majesty and looking into former times do finde that when Agents were sent from this Kingdome to attend his Majesty by the approbation of this board it was by his Majesties gracious Licence first obtained wherefore wee hold it our duties at this time also to reserve that part for his Majestie And therefore wee doe forbeare of our selves to give any direction therein but doe intend humbly to transmit a Copy of this their Petition to his Majesty which also answers the Petitioners request concerning the Parliament And wee will labour to obtain a signification of his good pleasure therein with all convenient speed which wee shall readily obey And if in the mean time there bee any matter of grievance offered by the petitioners to us which is in our power to redresse here Wee do let the petitioners know wee shall bee ready to heare it and to interpose his Majesties authority intrusted with us towards their just reliefe therein Ormonde Jo. Borlase Cha. Lamberte Tho. Lucas Roscomon He. Tychborne Fra. Willoughbie Ja. Ware Edw. Brabason Ant. Midensis VPon the receit of the aforesaid Answer the Protestants met againe at the Earle of Kildares house and conceived such persons as the Lords Justices and Councell mentioned in their Answer to bee called into England were to assist by their counsell in the Treaty and to advise in what should bee proposed and for ought known to the Protestants not to represent the bleeding and miserable condition of that Kingdome or to make proofe of the unparalleled cruelties of the Rebels neither did the Petitioners then know who those persons should bee And notwithstanding the Lords of the Councell pretended they had no precedent for the giving of approbation to Agents to attend his Majesty without his Majesties speciall Licence yet it was recent in many mens memories that there were severall precedents for it and that in very late times wherefore the Protestant Petitioners conceived that these delayes were put upon the Protestants by some ill affected meerly to gaine the Rebels advantage of time to work their ends at Court and to discourage the poore Protestants in the prosecution of their intendments And the Protestant petitioners being not satisfied with the Lords of the Councels Answer proceeded to the choyce of Agents and prepared a petition which afterwards was presented to his Majesty And on the foureteenth day of October 1643. the Protestants presented another petition to the Lords Justices and Councell and delivered their Lordships a Copy of the Petition that was prepared to bee sent to his Majesty which was answered by the Lords the nineteenth of the same Moneth which Petition and Answer follow In haec verba To the Right Honourable the Lords Iustices and Councell The humble Petition of divers of his Majesties Protestant Subjects as well Commanders of his Majesties Army as others Humbly sheweth unto your Lordships THat wee have received your Lordships Answer in writing to our Petition whereby wee perceive his Majesties abundant care and tendernesse of us which wee shall with all humble thankefulnesse ever acknowledge together with your Lordships readinesse therein And whereas wee finde in your Lordships said Answer your willingnesse for redresse of any manner of grievance which is in your Lordships power Wee doe humbly herewith offer unto your Lordships a Copy of our most humble Petition which wee prepared to present to his Sacred Majesty wherein wee set down part of our grievances Humbly desiring your Lordships to take the same into your grave consideration and so farre to condescend to our just
Majesty the better satisfaction in these Particulars and that to the same purpose the book of the said Collection may be perused and considered of as your Majestie shall finde most requisite After reading of which Propositions and Answers thereunto the King asked the Protestant Agents Whether they had Answered unto the Rebels Propositions as they were to be granted by him in Law and Justice and fit for the security of the Protestants of Ireland or prudentially as the times were Who humbly made answere to his Majesty That they looked upon the Rebels Propositions as they appeared to them destructive to his Majestie his Laws Government and Protestant Subjects of Ireland Then the Earl of Bristoll said That if they asked what by law and Justice was due from the Rebells their Answers were full But now the King expected from the said Agents What prudentially was fit for his Majestie to do seeing the Protestants were not in a condition to defend themselves and that the King would not admit the Protestants to joyn with the new Scots or any other that had taken the Covenant The Lord Digby upon motion of the Protestant Agents for further time to answer said It was good to set down those questions in writing and expect their answers to them Then the King asked them What would become of the Protestants in Ireland if the Rebels Agents should break off their Treaty which was to be feared they would do if they had not their Propositions for the most part yeelded unto The Protestant Agents Answered his Majesty That they conceived that the Rebells Agents might be brought to better terms if they were held unto it and that they were confidently assured before their comming out of Ireland that the Lord Muskery refused to come into England with limited Instructions but would be at liberty to do as he should see cause Then the Protestants Agents were commanded to with-draw And since that time were no further called upon And the said Protestant Agents knowing by experience how that the said Rebels had in all parts of the Kingdom broken the Articles of Cessation having begun that course within 3 days after the said Articles of Cessation were published by taking away forceably and detaining notwithstanding many complaints thereof made 369 head of choise English Cows or there-abouts from the poore Inhabitants of the Suburbs of the City of Dublin and by like proceedings in all parts of the Kingdome in taking of divers Castles Forts and Houses and great quantities of Corn and Cattle some by force and some by fraud and by burning divers others and by with-holding divers contributions in all parts of the Kingdome yelded to the Protestant Forces untill the Cessation to the utter destruction of the Protestant Party in divers parts of that Kingdome The said Protestant Agents in the conclusion of the Collection which they had made and presented to his Majestie in Answer of the said Remonstrance did make mention of the said breaches and also of the failers of payment of the far greater part of the 30000. l. by them agreed on to be paid by the Rebels to his Majesties use upon the conclusion of the said Cessation to be applyed towards the maintenance of the Army there and also of their extream bad and unseasonable payment of that small part thereof which they had paid in manifest breach of their undertaking the said failers having occasioned heavie Taxes to be laid upon the poor Protestant Inhabitants and necessitated the Souldiers through want to pillage and plunder thousands of his Majesties good Subjects And the said Protestant Agents did offer to make proof thereof and also that the said confederate Romane Catholiques had broken all the said Articles of Cessation humbly expecting reparation therein but not hearing any further thereof and observing that the said Sir William Stewart and the rest of the Gentlemen above-named which were sent for out of Ireland had by Authority from the Lord Lieutenant and Councell informed his Majesty of 20 severall complaints of notorious breaches made by the said Rebels of the said Articles whereof no right or reparation could be had there notwithstanding many complaints there made They the said Agents delivered to the said Sr Will. Stewart and the rest above named about the 10th of May 1644. a brief of many more great injuries done by the Rebels to the Protestant Party contrary to the said Articles of Cessation especially in Conaght where many of the Souldiers were forced there by to disband desiring them to acquaint the Lords with the same to the end that some course might be taken for redresse and afterwards they understood by them that they had acquainted the Lords of the Committee therewith and that the Lords said that they would acquaint the Agents of the Rebels therewith but heard no more thereof neither were the said Protestant Agents ever called to make proof thereof or of any other their Allegations or to receive hearing therein One particular instance of a notorious breach of the Articles of Cessation which we produced at Oxford we have here inserted being from one of the bloodiest Rebels who exercised the place of Governour of the County of Fermanagh Com. Fermanagh FOrasmuch as the dayly resort and concourse of Catholiques since the Cessation into English Garrisons might bring a great deal of Inconveniency unto our proceedings I do therefore hereby by Vertue of the Lord Generalls Authority given me in that behalf and especially to avoid the eminent perill that hereafter might arise thereof straightly charge and command all manner of persons of what ranke quality or condition soever they be of the Irish Nation of this County not to visit confer talk or parly to or with any person or persons of in or belonging to the Garrison of Eniskillen upon pain of death and of forfeiting all the goods and Chattels belonging to every such offender or offenders And likewise that none of the Inhabitants of this County on the West side of Loghern live dwell or inhabite no nearer to Eniskillen then the River of Arny untill further directions be given to the contrary upon pain of the foresaid forfeiture and penalty Dated the 25 November 1643. Signed Rory Maguire The 12. of May Sir Robert Talbot and Dermot mac Teag ô Bryan two of the Rebels Agents went away out of Oxford towards Ireland The 22. of May 1644. the Lord Viscount Muskery and the rest of the Rebels Agents went away from Oxford towards Ireland but what dispatch they had the Protestant Agents do not know The 26. of May the Protestant Agents seeing the Irish Agents were gone waited on Mr. Secretary Nicholas and desired him to know his Majesties pleasure and commands and whether they should expect any further answer concerning their Agency from his Majestie And the next day Mr. Secretary Nicholas told them That his Majesty commanded him to know of the Committee for Irish affairs Whether they had any thing more to say to the Protestant Agents And the same day Mr. Secretary Nicholas told the said Agents That the Committee saw no reason to detain them any longer and that he would move his Majesty for their dispatch The 30. of May M. Secretary Nicholas presented the Protestant Agents to his Majesty to kisse his hand who told them That he had written to the Marquesse of Ormond concerning the Protestants of Ireland That he would use his best endeavours for them there if he were able as he did for himself here And he said That he meant his good Protestants and not such as did either take or adhere to such as had taken the Covenant By all this which hath been faithfully Related and severall other Circumstances it plainly appears that the Rebels of Ireland intentions are and have been for the extirpation of the Protestants and Protestant Religion and how far forth they have been countenanced therein FINIS ERATA PAge 6. lin 30. for traduce read introduce p. 17. l. 12. for unknown r. known p. 19. l. 32. for Lord r. Lordships p. 21. l. 8. for causelessy r. cautelously ibid. l. 17. for to all r. to tall p. 26 l. 44 for school r. schools p. 27. l. 44. for many r. any p. 28. l. 5. for the r. their p. 39. l. 12. for effecting r. affering p. 40. l. 26. for officers r. offices p. 42. l. 7. after the word point r. before the Rebellion began p. 45. l. 22. for expresse r. presse p. 46. l. 13. for new r. now p. 48. l. 3. for luctation r. reluctation ibid. l. 28. for which r. with p. 53. l. 33. after service r. and the time p. 54. l. 25. for who late then r. who then p. 61. l. 4. for state r. statute ibid. l. 5. for to r. so ibid. for Soveraign r. Soveraignty p. 62. l. 36. after prosecute adde the p. 65. l. 1. for in r. if p. 74. l. 16. for their r. the p. 80. l. 24. for half r. rash p. 81. l. 7. for persecution r. prosecution ibid. l. 34. for rescued r. restored p. 39. l. 38. after Majesty r. Protestant p. 95. l. 20. for persecuted r. prosecuted p. 102. l. 7. for petition r. protestation ibid. l. 11. p. 103. l. 1. for petitions r. petitioners p. 104. l. 34. dele 9. p. 105. l. 22. for Bridgeway r. Ridgeway ibid. l. 24. p. 108. l. 5. for Mr. r Mack ibid. l. 9. p. 112. l. 42. after examined r. and p. 115. l. 43. after his r. Majesties p. 118. l. 1. for he r. the p. 119. l. 4. for compleat r. competent p. 123. l. 27. after those r. orders or p. 124. l. 14. for wherein r. whereon p. 125. l. 14. for or r. for p. 126. l. 46. dele of p. 129. l. 11. for meet r. meere
of their affaires and humbly to beseech relief and redresse therein the said Lieutenant Colonel though your Majesties servant and imployed in publike trust in which case the Law of Nations affords safety and protection was without regard to either not only stopped from proceeding in his imployment but also tortured on the racke at Dublin 10 The Lord-president of Munster by direction of the said Lords-Iustices that province being quiet with his accomplices burnt preyed and put to death Men Women and children without making any difference of quality condition age or sex in severall parts of that province The Catholicks Nobles and Gentlemen there mistrusted and threatned and others of inferior quality trusted and furnished with Armes and Ammunition The province of Connaght was used in the like measure whereupon most of the considerable Catholicks in both the said provinces were inforced without Arms or ammunition to looke after safety and to that end to stand on their defence still expecting your Maiesties pleasure and alwayes ready to obey your commands Now the plot of the said ministers of State and their adherents being very ripe applications were incessantly by them made to the malignant party in England to deprive this people of all hopes of your Majesties justice or mercy and to plant a perpetuall enmity between the English and Scottish Nation and your subjects of this kingdom 11 That whereas this your Maiesties kingdom of Ireland in all successions of ages since the raign of King Henry the second sometimes King of England Lord of Ireland had a Parliament of their own composed of Lords and Commons in the same manner and forme qualified with equall liberties powers priviledges and immunities with the Parliament of England and only dependant of the King and Crown of England and Ireland and for all that time no prevalent Record or authentick president can be found that any Statute made in England could or did bind this kingdom before the same were here established by Parliament yet upon untrue suggestions and informations given of your subiects of Ireland an act of Parliament intituled An Act for the speedy and effectuall reducing of the Rebells in his Maiesties kingdom of Ireland to their due obedience to his Maiesty and the Crown of England and another Act intituled An Act for adding unto explaining the said former Act was procured to be enacted in the said Parliament of England in the 18. yeare of your Maiesties raign by which Acts and other proclamations your Maiesties subiects unsummoned unheard were declared Rebels and two Millions and a halfe of Acres arrable meadow and profitable pasture within this kingdom were sold to undertakers for certain sums of money and the Edifices Loghes Woods Bogs wastes and their appurtenances were thereby mentioned to be granted and past gratis which Acts the said Catholicks doe conceive to have been forced upon your Maiesty and although voyd and uniust in themselves to all purposes yet continue matters of evill consequence and extreame preiudice to your Maiesty and totally destructive to this Nation The scope seeming to ayme at Rebels only and at the disposition of a certain quantity of Land but in effect and substance all the Lands in the kingdom by the words of the said Acts may be distributed in whose possession soever they were without respect to age condition or quality and all your Maiesties Tenures and the greatest part of your Maiesties standing Revenue in this kingdom taken away and by the said Act if it were of force all power of pardoning and of granting those Lands is taken from your Maiesty a president that no age can instance the like against this Act the said Catholicks do protest as an Act against the fundamentall Laws of this kingdom and as an Act destructive to your Maiesties right and prerogatives by colour whereof most of the forces sent hither to infest this kingdom by Sea and Land disavowed any authority form your Maiesty but doe depend upon the Parliament of England 12 All strangers and such as were not inhabitants of the city of Dublin being commanded by the said Lord-Iustices in and since the said Moneth of November 1641. to depart the said city were no sooner departed then they were by the direction of the said Lords-Iustices pillaged abroad their goods seized upon and confiscated in Dublin and they desiring to returne under the protection and safety of the state before their appearance in any action were denyed the same and divers other persons of ranke and quality by the said Lords-Iustices imployed in publick service and others keeping close within their doores without annoying any man or siding then with any of the said Catholicks in Arms and others in severall parts of the kingdom living under and having the protection and safety of the state were sooner pillaged their houses burnt themselves their Tenants and servants killed and destroyed then any other by directions from the said Lords-Iustices and by the like direction when any Commander in cheif of the Army promised or gave quarter or protection the same was in all Cases violated and many persons of quality who obtained the same were ruined before others Others that came into Dublin voluntarily and that could not be justly suspected of any crime if Irishmen or Catholicks by the like direction were imprisoned in Dublin robbed and pillaged abroad and brought to their tryall for their lives The city of Dublin and Cork and the ancient Corporate Townes of Drogheda Yeoghell and Kinsale who voluntarily received garrisons in your Majesties name and the adjacent countries who relieved them were worse used and now live in worse condition than the Israelites did in Aegipt So that it will be made appeare that more murthers breaches of publick faith and quarter more destruction and desolation more cruelly not fit to be named were committed in Ireland by the direction and advice of the said Lords-Justices and their party of the said Counsell in lesse then eighteen Moneths then can pe paraleld to have been done by any Christian people 13 The said Lord-Justices and their adherents have against the fundamentall Lawes of the Land procured the sitting of both houses of Parliament for severall Sessions nine parts of ten of the naturall and genuine Members thereof being absent it standing not with their safety to come under their power and made up a considerable number in the house of Commons of Clerks Souldiers Serving-men and others not legally or not chosen at all or returned and having no manner of estate within the kingdom in which sitting sundry Orders were conceived and dismisse obtained of persons before impeached of Treason in full Parliament and passed or might have passed some Acts against Law and to the prejudice of your Majesty and this whole Nation and during these troubles Tearmes were kept and your Majesties Court of chief place and other Courts sate at Dublin to no other end or purpose but by false and illegall Iudgements Outlawries and other Capitall proceedings to
of Lords and others aswell Protestants as Papists and to make a guard for them in their passage to and from the house and have held the same course ever since when those houses have consisted in a manner wholly of Protestants and all done without any intent or designe to offend affront or terrify any of them which the Remonstrants did and do well know if they would deale sincerely in the matter And certainly any of the members of either house then present could not from such a civility rendred to them take up the least apprehension of terror in some inward guilt did not beget in them a feare or jealousie of what was never intended or thought of The same course for ornament being held by the late Lord Leivtenant the Earle of Strafford in the former Parliament and by the now Lord Lievtenant at the last Session Neither did any thing then hinder the Lords Justices from seizing on their persons if they had beene willing to take strong presumptions and probability of guilt for a ground against men whom indeed they desired to thinke better of and hoped they would employ themselves better for your Majesties service It is also an untruth that the Lords Justices and their partie of the Counsell what is meant by that partie is not understood for there was not so much as a shadow of any partaking or siding there in any matter But the Lords Justices and Counsell unanimously concurred in all things did cause an order to be propounded in the Parliament to declare That the Irish had taken up Armes in rebellious manner For the Lords Justices and Counsell did not conceive that there was any necessity for their attestation so that too well knowne a truth the bleeding testimonies of many miserable spectacles men women and children unable to resist who escaped those cursed blood-suckers in Vlster daily comming to the Citie of Dublin and to other Garrisons stripped robbed wounded and spoiled then gave sufficient evidence of then Rebellious and tyrannous acts But the truth is the sitting was permitted two dayes at their owne suite as appeares by Proclamation after published That they might draw up some Declaration of their owne loy alties as they said and their detestation of the abominable acts of the Rebells yet seeing they have the confidence to move in that passage sinisterly to your Majestie your Royall Majestie may please to know that when the Houses had appointed certaine Committees to draw up that Ordinance and those Committees had dutifully expressed those Rebells by the just tearmes of Traitours and Rebels Many of these Remonstrants then of the House much contested it and would not have them so called being privie to what themselves had formerly with those Rebells contrived to be done and fearing it might move the Rebells to recriminate Howsoever the Declaration passed by Votes and was agreed on But that any such menaces to such as should oppose that Declaration were by any man uttered though they say it is a thing that was credibly informed is a most false scandall the orders of the Houses shewing plainly that it was done in the Houses no way urged or enforced upon them There were never any such provocations pressures and indignities as in this Article are mentioned offered to the considerable partie of the Catholiques And although the Remonstrants say That at the time of that Session all the Cities and Corporations and whole Provinces stood quiet yet at the apprehension of Hugh Mac Mahon on the 23. of October aforesaid The said Hugh being demanded by the Lords Justices and Counsell whether he thought that though they had taken Dublin the rest of the strong Townes in the Kingdome which were the Kings would yeeld to them he boldly answered that he and the rest were well assured that none of those Townes would stand against them as did fully after appeare for they all joyned with them except very few where your Majesties forces lay strong and except the Protestant townes which kind of defection was never so in any former Rebellion those townes being in all times places of refuge for your Majesties forces and good subjects and a great bridle to the Rebells And the same Mac Mahoun also declared the privitie and consent to the foresaid Conspiracy of all the Catholiques in both Houses of Parliament in the Summer Session before as is before mentioned The same Mac Mahoun also declared That twenty men out of each County in the Kingdome were appointed to be at Dublin the said 23. of October to execute the Plott on your Majesties Castle and Citie of Dublin and indeed thither they did come at the time in very great numbers of whom very many were apprehended which proves the generall Combination And the Lord Magwire upon his examination declared that in Summer before the conspiracy and action was agreed on amongst the Irish which the event proved to be true Besides it is testified upon oath by a very credible person sometimes prisoner with the Rebels in Cavan That Collonel Richard Plunkett late of Donsaghly in the County of Dublin within the pale who should have been one at the taking of the Castle comming into that County of Cavan about the twenty sixth of October 1641. said openly that he had a contract under the hands of all the Lords in Ireland that were Catholiques to stand firme in this insurrection wherein although the said Plunkett cannot bee believed as to all the Lords seeing some of them have even in this Rebellion manifested their loyaltie to your Majestie in opposing the Rebells yet hee may be beleived as to all of them except very few their owne actions also afterwards concurring therein The same Collonel Plunkett also by his Letters written to the Titular Abbot of Mellifont whom hee stiled Lord signified that hee had beene a meanes to incite the Lords and Gentrie of the Pale to appeare in the Blessed cause then in hand meaning the Rebellion and that hee would use his best endeavours night and day to accomplish Ad majorem Dei gloriam those are his owne words The above mentioned Contract or Covenant was also spoken of usually by the Vlster Rebells before many Protestants then prisoners and was declared by some Rebells afterwards taken prisoners upon examination It is observable also that notwithstanding your Majesties Warrant stood good for foure Collonels viz. Collonel Iohn Barry Collonel Taaf Collonel Garrett Barry and Collonel Porter for transportation of foure thousand men And that the Lords Justices and Counsell gave them all Warrants and other helps for their passage And that the three Collonels that were there had gathered their men yet it being neere the time of execution of the foresaid great Designe and conspiracy their transportation was deferred and pretences made partly of the adversaries of that Parliament in Ireland and partly of want of money and other impediments their men were kept in Bodyes the one in Munster not farre from Kinsale another in Connaught towards Gallway and the
third in Leinster about Dublin and those parts when the Castle and Citie of Dublin was preserved there was a generall change in all former Counsells yet afterwards the said Garrett Barry and all his men went into Rebellion and so did most of the souldiers and officers of the other two Regiments Besides on the twenty third day of October one thousand six hundred forty one The Rebells in Vlster when they spoiled and murthered the English said with one voyce that Dublin was taken Also are to bee remembred the severall Antecedents to this Rebellion aswell in print as in words uttered by Romish Clergie men and some Laicks that within three yeares a generall Rebellion should be in Ireland mentioned in the printed Deposition of Doctor Iones And in the moneth of October before the execution of this Plott It was consulted in a great Assembly in the Countie of Westmeath at or neere Multifernam consisting as well of the prime Popish Clergie as of the lay Gentrie what should bee done with the Brittish and Protestants whether to murther and kill them all or to kill some and spoile and banish the rest or only to spoyle pillage and banish all And how your Majestie should be limmited in your Revenewes Rights and Authorities as more at large appeares in the said Doctors examination The like Discoveries of the generall Combination appeares in the Digest framed and collected by the Commissioners for examining the spoyles and murthers committed upon the Protestants by the Rebells tendered there by Master Watson and others of those Commissioners and sent over to your Majesties principall Secretarie It appeares also by examinations sent up by the late Lord President of Munster in the beginning of this Rebellion that about the twenty three of October 1641. the taking of the Castle of Dublin and other your Majesties Forts in Vlster c. was then muttered in that Province for a while after in shew quiet And the like in Connaught though at that time neither of those had heard any thing of the discovery from Dublin nor many dayes after By all which is somewhat plaine That the Conspiracy was generall and that the three Provinces stood not so cleare and quiet in November as in this Article is insinuated The Remonstrants being carefull to leave nothing unobjected that malice or Art can invent doe suggest that the Lords Justices and their adherents who those were is not yet knowne well knowing that many powerfull members of the Parliament in England stood in opposition to your Majestie made their principall addresses to them full fraught with calumnies against those Catholiques First it is conceived that there was no such opposition given to your Majestie as in the Article is mentioned when this Rebellion began your Majesty being then in Scotland bestowing your Grace and Royall presence on your Subjects there Neither at that time was any difference heard there betweene your Majesty and your Parliament in England save what concerned the Earle of Strafford whom the Remonstrants most violently prosecuted Secondly the Lords Justices and Counsell did first addresse their advertisement of this Rebellion not to the Parliament of England as the Remonstrants pretend but to your Majestie on the twentie five of October 1641. And to your Majesties then Lievtenant of that Kingdome to whom all addresses thence were to bee made by your Majesties Order A Copie of which Letters to the Lord Lievtenant they then sent to your Majesty and by the answer of that dispatch they were advertised that your Majesty had sent to the Parliament of England concerning that affaire and that your Majesty doubted not of their speedy resolution for releife of your Majesties faithfull Subjects The next dispatch sent away by the Lords Justices and Counsell into England or Scotland was on the fift of November 1641 at which time they directed letters to the Lords of your Majesties privy Counsell in England and considering that your Majesty was then in Scotland and that it then became of absolute necessity to invoke all the powers that might stand with your Majesties honour and good pleasure from whom any deliverance could come to assist for preservation of your Majesties Crowne and Kingdome They then also and not before directed letters to the speakers of both houses of Parliament in England referring the particulars to the Lords of the Counsells letters and moving for succours and then also they sent a dispatch to your Majesty into Scotland and enclosed therein copies of their severall letters to the Lords of the Counsell and both the Speakers and then also signified by their letters to the Lords of the Counfell that they had so written to both the Speakers And touching the denying of Armes to the Catholiques and arming the Malignant party who in the Remonstrants esteeme are all your Majesties Brittish and Protestant Subjects in Ireland though there never appeared any Malignity in them in the least degree either to your Majesty or your government or to these pretended Catholiques quatenus Catholiques True it is that many Roman Catholiques aswell as Protestants were armed by the Lords Justices and Counsell when they were listed into your Majesties Army to defend your Majesties Kingdome rights and government against those confederate Catholiques in the beginning of this Rebellion whose plot and designe was to surprise your Majesties Castle of Dublin and your Monition and stores there and all the rest of your Forts and stores in that Kingdome to extirpate all your Majesties Brittish and Protestant Subjects by death or exile and further as is before mentioned Note there were but â—00 armes in the store It is true also that the Lord Justices and Counsell did deliver Armes and Ammunition as farre as they could possible spare aswell to the Roman Catholiques as Protestant Subjects for defence of their houses in severall parts and in great numbers They did also deliver to the five Counties of the Pale Armes and Ammuniton for 1700 men for defence of those Countryes although your Majesty was no way bound to furnish them with armes for their owne defence and some of those armes upon notice of the defection of those trusted with them were recovered and brought backe and the rest soone after imployed by the confederats to fight against your Majestie and your Armyes And for the Cotholiques in the City of Dublin of whose ancient fidelity in the beginning of this Rebellion the Lords Justices and Counsell were fully perswaded they were not disarmed till most of the Catholiques of the Pale declared themselves in open Rebellion against your Majestie which the Lords Justices and Counsell finding and considering that those Inhabitants of Dublin were for the most part allied matched with the gentry and considerable Inhabitants of the Pale That some of them sent daily intelligence to the Rebels sent them provisions of victualls and otherwayes and sundry of them of good substance went to the Rebels with their goods That great numbers of the Popish prentizes servants and
Iournymen of the City went daily to the Rebels and joyned with them and that daily rumours were spread in the City aswell by words as by papers scattered and found that surprises and massacres were intended against your Majesties Subjects the Protestants of the City then was it thought fit and not before to disarme those Catholiques the better to secure the City for your Majesty and quiet the Catholiques who might well know that the strength of the Protestants was their security and from which Protestants the Catholiques never found any violence offered the Protestants profession abhorring such wickednesse the Lords Justices and Counsell also sent armes and powder to Drogheda delivered armes and powder for zoo men to Wexford they sent powder to Waterford and gave them licence to buy and import powder and armes for their defence though afterwards when they ioyned in the Rebellion the Lords Juces and Counsell restrained it as much as they could They sent powder to Trym they sent powder for Dondalke as far as Drogheda where it was staid because Dondalk was yeilded up to the Rebels before it could come thither they also wrote letters to the severall Townes of Wexford Waterford Gallway and Drogheda commending their then seeming forward affections and encouraging and perswading to stand constantly in duty and faith to your Majestie their Lord and King It is true that the Lords Justices and Counsell received an order of both houses of Parliament in England whereby they did commend to the Lord Leivtenant or in his absence to the Lord Deputy or Lords Justices according to the power of their Commission to bestow your Majesties gracious pardon to all such as were seduced on false grounds and within a convenient time to be declared by their Lordships should returne to their due obedience This Order the Lords Justices and Counsell printed at Dublin forthwith after receipt thereof the 12 of November 1641 and dispersed it into all parts of the Kingdom as farre as they could to try whether it might worke any relenting or application of those confederated Catholiques to the Lords Justices and Counsell to the end they might have further proceeded to have obtevned a more full direction for granting pardon if that could have beene likely to reclaime any of them The Lords Justices also found in their Commission and instructions no expresse warrant to pardon such pernitious Traitours and that in all late former pardons Treasons against your Majesty and murther was excepted and they daily expected the old Levitenants comming over with more ample authority and direction and considered also that on the 30 of October before the Lords Justices and Counsell had by publique Proclamation adventured so farre as to tender your Majesties grace to all seduced Rebels whereupon none then tendred themselves to the Lords Justices and Counsell or any other your Majesties Officers and afterwards on the first day of November 1641 the Lords Justices and Councell foreseeing the danger that the Inhabitants of Meath Lungford Westmeath and Lowth who of the Pale lay next to the Northerne Rebels might be first educed either by strange rumours spread abroad or by the false enticement of the Clergy and desirous to contayne and preserve as many of them as they could did by publique Proclamation advised and drawne by Mr. Plunket and others of the Commons house admonish all that were not Freeholders nor having their hands in blood within ten dayes to submit themselves before any Justice of Peace or cheif Officer of a Corporation and restore the Protestants goods which they had taken thereupon they should be received to mercy whereupon a few submitted in the County of Meath but never restored any thing nor proceeded further to give satisfaction of their loyalty but soone after returned to their former defection and ioyned in the said Rebellion All which advisedly considered the Lords Justices and Counsell thought not fit to prostitute your Majesties royall grace to men so ungratefull and deperded for they plainly saw that the confederacy and their perswasion to carry all by force was so strong as their actions gave no hope of any inclinations to submit themselves to your Majesties grace and mercy No not when your Majesties Proclamation under your royall Signature and privy signet was sent amongst them Commanding them to lay downe Arms nor untill they of the Pale and the Irish of Vlster were beaten from Drogheda and the seige wholly raised which was about the beginning of March and that your Majesties Levitenant Generall of your army was in the feild with a strong force of foote and horse able to March where he pleased in Meath Lowth and Dublin ready to burne and destroy their houses and eize on the former owners thereof if they could be found Then and not till then some and those but very few of Meath rendred themselves to the Leivtenant Generall of your Majesties army who received them as prisoners and a few others of that County rendred themselves at Dublin who were all imprisoned as was just to so notorious and obstinate offendors And it were criminall in the Lords Justices and Counsell not to commit them Neither did the Lords Justices and Counsell ayme at any of their estates but on the contrary alwayes shewed much regret at the unnaturall defection of the pale which had for the most part in other Rebellions stood firme and loyall And certainly they would have beene most glad to have preserved as many of them as they could as well appeared in their readinesse to embrace the Earle of Westmeath and his Familie upon timely application made though the Lords Justices and Counsell had Intelligence of Northerne Rebells resorting to his house They also upon Sir Morgan Cavanaghs false and feigned Protestations permitted him to returne to his house in hope of his good obedience though they had cause to suspect his and hsi sonnes comming to the Towne on the 22. of October one thousand six hundred fourty one They permitted Sir Luke Fitzgerald to depart quietly because he came to them soone after the beginning of the Rebellion though the Protestant Tenants dwelling on his land were despoiled of all their substance not without his privitie as since hath appeared They permitted Robert Harpoole of Frowle and necre Catherlogh to depart upon his faire protestations notwithstanding they had intelligence of his former being with the Rebells The Sheriffe of Longford and others of the Offarralls permitted backe againe though informed to have joyned in pillaging of the Protestants and many others in like manner because the Lords Justices thought fit to forbeare all manner of strictnesse at first hoping they would not so farre forget their duties as afterwards they all did and also divers others about Dublin who entertained Rebells some perhaps of necessity were permitted to be at libertie by the Lords Justices because they desired to retaine as many of them as they could comming in any time before they had openly joyned with the Rebells and committed the
where hee then found aswell in the house of the said King as other houses in the Towne divers of the goods taken out of the said two Barkes robbed at Clantarfe And by this meanes was strucken off much of that danger And to the end it may further appeare That the Lords of the Pale especially of Meath were in the same Confederacie with the Rebells at Swoards and other parts of Leinster and not forced to take up Armes for their owne safety nor fearing to bee murthered by any under the command of the Lords Justices and Counsell as in the Remonstrance is maliciously and scandalously urged the Lords Justices and Counsell seeing dangers thus multiplyed on all sides receiving Letters of intelligence from all parts of rebellious Acts done and hearing many strange rumours of the generall combination before the said meeting at Swoards or killing at Santry robberies and spoyles being before that time committed on the English in every County in Leinster Their Lordships thereupon desired in their great distresse to have the advice and assistance of those Lords of the Pale in whose fidelitie they formerly much confided as appeares by their comfortable expression thereof in October before aswell to the then Lord Lievtenant in England as to your Majesties principall Secretarie the effect whereof appeared in the Parliametn order sent thither thereupon soone after and printed the twelfth of November 1641. wherein they declared that they conceived the Massacre was intended aswell against your Majesties good Subjects Antient Inhabitants of English blood though of the Romish Religion who have in former Rebellions given testimonie of their fidelitie to the Crowne of ENGLAND as against the Protestants and that they intended to move your Majesty for the encouragement of those English or Irish that should raise Horse or Foote against the Rebells that they should bee honourably rewarded and therefore on the third of the same December the Lords Justices and Counsell did write severall Letters unto those and other Lords in and neere Dublin to meet together with the Lords Justices and Counsell at Dublin the eighth day of the same moneth to the end they might conferre with those Lords concerning the present state of the Kingdome and the safety thereof and specially of the Citie of Dublin in those times of danger to this the Earle of Fingall and the Lords of Gormanston Slane Dunsany Nettervile Lowth and Trimletstowne by their Letter dated the seventh of the same December answered That they had cause to conceive their loyaltie was suspected and that they had received advertisement that Sir Charles Coote at the Connsell Board had uttered some speeches tending to a purpose and resolution to execute upon those of their Religion a generall Massacre whereby they were deterred to come not having securitie for their lives but rather thought fit to stand on their guard till they might heare from the Lords Justices and Counsell how they should bee secured They well knowing that the Lords Justices and Counsell had no force or having force had no intent to hurt them unlesse much greater cause appeared in which Letter they did mention the killing at Santry which it seemes they had not then heard of and could not take that for a ground of their rebellion as now they urge and so they did forbeare to come as they were required but the Earle of Kildare the Lords Fitzwilliams and Houth came at the day appointed with whom Conference was had Thereupon the Lords Justices and Counsell desirous and labouring by all the meanes they could to cleare all erronious conceptions in those Lords and to prevent their hurt by any undutifull resolutions and asmuch as they might to provide against any breach with them least thereby greater extremities might bee drawne upon them and the Rebells at Swoards might be raised in stomacke did print and publish a Declaration dated the thirteenth day of the same December and sent it those Noblemen therein positively affirming That the Lords Justices and Counsell did never heare Sir Charles Coote or any other utter at the Councell board or else-where any such speeches tending to a purpose or resolution to execute upon those of their profession or upon any other a generall Massacre and that that board never intended or meant to dishonour your Majestie or that State or wound their owne consciences by harbouring the least thought of so odious impious and detestable a thing upon any persons whatsoever And that they were had would be ready to inflict due punishment upon any man against whom proofe shall be made of speaking the same therein likewise requiring those Lords to attend the Lords Justices and Counsell at the Board on the seventeenth day of the same moneth of December Thereby also giving to those Lords and every of them the word and assurance of the State for their safe repaire to the Board without danger of any trouble or stay whatsoever of or from the Lords Justices and Counsell or any under their Command who never had intention to wrong or hurt them neither in truth did they feare any such massacre there having never beene any such thing attempted against Papists either in England Scotland or Ireland notwithstanding their difference in Religion and the Protestants provoked by many strange plots in former times The same thirteenth day also of December the Lords Justices and Counsell printed and sent to the said Luke Nettervile and the rest at Swoards their manifest setting forth the truth of the aforesaid action at Santry and that they had no knowledge of it till it was done and their readinesse to give redresse it upon prosecution there were cause either at the Board or at a Counsell of Warre therein also laying before them their high and unsufferable Contempt in not separating according to former Command declaring also that there was no intent or purpose against the lives of them or any other your Majesties good Subjects Protestants or Papists who were not actors or abettors in the traiterous murthers and robberies lately committed but that their care and endeavour alwayes was and should bee to cherish and preserve all your Majesties good Subjects of what profession soever requiring them againe forth with to separate and forbeare further terrour and annoyance to your Majesties good Subjects and therein the Lords Justices and Counsell required the said Luke Nettervile and the rest who formerly signed the Letler to appeare before them at the Counsell board on the eighteenth day of the said moneth where they should receive due hearing and further gave unto them and every of them the word and the assurance of the state as to their persons for their safe repaire unto them without any trouble or stay from them whatsoever and that they had no intention to wrong or hurt any of them all which notwithstanding they did not separate but on the contrary sent men to Clantarfe as aforesaid which gave the Lords Justices and Counsell full assurance that they were resolved to run on
Kingdome of Ireland By His MAjESTIES Command Edward Nicholas After the receipt of which letter the Protestant Petitions proceeded and the 26 of Ianuary made choise of Sir Charles Coote Knight and Baronet and Captaine William Parsons to be added over and above the foure persons formerly nominated for agents and presented their names unto the L. Marquesse of Ormond then L. Lieutenant of Ireland to be transmitted to his Majesty Soone after viz on the 17 day of Febuary 1643 the said Petition of the Protestants was read in the Commons house of the Parliament of Ireland yet continuing who declared their concurrences therein and that the same day the Parliament was prorogued to a further time Shortly after the Protestant Petitioners humbly moved the Lord Lieutenant and Councell for a recommendation to His Majesty both of the cause and persons of their Agents And they were answered by the said Lord Lieutenant and Councell that by His Majesties letter of the sixth of November the Agents were to have fittting Instructions concerning their grievances and their desires mentioned in the petition of the Protestants unto His Majesty and therefore they were required by the Lords of the Councell to shew their Instructions without which they could not recommend the Agents or their cause Thereupon the 4th of March the Protestant Petitioners tendred a Copy of their Instructions for their Agents to the L. Lieutenant and Councell which followeth in haec verba Instructions for the Agents who are to attend His most Sacred Majesty on the behalfe of His Majesties Protestant Subjects of Ireland FIrst most humbly to represent unto His Sacred Majesty the Remonstrance or Petition of his truly obedient and loyall subjects the Protestants of this His Kingdome of Ireland intituled To the Kings most Excellent Majesty The humble petition of divers of Your Majesties Protestant subjects in Your Kingdome of Ireland aswell Commanders of Your Majesties Army here as others whose names are subscribed in the behalfe of themselves and others Your protestant subjects in this Your Kingdome and to manifest by all good wayes and meanes the truths thereof in every particular and to solicite the obteyning the humble desires therein requested and to refell and disprove the untruthes of the scandalous aspersions laid by the confederate Roman Catholiques c. of Ireland upon the most gracious Governments of Our most royall late Soveraignes Queene Elizabeth and King James of ever blessed memory and also of our most Gracious and dread Soveraigne King CHARLES and also the extreame falsehoods by the said confederate Roman Catholiques published and imposed upon His Majesties said protestant subjects of this Realme 2. And also to offer unto His Majesties royall and most tender confideration the barbarous usage inhumanity cruell tortures and bloudy murthers committed done upon His Majesties protestant subjects in the severall parts of the Kingdome without provocation and that commonly after quarter given passes promises and oaths for security or safe convoy especially in that glorious plantation of King James of ever blessed memory in the province of Vlster which terrible effusion of innocent blood cryeth to Almighty God and his sacred Majesty for Justice 3. In like manner to present unto his sacred Majesty the true and entire faith and alleageance of his Majesties protestant subjects of this Kingdome unto his royall person Crowne and Dignity their cheerefull and constant acknowledgement of his Supremacy in all causes and over all persons their universall obedience to all his Lawes and gracious government and their continued desires and endevours even to the uttermost hazard of their lives and fortunes for the preservation of all his rights and just prerogatives and to present to his Majesty in what estate and condition the Kingdoms was in at the time of the breaking out of this horrid Rebellion 4. And most humbly to desire the preservation and establishmant of the true protestant Religion in this Realme and the suppression of popery according to the lawes and statutes to that end established 5. Most humbly to desire His sacred Majesty that the great losses of his protestant subjects now utterly ruined by the Rebellion of the said confederate Roman Catholiques c. may be repaired in such manner and measure as his highnesse in his Princely wisdom shall think fit whereby his Majesties said protestant subjects may be enabled to subsist and re-inhabit in the said Kingdom 6. Most humbly to present to his Sacred Majesty all other things that may conduce to the glory of God to the advancement of the true Protestant Religion according to the Lawes the honour and profit of His Majesty the just prerogatives of his Crown the preservation of the Lawes and just Liberties of the subject the securing of this Kingdome to his Majesty and his royall posterity and future safety to His Majesties protestant subjects in their Religion Lives and Fortunes that they may no longer nor hereafter be liable to such and the like evills and destructions on them committed as they have now suffered from those who sell upon them spilt their blood and destroyed their estates unprovoked and even when they lived together in full peace 7. And for avoyding mistakes that you present or propound nothing to his Majesty but what shall be first well debated amongst your selves and maturely considered of and agreed upon in writing by the major part of you and subscribed with your hands 8. That from time to time you give an accompt of your proceedings unto those who are here appointed to negotiate this affaire 9. Which said Instructions being read the protestant petitioners were required to withdraw who after debate had on the Instructions at the Councell board were called in againe and exceptions were taken to the 1 2 3 4 6. Articles of the instructions and they were told by the Lords of the Councell that they could nor would not recommend them as the Instructions were now drawne and while the third Article of the Instructions remained In respect that they knew that there were many protestants in the Province of Vlster in Ireland that were not obedient to His Majesties Laws and the Lord Chancellor moved that these words in the second Article aforementioned might be omitted out of the Instructions viz. commonly committed after quarter given passes promises and oathes for security of fase convoy especially in that glorious plantation of King James of ever blessed memory in the Province of Vlster which effusion of innocent bloud cryeth to Almighty God and his sacred Majesty for justice And the Lord Lieutenant and Councell further gave the Protestant petitioners the particulars in writing which they would have added and omitted in the said Instructions otherwise they would not recommend the protestant Agents nor the Cause to His Majesty By reason whereof the Protestant petitioners were necessitated to the alteration of their Iustructions as hereafter followeth In the second Article of the first Instruction quarter given is lest out In the former part of the third
The False and Scandalous REMONSTRANCE OF The Inhumane and Bloody Rebells of Ireland DELIVERED To the Earl of St. Albans and Clanrickard the Earl of Roscomon Sir Maurice Eustace Knight and other His Majesties Commissioners at Trim the 17. of March 1642. to be presented to His Majesty by the Name of The Remonstrance of Grievances presented to His Majestie in the behalf of the Catholicks of IRELAND Printed at Waterford nine Moneths after by Tho Bourk Printer to the Confederate-Catholicks and untill then concealed from His Majesties good Protestant Subjects Together with an ANSWER thereunto on the behalf of the Protestants of Ireland Also a true Narration of all the Passages concerning the Petition of the Protestants of IRELAND presented to His Majesty at Oxford the 18. of April 1644. With the Reasons inducing the said Protestants to Petition The Proceedings and Successes thereof in Ireland and afterwards in England untill the Protestant Agents were dismissed by His Majesty 30. Maii 1644. Collected in obedience to the Order and Command of the Honorable House of Commons of England For the manifestation of the Truth and Vindication of the Protestants August 27. 1644. IT is this day Ordered by the Committee of the House of Commons in Parliament concerning Printing That the Books intituled An Answer presented to His Majestie at Oxford unto the false and scandalous Remonstrance of the Inhumane and Bloody Rebells of Ireland Together with A Narration of the proceedings at Oxon be forthwith printed and published JOHN WHITE London Printed for Edw. Husbands in the Middle-Temple 1644. A Remonstrance of Grievances Presented to his most Excellent Majestie in the behalfe of the Catholicks of IRELAND To the Kings most Excellent Majestie MOst gratious Soveraigne We your Majesties most dutifull and loyall subjects the Catholicks of your Highnesse kingdom of Ireland being necessitated to take armes for the preservation of our Religion the maintenance of your Majesties rights and prerogatives the naturall and just defence of our lives and estates and the liberties of our country have often since the beginning of these troubles attempted to present our humble complaint unto your Royall view but were frustrated of our hopes therein by the power and vigilancy of our adversaries the now Lords-Iustices and other ministers of State in this kingdome who by the assistance of the malignant party in England now in Arms against your Royall person with lesse difficulty to attaine the bad ends they proposed to themselves of extirpating our Religion and Nation hither to debarred us of any accesse to your Majesties justice which occasioned the effusion of much innocent bloud and other mischiefes in this your kingdom that otherwise might well be prevented And whereas of late notice was sent unto us of a Commission granted by your Majesty to the right honorable the Lord Marques of Ormond and others authorizing them to heare what we shall say or propound and the same to transmit unto your Majesty in writing which your Majesties gracious and princely favour we find to be accompanied with these words viz. Albeit we do extreamly detest the odious rebellion which the recusants of Ireland have without ground or colour raised against us our Crown and dignity which words we do in all humility conceive to have proceeded from the misrepresentations of our adversaries and therfore do protest we have been therein maliciously traduced to your Majesty having never entertained any rebellious thought against your Majesty your Crown or dignitie but alwayes have been and ever will continue your Majesties most faithfull and loyall subjects and do most humbly beseech your Majesty so to owne and avow us and as such we present unto your Majesty these ensuing grievances and causes of the present distempers 1 In primis the Catholicks of this kingdom whom no reward could invite no persecution inforce to forsake that Religion professed by them and their ancestors for thirteen hundred yeares or thereabouts are since the second year of the raigne of Queen Elizabeth made incapable of places of honor or trust in Church or Common-wealth their Nobles become contemptible their Gentry debarred from learning in Vniversities or publick Schooles within this kingdome their younger brothers put by all manner of imployment in their native country and necessitated eyther to live in ignorance and contempt at home or to their great discomfort and impoverishment of the land to seek education and fortune abroad misfortunes made incident to the said Catholicks of Ireland only their numbers quality and loyalty considered of all the Nations in Christendome 2 Secondly that by this incapacity which in respect of their Religion was imposed upon the said Catholicks men of mean condition quality for the most part were in this kingdom imployed in places of greatest honor and trust who being to begin a fortune built it of the Ruines of the Catholick Natives at all times lying open to be discountenanced and wrought upon and who because they would seem to be carfull of the government did from time to time suggest fals malicious matters against them the said Catholicks to render them suspected odious in England from which ungrounded informations their many other ill Offices these mischeifs have befallen the Catholicks of Ireland First the oppositions given to all the graces and favors of your Maiesty or your late Royall Father promised or intended to the Natives of this Kingdom Secondly the procuring of false inquisitions upon fained Titles of their estates against many hundred yeares possession and no travers or petition of Right admitted thereunto and Iurors denying to find such Offices were censured even to their publicke infamy and ruine of their estates the finding thereof being against their consciences and cleere evidences and nothing must stand against such offices taken of great and considerable parts of the Kingdom but Letters-patents under the great Seale And if Letters-patents were produced as in most cases they were none must bee allowed valid nor yet sought to be legally avoyded So that of late times by the underhand working of Sir William Parsons now one of your Lords-Iustices here and the arbitrary illegall power of the two impeached Iudges in Parliament and others drawne by their advice and counsell one hundred and fifty Letters-patents were avoyded in one morning which course continued untill all the Patents of the Kingdom to a few were by them and their associates declared voyd such was the care those ministers had of your Maiesties great Seale being the publick faith of the Kingdom this way of service in shew only pretended for your Maiesty proved to your disservice and the immoderate and too timely advancement of the said ministers of state and their adherents and too neere the utter mine of the said Catholicks 3. That whereas your Majesties late Royall Father King James having a princely and fatherly care of this Kingdom was graciously pleased to grant severall large and beneficiall Commissions under the great Seal of England and severall instructions
not prevayling therein with your Majesty as they expected have by their Letters and instruments labored with many leading Members of the Parliament there to give stop and interruption thereunto and likewise transmitted unto your Majesty and some of the state of England sundry misconstructions and misrepresentations of the proceedings and actions of your Parliament of this your Kingdom and thereby endeavoured to possesse your Majesty of an evill opinion thereof and that the said Parliament had no power of Iudicature in Capitall causes which is an essentiall part of Parliament thereby ayming at the impunity of some of them and others who were then impeached of high Treason and at the destruction of this Parliament But the said Lords-Iustices and privy counsell observing that no art or practise of theirs could be powerfull to withdraw your Majesties grace and good intentions from this people and that the redresse granted of some principall grievances was to be passed as Acts in Parliament The said Lords Iustices and their adherents with the height of malice envying the good union long before setled and continued between the Members of the house of Commons and their good correspondency with the Lords left nothing unattempted which might raise discord and disunion in the said house and by some of themselves and some instruments of theirs in the said Commons house private meetings of great numbers of the said house were appointed of purpose to raise distinction of Nation and Religion by meanes whereof a faction was made there which tended much to the disquiet of the house and disturbance of your Majesties and the publicke service And after certaine knowledge that the said Committees were by the waterside in England with sundry important and beneficiall Bills and other graces to be passed as Acts in that Parliament of purpose to prevent the same the said faction by the practise of the said Lords-Iustices and some of the said privy Counsell and their adherents in tumultuous and disorderly manner on the seventh of August 1641. and on severall dayes before cryed for an adjournment of the house and being over-voted by the voyces of the more moderate part the said Lords-Iustices and their adherents told severall honorable Peeres that if they did not adjourne the Lords house on that day being Saturday that they would themselves prorogue or adjourne the Parliament on the next Monday following by meanes whereof and of great numbers of proxies of Noblemen not estated nor at any time resident in this Kingdom which is destructive to the liberty and freedome of Parliament here the Lords house was on the said seventh day of August adjourned and the house of Commons by occasion thereof and of the faction aforesaid adjourned soone after by which meanes those Bills and graces according your Majesties intention and the great expectation and the longing desires of your people could not then passe as Acts of Parliament Within a few dayes after this fatall and inforced adjournment the said Committees arrived at Dublin with their dispatch from your Majesty and presented the same to the said Lords-Iustices and Councell expressing a right sense of the said adjournment and besought their Lordships for the satisfaction of the people to require short heads of that part of the dispatch wherein your Majesty did appeare in the best manner unto your people might be suddainly conveyed unto all the parts of the Kingdom attested by the said Lords-Iustices to prevent dispayre or misunderstanding this was promised to be done and an instrument drawn and presented unto them for this purpose and yet as it seemes desiring rather to adde fuell to the fire of the subjects discontent than quench the same they did forbeare to give any notice thereof to the people 8 After this certain dangerous and pernicious petitions contrived by the advice and Counsell of the said Sir William Parsons Sir Adam Loftus Sir Iohn Clotworthy knights Arthur Hill Esquier and sundry others of the malignant party and signed by many thousands of the malignant party in the City of Dublin in the province of Vlster and in sundry other parts in this kingdom directed to the Commons house in England were at publick Assizes and other publick places ' made known and read to many persons of quality in this kingdom which petitions contayned matters destructive to the said Catholicks their Religion lives and estates and were the more to be feared by reason of the active power of the said Sir Iohn Clotworthy in the Commons house in England in opposition to your Majesty and his barbarous and inhumane expressions in that house against Catholick Religion and the professors thereof Soon after an order conceived in the Commons house of England that no man should bow unto the name of IESVS at the sacred sound whereof all knees should bend came to the knowledge of the said Catholicks and that the said malignant party did contrive and plot to extinguish their Religion and Nation hence it did arise that some of the said Catholicks begun to consider the deplorable and desperate condition they were in by a Statute Law here found among the records of this kingdom of the second yeare of the raigne of the late Queen Elizabeth but never executed in her time nor discovered till most of the Members of that Parliament were dead no Catholick of this kingdom could injoy his life estate or libertie if the said statute were executed whereunto no impediment remained but your Majesties prerogative and power which were indeavoured to be clipped or taken away as is before rehearsed then the plot of destruction by any Army out of Scotland and another of the malignant party in England must be executed the feares of those twofold destructions and their ardent desire to maintain that just prerogative which might encounter and remove it did necessitate some Catholicks in the North about the two and twentieth of October 1641. to take Armes in maintenance of their Religion your Maiesties rights and the preservation of life estate and liberty and immediately thereupon tooke a solemne Oath and sent severall Declarations to the Lords-Iustices and Counsell to that effect and humbly desired they might be heard in Parliament unto the determination whereof they were ready to submit themselves and their demands which Declarations being received were slighted by the said Lords-Iustices who with the swaying part of the said Counsell and by the advice of the said two impeached Iudges glad of any occasion to put off the Parliament which by the former adjournment was to meet soon after caused a Proclamation to be published on the three and twentieth of the said Moneth of October 1641. therein accusing all the Catholicks of Ireland of disloyalty and therby declaring that the Parliament was prorogued untill the six and twentieth of February following within a few dayes after the said three and twentieth day of October 1641. many Lords and other persons of rank and quality made their humble addresse to the Lords-Iustices and counsel made
sorts as well of State as Civill and Marshall they make War and Peace at pleasure they punish with death and all other corporall punishments they pardon and protect at pleasure they publish Proclamations as well in paine of death as otherwise in their owne names they convoke generall Assemblies out of all Counties in nature of Parliaments they have Assembled and held Synods and Convocations of their Titulary Arch-Bishops and Bishops and other Popish pretended Clergy and therein made Canons and Constitutions for the government of the Church they have excommunicated many of your Majesties Subjects and thereby inforced them to joyne with them in their confederacy they have taken possession of the Churches and seized the whole meanes of the Protestant Clergy into their owne hands and exercise the whole Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction and function they have received and yet entertaine a Nuncio from the Pope and two Agents from France and Spaine as themselves give out they treat with forraigne States in matters of the Kingdome they annoy the seas and hinder traffique they coyne money make it currant and advance and Decree Coynes already currant they settle and alter Possessions and in summe by way of exclusion to all Your Majesties Prerogatives Rights and Authorities they published an Act in print that no temporall Government or Jurisdiction shall be assumed kept or exercised within that Kingdome or any Province or County thereof during the troubles other then what is approved or instituted by their generall Assembly or supreame Counsell and have in this and other acts shewed themselves in the highest degree to be Antimonarchicall and contemners of Your Majesties Royall Scepter and Soveraignty neither were they necessitated to take up Armes for the defence of their lives estates and liberties of their Country they being in no feare of their lives or estates by any violence or illegallity so much as offered or intended by Your Majesties Governours or Protestant Subjects neither can it be instanced than at any time since the Reformation of Religion either Your Majesties Governours or Protestant Subjects ever offered any open violence against the person or estate of any Papist quatenus a papist nor otherwise except in case of Rebellion wherein there was necessity to desend Your Majesties good people or represse the Rebells unjust insolence by way of just chastisement Your Majesties Governours and Officers there using all their skill and labour to preserve the happy peace of that Kingdome which they well knew Your Majesty esteemed the highest blessing of Almighty God upon earth and for just Liberties of Subjects it equally concernes Your Majesties Protestant Subjects with the Papists and each of them have so freely enjoyed them during the gracious Raigne of Your Sacred Majesty and Your most illustrious Father untill this present Rebellion as no Nation in Christendome hath exceeded them in that blessing as it will best appeare if comparison be made with former times when for many ages there was in Ireland absolute tyranny in the Chieftaines ruling in an Irish manner and direct slavery in the inferiours which it seemes these Remonstrants doe rather affect then the legall peaceable regiment of Your sacred Majesty and the wholsome Lawes of England and since that Rebellion began Your Majesties people of Ireland have by the confederates been wholly subjected to illegall Ordinances oppressions and Arbitrary powers and indeed to the will of a raging and sinisterly incensed multitude and therefore those Figg-leaves of their faigned excuses are ill put together pretending the murther robbery and destruction of Your Majesties Protestant Subjects should be for the preservation of the said confederate whereas in truth Religion might teach them to discerne that the innocent blood they have thus cruelly and wantonly spilt would cry to Heaven and to Your Sacred Majesty Gods Vicegerent within Your Dominions for a just revenge against them Touching the frustrating of these Remonstrants attempts to present complaints to Your Majesty since the Rebellion began there will appeare no truth in this suggestion when all things are duely examined nay it will appeare that the Lords Iustices and Counsell have not concealed or debarred them or any thing that came from them to their Lords hands but have furthered the same to Your Majesties view or knowledge so fast as they could As first about the sixt of November 1641. the Rebells of the County of Cavan sent up a presumptuous Proposition to the Lords Iustices and Counsell which their Lordships answered with all the moderation and satisfaction that could stand with their duty as may appeare by the same and forthwith certified the one and the other to the late Lord Lieutenant to whom Your Majesty had expresly commanded them to send all addresses for the affaires of Ireland after that when about the 23th of December 1641. certaine Lords of the Pale had declared by a former Letter that they would stand on their guard and after they had joyned with the Northerne Rebells in the siege of Drogheda the Lords Iustices received a Letter from seven Lords of the Pale wherein after some unjust Challenges made to the Lords Iustices and Counsell they signified they would not come to them though before they the Lords Iustices and Councell had sent them security for their persons and published the same by Proclamation and desired that the Lords Iustices and Councell would send them certaine Commissioners to conferre concerning the Common peace and other things This the Lords Iustices and Councell thought not good to discend unto considering their former great undutifullnesse And hereof they forthwith certified the late Lord Leiutenant also but the truth is that for severall moneths in the beginning of this Rebellion they little regarded any thing the Lords Iustices could say or doe while they hoped to carry all before them by surprize or open force And indeed untill your Majesties Armies by accesse of succours sent out of England had redeemed such of your protestant Subjects as with life only escaped from that overwhelming destruction by these confederates prepared against them and enabled your Majesties distressed subjects to make head against their bloudy cruelties and that they felt their owne weaknesse to maintaine their disloyalty against so potent a Monarch as your Majestie is Neither indeed had they any colour of complaint the cause of griefe being intirely on our side And at the beginning of this Rebellion they had lesse reason then ever having lately received so much grace And satisfaction in all their pretended greivances though they had not he duty and patience to forbeare force and humbly to reape the fruits thereof The second overture which any of them made unto the Lords Iustices and Councell was by a Letter written to the Earle of Castlehaven dated the 16th of March 1641. signed onely by the Lords Gormonstowne Netterville and Slane in the stile of united Lords wherein they desired to have a meeting in some convenient place and that in the meane time there might be a Cessation of
be maintained by her owne Clergy and her senants of impropriate Parsonages and Viccaridges Thirdly Your Maiesty and Your Royall Father in all the Plantations erected many Free Schooles and endowed them Fourthly many Protestants have built and endowed Free Schooles in speciall places whereas before there were few and those only in some Townes supported by very small salaries not able to give the Teachers subsistance and so in a manner discontinued as well appeared by the ill iteratenes and indeed barbarisme of the people in former times and it cannot be shewed that any Papist there has built or endowed any Schoole nay which is worse all the Popish Clergy and all other Popish Laiety from whom that Clergy can draw any such charity much being so gotten doe send all that can be so gathered to Schooles and Universities beyond the seas whereby that Kingdome is much impoverished and the love and dependency of the people much translated from Your Crowne to forraigne Princes and Potentates To the second Article As they have not spared scandalous and untrue aspersions against Your Maiesty and your Government and against Your Officers and Ministers Arti. 2. which is no other then Art used to cover or if it were possible excuse their odious murthers and other cruelties now committed upon Your Majesties Protestant Subjects so they have presumed to taxe Your gracious Majesty and Your glorious predecessors with want of love and care of their Subjects of that Kingdome by placing as the Remonstrants pretend in the seate of Government and other Offices of eminency men of mean condition and quality who were to begin their fortunes upon the ruines of the Catholique Natives which taxe untrue in it selfe is so undutifull to those Soveraign and gracous Princes as no person of honour will appeare in it but it must be devised by the Romish adversaries of the Clergy or Iesuited Lawyers who now appeare to have been the chiefe firebrands of all these horrible flames which have almost consumed that Kingdome for it cannot be denyed that Your Royall Majesty and the other excellent Princes Your predecessors have since the said Statute of Secundo sent thither to governe Earles Barons and others of noble extraction and plentifull esTates in England and when in intervalls for short times Iustices were appointed they were sometimes Noble men and otherwise men of the best ranke sufficiency and ability to undergoe that charge and it cannot be shewed that many of them have built their fortunes on the ruines of Your Majesties Subjects either Protestants or Preists to whom they 〈…〉 equally in all things but on the contrary some of them have lost themselves and have been much damnified in their estates by their imployment there partly by the unjust clamours and maliciou accusations of of some of those Catholique Natives never enduring long any English Governour or other servants of the King of England that endeavoured the peaceable and legall obedience to the Crowne And it is manifest that of 21 Lieutenants Deputies and Iustices successively Thirty Privy Counsellors and Twelve prime Iudges and several inferior Iudges sent thither out of England since the Statute of 2 do no one of them hath left any Estate there neither were they inriched by that service And though some others and not many left esTates it onely was for the most part by bounty of the Crowne and very few or none by their purchase except the Earle of Strafford who paid great summes of money for all he bought whereas on the other side of eleven prime Iudges and many inferiour Iudges of the birth of Ireland imployed there since the Statute of 2 do every one of them left visible and valuable estates many of them equall at least with the prime Gentry and severall of them in themselves or their posteritie since advanced to titles of honour by the favour of your Majestie and your Royall Ancestors whereby your Majestie may be pleased to judge whether the English or Irish officers have most built their fortunes on the ruines of Catholique Natives It is true that no Natives have been imployed as Chiefe Governours there since the 27. of King Henry the 8. but in former times many of them were untill the last of them gave cause to the King to alter that course And yet since that time most of the prime and inferiour Iudges and the Officers were of the Natives even untill towards the latter end of the Reigne of Queen Eliz. as is before said Vid. the Stat. of 10 H. 7. c. 8. and other Statutes for the prosperitie of Ireland while the English lawes were executed and how it decaied afterwards And if times be compared it will appeare by good records and histories that from the end of the first 90 yeares after the first comming of King Henry the 2d. in which time of 90 yeares the English Colonies spread over all the then most habitable parts of the Kingdome the Townes being also wholly English and the English lawes then only used and obeyed throughout all the English Colonies The Irish then and many yeares after declared enemies and aliens did encroach and prevaile strangely against the English Colonies which happened by reason of the unwise and irregular behaviour of many of the English Lords and Chieftaines of Irish birth who then and after degenerated into Irish manners and usages cast off the English lawes subjected themselves to the Brehon and Irish customes The English Lords falling into mortall quarrels among themselves called in and waged the Irish in their contentions who formerly lived in mountaines bogs were of no force whereby the Irish grew powerfull and bold and so wrested out the English freeholders by allowance of the English Lords which hapned chiefly in the times or by occasion of the civill wars in England joyned with the Irish in marriage fostering gossoprick and all other things even against their own fellow conquerors the English freeholders almost to their utter ruine The Governours also and otehr Officers being for the most part of those old English gave way perhaps necessitated in some times to the Irish encroachments and customes though some of them at severall times behaved themselves nobly and dutifully yet others raised Coyne and Livery and other Irish exactions upon the remaining English Colonies and all other Inferiors All which by the English governours and officers were after taken away insomuch as before the end of the Reigne of King Henry the 8. even al lthe Kingdome except the sive Shires of the Pale walled Townes and som small parts about them which also were much degenerated were turned Irish except a few of prime Nobility the English Law renounced Irish Captainships advanced many of the old English Lores turned Irish Captaines All which Captainships and all exactions coyne and taxes belonging thereunto were after taken away by Act of Parliament And all the Inferiors for the most part wholly reduced into Irish slaverie having neither lands nor goods but at the
will of those usurping Chieftaines And that Kingdome in a manner from age to age infested with continuall bloody insurrections and intestine commotions In which case it continued even unto the end of the Reigne of Queen Elizabth notwithstanding all that the English Governours sent by her coulde doe being assisted for the most part all that time with Irish Counsellors Iudges and Officers as is herein formerly metioned The Kingdom being held in great poverty and barbarisme notwithsTanding the vast expence of English bloud and treasure spent there by that gracious Queen and some of her Royall predecessors Neither could the Revenues and Profits of the Crowne in any of those times be advanced to above 11000 l. per annum and many times far lesse yea sometimes nothing at all And all it was advanced to was spent there besides the continuall exhaust of treasure out of England even to keep life in the few English that continued there obedient to the Crown and Lawes of England whereas on the other side since the beginning of the Reigne of the blessed King James and Your sacred Majestie successively Vid. Statute 11 Iac. c. 1. in Ireland for the benefit of Law and English government by His and Your wise and pious couduct and direction the English Governours with the assistance of English Iudges and officers have wholly abolished and removed all those Irish powers and jurisdictions and placed the dependencie of the people entirely on the Crown setled and secured a Legall property in every subject of their lands and goods bringing them absolutely into the state of free subjects utterly rased out the Irish Gavelkinde and Tainstry the very pest of the Nation the Farmers and Yeomanry being formerly scarce able out of the earth to gaine meat and sustenance for themselves and for idle Gentry and unimployed youth They introduced Civilitie peace and legall obedience to your Majestie throughout that Kingdome dispersed English habitations and manurance in all parts and Provinces even formerly the most rude Irish and uninhabited who built and erected Corporations and civill societies set up Markets and Faire for Commerce built and placed Churches bridges cawsies and passages gaoles Session houses Schooles for education of youth and thousands of Castles and houses of stone and brick for habitation and defence as did also then by their example many of the old English and Irish which were civilized besides foure walled Townes built in necessary places now since that Rebellion begun maintained for your Majestie by Garrisons They caused inclosures of lands planting of Orchards and Gardens and drayning of Bogs in all places as farre as time could permit They also brought in English habit language and usage and the full and universall exercise of the English lawes in all parts of the Kingdome turning all not formerly turned into Shire grounds setting known limits to all the Counties and Baronies thereof Into all which Iustices of Assize and Gaole delivery were halfe yearely sent for the happy and orderly administration of Justice and setling mens properties Whereas before the Reigne of King James the Iudges could travell no where but in the Pale and that not ordinarily because of Rebellions They placed Sheriffes Iustices of Peace and all Officers of Law in each County well instructed to execute their offices They caused estates for lives yeares and otherwayes to passe between Lord and Tenant for comfort and settlement of the people who were before generally Tenants at will in all parts And by commixture of new English and old English with Irish established indifferencie of Tryall by Iurie in most parts which before by reason of combined Irish Septs and the power of Irish Lords could not be They caused the Irish and others to live in Town-Reads not wandring with their cattell and creates dispersedly and barbarously in mountaines and wastes as formerly They enchartered the Townes and Corporations with enlarged and necessary Franchises Liberties and Jurisdictions aswell for government as ornament and benefit to the great enriching of those Inhabitants and increase of Merchandise they setled a learned Protestant Clergy of all degrees in all the parts of that Kingdom and Ordained the Consistories in a Legall form They caused to be enacted Laws for the course of Justice and quieting mens Estates and Interests agreeable as far as was necessary to the Laws made in England since the 10. of H. 7. They reformed the exorbitancy of Sheriffs who after the Captainships were taken away did in many places succeed them in extortion and oppression They had setled an Army of 2000 foot and 1000 horse intended to be English who tooke nothing of the Country without ready money and a competent Navy to guard the Coast all paid there without charge to England And lastly they had advanced your Majesties Revenues certain and casuall from under 8000 l. per annum as it was when King James began to above 85000 l. per annum besides a great gaine the Farmers of the Customes had for a few yeares to come and all this done with little or no charge to England And as an addition of blessing to all this the people generally by this meanes did wonderfully increase in riches and substance far beyond all other times Rents raised as high as in many parts of England where before lands yeelded little or nothing The breed of Cattell of all sorts wonderfully enlarged bettered and prized and infinite numbers of cowes horses and sheep with very great quantities of wooll yearely sent into this Kingdome and corne multiplied in all parts which redounded to the benefit of the Natives equally if not more then to the English as may appear as by many other things so particularly by the large mariage portions given by the Lords Gentry and others with their daughters ten times above the rates of former times dowries and joyntures of wives and purchase of lands proportionably encreased Mony let at Ten in the hundred at most whereas formerly it was at 15 l. 20 l. and 30 l. and sometimes higher And lastly whereas in all Queen Elizabeths time they could give her but one Subsidie and that but a meane one of 13 s. 4 d. out of every plough-land occupied or manured to continue for ten yeares very few Subsidies having beene granted in Ireland to any former Kings that Subsidy of Queene Elizabeth by reason that the Townes and Corporations were by a Statute freed and that divers exceptions of Gentlemens estates and other waies were incerted and that great quantities of the Kingdome were in the hands of the Irish not till then divided into Plow Lands much whereof was never so done and lastly by reason of the Rebellions of those times did never amount to any considerable summe now in the happy and plentifull Raigne of Your Majesty they were able to raise and grant unto Your Majesty ten Subsidies of one and forty thousand pounds each Subsidy and some of them 45000. l. besides Lords and Clergy over and above great contributions
time But it is now plainly seene that the secret reason why those Remonstrants so distasted and in Parliament laboured against the disbanding of that Army was because by their disbanding they saw themselves like to be disappointed of such a helpe and of those Armes with a more fall hand to execute their bloody designe upon your Majesties Brittish and Protestant Subjects which it seemes was consented unto by many of these Remonstrants members of both houses in the May session of Parliament before as was declared by Hugh Mac Mahon upon his examination Those Remonstrants well knowing that the greatest part of that Army aswell the common souldier as many of the Commanders were ready to be imployed by them in that exploit as since more fully appeared And that this their confederacy seems to be begun at that time or before doth somewhat more appeare in that at the next Session in Iune and July when that Army was disbanded and that your Majesty for good reasons had commanded by your severall warrants that they should be sent over sea to serve other Princes in amity with your Majesty those Remonstrants tooke great paynes to frame reasons to stay them which by their meanes the Lords Justices were then pressed to transmit to your Majesty And that they were unwilling to supply those Princes whose aide they so undutifully soone afterwards sollicited against your Majesty and your Majesties true Subjects and servants not that they beleived the kingdome could not well spare those men being then loose and noe way setled but that they intended shortly to make an other use of them to the utter destruction of your Majesties good Subjects as lamentable experience now evinceth besides it was then made knowne to the Lords Justices and Councell That the Priests and Jesuits diswaded the Colonels Captains and Souldiers all they could from going over which was on the same grounds to open which secret a little further It must be also remembred that in that Session upon a pretence that some of the Lord Straffords servants had placed powder under the Parliament House with purpose to blow them all up which was a meere fiction They moved the house to send certain Committees of Lords to the Lords Justices wherein the lord Magwier a chief conspirator as himselfe confessed was a most busie man to require search for the powder which they curiously performed and veiwed every corner on purpose to see what Armes were brought in that being a place where Arms had been in former times kept though the Officers of the Ordnance assured them that noe powder had been laide there for some yeares before neither was there any at that time And when they had seene what there was they adventured and drew the other Lords of that Committee then and now good Subjects to renew their motion to the Lords Justices to be admitted to see the stores of powder and armes placed in other parts in and about the Castle to whom the Lords Justices then answered that those were the Kings precious Iewels not to be without speciall cause shewed and so refused them whereat they seemed discontented as being left in uncertainty in what state your Majesties stores stood which they desired much to know especially whether the powder Armes were all there where they lay that if they were not come in they might find them elsewhere or if there then by the intended surprize to be sure of them and to know where on the suddaine to find them As for that strange Chimera of bringing a 10000 Scots into that Kingdome to force the Catholiques thereof to change their Religion and that Ireland would never be well without a Rebellion to the end the Natives might be extirpated It is little marvile that those Remonstrants in whose braines exterpation of Brittish and Protestants did so much runne which they to their uttermost power soone after executed had their hearts full of Rebellion which they wickedly practised soone after could easily fancy such thoughts in other men as one colour of excuse amongst others for their own evill intents But that those persons named in this Article should declare or advise such an act to the disturbance of that blessed peace in setling whereof they have beene principall actouts and in that Kingdome where their whole subsistance is and where their children are matched to Natives knowing also as they doe that such an action cannot be without great meanes and authority to support it it is incredible neither can they conceive that it will gaine more credit with any intelligent man then the tale of wagers mentioned in this Article the true particular whereof is That at an Assizes at Wexford a little before the Rebellion certaine Papists and Protestants being at the Sheriffs table at dinner a Protestant and a Papist had some conference about Religion The Protestant at last wished the Papist to come to Church as most of them had done formerly whereto the Papist answered he would never go to Church the Protestant said I wil give you 5 l. you shal give me 50. l. for it if you come not to Church before this time Twelve-Moneth he well knowing that the Papist would not come to Church whereat the Papist seeming startled was very earnest to understand the secret of that wager which at last the Protestant discovered and so it proved a merriment to the whole table as is well knowne to the Remonstrants And these are some of the grounds whereon these Remonstrants pretend to found their bloody Massacre which soone after ensued to the destruction of your Majesties Brittish and Protestant subjects What the Parliament in England protested or intended concerning the Catholiques in Ireland The Protestants in Ireland were not much moved with the rumours thereof being strangers thereunto and presumed those Remonstrants were better setled in the assurance of your Majesties Protestant subjects love to them and your Majesties gracious favours and care shewed to their security It is true that some Prints have been seene here seeming to averr that Lawes made in England will bind in Ireland if Ireland named This is a power that may equally concerne your Majesties Protestant subjects as those confederates But it being a matter yet farre from determination might have been thought more fit to be disputed in peaceable and civill Assemblies then canvased by Armes in open hostilitie against your Majestie and your obedient Subjects and the resolution written in the blood of so many thousand innocent Protestants unable to resist and that by treacherous surprize without the least notice of force intended especially seeing therein they say truly and that in all respects only truly hitherto in their Remonstrance that your Majesties high wisedome was able to apply seasonable cures to any such evils or innovations neither can it be beleeved that those Remonstrants or Catholiques of Ireland as they call themselves could be truly informed of any Protestation made by both Houses of Parliament in England or an intention in
them to introduce law for the extirpation of Catholique Religion in the three Kingdomes at any time before these Remonstrants openly entred into this actuall Rebellion and bloudy assacination though those Remonstrants draw it in amongst their provocations to take up Armes Neither indeed did those Remonstrants feare any violence or sharpe prosecution from their quiet Neighbours the Protestants in Ireland there having been very great and as now appeares very dangerous patience used towards the Remonstrants aswell by Governours as all Officers and Protestants who would have beene glad to live among them in peace if the Remonstrants could have endured their company Lastly whereas they seeme grieved That the Parliament of England encroached against law and unjustly upon the Priviledges of Parliament in Ireland in sending for and questioning too and in the English Parliament the members of that Parliament They do wel now to expresse sence of it amongst the rest of their pretexts for their wicked acts But when Protestant members of this Parliament against whom that pretended encroachment most extended were sent for they imploring the aid of the Parliament of Ireland to defend them and their priviledges were not holpen therin by the Commons house but were answered by a leading Member of the Cōmons house now a Remonstrant that the House should do well not to take notice thereof least any variance should arise betweene the two Parliaments so unwilling they were to assist the Protestants or maintaine that right which now they so stoutly challenge though a good while afterwards both Houses tooke occasion to write to their Committee in England to sollicite concerning that particular And so little feare had they then of any pernicious purposes in that Parliament against them though they now make mention of that Parliaments unwarrantable invasion since made on your Majesties Rights and Prerogatives as a pretence for their wicked and abominable actions long before that begun In the seventh Article Those Remonstrants doe justly acknowledge your Majesties grace and Princely patience in hearing their grievances 7. Article which would have wrought upon any loyall or dutifull heart to returne love and obedience to so gracious a Soveraigne and at least neighbour-like demeanour towards your Majesties faithfull Subjects the Brittish and Protestants which how they performed their then immediately ensuing acts doe demonstrate But in this Article also they continue their untrue and malicious calumniations against your Majestie in your Governours and Officers who did never give any of them just cause of offence It cannot appeare that the Lords Justices and Counsell did give any untrue Information against them or the Committees of that Parliament neither is it true that any such thing was done for that they know the Counsell of whom the Lords Justices then were gave all the furtherance they could to the going of that Committee Hoping that what your Majestie should be pleased to grant might redound to the common benefit of your people Neither did any Privie Counsellours goe into England of purpose to crosse or give impediment to your Majesties Justice and graces But it is true that the late Lord Dillon afterwards Earle of Roscomon and Sir Adam Loftus your Majesties Vice-Treasurer were about that time sent for by your Majestie upon the motion of your Parliament of England as it seemed to testifie in the cause moved in that Parliament against the Earle of Strafford And if in their attendance there their advice or knowledge concerning any thing there propounded or handled by the Committee were required by your Majestie doubtlesse those Counsellours did faithfully discharge the duty of good servants to your Majestie and true wel-wishers to that Kingdome being both Natives thereof and members of that Parliament Neither did your Majesties Justices and Counsell transmit unto your Majestie or any of the State of England any misconstructions or misrepresentations of the proceedings and actions of that Parliament but rather it may justly be beleeved that those Remonstrants doe worke upon their owne evill imaginations in this as in the former Articles they have presumed to avouch severall knowne untruths Nay the Lords Justices were so farce from any such malevolence to that Parliament or any Members thereof as when they received your Majesties Commission dated the sourth of Ianuary 1640. authorizing them to continue prorogue or determine the Parliamnent as they thought fit They in confidence that the intent of all the Members of the Parliament was for the generall good of the Kingdome and your Majesties service did willingly continue it and gave all countenance and assistance to it which well appeares by a motion made by a noble Peere in the Lords House That the Lords Justices had alwayes chearfully received their requests and Messages and were ready to comply with them desiring it might be entred to the end it might remaine to posteritie It is also conceived that when your Majestie had given direction that all Letters from thence should be kept apart to the end the Committee might have recourse unto them if any such misrepresentations could have appeared to them they would have instanced the same in this Remonstrance and not have offered to your Majestie suppositions for certainties And touching the Parliament of Irelands power of Judicature in matters Capitall there was nothing written from thence concerning that matter untill your Majestie being advertized of the impeachment of the Lord Chancellour and others in the Lords House required the Lords Justices to search and certifie whether any presidents might be found there for such a proceeding Your Majestie then also graciously declaring that as your Majestie intended not to prejudice the Rights of the Lords House so your Majestie did expect that they should nto introduce any new president for that cause Thereupon the Lords Justices having searched and demanded of the two Houses of Parliament if any such presidents they could shew none were produced which the Lords Justices certified backe to your Majesties principall Secretarie as in duty they ought And it is beleeved that those Remonstrants would not now more earnestly presse for that power in Judicature then heretofore was done were it not by the exercise or terrour thereof if their partie could have prevailed to rid themselves of your Majesties English Judges and Officers whom they cannot endure to beare rule amongst them though they clearly saw the Kingdome prospered above any former times under their great labour and travell It is most untrue that your Majesties Protestant officers or subjects did envy the good union betweene the two Houses But the truth is they did labour to cherish and confirme it by their uttermost skill and industry And if your Majesties servants or your Protestant subjects did happen to oppose those Remonstrants in any their undutifull motions and projects either concerning Religion or your Majesties Protestant Clergie or concerning the derogation of your Majesties Prerogatives Rites and authories or malicious practise against your Majesties Officers Those Remonstrants did and now
doe ascribe it to malice against them and the Nation which is a most unjust obloquie And though your Majesties Protestant subjects of the Commons House saw and knew that there were then daily and nightly meetings of those Remonstrants and their party then members of both Houses Insomuch as it was in the former Session 1641. moved in the Lords House that an order might be entred against such meetings And though your Majesties Protestant subjects found that from those meetings proceeded daily motions in the Commons House touching the above-mentioned particulars in prejudice of your Majesty your government whichin a manner tooke up all their time to moderate contayn them yet your Majesties said Protestant Subjects of that house did for their parts forbeare any such course of meetings fearing to under goe suspition of siding or inclination to disunion at last finding the continued inconvenience of that practise in the Popish party and hearing also that it was muttered amongst many of the now Remonstrants that they intended to impeach divers of your Majesties principall Officers who could not be drawne to vary from their iust duty to your Majesty and your rights and against some other your Maesties Brittish Protestant Officers who had either given opinion or any waies laboured towards the clearing of your Majesties title to the Lands in Connaught the obstructing frustrating whereof was the Remonstrants darling care all the rest of their pretended greivances both in the fourth yeare of your Majesties raigne and those lately being gathered up and for the most part strained out of particulars and subservient to countenance and support the importunity concerning that businesse which plantation if it had proceeded they knew would have beene a full ground of peace to that Kingdome which they laboured to retaine from your Majesties knowledge Then and not till then some of your Majesties Protestant Subjects of that house in these respects did only once meete in which meeting there were some Papists also of purpose to become in some measure prepared to free themselves and the house from those unreasonable attempts in which meeting nothing was done or agreed that ever gave offence or iust distast to the house or any member thereof which may appeare in that the Remonstrants can mention no disturbance thereby which they would not spare if any such thing they could speake of though they have not trembled to present to your Majesties royall veiw many as strange inventions neither were the Lords Justices so much as acquainted with the meeting It is utterly untrue that during that Session of Parliament which was very long from the 11 of May to the 7 of August there was any certaine knowledge there of the Committees being at the waterside in all which time of the Session little was done to the good of the Common wealth or advancement of your Majesties service for most part spent in Protestations Declarations Votes upon the queries the stay of souldiers from going over seas and private petitions About the 14 day of Iuly 1641. the Lords Justices finding nothing of moment for the generall good or your Majesties service then in doing in the house sent to both Houses to consider of a reasonable time of prorogation or adjournment of that Session the rather because the harvest drew on many members were gone home and the house grown thyn as in some orders appeares in the Lords House Vpon the 30 of Iuly the Commons House desired the Lords House that the adjourning might be staid till the saturday seavenight after which was the 7 of August On the second of August the Lords house ordered that in respect the Judges were very shortly to goe their circuites and some of them already licensed the rest of them should be that day licensed to depart and no more to attend that Session on the same day the Commons house sent to the Lords HOuse that they conceived the prorogation or adjournment was fit to be on saturday the 7 of that moneth and to meete againe the ninth of November following on the 5 of August the Lords House ordered that a Committee of that House should ioyne with a Committee of the Commons whereto the Commons House also assented to acquaint the Lords Justices that both Houses had agreed that a prorogation or adjournment should be on saturday aforesaid and to meete againe on the said ninth of November and desired their Lordships approbation thereof To this the Lords Justices answered them that there were three severall wayes of recesse one by writte-of adjournment for which no president was found in that Kingdome another by adjournment to be entred in the bookes of the Houses as done by the Lords Justices consent and the third by prorogation which their Lordships intended But because the Houses enclyned to an adjournment their Lordships consented thereto by order to be entred in the Houses as by their consent On the 6 of August the Lords House ordered that the adjournment should be on the satturday aforesaid according to their resolution sent to the Lords Justices On the same 6 day the Lords House ordered that a Message should be sent to the Commons House to let them know that they saw no cause to alter their former resolution for the adjournment finding no cause in the letter that day received from the Committee in England nor by what they otherwise understood at the late conference and from the said Earle of Roscommon who late then landed there and who brought the letter from the Committee to expect the Bill desired in any short time for indeed they were then at London undispatched and the Letter said they were then busy about their dispatch And accordingly the next day being the 7 of August their Lordships adjourned the House till the 9 of November following All which being the very truth in this particular it is hardly credible that the Lords Justices and their adherents whosoever is meant thereby would take occasion to use those menacing words to severall Honourable Lords in the Article mentioned viz that if they did not adjourne the Lords House on that day being saturday they would prorogueon Munday following or whether it be likely that by the practises of the Lords Justices and some of the Privy Counsell and their adherents that faction as those Remonstrants injuriously tearme them did or could in such tumultuous and disorderly manner cry out for the adjournment with purpose to prevent the passing of those acts and graces that Session which were expected from your Majesties goodnesse But those Remonstrants having broken faith with your Majesty and all your faithfull people do take liberty to asperse your Majesties Governours and well affected Officers whom they desire for ill ends to make odious to the people of both Kingdoms And as a fatall perclose to this Article they subioyne another palpable untruth That after the artivall of that Committee who came not thither till towards the end of August That Committee could not obtaine
from the Lords Justices Notification to be given to the Countrey of your Majesties goodnesse and bounty intended and shewed to the people which might have tended to their great satisfaction Whereas the Lords Justices never denyed them any such thing But De facto did forthwith write to all the Ports in the Kingdome with briefes of those graces concerning matters of Customes which that season most required Commanding the Officers punctually to obey those his Majesties directions They also published Proclamations for the sending away of Wooll and what Customes was to be paid for the same And sent severall Letters to all the Ports of the Kingdome to publish the same And sent warrants for free entries of all Tobacco brought in or to be brought in at all the Ports and what Custome to be paid They gave order for drawing a Bill for repeale of the preamble of the Act of Subsidies They also desired Sir Iames Montgomerie and Sir William Cole two of the Committee then returned if they could overtake the Assises in the Counties of Vlster to give publicke notice to all the undertakers what your Majestie had graciously granted and intended to them which they undertook to doe They had formerly sent over the Bill for the generall pardon which was all that for that short time could be done specially the Terme and the next Session being so neere aswell for passing the Acts then newly come over as upon deliberate consultation in the meane time to prepare for an orderly execution and publication of the rest of those graces Most of the rest of the graces being to be executed there in Dublin and in the Courts The Committee also and the few others of the Members of the House remaining then in Dublin being very urgent to goe to their houses which they suddenly did But it appeared soone after that those Remonstrants and their party had other intentions and determined to be their owne carvers aswell of your Majesties Rents and Subsidies then in the Collectors hands as of all the goods substance and estates of your Majesties Brittish and Protestant subjects which intenon they within a few dayes after fully put in practise As to the prodigious tale mentioned in the eight Article of dangerous 8. Article and pernitious Petitions to the Parliament in England pretended to be contrived by the foure persons named in this Article and signed by many thousands of a malignant party which Petitions they say were made knowne at Assizes and other publicke places containing as they pretend matters destructive to the Catholiques their Religion lives and estates This allegation exceeds all the rest in malice and untruth and certainly if ever there were such a Petition as there was not it is wonderfull being signed as they say it was by many thousands that to this houre no Copy thereof can be shewed by any But these Remonstrants care not what detractions how untrue and improbable soever they print or publish against those they hate for the truth is those foure persons never contrived or advised joyntly or severally and such Petitions or indeed any Petitions to that Parliament But to open this Trojane Hourse the truth is That about the thirteenth of August 1641. The Lords Justices and Counsell having intelligence out of the County of Tyrone that a Petition to the Parliament of England framed as it after appeared by some Protestants in Dublin was carried up and downe in those parts to gather hands their Lordship 's not knowing what it was and doubting it might be some such thing that might breed distemper in those Inhabitants Did by their Letter dated the said thirteenth of the same August pray and require the Lord Bishop of Clogher to take that Petition and carry it to the Justices of Assize then in the Countrey and to wish them to proceed thereupon as they should thinke fit according to law And after the Assizes ended to send it up to the Lords Justices and Counsell All which was done and the Petition then sent up and ever since remaines in the hands of the Clerkes of the Counsell Now lately in the yeare 1643. it was discovered to the Commissioners for Ecclesiasticicall causes That one Partington of Dublin had a Petition framed in the name of severall Inhabitants in and about the Citie of Dublin and some few parishes within the Diocesse of Laughlyn whereupon he being cited and examined produced the draught of that Petition which upon view appeared to be the same in substance with that which remaineth in the Clearke of the Counsells hands which Petition contained no matter destructive to the said Catholiques their Religion lives or estates but doth rather lay accusations of some disorders and remissnes in the Protestant Clergie as appeares by the Copie of the said Petition which followeth in these words To the Honourable the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the Commons House of Parliament assembled in England The humble Petition of severall the Protestants inhabiting and now residing in and about the City of Dublin and in some few Parishes within the Diocesse of Laughlin and Fearnes in the Realme of Ireland In all humblenesse sheweth THat whereas the Protestant Religion was generally received in the said Realme of Ireland in the beginning of the raigne of our late Soveraigne Lady Queene Elizabeth of famous memorie as by severall good Lawes and Statutes then made and established by Parliament for restoring the Crowne to the Antient Iurisdiction over the estate Ecclesiasticall and Spirituall for abolishing all Forraigne power and authoritie out of the said Realme and for uniformity of Prayer and administration of the Sacraments within the said Kingdome may appeare By which Lawes all Ecclesiasticall persons and Officers Iudges Iustices Mayors and temporall Officers are enjoyned to take the Oath of Supremacie and all persons mhatsoever required on Sundayes and Holidayes to repaire to Church upon the severall paynes therein limited and expressed And whereas ever since the making of the said Statutes it hath beene the care of our dread Soveraigne the constant Defender of the Faith and his most noble Predecessors tohave his people governed according to those and other the laudable Lawes of England and Ireland And whereas both the Protestants Clergie and Laitie have heretofore contributed to his Majesties occasions towards the free Gifts of one hundred and fifty thousand pounds and likewise by an other gift of one hundred and twenty thousand pounds more during the Government of the Lord Viscount Fauckland as largely as the Papists and after in or about the next ensuing Government of Lords Iustices to the Gift of forty thousand ounds and the Protestant Laytie likewise contributed to the six intire Subsidies in the tenth yeare of his Majesties reigne which Subsidies in the Collection amounted to two hundred and fiftie thousand pounds besides the eight intire Subsidies of foure shillings in the pound granted to his Majestie the same yeare by the Protestant Clergie In all which payments as in all other publike charges
and the other wilde fiction of 10000 Scots then not so much as thought on to come thither but long after agreed on after your Majesty under your owne royall signature had appointed and authorised severall persons of quality to be Collonels to prosecute Rebells and sent upon necessity to preserve your Majesties Crowne and Kingdome against those confederats most unnaturall and horrid attempts take the boldnesse to avow the Acts of the Northerne Rebels on the 23 of October 1641 as necessitated thereto for preservation of their Lives Liberties and Estates for maintenance of their religion and for your Majesties rights which none there except themselves ever moved or offered to oppose or impeach which Northerne rising is by Declaration made by many of themselves in Parliament in November 1641 and by their advice printed professed and published to be a traiterous and rebellious taking up of Armes against your Majesty they then seeming to detest and abhorre their abhominable and inhumaine actions of murthers and other outrages therein specified therein also protesting to maintaine the rights of your Majesties Crowne and Government against the said Rebels whom they then acknowledged to be Rebels and to fight against your Majesties Rights and Government and whom now they palliate with the attribute of discontented Gentlemen Neither was that Declaration enforced from the Parliament as they suggest but by due course passed as well appeares by the passages thereof appearing in the bookes And in further presumption those Remonstrants affirme that those Northerne Traitors did send Declarations to the Lords Justices and Counsell humbly desiring to be heard in Parliament which is most untrue there never comming any Declaration or other motion from any of them to the Lords Justices and Counsell other then a presumptuous proposition from those of Cavan which their Lordships answered and certified to the then Lord Leivtenant as is before mentioned Neither is it to be wondred at that these consederats passe over so slightly the cruell murders and massacres acted upon your Majesties Protestant Subjects in Vlster and else where in time of full peace your Majesties Protestant Subjects not being in any posture of defence by reason of the suddennesse of their surprise considering the little defence the confederats are able to make against those knowne massacres And as to the Proclamation on the 23 of October 1641 published by the Lords Justices and Counsell to make knowne the preservation of your Majesties Castle and City of Dublin and to publish the discovery of the conspiracy of some evill affected Irish Papists wherein all good Subjects are admonished to take comfort to stand one their defence and preserve the peace There is in that Proclamation no mention at all of any Prorogation and whereas afterwards divers of the pale and other old English petitioned the Lords Justices and Counsell taking offence at the words Irish Papists wherein there being no distinction they might doubt themselves involved The Lords Justices and Counsell being tender least they in whose fidelity their Lordships then rested confident should take umbrage at any their expressions did by their printed Declaration dated the 29 of the same October publish and proclaime That by the words Irish Papists they intended the meere old Irish in the Province of Vlster and none of the old English of the Pale or other parts True it is that on the 27 of October 1641. The Lords Justices by advice of the Counsell and for the necessity of the time many members of those houses being then in Rebellion and many slayne or hanged by the Rebels and some imprisoned and some beseiged in their houses by them did proclaime a prorogation of the Parliament from the dayes of the former adjournment in November 1641 till the 24 of February following yet that Proclamation not to stand for a prorogation as conceived not fully warranted by Law but was done in those dangerous times to prevent concourse at Dublin to preserve the members of the houses from danger of travaile and to the end they shall not be drawne from defence of the Country In which Proclamation there is no word of Irish Papists or of the Catholiques of Ireland or of the Rebellion raised for which prorogation the Lords Justices received your Majesties expresse command because your Majesty desired the Lord Leivtenant should be then there And the Lords Justices act was therein approved by your Majesty as concurring with the advice of your Counsell And to shew that it was not intended for the full prorogation when afterwards before the day of the former adjournement some of the houses came to the Lords Justices and Counsell and seeming to doubt of the legality of that manner of prorogation desired that the houses might meete and for clearing of all doubts might fit on the 9 day of November and adjourne to the 16 day of that November and at the 16 day of November might sit for a day or two to make some publike Declaration of their loyalties and that a shorter time for their next meeting then the 24 of February aforesaid might be appointed The Lords Justices and Counsell-freely-yeilded unto them in all their requests and on the 17 day of Nouember towards night the Parliament was prorogued in the houses but till the 11 of Ianuary after though your Majesties warrant was till the end of February It is most untrue that the Lords Justices and Counsell limmited them that no Acts of grace or other thing for the peoples quiet and satisfaction should passe For the houses during those two daies did make and publish the Declaration above mentioned and some other ordinance for the provision security and comfort of the Country as farre as might be But they neither did nor could then at the very beginning of of the rebellion move or offer to passe any acts of grace The Lords iustices by his Mjesties directions did make knowne to the Parliament that his Maiesty would not depart frō any his former favours promised to them for setling their estares to such as should remain faithfull and loyall or were denyed the same many of their intentions being fixed as soone after appeared to come by their end another way which proceedings of the Lords Justices and Counsell in that businesse doth appeare by Proclamation then published by the Lords Justices and Counsell with the privity of the houses And as to their being invironed with a great number of armed men in their accesse and recesse to and from the house with their matches lighted and Muskets presented even to the breasts of the members of both houses First they should tell that those guards were put into your Majesties Castle where before none were except the ordinary retinue of a few warders under the Constables Command for guard and preservation of the said Castle against the said confederats wicked plots and conspiracies then discovered And that those guards did but stand in their Armes in the Castle yard meerely as in observance to that eminent assembly
horrible acts of hostilitie which put them out of the Lords Justices power to receive them without further allowance and direction from your Majestie which they writ for and desired to receive Touching Sir Charles Cootes journey into Wickloe who with such a small force of English and Irish as the Lords Justices and Counsell could then raise set forth from Dublin on the 27. of November 1641. the designe being to relieve your Majesties Castle of Wickloe and one other only Castle kept by a subject but both besieged by Rebells All the Irish of that Countie having many dayes before risen in open Rebellion surprized your Majesties Fort of Cairis Fort Arckloe Fort Chichester and all the houses of the English in that Countie The Lord Esmonds house and the adjacent parts of Wexford robbed all the Brittish Protestants threatned to assault Dublin having robbed and preyed within two miles thereunto and committed all amnner of acts of hostility as is before particularized Hee had also direction to kill and spoile by fire and sword those Irish Rebells so farre as he could But it is not true that any there dicd by his command save one woman one whose backe certaine of the Protestants spoyles were found and twelve or thirteene men who were proved to have committed the same rebellious acts and such as fought with him in open field with Banners displayed where the Rebells being as hee conceived a thousand strong were by him routed and put to flight Neither could that journey any way terrifie those of the Pale or give them occasion of suspition of any violence intended against them being principally intended to prevent incursions and spoyles of the Irish to bee committed on them as they had in former times often done and against whom they had with much effusion of blood often defended themselves yet now so plainely appeares their preceded generall conspiracie in this Rebellion as they are not abashed despising the honour of their birth and loyaltie to your Majestie to professe sence of those Rebells sufferings and to mention your Majesties just vengeance taken on those antient and in all former and later ages and now declared Rebells and Traitours as one of their motives to take up Armes or at least to stand on their guard as they call it Touching the Act of Santry three miles from Dublin seeming to worke so much upon the Remonstrants as to put them into open rebellion against your Majestie as if they could resolve of a generall Rebellion in all the Kingdome in twentie foure houres It is fit to open the truth of this supposed fearfull and as may be said miraculous accident being of force almost to raise a whole County into Armes in one day against your Majestie and your peaceable subjects though the said County during six weekes after the conspiracie against the Castle of Dublin and the state was discovered and prevented did not seeme able or rather being unwilling by all faire perswasions of the Lords Justices and Counsell used to them to put themselves into a posture of defence against the Rebells of Vlster to find any Armes to arme their men or agree upon Captaines to command them notwithstanding they had upon the twenty two of November after severall invitations thereunto received out of your Majesties stores Armes and all other Munition for three hundred men And not withstanding that the Lords Justices and Councell in October 1641. wrote Letters to the severall Counties of the Pale to name their Captaines gather their men and fetch out their Armes which they deferred sometimes seeming desirous to have all things agreed on in Parliament which they knew could not then meet and sometimes upon other pretences And notwithstanding that they saw the inferiour people of those Counties formerly to rise in multitudes to murther rob and spoile the Brittish and Protestant Inhabitants amongst them without resistance or controll And in particular they had murthered Derrick Hubbert a Protestant Gentleman in his owne house and some others of his familie in the County of Dublin And about ten miles from Dublin besides many other so used in other parts and had spoyled Protestants in severall Villages within three or foure miles of Dublin in Fingall where the Remonstrants doe say the Inhabitants had felt no warres or troubles for foure hundred yeares before yet could Luke Nettervile sonne to the Lord Nettervile who dwelt but seven miles from Dublin in that County of Fingall and the other Gentrie of that County Arme and Muster at Swoards about six miles from Dublin about twelve hundred men on the seventh day of December 1641. to affront your Majesties Authoritie upon this only accident as they alledge to the killing of foure Catholiques or supposed Catholiques because called Catholiques as they would have it and for no other cause or reason at Santry aforesaid On Tuesday at night the fifth day of December by some Troopes of horse and foot Companies marcht out of Dublin by direction as the Remonstrants pretend of the Lords Justices and Counsell and their supposed partie which partie the Remonstrants would aswell have named if any such they had knowne for no such party was then heard of unlesse they meane your Majesties Counsell And before that time they suffered the Rebell Collonell Hugh Birne and many of the mountaine and Wickloe Rebells to enter into that Countrey and spoile the Brittish and Protestants which they had power to hinder and might have done if they had not beene of the Confederacy Whereas the truth of that accident is That on the said fifth day of December intelligence being brought to a Lievtenant in Dublin That his informer could bring him upon some of those that had murthered the said Derrick Hubbert and robbed and spoiled other Protestnats as aforesaid Hee by allowance of his Captaine as he afterwards upon examination declared without the privity or command of the Lords Justices or any of the Counsell or any other Commander authorized to that purpose tooke with him fourtie souldiers that night in pursuit of those murtherers and other Malefactors and comming to Santry hee found there foure persons lately come thither with such Armes as they could get in the Country whom he slue in the place and who as hee was informed were offenders And after this done hee passed somewhat further into the Countrey Note there were many Papists then dwelling in that Towne whom he did not hurt in search of the rest of the Malefactors but could not find them there having issued no other Troopes of horse or foot This rash act was the next day voyced in Dublin and the Lords Justices and Counsell hearing of it sent for the said Lievtenant who upon examination justified the Act affirming them to be Rebells And no man prosecuting the matter against him it there rested And as to the rest of the particulars in this Article pretended to bee motives to the Rebellion of the Pale and the other parts of Leinster whereas before that severall parts
according to their rebellious beginnings and so necessitated their Lordships to attempt them at Clantarfe as is before related and this as is conceived will appeare sufficient to vindicate the Lords Justices and Counsell from any just cause given of such malicious and scandalous imputation of faith breaking and otherwayes as in their remonstrance is pressed and from the guilt of such provocations to the said Nobility and Gentry of the Pale and other parts of Leinster to put themselves in posture of defence against the State and other your Majesties Protestant subjects Whereas on the other side those Lords and Gentry had most apparant cause to doe the same against their Confederates of Vlster who as they pretended so much terrified them yet being most true that while they joyned with the State in former times the Earle of Tyrone in all his strength durst never attempt them besides is hath been since made evident partly by discoveries made and examinations taken of notorious acts committed and partly in that many of the Inhabitants in severall parts of the Pale and other adjacent Counties and generally all the Irish inhabitants in Vlster and many in some Counties of Connaught had declared themselves Confederates or committed open rebellious acts and cruelties against your Majestie and your Protestant Subjects before the above mentioned killing at Santry which was the first act favouring of force offered and that but pretended to be offered by the Lords Justices and Counsell to those of the Pale or any of them viz. on the 23. of October 1641. and so daily after all the Irish of the Province of Vlster viz. in the Counties of Cavan Fermanagh Donegall Tyrone London Derry Ardmagh Monaghane and most part of the County of Downe and the County of Leitrim with part of the County of Sligo and many of the County of Roscomon in Connaught declared themselves in open rebellion and committed the acts of murthers and cruelties else-where mentioned And to shew that the common people aswell as the chiefe Conspirators were acquainted with the maine plot in the cheife part thereof it now appears by very many examinations that on the twenty three of October 1641 the Rebels of Vlster and in Leytrim generally told the Protestants whom they robbed that the Castle of Dublin was taken howsoever they formerly concealed the plot on the thirtieth of October 1641. the Irish of the County of Longford next adjoyning to Meath and Westmeath began to murther and rob and spoile all the Brittish and Protestants among them the Sheriff also of that County a prime man of the Farrels soone after ioyned in the action and on the second of November the Lords Justices and Counsell did write to Sir Iames Dillon uncle to the Lord of Costilo to imploy against those Rebels of Longford and others in Cavan 2000 men which he had gathered together under pretence to carry them into Spaine he liked not of that motion notwithstanding he had by former letters offered the service of those men but soone after imployed them against your Majesty and your forces notwithstanding he had lately at his owne suite received Arms and Ammunition for fifty men foote and horse for his own defence On the last day of October 1641 the towne of Dundalke in the County of Lowth in the Pale wherein was a Company of the old Army was yeilded up to the Rebels without stroke and your Majesties Armes lost against which neither Shane O Neale with whom all the Irish of Vlster and many other Irish ioyned could prevaile by assault nor the Earle of Tyrone with all his strength being other wayes provided then Sir Phelomy O Neale both in numbers of trained men and armes durst ever attempt it seldome gayne a few Cattle from it though he lay often within two miles of it their faith then sufficiently arming them against the stoutest Rebels and Drogheda had bin yeilded up within few dayes had not Sir Henry Titchburne come thither about the fourth day of November about that time also was the town of Atherdy in the County of Lowth so yeilded up to the rebells before the end of October and about the beginning of November 1641 many of the inferior inhabitants in the bordering parts of the County of Meath in the Pale especially the inhabitants of Kells robbed and spoiled the Brittish and Protestants with whom also some of the gentry ioyned the rest looked on about the same time also they did the same about Trym in the heart of Meath in the County of Westmeath also in the Pale they did the same about the same time Vpon the tenth day of November 1641 the Lord of Lowth having formerly received Commission from the Lords Justices and Counsell to command the forces in the County of Lowth came and delivered up his Commission pretending offence that Sir Christopher Bellew was ioyned with him in command and soone after went into Rebellion On the twelfth day of the same November all the Irish of the County of Wickloe which adjoyned on the South side to the County of Dublin entred into open Rebellion and murthered robbed and spoyled all the Brittish and Protestants in that County burnt and pulled downe all their faire English buildings and preyed and robbed within two miles of the City of Dublin on the sixteenth day of the same November they surprised and forced your Majesties fort called Carisfort in the County of Wickloe On the one and twentieth of the same November the Irish of the Counties of Wexford and Catherlagh entred into rebellion and ioyned with those of Wiikloe they seized on the Lord Esmonds house and all other the late undertakers buildings in Wexford and murthered robbed and spoiled al the Brittish and Protestants on the hither side of that County of Wexford and spoiled the Brittish and Protestants in most parts of the County of Catherlagh Before the fifteenth of November the Irish in some parts of the Queens County and Kings County robbed and spoiled the Brittish and Protestants there and defaced their houses from which time forwards they proceeded to growt o great numbers robbing and spoiling the Brittish and Protestants wheresoever they came On the twenty fourth of the same November all the old English and other inhabitants in the County of Lowth one of the five shires in the Pale ioyned with the Northern rebels in pen rebellion and with them also ioyned the Sheriffe Iohn Bellew who was formerly sent into England privately in some negotiation concerning the Parliament of Ireland and returned thither again in February 1640 many of the Inhabitants of that County had also formerly spoiled and robbed most of the Brittish and Protestants in that County of Lowth and defaced their houses which Country being full of old Castles was formerly defended against all Irish insurrections and the Inhabitants might now easily have done the like against those barbarous and raw men of Vlster if the former confederacy had not wrought amongst them and if their old fidelity had remained
in them about that time was Sir Phelomy Oneale made generall of the Catholique Armies as they then called them in the Provinces of Vlster and Meath a County of the Pale On the same four and twentieth day of November 1641 was the house of the Lord Moore called Mellifont three miles from Drogheda surprised and taken by those rebels and many men murthered there in cold blood About the same time also intelligence came from severall parts to the Lords Justices and Counsell that many more younger brothers and sonnes of the gentry and their servants and most of the inferior Inhabitants of the County of Meath beyond the river of Boyne and many on this side that river and many in the County of Dublin on that side the County next Meath had robbed and spoiled all the Brittish and Protestants amongst them and many such acts were freely done within few miles of Dublin the prime gentry most of them Justices of the peace looking on in all places and giving way to those hatefull actions and no course taken to resist or represse any of those insolencies notwithstanding the Commissions of government and of Marshall Law given to many of themselves as is before mentioned On the 22 of the same November great numbers of the Northerne Rebels having without touch passed the County of Lowth shewed themselves on the North side of Drogheda On the 26 and 27 of the same November great number of the Northern Rebels were lodged in Slane the Mansion of the Lord of Slane in the heart of Meath and possessed themselves of that bridge the chiefe passage into the hither part of that County and the County of Dublin by examination it appeareth that on the same 27 of November at night the Lord of Gormanstons Groome was sent and raised those Rebels out of their beds to encountrr the six hundred Foot sent by the Lords Justices and Councell towards Drogheda for further strengthening of that Towne with whom the 28 day of the same November the same Northern Rebells and others met and defeated the said six hundred men neere Julianstowne being undisciplined men newly aaised and took their Armes about the end of that November great numbers of the Irish and some of the old English of the Counties of Wexford Kilkenny and Catherlagh passed over in boates into the County of Waterford in Munster and there committed murthers and great spoiles and rapin on the British and Protestants in that County and sent over great numbers of Cattell and other spoile about the beginning of December 1641. And in part of November before many of the inferiour Inhabitants and some of the Gentry made the like spoile of the British and Protestants in the County of Kildare About the same time very many of the old English and Irish were in rebellion about Rosse and Wexford in the County of Wexford Before this time also they had publike Masse in many Churches in the Counties of Meath and Dublin And about the 27 of November aforesaid the walled Towne of Trym in the heart of Meath was seized on by the Rebels and many of your Majesties Subjects murthered there About the beginning of that December were the British and Protestants in the County of Kilkenny robbed and spoiled by the Gentry and Irish Inhabitants Papists of that County and in the same moneth the Lord Mountgarret having drawne a strength of Irish Armed into the City of Kilkenny stood by while the English there dwelling and such as came thither for safety were spoiled and pillaged On the 1 and 2 day of December aforesaid the Northerne Rebells in great numbers were lodged and entertained in the strong Castle and Village of Platten in Meath on this side the Boyne about two miles from Drogheda belonging to Nicholas Darcy Esquire About the last of November or the first of December aforesaid the Northern Rebels and those of the Lowth and Meath in the Pale who assisted them were set downe in Leaguer round about Drogheda on both sides the River against whom the Inhabitants of Meath or Dublin made no manner of resistance About the 4 day of the same Dublin met with the Northerne Rebels at the Hill of Crofty al' Grofty not farre from Drogheda the manner of whose entercourse was this the Lords and Gentry of the Pale being on the said Hill of Crofty the Northern Rebels lay in great numbers neere the Hill and espying the said Lords Gentry some of the Northerne Commanders came to them thereupon the Lord of Gormanston in the Name of the Lords and Gentlemen demanded of the Rebells wherefore they came in that hostile manner into the Pale whereunto answer was made by Rowry O Moore called a Colonell among the Rebels in name of the rest that they came for the free exercise of the Catholick Religion to restore the King to his Prerogative and to give the Subjects of Ireland the like freedome as the Subjects of England had thereupon the Lord of Gormanston said if those were the true grounds of their warre they meaning the Lords and Gentry of the Pale would joine with them and so the said Lords and Gentry and the said Rebels strooke hands It is also testified that certaine dayes before this generall meeting divers prime Gentry of Meath and the chiefe Officers of the Rebels had a meeting at Duleeke on this side the Boyne in Meath and that a few dayes after this meeting at Crofty aforesaid all the Lords and Gentry of Meath and divers of the Northerne Rebells had another meeting at the Hill of Taragh in Meath where they determined on the maintenance of the Northerne Rebells during the Siege and what provision of Beeves and Corne should bee raised on the Country for every hundred of the said Rebels which was done accordingly by their Warrants the Sheriffe of that County called Nicholas Dowdall who was with them in Rebellion obeying them in all things And soon after another meeting the said Lords and Gentry made choice of new Generals of Foot and Horse and other Officers of the Field and Captaines in that County and appointed who should be chiefe Commanders in each Barony and what number of men should bee raised and maintained out of each Plow land in that County of Meath aswell to joine in the Siege as to fight with any other your Majesties Armies which were conceived to amount to two thousand men whereas in six weekes before at the instance of the Lords Justices and Councell they could or would not raise five hundred men for the defence of the County against the Rebells which with seeming great forwardnessE they at first promised to doe and for whom five hundred Armes with Munition answerable was appointed by the Lords Justices and Councell and the Armes sent as farre as Gormanston and there kept till upon notice of the Rebells comming into the Countrey the Lords Justices and Councell suddenly convaied them to Drogheda which the Lord of Gormanston pretends to be done by his monition Though
the truth is the Lords Justices had that morning before hee declared it sent away to have it done that night otherwise they had been taken and hee thinking that the Lords Justices and Councel could not so soon remove them and presuming besides in case they were so removed to have them within a few dayes in Drogheda whether hee moved they might bee convayed by taking that Towne whereof hee little doubted About the beginning of November aforesaid Arms and Munition for three hundred men were by the Lords Justices and Councell delivered to three Captaines appointed for the Guard of the County of Kildare And on the 2 of December aforesaid the whole Company of Mr. Nicholas White eldest Sonne of Sir Nicholas White did run away with their Armes to the Rebels and so did the other two Captaines and their Companies soon after and then did the Gentry and Inhabitants of the said County of Kildare appoint Officers of the Field and Captaines for the Catholique Army All which particulars are here specified together with the times of each action as many others might bee mentioned to the end that it appearing in what ease the Pale and other parts of Leinster stood before the killing at Santry and burning at Clantarfe your Majestie may the more clearly see the vanity and malignity of the Confederates in pretending to be terrified into Armes by those acts which they well know were subsequent to their taking Armes and by their other devised Provocations in England and Ireland no truer then the former And it is observable that in the beginning of the Remonstrance they in expresse and plaine termes doe affirme that they at first were necessitated to take Armes for preservation of their Religion the maintenance of your Majesties Rights and Prerogatives and defence of their Lives Estates and Liberties of the danger whereof there was not then so much as a shadow beside their generall avowment of their acts in Vlster in the beginning of the rebellion as done by authority which was most false and so afterward acknowledged by them and to the end it may appeare to all the world that the Lords Justices and Councell did not draw your Majesties sword upon jealousies or presumptions till the highest extremities and acts committed compelled them nor till the innumerable murthers spoiles and outrages comitted on the British and Protestants in so many places without stop or restraint by any of the Lords or Gentry nor till the horrid defamation of your Sacred Majestie nor till it fully appeared that all was done by Conspiracy and Designe there being a wide difference betweene malicious designe and Profession to doe evill and confession of acts done perhaps necessitated or by seducement And as to the Remonstrants unjust complaint of stopping Lieutenant Colonell * Note that this Read is now Sir John Read For hee being examined in Ireland by the State there as a plotter of that Rebellion was after-ward sent over hither and committed for High Treason Who to escape his Condigne punishment broke prison went to Oxford and was there Knighted and is now gone back into Ireland Read whom they say they imployed to your Majestie with Remonstrance of the state of their Affaires The truth of the matter stands thus In the foresaid moneth of December foure Lords and three Gentletlemen of the County of Meath framed a Petition to your Majestie of some particulars concerning them intending as they told Lieutenant Colonell Read to send him with it to your Majestie but deferred it for that time presuming on their strength to winne their ends another way and on the weake estate of your Majesties Forces to oppose And when severall times the said Lieutenant Collonell Read moved them to bee sent away They whiled it off it is Reads own phrase and the Lord Gormanston said that there would bee time enough for that matter all which the said Lieutenant Collonell Read declared on his Examination after his comming to the Lords Justices and Councell in the beginding of March 1641. when hee delivered the draught of the Petition amongst other papers but did not say hee was then sent by them or desired to bee sent on that businesse And to make this more manifest the said Licutenant Collonell Read on the tenth day of January 1641. wrote to the Lords Justices for their passe into England not mentioning any imployment from the Remonstrnats or any of them to whom their Lordships wrote that they desired to confer with him before his going into England and wished him to repaire unto them to the end they might conferre with him and consider of his request but hee would not come nor any other wayes make known any other imployment or trust hee had for the said Remonstrant By all which it is manifest their abusive tax on the Lords Justices and Councell in stopping or hindering their Petition by Lieutenant Collonell Read or his pretended imployment for them And for the racking of the said Lieutenant Collonell Read it was not without president it being for the discovery of things that might highly concern the safety of your Majesties Kingdom and good people there To the tenth Article THe Lords Justices did never give any such direction to the Lord President of Munster Art 10. as in this Article is most untruely offered much lesse would they do it while the Province stood quiet the peace whereof they by all meanes sought to provide for neither would hee have obeyed any such unrighteous and halfe command himselfe being a Native of the Kingdome allyed amongst the old English and Irish and in all things lovingly affected to the people so long as they by any means could bee contained in duty neither was hee provided wantonly to make a warre being soon after driven to great extremity by their unprovoked disloyalty True it is that from the 23 of October 1641. till about the end of November following that Province of Munster stood in appearance quiet whereof hee from time to time advertized the Lords Justices and Councell and from them hee received severall expressions by many Letters of their great joy and comfort to finde that people so well disposed and as the Lord President signified to them the constancy or merit of any particular person the Lords Justices and Councell wrote Letters of thanks and incouragement to them specially they wrote to the Lord of Muskery whom the said Lord President had used with all civility trust and respect from time to time acknowledging his zeale in your Majesties service and giving him thanks for it in your Majesties behalf praying and requiring him to apply himselfe to the Lord President and bee advised and directed by him for his own future good and the safety of the Countrey whose concurrence if hee had continued loyall as hee stood obliged by his severall corporall oathes to the said Lord President would have availed much to the generall peace The same was done to others both to the Nobility and Gentry of that
Province so farre was it from the Lords Justices to irritate or grieve any of them with passionate or needlesse cruelty neither was there any violence offered to any person of what profession sex age or condition soever in all that time in that province The Lord President rather blamed the Lords Justices and Councell for their milde course towards the Rebels of other parts not thinking the Conspiracy to bee such as they found it and thinking a sharpe persecution would soon quell it wherein hee both mistook their generall combination which hee after found and the Lords Justices inability to set upon it with that vigour that had been requisite The Lords Justices and Councell also sent him directions to authorize prime men in each County to Command the forces of the County and sent him Commissions for martiall Law to bee given to men of quality of the Natives and others of purpose to settle the peace of the Country and prevent rebellion if it might bee The first occasion that necessitated him to use force was about the beginning of December 1641. when the Rebells of Wexford Kilkenny and Katherlagh came over the River to prey and spoile in the County of Waterford before mentioned whither he made hast to encounter them and whom though he was farre inferiour in number he discomfited and slew many of them and executed others and recovered much of the spoile which he caused to be restored to the owners In this action he found many of his Provincialls to whom hee suffered no hurt to bee done supposing they came thither for saving their goods not then beleeving the Conspiracy to bee such as soon after hee found it The second disturbance which hee heard of was in the County of Tipperary where Mr. Purcell called the Baron of Loghmo had stirred and set on the Irish in great numbers to rob and spoile the British and Protestants which they arrogantly did thither he went the ninth of December aforesaid with such small forces of the English as he then had for hee then wrote he found cause to trust very few Papists and there finding where the spoiles were made he pursued therebels and such as he found in the act and the Protestants Cattle in their hands he slew and executed and burnt two or three Villages hoping by that quick course to stay and terrifie others There hee rescued great store of Cattle of all sorts to the owners soon after did the Inhabitants of all sorts rise into rebellion in severall parts of the Provinces and before the end of that December did all the Irish and Old English Papists in the County of Tipperary and Limberick forsake their Allegiance and with them joyned many prime men and others our of Ostery and other parts of Leinster and murthered spoiled and ransacked all the English and Protestants upon these extremities he had by warrant of the Lords Justices and Councell raised a thousand Foot and some Troopes of Horse but wanted Armes for most of them which the Lords Justices were not able to furnish having delivered to the Lords and Gentry of the Pale and others in Leinster for their defence as many as possibly could be spared so as he was in a very ill condition till some forces arrived there out of England which was in February 1641. And then and not before did the Lords Justices and Councell require the Lord President to prosecute those wilfull Rebels with fire and sword as was fit so farre as he was able The Rebellion afterwards increased upon him in all parts and when about the end of February he published and shewed to so many prime men as he could your Majesties gracious Proclamation under your Royall signature and Privie Signet for laying downe Armes they rejected it some saying it was counterfeit others that it was done by coertion By all which fully appeares both that noble Gentlemans moderation and the Lords Justices and Councels avoiding all unjust Provocation at least that they were not set upon those wayes of unreasonable cruelty unjustly charged on them by the Remonstrance and that those Inhabitants were not forced to stand on their defence his case being onely to defend himselfe against them if he could which with great hazzard of himselfe and your Majesties affaires in that Province he was driven unto considering his weaknesse in men and other meanes and their excessive numbers rebelliously gathered together and armed by a long Provision underhand and furnished with the wealth of all the British and Protestants being very great in that Province which they suddenly and traiterously seized upon Touching Connaught the report must bee farre different from that of Munster although the Remonstrants say it was used in the like measure which shewes that they are the same in bold affirmation howsoever the probability or case differeth When this Rebellion began the Lord President of that Province was in Dublin and saw the moderate and winning course used and intended towards those of the Pale and Leinster by the Lords Justices and Councell about the beginning of November following hee went towards Connaught where at his comming to Athlone hee found much disorder in the Province hee found very many of the inferiour Irish and some of the Gentry in rebellion in the Counties of Roscomon and Sligo and that they had murthered robbed and spoiled the British and Protestants dwelling among them hee entred into a faire course of Treaty and perswasion with the prime men of the severall Counties not then in rebellion presuming in some alliance and former private friendship and interest amongst them which prevailed little as hee after found Hee had no strength to resist them there being but one Troope and a halfe of Horse most Irish in the Province whereof hee could make little or no use And six halfe Companies of Foot whereof one was surprized and lost their Armes and one drawn away to Dublin and the rest so dispersed and ingaged in Leytrim then totally in Rebellion as hee could make little or no use of them by which appeares hee was in no case to use cruelty against the people or put them to defence nor so much as rescue the poore British and Protestants in their goods out of the hands of the ravenous Rebelst neither were the Protestant Inhabitants of that Province any way able to defend themselves being not armed against such swarmes as assaulted them The Lords Justices and Councell sent down Commissions of government to the prime Natives in the severall Counties viz. to the Earle of Clanrickard to the Lord of Mayo Lord of Costilo and others and Commissions of Martiall Law to other Natives of best choyce of purpose to prevent disturbance as much as might bee and to stay the people But so little prevailed all the Lord Presidents lenity and swasory courses and the care of the Lords Justices and Councell to avoid any offence or rigid usage towards them as within the Moneth of December most of the prime men of the Province declared
themselves Rebels and of the Conspiracy They blocked him up in the Castle of Athlone by the helpe of the Conspirators of Westmeath They burnt his Towne of Roscomon and the Bishops Towne of Elphin and many other English mens habitations They surprized severall Castles of the Earle of Clonrickards in the County of Galway notwithstanding that on their surmise that they doubted they should not have the benefit of the graces his Lordship wrote to your Majestie and received assurance in their behalfes of the same which he published together with severall other Declarations of your Majesties And so the Lord President continued in Athlone till your Majesties Lieutenant Generall of your Army carryed downe 2000. foot and some Troopes of horse by all which appeares that neither the Lords Justices and Councell nor the Lord President nor any other in that Province did any thing to provoke them much lesse to put them to defence till they had murthered robbed and spoyled all the Brittish and Protestants and committed all other Rebellious and hostile Acts that lay within their lust or power To the eleventh Article IT is confessed that Parliaments have beene held in Ireland very many yeares often for the benefit of the King Art 11. and the good people of the Kingdome But how long Parliaments have beene held there or whether with equall liberties powers and immunities with the Parliament of England and how farre lawes made in England may bind in Ireland will best appeare in the Records Rowles and Authentick Presidents of both Kingdomes and will be fittest for the dispute and judgement of such learned in the Law and other Antiquities as your Majestie in your high wisedome shall appoint thereunto Neither is it true that untrue suggestions and informations out of Ireland moved the Parliament of England to make such Lawes as in this Article are mentioned neither can it be conceived the words or intent of those Acts if they have force in Ireland doe ayme at or can reach unto any the lands or possessions of any your Majesties good Subjects in that Kingdome but onely to the lands and rights of those that have most disloyally lifted up themselves against their most gracious Soveraigne Lord their lawfull and naturall King and committed the most detestable treasons against your person Crown and Dignity and the most sanguinolent outragious and abominable Acts upon the persons and estates of your Majesties obedient peaceable and innocent Subjects so farre as possibly they could that ever were read or heard of without provocation or the least motive neither can those Acts in any respects be the occasion or grounds of those hideous perpetrations Those Acts in their first conception being derived onely from fearefull rebellion raised by the Confederates and long after the horrible Acts of that rebellion by your Majestie and your Parliament advised of and considered in England as the most speedy and effectuall way to raise meanes for the releefe of the remnant of your Majesties miserable despoyled Subjects ready every day to be swallowed up by the deluge of that universall rebellion and to maintaine some being in your Majesties just Soveraingty rights and interest in that Kingdome wholly despised and troden under foot by the Confederates as before appeares Neither can it be beleeved that your Majestie was inforced thereunto it being your owne cause and the cause of your beloved and ever loving people And if any losse should thereon happen to your Majestie which is not beleeved yet would your Majestie be largely recompenced in setling those lands except where your Majesty shall find cause to shew mercy in the hands of a peaceable and faithfull people who will not repine or be slow to straine themselves every way to your Majesties profit and honour who will be willingly taught that rebellion is Treason and so hate and abhorre it and who will for ever free your Majestie and your posterity from those dangers travels and expences which have in many ages lien heavy upon the Kings and Kingdome of England by meanes of the undutifull behaviour and strange seducements of many of the Inhabitants of that Kingdome of Ireland and for which your Majesties gracious and pious provision for your Majesties good people both your Kingdomes will now and in all succeeding ages blesse and pray for your sacred Majestie and your Royall posterity and for ever acknowledge your Majesties rare piety and Princely goodnesse Neither is there any truth in that malicious traducement that your Majesties forces in Ireland disavowed any authority from your Majestie all their authority and command being intirely derived from your Majestie and your immediate Ministers and they wholly disclaiming any other service the contrary whereof could never be heard out of the mouthes of any of them To the twelfth Article IT is true that the Lords Justices and Councell in just and lawfull grounds Artic. 12. and for great and weighty reasons of State for common safety published severall Proclamations as shall here appeare but not with wicked intent or evill event as in this Article is with malice insinuated On the 23 of October 1641. when the houre approached which was designed for surprizing your Majesties Castle of Dublin great numbers of strangers were observed to come to towne in great parties severall wayes who not finding admittance at the gates stayed in the Suburbs and fields and there grew numerous to the terrour of the Inhabitants Insomuch as the Magistrates of the City came to the Councell board with much feare and astonishment declaring that those mighty numbers in the fields and Suburbs still increasing did threaten high present danger in respect whereof and considering the great numbers of desperate and loose persons who were the night before and that morning stolne into the City and Suburbs from severall parts of the Kingdome who were secretly harbored amongst the Papist Inhabitants the Lords Justices and Councell first caused as many of them so harboured in town as could be readily found to be apprehended and secondly sought for the rest considering also that in so sudden and great a distemper and confusion something of extraordinary was of necessity to bee done for terrour to disperse those multitudes so to rid the Town of them and to resettle in some degree the mindes of the terrifyed and distracted inhabitants which the Lords Justices and Councell did chuse rather to do the same by some sharpe Proclamation then by falling upon them by violence which must needs have increased the tumult and therefore the Lords Justices and Councell did then instantly publish a Proclamation in your Majesties Name Commanding all persons not dwellers in the City or Suburbs to depart within one houre after publishing by Proclamation and that upon paine of death This Proclamation did not so much as intend or aime at any known Inhabitants of the Pale or Countries adjacent or any of known credit or good subsistence neither did any such qualified persons then take the least ill apprehension
thereat but such of them as applyed themselves to the Lords Justices were friendly entertained on the 28 of the same October it being complained to the Lords Justices and Councell by the Magistrates of the City that many like formerly qualifyed persons as formerly assembled to the terrour of the City did still resort to the City and Suburbs and others notwithstanding the former Proclamation did still lurk there whose company they much feared as threatning some sudden violence The Lords Justices and Councell therefore on the same grounds as formerly did the second time by Proclamation command all such to depart forthwith on pain of death and the like pain to such as wilfully harboured them And that the Inhabitants should forthwith bring in the names of all such strangers and the Officers to apprehend such Inhabitants as should further harbour them which no way was intended towards men of quality or known credit as aforesaid neither did any of them stirre or take any misapprehension at it afterwards on the 11 of November following the Lords Justices and Councell having intelligence from severall parts of the insolent proceeding of the Rebels against the British and Protestants in the borders of the Pale The Lords Justices and Councell then not fearing disloyalty in the prime Inhabitants thereof as in some other Counties adjacent and finding that divers men of quality and countenance in the Countrey and very many others were then come into the City whereby the Countrey was deprived of defence and left open to the rapine of the Rebels then in Armes And considering that in the beginning of so great distractions as then began to shew themselves in many parts the inferiours might bee terrified or disturbed in the absence of the prime men the Lords Justices and Councell therefore then unanimously thought it necessary and so did for those reasons only and in duty to their then present charge under your Majesty on the said eleventh day of November Proclaime and Command on paines in the said Proclamation mentioned That all persons not having necessary cause of residing in the said City and the Suburbs thereof or in places within two miles about the same their said cause of residing to bee approved of by the Earle of Ormond and Ossory then your Majesties Lieutenant generall of the Army and the Councell of warre there for the time being or such other persons as should bee by them appointed for examination thereof should within foure and twenty houres after publication of that Proclamation repaire to their severall dwellings in which Proclamation there are other Cautions Prescripts and reservations which shew that no unfitting rigour was offered or so much as intended This Act of the Lords Justices and Councell did soon after appeare to agree with your Majesties Royall sense of that necessary retyring of such kind of men in that time of danger and trouble in the Countrey expressed in your gracious Letters written to the Lords Justices in December after concerning the proroguing of the Parliament notwithstanding this Proclamation such of the Parliament as were come to the Towne and their retinues and great numbers of others did continue in Towne many dayes after and those of them that were Members of Parliament did sit and many of the rest of the Lords and Gentry did remain in Town as their occasions moved them and did come and go at their pleasure neither was there inforcement or so much as menaces used to any man that did not willingly go or saw not good reason on the said Publique warning to depart for the good of the Country and safety of their families and neighbours And it is observeable that although that Proclamation did expressely provide for such to stay as having cause and making the same known would desire to stay yet those of them that had a mind to joyn with the Rebels and did joyn with them did chuse rather to depart then to make use of the Liberty given them to stay and yet now would seem to bee constrained to depart which shews apparently the vanity and untruth of that their subterfuge and seeing the unnaturall conspiracy stands so discovered as now it doth it may not bee forgotten that within the space of five weekes after severall Gentlemen of the Pale who had sojourned in Town and intended so to doe that Winter and some of them who had been dwelling in the City no way concerned by that Proclamation and likewise some Citizens of good substance as is above-mentioned did freely depart the City with some of their substance of value doubting the sudden assault and taking of the City which seemed to bee upon underhand intelligence betweene them and those of the Pase then beginning to shew their formerly secret Confederacy till the discovery whereof none of them had impediment or interruption by the Lords Justices and Councell or any command from them to come and goe at their pleasure neither was there any pillaging all that while heard of in the City or of any of these Gentry in the Countrey It is most untrue that after the said discovery which was fully made immediately after the before mentioned rebellious Assembly at Swords any of those that formerly departed out of Dublin or any others of quality in the Pale except a few that continued loyall who from time to time resorted to the Lords Justices and Councel and were gladly entertained by them did offer to returne untill the Northerne forces and the forces of the Pale were beaten from Drogbeda and your Majesties Armies become full Masters of the field in all the parts of the Pale and then the Lords Justices and Councell could not with their duty deale otherwise with them then as is before mentioned Another Proclamation was published on the 28 of December 1641. requiring all persons other then such as had necessary causes to Dublin such as the Lords Justices or the said Lievtenant Generall of the Army or the Governours of your Majesties forces in the City of Dublin should approve and other then such as should bring provision to the City to be sold should forbeare comming to the City or Suburbs thereof This was done in time of high necessity The Lords Justices and Councell seeing that none offered themselves to them openly but hearing that divers being now discovered Traitors presuming on friends within did secretly come to the City partly to furnish themselves partly to eat up and exhaust our victuals and partly to gaine intelligence and understand in what case the City stood which had been a most unwise and unfaithfull thing in the Lords Justices and Councel to permit yet could it not be totally prevented notwithstanding all their care diligence so great intelligence had they amongst the Papist Inhabitants of the City It is as untrue that any of those mens goods who first departed the City intended in this Article or any other mans goods were pillaged seized or confiscated by warrant command or direction of the Lords Justices neither were
any mans goods so much as touched or laid hands upon till a good time after the Lords Gentry and Inhabitants of the Pale and other Counties were publikely declared Rebels Indeed afterwards the souldiers which came out of England in times when they wanted pay did many unruly acts by pillage and otherwayes But the Lords Justices and Councell did labour to restraine such acts as much as possibly they could which may well appeare by their severall Warrants and Proclamations against pillaging and all other unwarranted violence wherein they adventured so farre as to trench on the martiall part of government rather then so much as might any wayes lie in their power to prevent it to suffer such disordered acts to be done and which were declared to them would and so did indeed prove to be prejudiciall to themselves to have such lawlesse consumption made of of those things which well ordered taken from such persons who had justly merited it and orderly Warrants given for it would long afford them subsistence which restraint though it wrought little yet procured great dislike in the Army to the Lords Justices touching the Calumny of pillaging and burning the houses of persons of ranke and quality imployed by the Lords Justices who kept their houses and annoyed no body and of others having the protection of the State It is most false that any such thing was done by the command or privity of the Lords Justices and Councell neither without the Councell did the Lords Justices doe any manner of thing concerning the government neither can it be conceived reasonable that the Lords Justices and Councell should be answerable for the irregular acts of so unbridled and ill-paid an Army who in those necessitous and extreamly disordered times would not be punished Though the Confederates have no cause to complaine of their losses it being but just vengeance on their wilfull and unprovoked rebellion and for persons of ranke or quality employed no such persons ever offered themselves or were imployed by the Lords Justices and Councell except two of the County of Meath who after they had joyned with the Northerne Rebels wrote to the Lords Justices that if they might have Commission to parly with the Rebels they hoped to doe some good for the quiet of the Countrey which Commission the Lords Justices and Councell gave them Although it after appeared that it was sought by them onely to gaine some colour of security for those persons rebellious complying with the Rebels However the Lords Justices and Councell sent them Commission as is before mentioned being desirous to leave no meanes unassayed that might give hope of any ceasing of extremities being then in very weake case to use that just force that was requisite to compell obedience the British and Protestants being generally robbed and spoyled as is before mentioned and the City daily threatned as well by those of the Pale as other Rebels To this Commission those men soone after made a very frivolous and scornfull returne and indeed dealt most deceitfully in all things with the Lords Justices and Councell seeming by letters to give them intelligence which were no other then either terrour and threatning of the Rebels or publike Acts which they knew would come to their knowledge otherwise from the common fame which will appeare in their Letters yet extant yet were neither of these mens houses burnt at all neither were their goods taken by any direction or command of the Lords Justices But being open Rebels as the rest of that Countrey were when your Majesties forces were of some strength and when it was thought fit by the Lords Justices and Councell and Commanders of the Army to burne and spoyle that Countrey to the end to disappoint the Rebels and send them further off the Army being sent abroad spoyled them as it seemes amongst the rest and indeed burnt many other houses where the Rebels were releeved and harboured and from whence they had opportunity daily to take Cattle by sudden Roads from the lands of Dublin having spoyled and robbed all the British and Protestants round about it And touching protected men the Lords Justices and Councell gave very few Protections finding by ancient and late experience that course to turne onely to your Majesties disadvantage It is true that while the Natives inhabiting within few miles of Dublin were permitted by the Rebels to live on their holdings from whom the active Rebels had daily reliefe The Governour of Dublin gave passes to very many of them to bring corn and other Victualls to Dublin for reliefe of the Towne and so did the Captaines and Commanders of other Garisons of purpose to draw to the Market what they could from the Rebels which all out of their Garisons and their Limits then were either in act or full consent and combination yet were none of those people pillaged or spoiled by any direction of the Lords Justices and Councell but all such things resisted by them as farre as they could possibly do against an unpaid Army neither did the Lords Justices and Councell ever give direction or any permission to violate any word or writing of safety given by them or any Commander or suffer it to be done wheresoever they could withstand it But after long forbearance of those wicked and evill disposed people and it being found by daily experience that under pretext of relieving the City they carried Munition and other provisions out to the Rebells and much more relieved them then the City and by that meanes gave the Rebells much more ready way to annoy and rob the City and that some seeming to labour at the Plow had their weapons hidden neare them and if any of the stragling Souldiers or other British or Protestants ventured to passe by them single or in weake parties they assaulted and murthered them and that from those parts the Lords Justices and Councell or any Commander of the Army could not at any time receive any intelligence to discover where the Rebells haunted or rested though they daily lived and passed among them Then were the Lords Justices and Councell necessitated to disanull and revoke all those passes and pretended protections and yet that was not done but upon a fore-warning and time given and that by publike Proclamation And afterwards were the Army sent out though with the great griefe of the Lords Justices and Councell to burne and spoile those parts which they well foresaw must conclude in their own great distresse as after it did for want of promised provisions out of this Kingdom of all which their proceedings they from time to time advertised your Majesty by their letters to the then Lord Lieutenant your Majesties Secretary Neither was any quarter though somtimes unwarrantably given ever violated by the Lords Justices and Councel or with their privity neither was any man killed or his goods taken by any authority because an Irish man or a Roman Catholique but because a wilfull Rebell And indeed those
disorderly pillagings lighted somtimes aswell on the British and Protestants and some Romane Catholique Inhabitants of the City and Suburbs as upon the open Rebells As to the Cities and Townes of Dublin Drogheda and the rest which were kept by your Majesties Garisons It is true they indured the trouble of unruly Souldiers much against the hearts of the Lords Justices and Councell but all their miseries and the miseries of all other good men happened by occasion onely of the hatefull Conspiracy and violent Rebellion of the Confederates because they were under the English Government The Confederates did use them worse then the Egyptians did the Israelites for they tooke away but the Straw whereas these Confederates besides the Innocent blood they have spilt did not onely actually rob and spoile of their substance them aswell Papists of the Cities as Protestants in the Country where they were able but also which was worse having gotten into their hands by way of trust very great quantities of their substance partly in fore-knowledge of this Rebellion and partly to answer their barbarous lavish expences they by their Rebellion deprived them of it all to the utter ruine of many of them they not so much as since the Cessation yeelding them any reliefe in their similate Councells and judicatories though free Commerce granted And lastly as to the murthers breaches of publike faith and quarter destruction and desolation in eighteen moneths which by computation must be after the Conspiracy and actuall Rebellion fully discovered and your Majesties Armies sent over The assertion is most false and scandalous in all the parts thereof For whatsoever killing or destruction was then executed on the Confederates and their Complices having their Swords in their hands in a most disloyall and irreligious action was done in naturall defence and in a course of just Warre as a necessary chastisement from a Gracious and Religious Prince upon the unnaturalnesse of unfaithfull Rebells After the Siege of Drogheda the old English of the Pale being forced into Vlster they did vaunt that they had killed more English and Protestants in Fingall then were killed in many other Counties raging in all extremity against the Lives Persons and Estates of your innocent and obedient Subjects neither did all that killing and destruction amount to the tenth part of the murthers and destructions in neere foure moneths before committed upon your Majesties Loyall and innocent Subjects and that by sudden surprisall in open peace and cold blood when they were no way able to make resistance as is too apparent But nothing could relish with the Confederates as favouring of equity except the Lords Justices and Councell would in base feare have treacherously delivered up to them your Majesties Prerogatives Rights and Soveraignty their owne lives for their substance and estates they had before violently torne from them and the lives of all the remaining wretched British and Protestants the lives of many thousands of the same kind of men and the whole substance of them and the rest being not sufficient to satiate the malice of the Confederates against their lives their thirst after their estates and their hatred to the Protestant Religion British Nation and English Government And the indisposition of the Lords Justices to shed blood appeared in that above sixty persons who amongst many hundreds came to surprize Dublin were on the 23 of October 1641. apprehended none suffered death fave one of Fermanagh who as the Lord Magwire confessed was privy to the Plot and many like instances there are of their great tendernesse in that point In the thirteenth Article THese confederates do further shew Art 13. that one main foundation of their Rebellion is their hatred of all Law and good order They cannot indure that the Parliament should sit which is your Majesties highest favour to your people for the common good Or that the Courts of Justice should sit according to the ancient and laudable Laws of the Kingdom by the benefit whereof they had for so many yeeres undeniably prospered and advanced into that happy estate which none of their ancestors ever saw in that Kingdome many of them innobled and all of them inriched as doth well appeare in the Statute 11 Jacobi Cap. 1. But of all things it is and will bee for ever admirable that they should challenge interest in the fundamentall Laws which they have laboured by all their power and policy to pluck up by the rootes And with a high hand have executed all manner of violations of those Laws both against Prince and people as doth well appeare in the forementioned Collections truely made and by a publique Declaration of both Houses of Parliament made the 17 of November 1641. That they should call themselves naturall and genuine members of the Parliament which is an Assembly of Peace and Order they having rent asunder and cast from them all the bonds of humane society peace and order and that they should complaine of want of safety to come under that power which they so wilfully renounced having under it had full fruition of the happiest protection and being that ever they or any of their Ancestors injoyed whereof under God nothing could have deprived them but their own inordinate rage and appetite Can they imagine it reasonable that because they will bee Rebels without cause or provocation therefore your Majesty and your good people must neither have Parliament nor Courts of Justice to sustaine and comfort them will nothing satisfie them but an intire concurrence of all your Majesties people in their confusions And whereas they affect to vilify the members of the Parliament doubtlesse they cannot but know that the Peeres are the same they were when they were thought worthy to sit with them And for the Commons they are for the most part the same that sate with them while they could bee capable of so honourable a trust and were as active and able in the Service of your Majesty and Commonwealth as any of them much more faithfull And for such of these confederates as the wholesome Laws of the Land have cast out for their treasons and breach of Faith both to God and man there are by due order and election substituted in their places men of Estate for the most part but all honest and legall men They speake much in some of their Printes of the Power and Priviledge of Parliament Yet now because their offences have made them unsit for such trust they spurn at that Power and cannot indure it in those faithfull men whom the fundamentall Laws have appointed unto it Certainly it is wonderfull that those confederates should imagine that by the highest treasons murthers robberies faith-breakings betraying their peaceable Neighbours and Friends and utterly spoyling the whole British Nation and Protestants in that Kingdome of their whole Estates they should gain priviledge to speak evill of all manner of Authority and to bee thought the onely good Governours of the Commonwealth miserably distracted by
demands in our former Petition and humble motions to your Lordships exprest for the Licence and recommendation of our Agents and Petition to his sacred Majesty as that the cause of our Religion of our selves and our Posterity whereof his Majesty is so abundantly earefull his Majesties honour and service so much concerned therein may not suffer through delay or want of true and full information which your supplicants humbly conceive cannot bee without particular persons as Agents from the severall parts of this Kingdome to that end chosen by those who have now suffered to solicite and wholly attend the same And they shall ever pray c. 19 Octobris XIX Octob 1643. THe answer which on the twelfth of this moneth we gave to a former petition concerning this matter exhibited at this board In the name of divers of His Majesties protestant subjects of Ireland doth sully answer the requests of this your petition to which we can now adde That such is our care of the petitioners as that on the same day we gave them that answer We signed letters directed to Mr. Secretary Nicholas and inclosed therein their petition to Us and we have by those letters earnestly entreated Mr. Secretary that with all convenient speed we may understand His Majesties gracious pleasure therein which we shall readily obey and if the Petitioners shall think fit to send any to attend His Majesty as we shall not hinder them or any other from making their humble applications to his Majesty in any their occasions so we hold it agreeable with our duties to forbeare our recommendation for the reasons expressed in our said answer of the twelfth of this month untill we first understand his Majesties good pleasure therein Jo. Borlaso He. Tichborne Ormonde Roscomon Ant. Midensis Cha. Lambert Geo. Shurley Fra. Willoughbyâ— Ja. Ware Tho. Rotheram Whereupon Sir Sichard Bolton Knight Lord Chauncellor of Ireland upon the delivery of the said Copy at the councell board said that the Copy of the petition prepared to be sent to his Majesty was not a true copy because it wanted the names who had subscribed the originall petition which nicity was soon taken away by the protestants delivery of a perfect list of the names of such as had subscribed the petition intended to be presented to His Majesty The next day a Protestation was framed against the Protestant Petitioners and their agents by some ill affected to so good a worke and countenanced by the Earle of Roscomon and Sir James Ware two members of that board amongst others to draw scandall and prejudice on the Protestants and their petition which Protestation followeth in haec verba The sense of divers of His Majesties Protestant subjects who have signed to the late Petition directed to His Majesty Suffering under the misconstruction of our Petition we hold it fit to declare that we exhibited not the same through want of assurance of His Majesties care of the Protestant Religion and of his subjects Nor yet to divert any supplies that may be drawne from honce against such as in His Kingdome of England have taken up Armes against him but meerely in right to Gods Cause and in our right humbly to informe His Majesty when the Irish agents repaire unto him if the said Agents shall endevour to surprise or prejudice us in either this is the Commission We give and if any person or persons imployed by Vs shall goe further or otherwise busie themselves to the disturbance of His Majesties service against such we doe and shall protest as being in our intentions no parties thereunto which as it may serve to vindicate our faith to His most sacred Maiesty so it may shew how causelesse the Jealousies are of this addresse to Him And some ill affected persons were imployed unto severall of the subscribers to the Protestant petition desiring them to subscribe the said Protestation which tooke so little effect that not one man who had formerly subscribed the said Petion to his Majesty would be drawne to signe the said Protestation one Officer of the Army excepted who immediately after came to the Councell-Board divers of the Protestant petitioners being there present and desired that the Lords Justices and Councell would permit him to withdraw his name from the said Petition intended to be presented to His Majesty which he had formerly subscribed yet seeing the designe of the petition and other discouragements given the Petitioners tooke no other effect but that the protestant petitioners constantly presisted in their zeale to their Religion honour of his Majesty the vindication of the innocent blood of their brethren shed by the barbarous rebells and the preservation of the remainder of the poore protestants there They that favoured the said petition desisted from any further proceedings therein About the begining of Ianuary a letter from His Majesty dated the 6 of November 1643 arrived at Dublin licensing the protestant Agents to repaire to His Majesty which followeth in haecverba CHARLES REX RIght trusty and well beloved Counsellors and right trusty and right welbeloved Cousens and Counsellors we greet you well We have seene your letters to secretary Nicholas of the 18 of October 1643. with the copy of a petition to you presented the sixth day of that moneth by our cousens the Earle of Kildare and Lord viscount Ardes and divers others in the names of more of our protestant subjects in that our Kingdome and what answer you then made thereupon with a reservation till our pleasure should be signified concerning their requests We have likewise seene your letter to our said Secretary of the 28 of the same moneth with the coppy of a petition to us and a list of the subscribers in the name of divers our protestant subjects aswell Commanders as others in that our Kingdome and a Copy of their petition to you in pursuance of their former with your answer thereupon In all which we finde you have very prudently and carefully done what befits your duties to Us The foure persons nominated by the petitioners We are pleased may repaire hither over and above the persons by us formerly appointed with fitting instructions concerning the grievances mentioned in the petition aforesaid and that you permit them accordingly to come over when or before the persons to be sent from our Roman Catholique subjects of that our Kingdome shall come And if hereafter our said Protestant Subjects shall desire to add more to them upon Declaration of their names who are desired to be added to you and your advertizement thereof to Us you shall receive further direction and so we bid you heartily farewell Given at our Court at Oxford the 6 day of November in the Ninteenth year of our Raigne 1643. To our right trusty and welbeloved Counsellors Sir John Borlase and Sir Henry Titchborne Knights Lords Iustices and to our right trusty and right welbeloved Cousens Counsellors and trusty and welbeloved Counsellors the Lords and others of our Privy Councell of Our