thought laid as it could not well faile and the day once prefixed for execution they did in their publicke Devotions long before recommend by their Prayers the good successe of a great Designe much tending to the prosperity of the Kingdome and the advancement of the Catholick cause And for the facilitating of the Worke and stirring up of the people with greater animosity and cruelty to put it on at the time prefixed they loudly in all places declamed against the Protestants telling the people that they were Hereticks and not to be suffered any longer to live among them that it was no more sinne to kill an English-man then to kill a dogge and that it was a most mortall and unpardonable sinne to relieve or protect any of them Then also they represented with much acrimony the severe courses taken by the Parliament in England for the suppressing of the Romish Religion in all parts of the Kingdome and utter extirpation of all professors of it They told the people that in England they had caused the Queens Priest to be hanged before her own face and that they held her Majesty in her owne person under a most severe discipline That the same cruell Laws against Popery were here ordered to be put sodainly in execution and a designe secretly laid for bringing and seizing upon all the principal Noblemen and Gentlemen in Ireland upon the 23. of November next ensuing and so to make a generall Massacre of all that would not desert their Religion and presently become Protestants The Irish revive their ancient animosities against the English And now also did they take occasion to revive their inveterate hatred and ancient animosities against the English Nation whom they represented to themselves as hard Masters under whose government how pleasant comfortable and advantagious so ever it was they would have the world beleeve they had endured a most miserable captivity and envassalage They looked with much envie upon their prosperity considering all the Land they possessed though a great part bought at high rates of the Natives as their owne proper inheritance They grudged at the great multitudes of their faire English Cattell at their goodly Houses though built by their own industry at their own charges at the large improvements they made of their Estates by their own travails and carefull endevours They spake with much scorne and contempt of such as brought little with them into Ireland and having there planted themselves in a little time contracted great fortunes they were much troubled especially in the Irish Countries to see the English live handsomely and to have every thing with much decency about them while they lay nastily buried as it were in mire and filthinesse the ordinary sort of people commonly bringing their Cattle into their owne stinking Creates and there naturally delighting to lye among them These malignant considerations made them with an envious eye impatiently to looke upon all the British lately come over into the Kingdome Nothing lesse then a generall extirpation will now serve their turne they must have restitution of all the Lands to the proper Natives whom they take to be the ancient proprietors and onely true owners most unjustly despoiled by the English whom they hold to have made undue acquisitions of all the Land they possesse by gift from the Crown upon the attainder of any of their Ancestors And so impetuous were the desires of the Natives to draw the whole Government of the Kingdome into their owne hands The ends proposed by the first plotters of the rebellion to enjoy the publicke profession of their Religion as well as to disburthen the Country of all the British inhabitants seated therein as they made the whole body of the State to be universally disliked represented the severall members as persons altogether corrupt and ill affected pretended the ill humours and distempers in the Kingdome to be growen to that height as required Cauteries deepe incisions and indeed nothing able to worke so great a cure but an universall Rebellion This was certainly the disease as appeares by all the symptomes and the joynt concurrence in opinion of all the great Physitians that held themselves wise enough to propose remedies and prescribe fit applications to so desperate a Malady In those Instructions privately sent over into England by the Lord Dillon of Costeloz presently after the breaking out of the Rebellion the alteration of the supream power in the government and setling of it in the hands of the Earl of Ormond giving leave to the Grand Councell of the Kingdome to remove such Officers of State as they thought fit and to recommend Natives to their places were there positively laid down to be a more likely meanes to appease these tumults then a considerable Army In the Remonstrance of the County of Longford presented about the same time to the Lords Justices by the same Lord Dillon as also in the frame of the Common-wealth found at Sir John Dungars House not farre from Dublin and sent up thither out of Conaught to be communicated to those of Lemster peeces which publikely appeared soon after the breaking out of the Rebellion the main points insisted upon in them and severall others The true causes of the Rebellion were restauration of the Publick profession of the Romish Religion restitution of all the Plantation Lands unto the Natives and settlement of the present Government in their hands All the Remonstrances from severall parts and that came out of the severall Provinces of the Kingdome doe concurre in these Propositions with very little or no difference And therefore that the desires with the first intentions of those who are now out in Rebellion may more cleerly appear I have thought fit here to insert them as I found them Methodically digested into certain Propositions termed The meanes to reduce this Kingdome unto Peace and quietnesse 1 THat a generall and free pardon without any exception be granted to all his Majesties Subjects of this Kingdome and that in pursuance thereof and for strengthning the same an Act of Abolition may passe in the Parliament here 2 That all marks of Nationall distinctions between English and Irish may he abolished and taken away by Act of Parliament 3 That by severall Acts of Parliament to be respectively passed here and in England it be declared that the Parliament of Ireland hath no subordination with the Parliament of England but that the same hath in it self supream Jurisdiction in this Kingdom as absolute as the Parliament of England there hath 4 That the Act of 12. Henry the seventh commonly called Poynings Act and all other Acts expounding or explaining the same may be repealed 5 That as in England there past an Act for a Trienniall Parliament there may passe in Ireland another for a Sexenniall Parliament 6 That it may be enacted by Parliament that the Act of the 2d of Queen Elizabeth in Ireland and all other Acts made against Catholicks or the Catholick Religion
among ancient writers Scytenland or Scotland So the Southern and more Westerne parts thereof were peopled from the Maritine parts of Spaine being the next continent not by the now Spanish Nation who are strangely compounded of a different admixture of severall people But as I said peradventure by the Gaules who anciently inhabited all the Sea coasts of Spaine the Syrians or some other of those more Eastern Nations who intermixing with the naturall Inhabitants of that Country made a transmigration into Ireland and so setled some Colonies there Ireland anciently divided into divers petty principalities The whole Kingdome of Ireland was divided into divers petty principalities and of later times there were five principall Chieftains viz. Mac Morough of Lemster Mac Cartye of Munster O Neale of Vlster O Connor of Conaght and O Malaghlin of Meath For such were the Irish denominations Isti reges non fuerunt ordinati solemnitate alicuius ordinis nec unctionis sacramento nec iure hereditarto vel aliqua proprietatis successione sed vt armis quilibet regnum suum obtinuit The black book of Christ-church in Dublin it is an ancient Manuscript kept there and I do not finde they were called Kings till about the time of the comming over of the English Giraldus Cambrensis who came into Ireland in the time of Hen. 2. of England being the first writer that gives them that Title Besides as they came not in either by hereditary right or lawfull Election so their investiture was solemnized neither by Unctiō or Coronation they made their way by the Sword had certain kinds of barbarous ceremonies used at their Inauguration kept up their power with a high hand and held the people most monstrously enslaved to all the savage customes practised under their dominion And thus they continued untill the Raign of Hen. 2. King of England in whose time the undertakings for the Conquest of Ireland were successefully made by most powerfull though private adventurers upon this occasion Dermott Mac Morough King of Lemster being by the Kings of Conaght and Meath enforced to flie his country made his repaire directly to Hen. 2. King of England The first enterprise of the English upon Ireland made by private adventurers then personally attending his Wars in France and with much earnestnesse implored his aid for the recovery of his territories in Ireland most injuriously as he pretended wrested out of his hands The King refused to imbarque himself in this quarrell yet graciously recommended the justice of his cause to all his loving Subjects and by his Letters Patents assured them that whosoever would afford the said Mac-Morough assistance towards his resettlement should not only have free liberty to transport their Forces Se nostram ad hoc tam gratiam noverit quam licentiam obtinere Gir. Cambren expugnata Hib. cap. 1. but be held to do very acceptable service therein Hereupon Earle Strangebow first engaging himself determined as a private Adventurer to endeavour his restitution with the utmost forces he could raise he lying then very conveniently at Bristol where Mac-Morough came unto him in his passage back from the King into Ireland There were certain conditions agreed upon between them and a transaction made by Mac-Morough of his kingdome of Lemster unto the Earl upon his marriage with his only daughter Eva. And so he being desirous to return speedily into his own country passed to St. Davids in South-Wales from whence is the shortest passage out of England into Ireland and there he further engaged Fitz-Stephen and Fitz-Gerald private Gentlemen in this service These by their power among their country-men in those parts having gotten together a patty of 490 men Cambr. cap. 3. transported them in three ships into Ireland landing at the Banne a little Creek neer Featherd in the county of Wexford and there joyning with some Forces brought unto them by Mac-Morough made their first attempt upon the town of Wexford they were gallantly seconded by Earl Strangebow who followed presently after with no very considerable forces and yet by the power of their arms within a very short time prevailed so far in the country as they made themselves masters thereof and so gained the possession of all the maritime parts of Lemster King Henry upon the news of their prosperous successe in the sudden reducement of so large a territory by such inconsiderable forces as they carried with them desirous to share with his subjects in the rich fruits K. Henry the 2. his expedition into Ireland An. 1172. as well as in the glory of so great an action undertook an expedition in his own person into Ireland the year following And so strange an influence had the very presence of this great Prince into the minds of the rude savage Natives as partly by the power of his arms partly by his grace and favour in receiving of them in upon their fained submissions most humbly tendred unto him he easily subdued a barbarous divided people The first beginnings of the Conquest of this Kingdome were thus gloriously laid by this King in the year of our Lord 1172. Now for the Land it selfe he found it good and flourishing with many excellent commodities plentifull in all kinds of provision the Soile rich and fertile the Aire sweet and temperate the Havens very safe and commodious severall Towns and little Villages scattered up and down in the severall parts of the country Rog. Hoveden cals it Palatium regium miro artificio de virgis levigatis ad modum patriae illius constructum fol. 528. but the Buildings so poor and contemptible as when that King arrived at Dublin their chief city and finding there neither place fit for receipt or entertainment he set up a long house made of smoothed wattles after the manner of the country and therein kept his Christmas All their Forts Castles stately buildings and other edifices were afterwards erected by the English except some of their maritime towns which were built by the Ostmanni or Easterlings who anciently came and inhabited in Ireland Christian religion setled in Ireland Moreover He found likewise by severall monuments of piety and other remarkable testimonies that Christian religion had been long since introduced and planted among the inhabitants of the land It is not certainly without some good grounds affirmed by ancient writers That in the fourth age after the incarnation of our blessed Lord and Saviour some holy and learned men came over out of forraigne parts into Ireland out of their pious desires to propagate the blessed Gospel throughout the Kingdome By Sedulius Palladius Patricius in the fourth age after the birth of our Saviour as Sedulius Palladius and besides severall others Patricius the famous Irish Saint A Britain borne at a place now called Kirk-Patrick near Glascow in Scotland then the utmost boundary of the Britains dominion in those parts who out of meer devotion came and spent much of their time among the
all the Lords and Gentlemen in the Kingdom that were Papists were engaged in this Plot That what was that day to be done in other parts of the country was so far advanced by that time as it was impossible for the wit of man to prevent it and withall told them That it was true they had him in their power and might use him how they pleased but he was sure he should be revenged By this time the noise of this Conspiracie began to be confusedly spread abroad about the Town and advertisement was brought unto the Lords Justices then in councel that great numbers of strangers had been observed to come the last evening and in the morning early unto the Town and most of them to set up their horses in the suburbs whereupon the Lords having in the first place taken order for the apprehension of the Lord Mac-Guire The Lord Mac Guire with severall other of the Conspirators seised on removed themselves for their better security unto the castle where the body of the Councel then in town attended them at the ordinary place of their meeting there In the first place they caused a present search to be made for all such horses belonging to strangers as were brought into any Innes and by that meanes they discovered some of the owners who were presently seised upon and committed to the castle of Dublin having already delivered over to the custody of the Constable there the Lord Mac-Guire and Hugh Mac-Mahon Hugh Birn and Roger Moore chief of the conspirators escaped over the River in the night Colonel Plunket Captain Fox with severall others found means likewise to passe away undiscerned and of the great numbers which came up out of severall counties to be actors in taking of the castle and city of Dublin there were not through the slack pursuit and great negligence of the inhabitants above thirty seized upon most of them servants and inconsiderable persons those of quality having so many good friends within the town as they had very ill luck if apprehended The same day before the Lords rose from councel they took order for this Proclamation which here followeth to be made and published By the Lords Iustices and Councell W. Parsons John Borlase THese are to make known and publish to all His Majesties good Subjects in this Kingdom of Ireland that there is a discovery made by Us the Lords Justices and Councell of a most disloyall and detestable Conspiracy intended by some evill-affected Irish Papists against the lives of Us the Lords Justices and Councell and many others of his Majesties faithfull Subjects universally throughout this Kingdom and for the seizing not only of His Majesties Castle of Dublin His Majesties principall Fort here but also of the other Fortifications in the Kingdom And seeing by the great goodnesse and abundant mercy of Almighty God to His Majesty and this State and Kingdom those wicked Conspiracies are brought to light and some of the Conspirators committed to the Castle of Dublin by Us by His Majesties Authority so as those wicked and damnable Plots are now disappointed in the chief parts thereof We therefore have thought fit hereby not only to make it publiquely known for the comfort of His Majesties good and loyall Subjects in all parts of the Kingdom but also hereby to require them that they do with all confidence and cheerfulnesse betake themselves to their own defence and stand upon their guard so to render the more safety to themselves and all the Kingdom besides and that they advertise Us with all possible speed of all Occurrents which may concern the peace and safety of the Kingdom and now to shew fully that Faith and Loyalty which they have alwayes shown for the publike services of the Crown and Kingdome which We will value to His Majesty accordingly and a speciall memory thereof will be retained for their advantage in due time And We require that great care be taken that no levies of men be made for forreine service nor any men suffered to march upon any such pretence Given at His Majesties Castle of Dublin 23. Octob. 1641. R. Dillon Ro. Digby Ad. Loftus I. Temple Tho. Rotheram Fr. Willoughby Ia. Ware Ro. Meredith God save the King ¶ Imprinted at Dublin by the Society Of STATIONERS THis Proclamation was presently printed and severall copies sent down by expresse messengers unto the principall Noblemen and Gentlemen in severall parts of the country where they caused them to be divers wayes dispersed hoping that when the timely discovery of this conspiracie and the happy prevention in a great part should fully appeare abroad it would prove so great a discouragement to such of the conspirators as had not yet openly declared themselves as that they would thereby be contained within the bounds of their duty and obedience to His Majesty The same night the Lord Blaney arrived with the news of the surprisall of his house his wife and his children by the Rebels of the county of Monaghan The Irish rise first in the province of Vlster and there burn spoil and destroy the English Next day came advertisement from Sir Arthur Tyringham of the taking of the Newry and then the sad relations of burning spoiling and horrible murders committed within the Province of Vlster began to multiply and severall persons every day and almost every houre in every day for a good while after arrived like Jobs messengers telling the story of their own sufferings and the fearfull massacres of the poor English in those parts from whence they came These things wrought such a generall consternation and astonishment in the minds of all the English and other inhabitants well affected within the city as they were much affrighted therewith expecting every houre when the Irish already crept into the Town joyning with the Papists there should make the City a Theater whereon to act the second part of that Tragedy most bloodily begun in the Northern parts by them False rumours spread of the Rebels approach to the City of Dublin And it added most extremely to these present feares that severall unhappy rumours the great tormentors of the weaker sexe were vainly spread abroad of the sodain approach of great numbers of Rebels out of the adjacent Irish counties unto the city Some would make us believe that they were discerned at some distance already marching down from the mountain side within view of the Town a report so credibly delivered by those who pretended to be eye-witnesses that it drew some of the State up to the platform of the castle to behold those who were yet invisible though there were there that would not be perswaded but that they saw the very motions of the men as they marched down the mountains It was at the same time also generally noised abroad that there were 10000. of the Rebels gotten together in a body at the hill of Tarah a place not above sixteen miles distant from the Town and that they intended
23 day of this moneth We conceiving that as soon as it should be known that the plot for seizing Dublin Castle was disappointed all the Conspirators in the remote parts might be somewhat disheartned as on the other side the good Subjects would be comforted and would then with the more confidence stand on their guard did prepare to send abroad to all parts of the Kingdome this Proclamation which we send you here inclosed and so having provided that the City and Castle should be so guarded as upon the sudden Wee could promise Wee concluded that long continued consultation On Saturday at 12 of the clock at night the Lord Blany came to town and brought Vs the ill news of the Rebels seising with two hundred men his house at Castle Blany in the County of Monaghan and his Wife Children and Servants as also a house of the Earle of Essex called Carrickmacrosse with two hundred men a house of Sir Henry Spotswood in the same County with two hundred men where there being a little Plantation of Brittish they plundred the Town and burnt divers houses and it since appears that they burnt divers other Villages and robbed and spoiler many English and none but Protestants leaving the English Papists untouched as well as the Irish On Sunday morning at three of the clock We had intelligence from Sir Arthur Terringham that the Irish in the town had that day also broken up the Kings store of arms and munition at the Newry and where the store of arms hath lyen ever since the peace and where they found fourscore and ten barrels of powder and armed themselves and put them under the command of Sir Con. Magennis Knight and one Creely a Monk and plundered the English there and disarmed the Garrison And this though too much is all that We yet hear is done by them However We shall stand on our guard the best We may to defend the Castle and City principally those being the pieces of most importance But if the Conspiracy be so universall as Mac Mahon saith in his Examination it is namely That all the Counties in the Kingdome have conspired in it which We admire should so fall out in this time of universall peace and carried with that secrecy that none of the English could have any friend amongst them to disclose it then indeed We shall be in high extremity and the Kingdome in the greatest danger that ever it underwent considering our want of men money and armes to enable Vs to encounter so great multitudes as they can make if all should joyn against Vs the rather because We have pregnant cause to doubt that the combination hath taken force by the incitement of Jesuits Priests and Fryars All the hope We have here is the old English of the Pale and some other parts will continue constant to the King in their fidelity as they did in former rebellions And now in these straits We must under God depend on ayd forth of England for our present supply with all speed especially money We having none and arms which we shall exceedingly want without which We are very doubtfull what account We shall give to the King of his Kingdome But if the Conspiracy be only of Mac Guire and some other Irish of the kindred and friends of the Rebell Tirone and other Irish in the Counties of Downe Monaghan Cavan Fermanagh and Armagh and no generall revolt following thereupon we hope then to make head against them in a reasonable measure if We be enabled with money from thence without which We can raise no forces so great is our want of money as we have formerly written and our debt so great to the Army nor is money to be borrowed here and if it were we would engage all our estates for it neither have we any hope to get in his Majesties rents and subsidies in these disturbances which adde extreamly to our necessities On Sunday morning 24. We met again in Councell and sent to all parts of the Kingdome the enclosed Proclamation and issued Potents to draw hither seven Horse troopes as a further strength to this place and to be with us in case the Rebels shall make head and march hitherward so as we may be necessitated to give them battell We also then sent away our Letters to the President of both the Provinces of Munster and Conaght And we likewise then sent Letters to the Sheriffes of the five Counties of the Pale to consult of the best way and means of their own preservation That day the Lord Vice Com. Gormanston the Lord Vice Co. Nettervile the Lord Vice Co. Fitz Williams and the Lord of Houth and since the Earles of Kildare and Fingall and the Lords of Dunsany and Slane all Noblemen of the English Pale came unto us declaring that they then and not before heard of the matter and professed loyalty to his Majesty and concurrence with the State but said they wanted armes whereof they desired to be supplyed by Vs which we told them we would willingly do as relying much on their faithfulnesse to the Crown but we were not yet certain whether or no we had enough to arme our strength for the guard of the City and Castle yet we supplyed such of them as lay in most danger with a small proportion of Arms and Munition for their houses lest they should conceive we apprehended any jealousie of them And we commanded them to be very diligent in sending out watches and making all the discoveries they could and thereof to advertise us which they readily promised to do And if it fall out that the Irish generally rise which we have cause to suspect then we must of necessity put Arms into the hands of the English Pale in present and to others as fast as we can to fight for defence of the State and themselves Your Lordship now sees the condition wherein we stand and how necessary it is first that we enjoy your presence speedily for the better guiding of those and other the publick affairs of the King Kingdom And secondly that the Parliament there be moved immediately to advance to Vs a good sum of money which being now speedily sent hither may prevent the expence of very much treasure blood in a long continued war And if your Lordship shall happen to stay on that side any longer time we must then desire your Lordship to appoint a Lieutenant Generall to discharge the great and weighty burthen of commanding the forces here Amidst these confusions and discords fallen upon Vs We bethought Vs of the Parliament which was formerly adjourned to November next the term now also at hand which will draw such a concourse of people hither give opportunity under that pretence assembling and taking new Councels seeing the former seems to be in some part disappointed and of contriving further danger to this State and People We have therefore found it of unavoidable necessity to prorogue it accordingly and to
therefore to give them full satisfaction hereby declare and publish to to all His Majesties good Subjects in this Kingdom That by the words Irish Papists VVe intended only such of the old meer Irish in the Province of Ulster as have plotted contrived and been actors in this Treason and others who adhere to them and that VVe did not any way intend or mean thereby any of the old English of the Pale nor of any other parts of this Kingdome VVe being well assured of their fidelities to the Crown and having experience of the good affections and services of their Ancestors in former times of danger and Rebellion And VVe further require all His Majesties loving Subjects whether Protestants or Papists to forbear upbraiding matter of Religion one against the other and that upon pain of his Majesties indignation Given at His Majesties Castle of Dublin 29 Octob. 1641. R. Ranelagh R. Dillon Ant. Midensis Ad. Loftus Geo. Shurley Gerrard Lowther I. Temple Fr. Willoughby Ia. Ware God save the King ¶ Imprinted at Dublin by the Society Of STATIONERS BUt to return now to the Northern Rebels who so closely pursued on their first plot as they beginning to put it in execution in most of the chief places of strength there upon the 23 of Octob. the day appointed for the surprizall of the Castle of Dublin had by the latter end of the same moneth gotten into their possession all the Towns Forts Castles and Gentlemens houses within the Counties of Tyrone Donegall The greater part of Vlster possessed by the Northern Rebels Fermanagh Armagh Cavan London Derry Monaghan and half the County of Down excepted the Cities of London Derry and Coleraigne the Town and Castle of Encikillin and some other places and Castles which were for the present gallantly defended by the British undertakers though afterwards for want of relief surrendred into their hands The chief of the Northern Rebels that first appeared in the execution of this Plot within the Province of Vlster were Sir Phelim O Neale The names of the chief Rebels in Vlster Turlogh O Neale his brother Roury Mac Guire brother to the Lord Mac Guire Philip O Rely Mulmore O Rely Sir Conne Mac Gennis Col. Mac Brian Mac Mahon these having closely combined together with severall other of their accomplices the chief of the severall Septs in the severall Counties divided their forces into severall parties and according to a generall assignation made among themselves at one and the same time surprized by treachery the Town and Castle of the Newry Severall Forts and other places suddenly surprized by the Rebels the Fort of Dongannon Fort Montjoy Carlemont Tonrages Caricke Mac Rosse Cloughouter Castle Blaney Castle of Monaghan being all of them places of considerable strength and in severall of them companies of foot or troops of Horse belonging to the standing army Besides these they took a multitude of other Castles Houses of strength Towns and Villages all abundantly peopled with Brittish in habitants who had exceedingly enriched the Countrey as well as themselves by their painfull labours They had made for their more comfortable subsistance handsome and pleasant habitations abounding with corn cattell and all other commodities that an industrious people could draw out of a good inland soile They lived in great plenty and some of them very well stored with plate and ready money They lived likewise in as great security being quiet and carelesse as the people of Laish little suspecting any treachery from their Irish neighbours The English well knew they had given them no manner of provocation they had entertained them with great demonstrations of love and affection No story can ever shew that in any Age since their intermixed cohabitation they rise up secretly to do them mischief And now of late they lived so peaceably and lovingly together as they had just reason most confidently to believe that the Irish would never upon any occasion generally rise up again to their destruction This I take to be one main and principall reason that the English were so easily over-run within the Northern Counties The great security and confidence of the English in the Irish a great cause of their sudden destruction and so suddenly swallowed up before they could make any manner of resistance in the very first begnnings of this Rebellion For most of the English having either Irish Tenants Servants or Landlords and all of them Irish neighbours their familiar friends as soon as the fire brake out and the whole Countrey began to rise about them some made their recourse presently to their Friends for protection some relying upon their Neighbours others upon their Landlords others upon their Tenants and Servants for preservation The English betrayed murdered by their Irish friends servants and tenants or at least present safety and with great confidence put their lives their Wives their Children and all they had into their power But these generally either betrayed them into the hands of other Rebels or most perfidiously destroyed them with their own hands The Priests had now charmed the Irish and laid such bloody impressions in them as it was held according to the maxims they had received a mortall sin to give any manner of relief or protection to any of the English All bonds and tyes of faith and friendship were now broken the Irish Landlords made a prey of their English tenants Irish tenants and servants a Sacrifice of their English Landlords and Masters one neighbour cruelly murdered by another the very Irish children in the very beginning fell to strip and kill English children all other relations were quite cancelled and laid aside and it was now esteemed a most meritorious work in any of them that could by any means or wayes whatsoever bring an Enlish man to the slaughter A work not very difficult to be compassed as things then stood The intermixture of the English among the Irish a main cause of their sudden destruction For they living promiscuously among the British in all parts having from their Priests received the Watchword both for time and place rose up as it were actuated by one and the same spirit in all places of those Counties before mentioned at one and the same point of time and so in a moment fell upon them murdering some stripping only or expelling others out of their habitations This bred such a generall terror and astonishment among the English as they knew not what to think much lesse what to do or which way to turn themselves Their servants were killed as they were ploughing in the fields Husbands cut to pieces in the presence of their Wives their Childrens brains dashed out before their faces others had all their goods and cattell seazed and carried away their houses burnt their habitations laid waste and all as it were at an instant before they could suspect the Irish for their enemies or any wayes imagine that they had it in their hearts or in their
one Tooly Conley parish Priest to Master Moore to Colonel O Neale in the Low-Countries who within few moneths after arrived with this answer from the said Colonel desiring them not to delay any time in rising out but to let him know of the day when they intended it and that he would not faile to be with them within fourteen dayes of that day with good ayd also desiring them by any means to seize on the Castle of Dublin if they could And further he saith that during the time of these their private meetings there landed at Dublin Colonel Birne Colonel Plunket Captain Brien O Neale and others who came with directions to carry men away and that these were acquainted with the Plot and did offer their service to bring it on and that they would raise their men under colour to carry them into Spain and then seize on the Castle of Dublin and with the arms found there arme their Souldiers and have them ready for any action that should be commanded them He further also saith that they had divers private consultations about the carrying on of this conspiracy not onely at Dublin but in severall other places in the Province of Vlster and that they had set down severall days for the putting of it in execution but meeting with some obstacles did not come to conclude of the certain time till about the beginning of September and that then they peremptorily resolved on the 23. of October for the day to execute this long designed plot in and that they had respect unto the day of the week which did fall on Saturday being the Market-day on which there would be the lesse notice taken of people up and down the streets that they then setled what numbers of men should be brought up out of the severall Provinces for the surprize of the Castle and what Commanders should lead them on that seeing the Castle had two Gates that the Lemster men should undertake to seize upon the little Gate which lay neerest to the place where the arms and munition was placed and that the great gate should be undertaken by those of Vlster and that Sir Phelim O Neale should be there in person but that he excused himself because he resolved at the same time to seize upon London Derry and that thereupon by the impottunity of the undertakers it was imposed upon him the said Lord Mac Guire to be there in person at the taking of the Castle of Dublin That it was further resolved what number of Forces should be brought up out of the other Provinces to make good those places if possessed by them and that Sir James Dillon did undertake to be there with 1000. men within four dayes after the taking of the Castle as also that it was resolved that every one privy to that matter in every part of the Kingdome should rise out that day and seize on all the Forts and Arms in the severall Counties as likewise on all the Gentry and make them prisoners the more to assure themselves against any adverse fortune and not to kill any but where of necessity they should be forced thereunto by opposition These particulars together with many other circumstances very considerable are set down in the relation given in by the Lord Mac Guire while he remained prisoner in the Tower of London but I have thought fit to forbear to relate them at large because I find that relation published by authority and so presented to the common view We shall find also that Mac Mahone in his examination taken when he was first apprehended by the Lords Justices and Counsel here doth testifie that all the chief of the Nobility and Gentry in this Kingdom were acquainted with the first plot and particularly that all the popish party in the Committee sent into England as likewise in both houses of Parliament knew of it In the Examnation of William Fitz Gerald it is there affirmed that Sir Phelim O Neale sending for him five days after his rising in Arms told him what he did was by directions and consent of the prime Nobility and Gentry of the whole Kingdom and that what he had done in the Northern parts the same was executed at Dublin and in all other Forts and Towns throughout Ireland As being a course resolved upon among the Lords and Gentry for the preservation of his Majesties Prerogative their own Religion and Liberties against the Puritan faction in England Scotland and Ireland and that the Lord of Gormanstone knew of this plot while he was in England is testified by Lieutenant Colonel Read in his Examination as also by the Lord Mac Guire in his relation who saith that Colonel Plunket told him that he being at London had acquainted some of the Irish Committee and particularly the Lord of Gormanstone with this plot and that they approved it well Colonel Plunket in his Letter to Father Patrick Barnwal Lord Abbot of Mellifont as he stiles him doth seem much to glory in the means he had used to incite the Lords and Gentry of the Pale to appear in that blessed cause as he tearms it and assures him that the Lord of Gormanstone whom he there cals Lord General will goe bravely on And now it will be no difficult matter to resolve what were the secondary steps and motions of this great plot as well as by what persons it was wrought out in Ireland and carried on to the very point of execution And first it is to be observed that howsoever Sir Phelim O Neale the Lord Mac Guire Philip O Rely Colonel Mac Brian The first contrivers of the Rebellion did not first openly appear in it Hugh Mac Mahone and their adherents chief of the Irish Septs in Vlster and other counties neer adjacent did first appeare upon the stage and by their bloody execution notoriously declare themselves chief actors in this horrid tragedy Yet this Rebellion was either altogether nor originally plotted by them most of them had but subordinate notions of it and they as other of the chief Nobility and Gentry throughout the Kingdom had severall parts assigned them to act at severall times in severall places and did but move according to the first resolutions taken and such directions as they had received from the first Conspirators I take it to be most probable after the generall plot came to be reduced into form that as the Lord of Gormanstone was one of the first and chief movers in it so he and the chief of the Pale joyned together to draw in as they had done in all former Rebellions the principall septs of the old Irish to engage themselves and to appear first in the businesse That the Lord of Gormanston and some others of the Engl. Pale were engaged in the first Plot is very probable And after they had joyned together and so finely ordered the matter as they had made it a generall rising as Sir Phelim O Neale tearms it of all the Catholicks throughout the
State here as to enable them by the assistance of those small Forces they confusedly gathered together to hold out till the arrivall of the Succours sent out of England I leave it to every one to consider with how much advantage they might have gone on at that time towards the accomplishment of so desperate a Project And for my selfe I must professe that I am cleerly resolved that had they at first overmastered the unexpected difficulties and fatall impediments they met withall at home and possessed themselves of the Arms and Munition within the Castle of Dublin and so flesht and blooded in the slaughter of many thousands of the English Nation had transported a numerous Army of Irish Rebels and sodainly landed them in some good Port within the Kingdome of England They would have prevailed very farre towards the miserable desolation and ruine thereof It must be remembred in what a most unhappy discomposure the affaires were at that time there what a diseased body the State then had and what high distempers then strongly working soone after brake out what a strong party they might have found within and with what great reputation they would have marched on under the glory of their late victories atchieved in Ireland signalizing the power of their armes with such horrid cruelties and bloody butcheries as would have wrought a strange terror among the people Thus we see what were the Causes and first Motives to this unnaturall Rebellion as likewise who were the chiefe Actors and the great instruments designed by the first Plotters to predispose the people to a readinesse to take Armes for the rooting out of the British Inhabitants from among them The Preparatives being all made the Plot in all points ripe for execution it was carried on to the very evening before the day appointed for the taking of the Castle of Dublin without discovery And though it pleased God to bring it then to light as hath been declared and so happily to disappoint it in the maine Peece yet it tooke in the Northerne parts being that very day fully executed in most of the chiefe places of strength within the Province of Vlster And whereas the Priests did long before in their publick Devotions at Masse pray for a blessing upon a great Designe they had then in hand so now as I have heard they did in many places the very day before the breaking out of this Rebellion give the people a dismisse at Masse with free liberty to goe out and take possession of all their Lands which they pretended unjustly detained from them by the English as also to strip rob and dispoyle them of all their Goods and Cattell They had without doubt by one meanes or other either private or publick instructions not to leave to the English any thing that might afford the least comfort or hope of longer subsistance among them This was the main bait used to draw on the common people The English goods presented to the Irish as a chiefe means to raise them up against them and this wrought farre more powerfully then all other perswasions fictions or wilde chimeraes that they infused into them It is most apparant that the prime Gentlemen in all parts as well as the Clergy pressed them on to despoyle the English of all their Goods and Cattell well knowing their avaricious humour and greedy desires to get them into their possession and that they could not possibly finde out any other thing that would engage them more readily to undertake or more desperately to execute all manner of villanies then the hopes of enjoying so rich a prey now presented unto them The people made beleeve by their priests that it was a Meritorious act to kill the English The people being now set at liberty and prepossessed by their Priests with a beleefe that it was lawfull for them to rise up and destroy all the Protestants who they told them were worse then Dogs that they were Devils and served the Devill assuring them the killing of such was a meritorious act John Parry of Dâ—uermosh in the County of Armagh deposeth that O Cullan a Priest told his Auditors at Masse that the bodies of such as died in this quarrell should not be cold before their soules should ascend up into heaven and that they should be free from the paines of Purgatory and a rare preservative against the paines of Purgatory gathered themselves together in great numbers assembling in severall companies through the severall parts of the Northerne Counties with staves Margaret Bromley in her Examination deposeth that some of the Rebels would say after their cruell butcheries that they knew if themselves should now dye their soules should goe to Heaven and that they were glad of the revenge they had taken of the English sithes and pitch-forks for at first they had not many better weapons And so in a most confused manner they began tumultuously to drive away at the first onely the Cattel belonging to the English The Irish rise and first drive away all the Cattel belonging to the English and then to break into their houses and seize upon their goods It is true there were some murders committed the very first day of their rising and some houses set on fire but these as I conceive were for the most part out of private spleen or where they had particular instructions so to doe as they had from the Lord Mac Guire to kill Master Arthur Champion a Justice of Peace in the County of Fermanagh who with severall other of his neighbours were murthered at his owne house upon the 23. of October in the morning But certainly that which they mainly intended at first and which they most busily employed themselves about was the driving away the Englishmens Cattell and possessing their goods The Irish Gentlemen possesse themselves of the Goods belonging to the English under pretence of securing them Wherein the common people were not the onely actors but even the chiefe Gentlemen of the Irish in many placrs most notoriously appeared and under plausible pretences of securing their goods from the rapine and spoile of the common sort got much peaceably into their hands And so confident were the English of their good dealing at first as many delivered their goods by retaile unto them gave them particular Inventories of all they had nay digged up such of their best things as they had hidden under ground to deposite in their custody Much likewise they got by faire promises and deep engagements to doe them no further mischief to suffer them their wives and children quietly to retire and leave the Country But others and especially the meaner sort of people fell more rudely to work at the very first breaking up of their houses and using all manner of force and violence to make themselves masters of their goods The next act was to strip the English man woman child stark naken and to turn them out of their
soule circumstances which would make this Rebellion appeare farre more odious and detestable I shall now return to take up the publike affaires of the State where I left them in the hands of the Lords Justices and Councell who finding the City to grow daily more and more impestred with strangers by reason of the resort of great numbers of ill-affected persons that daily made repaire thereunto They issued out severall other Proclamations to prohibite the accesse of all strangers to the Town and to require such as remained in the City without calling or settled habitation to depart Sir Henry Tichborn being dispatched with his Regiment of foot to Tredagh as is formerly mentioned Some Troops of horse and Regiments of foot raised by the Lords Iustices and Councell the Lords Justices took further order for the present raising of other foot Companies as likewise some Troopes of horse which might serve for the defence of the City of Dublin now in most imminent danger by reason of the approaches made by the Forces of the Rebels Sir Charles Coot had a Commission for a Regiment which he quickly made up out of the poor stript English who had repaired from divers parts even naked to the Town and upon the engagements of the State procured cloaths for them The Lord Lambert to whom a Commission also was granted for the raising of an other Regiment began also to get some men together The Earle of Ormond was now arrived in Dublin and brought up with him his Troop consisting of 100 Curassiers compleatly armed Sir Thomas Lucas who had long commanded a Troop of horse in the Low-Countreys and Captaine Armestrong some time after yet very seasonably came thither Both of them had money imprested Sir Thomas Lucas to compleat his Troope already brought out of England Captaine Armestrong to raise a new Troop Captaine Yarner also arrived soon after at Dublin he was sent out of England by the Lord Lievtenant to raise and command his Troop which in a very short time he made up about 100 horse many persons then living in the Town being desirous to put themselves and their horses into that Troop Not long after Colonell Craford came over also and bringing with him Letters of Recommendations from the Prince Elector then attending his Majesty in Scotland under whom he had formerly the command of a Regiment of Dragoons in Germany Sir Charls Coot made Governnout of the City of Dublin The Lords Justices thought fit to give him a Regiment which they were then taking order to raise and arme out of such Townsmen as were fit to beare armes within the City of Dublin none were to be admitted into it but Protestants and out of them they made choyce not only of the Souldiers but of all the Officers belonging to the same And further for the repressing of the disorders daily appearing within the City and restraining the ill-affections of the Papists there inhabiting they made Sir Charles Coot Governour of the City and gave him an allowance of 40 s. per diem for the present Now while these Colonells and Captaines are bestirring themselves in getting their men together under their severall commands and in training them up to the use of their armes and the Governour of the Town taking strict order for constant Watches within and Guards without to restraine the repaire of all suspicious and ill-affected persons I shall in the meane time give an account of the adjournement of the Parliament according to the late Prorogation made by the Lords Justices which some of the ill-affected members of both Houses endeavoured to make use of for the raising of further troubles The adjournment of the Parliament In the Month of August before the Rebellion brake out the Parliament was adjourned to the 17 of November next ensuing Now upon the discovery of the late conspiracy for the surprise of his Majesties Castle of Dublin the ordinary place of meeting for both Houses of Parliament the Lords finding that the fire was begun in the North and fearing a generall revolt of all other parts of the Kingdome resolved as a matter highly tending to the safety and security of the City and Castle to prorogue the Parliament which they did by Proclamation then set out untill the 24. of February But two or three dayes before such of the Lords and Commons then in the Town were to meet of course in their severall House for declaring the said Prorogation it was generally noised abroad that the putting off the Parliament was extreamely ill taken by the Popish Members of both Houses Mr Burk who was one of the Committee lately employed into England came to the Lord Dillon of Kilkenny West and highly complaining of the injury which he said was done thereby to the whole Nation hindring them from expressing their loyall affections to his Majesty and shewing their desires to quell this dangerous Rebellion and that they had reason to resent it so farre as to complaine to the King thereof as a point of high injustice His Lordship having acquainted the Board herewith Mr Burk was presently sent for and he used the same language in effect there though with much modesty Hereupon the Lords fell into debate what was fit to be done and how farre it might be thought reasonable in them to condiscend to their desires The Popish party much discontented at it Some were of opinion that it was fit to disannull the Prorogation and to give them leave to continue the Parliament according to the first adjournment made the beginning of August They urged the very ill condition of the whole Kingdome in regard of the Northern Rebellion and that those of the Counties of Wiclow and Wexford as well as some other Counties in Conaght had already joyned themselves to them that this Prorogation might peradventure so irritate the Pale and have such an influence into Munster as might raise them into Armes and so put the whole Kingdome into a generall combustion Others of the Board Voted strongly for the holding of the Prorogation according to the time prefixed by the Proclamation grounding their opinion upon these reasons First that it would highly trench upon the gravity and wisdome of the Board to alter a resolution so solemnly taken up after a most serious debate and publikely made known thorough out the whole Kingdome by Proclamation that it would be of most dangerous consequence to bring so great a multitude of people to the City in such dangerous times that the Protestants and well-affected Members of both Houses were for the most part either destroyed dispersed or so shut up as they could not repaire to the present meeting and that therefore the Irish would be superiour in number and voyces and so wholly carry all things according to their own humour that considering the small Forces then in the City such great numbers as might take occasion under colour of comming to the Parliament to repaire thither could not be admitted without
THE Irish Rebellion OR AN HISTORY Of the Beginnings and first Progresse of the Generall Rebellion raised within the Kingdom of IRELAND upon the three and twentieth day of October in the Year 1641. TOGETHER VVith the Barbarous Cruelties and Bloody Massacres which ensued thereupon By Sir IOHN TEMPLE Knight Master of the Rolles and one of his Majesties most honourable Privie Councell within the Kingdom of IRELAND LONDON Printed by R. White for SAMUEL GELLIBRAND at the Brasen Serpent in Pauls Church-yard 1646. THE PREFACE TO THE READER I Have here adventured to present unto publick view the beginnings and first progresse of the Rebellion lately raised within this Kingdome of Ireland And although I cannot but take notice of such a multitude of imperfections in my self as render me very unfit for the performance of this service As also that I shall thereby raise up much malice and private displeasure as well against my person as my undertakings herein Yet such is my zeal and most earnest desire to appear in this cause as being now laid aside and for the present dis-abled in any other way to be further usefull to this unhappy Kingdome I resolved to deny my self and wholly departing from my own interests to imploy my weak endeavours in setting down the sad Story of our miseries I might peradventure with much more advantage to my own particular have looked back as far wiser men have done in their troubles and passed my time in forein Collections or penning some story of times long since past where the chief Actors are at rest and their unquiet spirits so surely laid as they are not to be moved with the sharpest charge that can be laid on their memories Nulli gravis est percussus Achilles Most men are great lovers of themselves and such constant admirers of their own actions as they think they do well to be angry at any thing that shall though never so truly be reported to their disadvantage They consider not their own naturall imbecillities their passions distempers or ill affections which leade them on to advize or act things of an ill fame but are ready to flye in the faces of those who shall even in the fairest characters represent or leave any impressions of them Hence it is that the truth of things comes quite to be overshadowed with false colours and so to remain as it were buried alive or otherwaies to appear extreamly disfigured through grosse errours base flattery or wilfull mistakes For most men that are present adventurers in this kinde are wise enough to apprehend their own danger and thereupon departing from the common interest that every other man hath in their story reflect only upon their own particular and suffer themselves to be overawed with the humour of the present times or so far transported either with the benefits or private injuries received from particular persons as they transmit very imperfect and weaker relations or otherwise fill them up with such counterfeit stuffe as posterity will owe little to their information Monsieur du Plessis a person of extraordinary abilities and learning a great Minister of State under that glorious King Henry the 4th of France undertook as it appears by a Letter of his to Monsieur Languet to write a Story of those times wherein he lived But I cannot find that he ever suffered that work to come to the Presse whether by just apprehensions discouraged frō publication or whether it otherwise miscarried I cannot say But sure I am in the same Letter he bitterly declaims against the humour of the times and there plainly tels us that after one hath writ an History he dares not adventure the publishing of it Memoires de Monsieur du Plessie fol. 45. Si non qu'il allege pour cause d'un effect ce que n'a pas este comme une cause genereuse au lieu de l'amour d'une femme d'une querelle de bordeau Such was then the iniquity of those times so abominable and shamefull the true causes of the imbrollments in that Kingdome that those wars as the Court was then governed had for the most part their first beginnings from some ill placed affection or a private quarrell in an infamous place And further speaking on this subject he intimates how dangerous it is to set forth the actions of men in their true colours and how bitter and corroding to the conscience of an Historian to disguise or make them appear otherwise to the world then they were in their first originall To speak truth exactly is highly commendable in any man especially in one that takes upon him to be a publick informer to raze to corrupt a Record is a crime of a very high nature and by the laws of the Land most severely punishable Histories are called Testes temporum lux veritatis Cicero de Orat. vita memoriae and certainly he doth offend in an high degree who shall either negligently suffer or wilfully procure them to bring in false evidence that shall make them dark Lanthorns to give light but on the one side or as Ignes fatui to cause the Reader to wander from the truth and vainly to follow false shadows or the factious humour of the writers brain To be false to deceive to lye even in ordinary discourse are vices commonly branded with much infamy and held in great detestation by all good men And therefore certainly those that arrive at such a height of impudency as magisterially to take upon them not only to abuse the present but future ages must needs render themselves justly odious They stand responsable for other mens errours and whereas in all other notorious offenders their sin and their life determines at farthest together the sin of these men is perpetuated after their decease they speak when they are dead make false infusions into every Age and court every new person that shall many years after cast his eyes upon their story to give belief to their lyes Therefore for my own part when I first undertook this task I took up with it a resolution most clearly to declare the truth I have cast up my accounts I have set up my rest and determine rather to displease any other man then offend my own conscience I have neither private reflections nor foreign ends I am now as it were reduced into my first principles and have taken this work upon me meerly out of publick considerations All that I aime at is that there may remain for the benefit of this present age as well as of posterity some certain Records and monuments of the first beginnings and fatall progresse of this rebellion together with the horrid cruelties most unmercifully exercised by the Irish Rebels upon the British and Protestants within this Kingdome of Ireland That when Gods time is come of returning it into the bosomes of those who have been the first plotters or present actors therein and that Kingdome comes to be re-planted with British and setled in
the late Treaty of Peace to have all the indictments legally put in against the principall Rebels and their adherents taken off the file and cancelled they would not be out of hope as these times now are to palliate their Rebellion with such specious pretences as that their barbarous cruelties acted beyond all paralell being forgotten it should with great applause passe down to posterity under the name of a holy and just war for the defence of the Catholick Cause And now in order to this designe they have taken all occasions to proclaime the huge pressures which they pretend to have suffered under the late government in this Kingdome and spare not to tearm it tyrannicall they speak as if their oppressions might be paralelled with the Israelitish envassalage in the Land of Egypt and their persecutions for Religion equalled to those of the Primitive times And then they further say That thereupon only some Catholicks considering the deplorable and desperate condition they were in and apprehending the plots laid to extinguish their Religion and Nation did take armes in the North in maintenance of their Religion and for the preservation of life liberty and estate together with his Majesties rights And that the Lords and Gentlemen dwelling within the English Pale were likewise by the great rigour and severity used by the State towards them enforced to take up armes for their own defence A Remonstrance of grievances presented to his Majesty in behalf of the Catholicks of Ireland and given in to his Majesties Commissioners at Trime March 17. 1642. These are the expressions and the language used in the late Remonstrance given in to his Majesties Commissioners at Trime to be presented to his Majestie in behalf of his Catholick Subjects in Ireland Wherein there are pieced together so many vain inconsiderable fancies many subsequent passages acted in the prosecution of the war and such bold notorious false assertions without any the least ground or colour of truth as without all doubt they absolutely resolved first to raise this Rebellion and then to set their Lawyers and Clergie on work to frame such reasons and motives as might with some colour of justification serve for arguments to defend it And it is indeed to speak plainly a most infamous Pamphlet full fraught with scandalous aspersions cast upon the present government and his Majesties principall Officers of State within this Kingdome It was certainly framed with most virulent intentions not to present their condition and present sufferings to his Majestie but that it might be dispersed to gain belief among foreign States abroad as well as discontented persons at home and so draw assistance and aide to foment and strengthen their rebellious party in Ireland But I do not much wonder they should take thus upon them to abuse the world with such scurrilous discourses and thereby endeavour to raise some ground or belief that they had just cause to enter into so desperate a Rebellion This hath been an ordinary course ever held in all designes of this nature And it is well observed by Polybius that there are commonly to be found in all such great undertakings Causae suasoriae and causae justificae The first such as are the true naturall causes and really first in the intention the other such as are most commonly obtruded to the world by way of cover and justification Now as the nature of water is most clearly seen in the first Fountain where it remains pure and unmixed without any drosse or soil that it afterwards contracts as it passeth along in the streams derived from it So certainly the quality of all humane actions is best understood and most clearly discerned when we look upon them as they appear in their first originall before the inconveniencies and fatall miscarriages which afterwards come to be discovered awake the first Projectors and teach them new artifices wherewith to disguise and colour over their abortive or otherwise unfortunate counsels Now as for the true Suasorian causes if I may so tearm them which enduced the Irish to lay the plot of this Rebellion were indeed really first in their thoughts they will sufficiently appear in this ensuing Story And for the justificall reasons of their rising in armes if any one hath a minde to take them up on trust from themselves let him seek no further then the Remonstrance before mentioned whereof much more is to be said then I shall give my self liberty to speak in this place well knowing that those notorious untruths and wicked impostures contained in it when they come to the test will be quickly discovered and the varnish they have put upon them soon fall away of it self If any one hath been ignorantly deluded hereby and desires to be rectified in his own judgement let him be pleased to turn over this ensuing Story Verum est index sui obliqui There needs certainly no other confutation of their false and virulent suggestions then a true impartiall relation of the first beginnings and progresse of this Rebellion which for what was acted within the space of the first two moneths after the breaking out of it I presume I may say without vanity he shall certainly finde here It is true I have principally applyed my self to give an account of what was done about Dublin the chief City of this Kingdom and the place where the Lords Justices and Councell continued using their utmost power and endeavours to oppose the fury of the Rebels Yet as all other parts of the Kingdom were under their government and their care and counsels as far as their generall distractions would admit extended to the whole what was acted in all other places of the countrey comes properly to be touched upon and the miserable condition of them to be represented in this following Story I shall not here trouble the Reader with any further Apology for my self or with excuses for the multitude of my own imperfections which will here appear in large Characters and will be peradventure looked upon with a Multiplying Glasse by those who are not pleased with what I have here exposed to publick view I do not at all pretend to silence the bitter expressions of malevolent spirits As I shall with great patience compose my self to bear the utmost that their malice can put upon me So I shall be alwayes ready with much meeknesse to submit to be reformed by any person whatsoever who can make it appear that I have either through ignorance or negligence for I am sure wilfull mistakes they will finde none miscarried in the relation of any particular here set down Sinnes of ignorance found a very easie expiation under the Old Law I will not say they had a pardon of course But if I have so carried my self as that no greater transgressions can be laid to my charge I shall be much satisfied and may peradventure be further encouraged to proceed on to a continuation of this Story and therein to transmit
Irish and out of their zealous affectioÌ„s for the conversion of a barbarous people applied theÌ„selves with great care and industry to the instructing of them in the true grounds and principles of Christian religion And with so great successe and such unwearied endeavours did S. Patrick travail in this work as if we will give credit to some writers we must believe that the Church of Armagh was by him erected into an Archiepiscopal See three hundred and fifty Bishops consecrated great numbers of Clergy-men instituted who notwithstanding the notorious impiety and continued prophanesse of the common sort of people being most of them Monks by vow and profession of great learning very austere and strict in their discipline were so much taken notice of in those rude ignorant times by other Nations as in respect of them some gave unto the Island the denomination of Insula Sanctorum But so quickly did the power of holinesse decay in the land as the name was soon lost and even the very prints and characters thereof among the very Clergie themselves obliterated the life of the people so beastly their manners so depraved and barbarous as that King Henry when he entertained the first thoughts of transferring his Arms over into Ireland made suit unto the Pope that he would give him leave to go and conquer Ireland and reduce those beastly men unto the way of truth Rex Anglorum Hen. nuncios solennes Romam mittens regaâ—it Papam Adrianum ut sibi liceret Hibernia Insulam intrare et terram subiugare atquehomines illos bestiales ad fidem et viam reducere veritatis Mat Paris an 1156. Answerable whereunto was the tenor of Pope Adrians Bull as appears at large in Parisiensis whereby he gave him liberty to go over and subdue the Irish nation A sufficient demonstration of the condition of that people and what opinion was held of them as well by their holy father the Pope as other Princes And the King at his arrivall found them no other than a beastly people indeed For the Inhabitants were generally devoid of all manner of civility governed by no setled lawes living like beasts biting and devouring one another without all rules customes or reasonable constitutions either for regulation of Property or against open force and violence most notorious murthers rapes robberies and all other acts of inhumanity and barbarisme raging without controll or due course of punishment Whereupon He without any manner of scruple or farther inquisition into particular titles resolving as it seems to make good by the sword the Popes donation made a generall seizure of all the lands of the whole kingdom and so without other ceremony took them all into his own hands And that he might the more speedily introduce Religion and civility Rex antequam ab Hibernia redibat consilium congregavit apud Lismore ubi leges Angliae ab omnibus gratantur sunt accepta et iuratoria cautione prestita confirmata Mat. Paris an 1172. and so draw on towards the accomplishment of that great work which he had so gloriously begun he first in a great Counsell held at Lissemore caused the Laws of England to be received and setled in Ireland then he afterwards united it to the Imperiall Crown of England making large distributions to his followers by particular grants allotting out in great proportions the whole Land of Ireland among the English Commanders who made estates and gave severall shares to their friends and commilitants that came over private adventurers with them But before I passe further I shall take the liberty here to insert one observation out of Giraldus Cambrensis concerning the causes and reasons of the prosperity of the English undertakings in Ireland He saith that a Synod Ireland divided by K. Hen. 2. among his followers and other adventurers or Counsell of the Clergy being there assembled at Armagh and that point fully debated it was unanimously agreed by them all that the sins of the people were the occasion of that heavy judgement then fallen upon their Nation and that especially their buying of English men from Merchants and Pirates and detaining them under a most miserable hard bondage Decretum est itaque praedicto concilio et cum universitatis conscensu publice Statutum ut Angli ubique per insulam servitutis vinculo mancipati in pristinam revocentur libertatem Gir. Camb. expug Hib. c. 18 had caused the Lord by way of just retalliation to leave them to be reduced by the English to the same slavery Whereupon they made a publique act in that counsell that all the English held in captivity throughout the whole Land should be presently restored to their former liberty If so heavy a Judgement fell then upon the Irish for their hard usage of some few English what are they now to expect or what expiation can they now pretend to make for the late effusion of so much innocent English blood after so horrid despitefull and execrable a manner There being since the Rebellion first brake out unto the time of the Cessation made Sept. 15. 1643. which was not full two years after above 300000 Brittish and Protestants cruelly murthered in cold blood The numbers of British and protestants destroyed since the Rebellion destroyed some otherway or expelled out of their habitations according to the strictest conjecture and computation of those who seemed best to understand the numbers of English planted in Ireland besides those few which perished in the heat of Fight during the war King John came into Ireland during his minority though to little purpose The fruitlesse expeditions of K. Iohn and K. Richard 2. into Ireland but after about the twelfth year of his Raign upon the generall defection of the Irish he made a second expedition and during his stay there built severall Forts and strong Castles many of which remain unto this day he erected all the Courts of Judicature and contributed very much towards the settlement of the English Colonies as also of the civill Government King Richard the second made likewise in the time of his Raign upon the same occasion two other expeditions into Ireland in his owne person But both those Princes out of a desire to spare the effusion of English blood as also the expence of treasure being likewise hastened back by the distempers of their own Subjects in England were both content to suffer themselves to be again abused by the fained submissions of the Irish who finding their own weaknesse and utter disability to resist the power of those two mighty Monarchs came with all humility even from the farthest parts of the kingdom to submit to their mercy And yet it is well observed by some that say they returned back not leaving one true subject more behind them than they found at their first arrivall Howsoever by the very presence of these Princes and by the carefull endeavours of the Governours sent over by other of the Kings of England those
him upon his knees And howsoever before this glorious work was fully accomplished it pleased God to put a period to her dayes yet lived she long enough to see just vengeance brought down upon the head of that unnaturall disturber of the peace of the kingdome himself in a manner wholly deserted his country most miserably wasted and a generall desolation and famine brought in mightily consuming what was left undevoured by the sword It is very easie to conjecture in what a most miserable condition Ireland then was The miserable condition of Ireland when K. Iames came to the Crown of England the English colonies being for the most part barbarously rooted out the remainders degenerated into Irish manners and names the very Irish themlelves most mightily wasted and destroyed by the late wars and thereby much of the kingdome depopulated in every place large monuments of calamity and undiscontinued troubles King James of blessed memory found it at his first accession to the Crown of England in this deplorable estate whereupon he presently took into his care the peaceable settlement of Ireland and civilizing of the people And conceiving that the powerfull conjunction of England and Scotland would now overawe the Irish and contain them in their due obedience His lenity towards the Irish rebels and his endeavours for a civill reformation He resolved not to take any advantage of those forfeitures and great confiscations which he was most justly intitled unto by Tyrone's rebellion but out of his Royall bounty and Princely magnificence restored all the Natives to the entire possession of their own lands A work most munificent in it self and such as he had reason to believe would for the time to come perpetually oblige their obedience to the Crown of England And in this state the Kingdom continued under some indifferent terms of peace and tranquility untill the sixth year of his raigne Then did the Earl of Tyrone take up new thoughts of rising in arms and into his rebellious designe he easily drew the whole province of Vlster then entirely at his devotion But his plot failed and he finding himself not able to get together any considerable forces he with the principall of his adherents quitting the kingdom fled into Spain leaving some busie incendiaries to foment those beginnings he had laid for a new rebellion in Ireland and promising speedily to return well attended with forraigne succours to their aid But by the great blessing of Almighty God upon the wise Councels of that King and the carefull endeavours of his vigilant Ministers the distempers occasioned by the noise of that commotion were soon allayed and Tyrone never returning the peace of the kingdome much confirmed and setled King James hereupon being now so justly provoked by the high ingratitude of those rebellious traitours caused their persons to be attainted their lands to be seized and those six Counties within the Province of Vlster which belonged unto them to be surveyed and all except some small parts of them reserved to gratifie the well-affected natives to be distributed in certain proportions among British undertakers who came over and setled themselves and many other British families in those parts By this meanes the foundations of some good Towns soon after encompassed with stone wals were presently laid severall castles and houses of strength built in severall parts of the country great numbers of British inhabitants there setled to the great comfort and security of the whole kingdome And the same course was taken likewise for the better assurance of the peace of the country in the plantation of severall parts of Lemster where the Irish had made incursions and violently expelled the old English out of their possessions But howsoever the King was by due course of law justly intitled to all their whole estates there yet he was graciously pleased to take but one fourth part of their lands which was delivered over likewise into the hands of British undertakers who with great cost and much industry planted themselves so firmly as they became of great security to the country and were a most especiall means to introduce civility in those parts so as now the whole kingdome began exceedingly to flourish in costly buildings K. Charles great readinesse to redresse the grievances presented unto him by the Irish Commissioners 1640 The Lords L. Vicount Gormanstone L. Vicount Kilmaloc L. Vicount Costeloe L Vicount Baltinglas Commons Lemster Nic. Plunket Digbie Richard Fitz-garret Nic Barnewall Esq Munster Sir Hardresse Waller Io. Welsh Sir Donnogh Mac Cartie Conaght Robert Linch Geffrie Browne Thomas Burke Vlster Sir William Cole Sir Iames Mongomerie and all manner of improvements the people to multiply and increase and the very Irish seemed to be much satisfied with the benefits of that peaceable government and generell tranquility which they so happily enjoyed ANd now of late such was the great indulgence of K. Charles our Soveraign that now reigneth to his Subjects of Ireland as that in the year 1640. upon their complaints and a generall Remonstrance sent over unto him from both Houses of Parliament then sitting at Dublin by a Committee of foure temporall Lords of the upper house and twelve Members of the house of Commons with instructions to represent the heavy pressures they had for some time suffered under the government of the Earl of Strafford He took their grievances into his royall consideration descended so far to their satisfaction as that he heard them himself and made present provisions for their redresse And upon the decease of Mr. Wandsford Master of the Rols in Ireland and then Lord Deputy here under the said Earl of Strafford who still continued Lord Lieutenant of this kingdome though then accused of high treason and imprisoned in the Tower of London by the Parliament of England His Majesty sent a Commission of Government to the Lord Dillon of Kilkenny west and Sir William Parsons Knight and Baronet Master of the Wards in Ireland Yet soon after finding the choice of the Lord Dillon to be much disgusted by the Committee he did at their motion cause the said commission to be cancelled and with their consent and approbation placed the government upon Sir William Parsons and Sir Iohn Borlace Knight Sir Will. Parsons and Sir Iohn Borlace made L. Iustices Master of the Ordnance both esteemed persons of great integrity and the Master of the Wards by reason of his very long continued imployment in the State his particular knowledge of the kingdome much valued and well beloved among the people They took the sword upon the 9. of Febr. 1640. And in the first place they applied themselves with all manner of gentle lenitives to mollifie the sharp humours raised by the rigid passages in the former government They apply themselves to give contentment to the people They declared themselves against all such proceedings lately used as they found any wayes varying from the Common Law They gave all due encouragement to the
Parliament then sitting to endeavour the reasonable ease and contentment of the people freely assenting to all such Acts as really tended to a legall reformation They betook themselves wholly to the advice of the Councel and caused all matters as well of the Crown as Popular interest to be handled in His Majesties courts of Justice no wayes admitting the late exorbitancies so bitterly decried in Parliament of Paper-Petitions or Bils in Civil causes to be brought before them at the Councel-board or before any other by their authority They by His Majesties gracious directions gave way to the Parliament to abate the Subsidies there given in the E. of Straffords time and then in collection from 40000 li. each Subsidy to 12000. li. apeece so low did they think fit to reduce them And they were further content because they saw His Majesty most absolutely resolved to give the Irish Agents full satisfaction to draw up two Acts to be passed in the Parliament most impetuously desired by the Natives The one was the Act of Limitations which unquestionably setled all estates of land in the kingdome quietly enjoyed without claim or interruption for the space of sixty years immediately preceding The other was for the relinquishment of the right and title which His Majesty had to the four counties in Conaght legally found for him by severall inquisitions taken in them and ready to be disposed of upon a due survay to British undertakers as also to some territories of good extent in Munster and the county of Clare upon the same title Thus was the present Government most sweetly tempered and carried on with great lenity and modetation the Lords Iustices and Councel wholly departing from the rigour of former courses did gently unbend themselves into a happy and just compliance with the seasonable desires of the people And his Maiesty that he might further testifie his own setled resolution for the continuation thereof with the same tender hand over them having first given full satisfaction in all things to the said Committee of Parliament still attending their dispatch did about the latter end of May 1641. The Earl of Leicester declared Lord Lieutenant of Ireland May 1641. declare Robert Earl of Leicester Lord Lieutenant Generall of the Kingdom of Ireland He was heir to Sir Phillip Sidney his uncle as well as to Sir Hen. Sidney his grandfather who with great honour and much integrity long continued chief Governour of Ireland during the Raign of Queen Elizabeth and being a person of excellent abilities by nature great acquisitions from his own private industry and publique imployment abroad of exceeding great temper and moderation was never engaged in any publique pressures of the common-wealth and therefore most likely to prove a just and gentle Governour most pleasing and acceptable to the people The papists permitted privately to enjoy the free exercise of their religion Moreover the Romish Catholiques now privately enjoyed the free exercise of their religion throughout the whole Kingdom according to the doctrine of the Church of Rome They had by the over great indulgence of the late Governours their titular Archbishops Bishops Vicars generall Provinciall consistories Deans Abbots Priors Nunnes who all lived freely though somewhat covertly among them and without controll exercised a voluntary jurisdiction over them they had their Priests Jesuits and Fryars who were of late years exceedingly multiplyed and in great numbers returned out of Spain Italy and other forraign parts where the children of the natives of Ireland that way devoted were sent usually to receive their education And these without any manner of restraint had quietly setled themselves in all the chief Towns Villages Noblemen and private Gentlemens houses throughout the Kingdom So as the private exercise of all their religious rites and ceremonies was freely enioyed by them without any maner of disturbance and not any of the Laws put in execution whereby heavy penalties were to be inflicted upon transgressours in that kinde The good agreement betwixt the Irish and English in all parts of the Kingdome And for the ancient animosities and hatred which the Irish had been ever observed to bear unto the English Nation they seemed now to be quite deposited and buried in a firm conglutination of their affections and Nationall obligations passed between them The two Nations had now lived together 40 years in peace with great security and comfort which had in a manner consolidated them into one body knit and compacted together with all those bonds and ligatures of friendship alliance and consanguinity as might make up a constant and perpetuall union betwixt them Their intermarriages were frequent gossipred fostering relations of much dearnesse among the Irish together with all others of tenancy neighbourhood and service interchangeably passed among them Nay they had made as it were a kinde of mutuall transmigration into each others manners many English being strangely degenerated into Irish affections and customes and many Irish especially of the better sort having taken up the English language apparell and decent manner of living in their private houses And so great an advantage did they finde by the English commerce and cohabitation in the profits and high improvements of their lands and native commodities so incomparably beyond what they ever formerly enioyed or could expect to raise by their own proper industry as Sir Phelim O Neale and many others of the prime leaders in this rebellion had not long before turned their Irish tenants of their lands as some of them said to me when I enquired the reason of their so doing even to starve upon the mountains while they took on English who were able to give them much greater rents and more certainly pay the same A matter that was much taken notice of and esteemed by many as most highly conducing to the security of the English interests and plantation among them So as all these circumstances duly weighed together with the removall of the late obstructions the great increase of trade and many other evident Symptomes of a flourishing common-wealth it was believed even by the wisest and best experienced in the affairs of Ireland that the peace and tranquility of the Kingdom was now fully setled and most likely in all humane probability to continue without any considerable interuption in the present felicity and great prosperity it now enioyed under the government of his Maiesty that now raigneth In August 1641. The Parliament adjourned August 1641. the Lords Justices and Councel finding the Popish party in both Houses of Parliament to be grown to so great a heigth as was scarcely compatible with the present Government were very desireous to have an Adjournment made for three moneths which was readily assented unto and performed by the members of both Houses And this was done not many dayes before the return of the Committee formerly mentioned out of England The Irish Commissioners return out of England and land at Dublin They arrived at Dublin about
the latter end of August and presently after their return they applied themselves to the Lords Justices and Councel desiring to have all those Acts and other Graces granted by His Majesty made known unto the people by proclamations to be sent down into severall parts of the country which while the Lords Justices took into their consideration and sate daily composing of Acts to be passed the next Session of Parliament for the benefit of His Majesty and the good of his Subjects They seemed with great contentment and satisfaction to retire into the country to their severall habitations that they might there refresh themselves in the mean season The discovery of the Conspiracie of the Irish to seize upon the Castle and City of Dublin and their generall Rising at the same time in all the Northern parts of this Kingdome The happy condition of Ireland at the time of the breaking out of the Rebellion Octo. 23 1641. SUch was now the state and present condition of the Kingdome of Ireland such the great serenity through the gentle and happy transaction of the publike affairs here As that the late Irish Army raised for the invasion of the kingdom of Scotland being peaceably disbanded their Arms and Munition by the singular care of the Lords Iustices and Councel brought into His Maiesties stores within the city of Dublin there was no manner of warlike preparations no reliques of any kind of disorders proceeding from the late levies nor indeed any noise of war remaining within these coasts Now while in this great calm the British continued in a most deep security under the assurance of the blessed peace of this land while all things were carried on with great temper and moderation in the present government and all men sate pleasantly enjoying the comfortable fruits of their own labours without the least thoughts or apprehension of either tumults or other troubles the differences between his Majesty and his Subjects of Scotland being about this time fairly composed and setled There brake out upon the 23. of October 1641. a most desperate and formidable Rebellion an universall defection and generall Revolt wherein not only all the meer Irish but almost all the old English that adhered to the church of Rome were totally involved And because it will be necessary to leave some monuments hereof to posterity I shall observe the beginnings and first motions as well as trace out the progresse of a rebellion so execrable in it self so odious to God and the whole world as no age no kingdome no people can parallel the horrid cruelties The first plot for the rebellion carried on with so great secresie as none of the English had notice of it before it was ready to be put in execution the abominable murders that have been without number as well as without mercy committed upon the British inhabitants throughout the land of what sexe or age of what quality or condition soever they were And first I must needs say howsoever I have observed in the nature of the Irish such a kind of dull and deep reservednesse as makes them with much silence and secresie to carry on their businesse yet I cannot but consider with great admiration how this mischievous plot which was to be so generally at the same time and at so many severall places acted and therefore necessarily known to so many severall persons should without any noise be brought to such maturity as to arrive at the very point of execution without any notice or intimation given to any two of that huge multitude of persons who were generally designed as most of them did to perish in it For besides the uncertain presumptions that Sir William Cole had of a commotion to be raised by the Irish in the Province of Vlster about a fortnight before this rebellion brake openly out and some certain intelligence which he received of the same two dayes before the Irish rise I could never hear that any English man received any certain notice of this conspiracy before the very evening that it was to be generally put in execution It is true Sir VVilliam Cole upon the very first apprehensions of something that he conceived to be hatching among the Irish did write a Letter to the Lords Justices and Councell dated the 11. of Octob. 1641. wherein he gave them notice of the great resort made to Sir Phelim O Neale in the county of Tyrone as also to the house of the Lord Mac Guiâ—e in the county of Fermanagh and that by severall suspected persons fit instruments for mischief As also that the said Lord Mac Guire had of late made severall journies into the Pale and other places and had spent his time much in writing Letters and sending dispatches abroad These Letters were received by the Lords Justices and Councell and they in answer to them required him to be very vigilant and industrious to finde out what should be the occasion of those severall meetings and speedily to advertise them thereof or of any other particular that he conceived might tend to the publique service of the State And for that which was revealed to Sir VVilliam Cole upon the 21. of Octob. the same moneth by John Cormacke and Flarty Mac Hugh from Brian Mac Cohanaght Mac Guire touching the resolution of the Irish to seize upon his Majesties castle and city of Dublin to murder the Lords Justices and councell of Ireland and the rest of the Protestants there and to seize upon all the castles Forts Sea-ports and holds that were in possession of the Protestants within the Kingdom of Ireland I finde by the examination of John Cormacke taken upon oath at Westminster Nov. 18. 1644. That the said Sir VVilliam Cole did dispatch Letters to the Lords Justices and councell the same day to give them notice thereof But I can also testifie that those Letters whether they were intercepted or that they otherwaies miscarried I cannot say came not unto their hands as also that they had not any certain notice of this generall conspiracy of the Irish untill the 22. of Octob. in the very evening before the day appointed for the surprize of the castle and city of Dublin Then the conspirators being many of them arrived within the city and having that day met at the Lion Tavern near Copper Alley and there turning the Drawer out of the room ordered their affairs together drunk healths upon their knees to the happy successe of their next mornings work Owen O Conally discovers the conspiracy of the Irish to the Lord Parsons the very evening before it was to be executed Owen O Conally a Gentleman of a meer Irish family but one that had long lived among the English and been trained up in the true Protestant religion came unto the Lord Justice Parsons about nine of the clock that evening and made him a broken relation of a great conspiracy for the seizing upon his Majesties castle of Dublin He gave him the names of some
without any further delay to march on and presently surprise the same These false rumours being unluckily spread and by some fomented out of evill ends exceedingly increased the present distractions of the people and raised such a panick fear among them as about seven of the clock at night the Lords Iustices and some of the Councel being then in the councel-chamber within the castle there came in to them a Gentleman of good quality who having not without much difficulty as he pretended recovered the gate of the castle caused the Warders then attending to draw up the bridge assuring them that the Rebels gathered together in great numbers had already possessed themselves of a good part of the Town and came now with great fury marching down the street that leads directly towards the castle gate But this feare was quickly removed by Sir Francis Willoughby who being that day made governour of the castle caused the draw-bridge to be let down and so found this to be a false alarum occasioned by some mistake fallen among the people who continued waving up and down the streets prepossessed with strange feares and some of them upon some slender accident drawing their swords others that knew not the cause thought fit to follow the example and so came to appeare to this Gentleman who was none of their company as so many Rebels comming up to enter the castle These were the first beginnings of our sorrows ill symptomes The Lords Iustices and Councell consult what course to take for the suppressing this rebellion and sad preparatives to the ensuing evils Therefore the Lords finding by several intelligences though some purposely framed that the power of the Rebels was suddenly swollen up to so great a bulk and likely so fast to multiply and increase upon them thought it high time to consider of the remedies and in what condition they were to oppose since they could not prevent so imminent a danger The rebellion now appeared without all manner of question to be generally raised in all parts of the North and like a torrent to come down most impetuously upon them besides it was no wayes improbable that all other parts of the kingdome would take fire and follow their example they had the testimony of Mac-Mahon positive therein The first thing therefore which they took into consideration was how they were provided of Mony Arms and Munition Then what Companies of Foot and Troops of Horse of the old Army they were able to draw presently together No money in the Exchequer as also what numbers of new men they could suddenly raise For the first they had this short accompt from the Vice-treasurer That there was no mony in the Exchequer And certainly it was a main policie in the first contrivers of this Rebellion to plot the breaking of it out at such a time when the Exchequer should be empty and all the Kings revenues both certain and casuall due for that half year as well as the rents of all the British throughout the kingdome should be found ready either in the tenants or collectors hands in the country and so necessarily fall under their power as they did to their great advantage For Arms and Munition the Stores were indifferently well furnished at this time Besides severall Peeces of Artillery of divers sorts most of them fitted for present service there were Arms for near 10000. men 1500 barrels of Powder with Match and Lead proportionable laid in by the Earle of Strafford late L. Lieutenant not long before and designed another way but so opportunely reserved for this service as the good providence of God did exceedingly appeare therein but principally in the miraculous preservation of them out of the hands of the Rebels who made the surprisall of these provisions then all within the castle of Dublin the common store-house of them a main part of their designe The old standing Army as appeares by this List consisted only of 41 Companies of Foot and 14 Troops of Horse A List of His Majesties Army in Ireland 1641. Before the Rebellion began Foot-Companies consisting of six Officers viz. Captain Lieutenant Ensign Chirurgion Serjeant and Drum and fourty four Souldiers each Company LORD Lieutenants Guard 45 Sir Robert Farrar 44 Sir Thomas Wharton 44 Sir George Saint-George 44 Cap. Francis Butler 44 Sir Wil. Saint Leguer 44 Lord Docwra 44 Lord Blaney 44 Sir Robert Steward 44 Lord Viscount Rannelagh 44 Lord Viscount Baltinglas 44 Sir John Vaughan 44 Cap. George Blount 44 Sir Hen. Tichbourne 44 Sir Frederick Hamilton 44 Lord Castle-Stewart 44 Sir Lorenzo Cary 44 Cap Chichester Fortescue 44 Sir John Gifford 44 Cap. John Barry 44 Sir John Neutervile 44 Cap. Thomas Rockley 44 Sir Arthur Tyringham 44 Cap. Philip Wenman 44 Cap. Charles Price 44 Sir Charles Coote 44 Cap. Thomas Games 44 Sir Francis Willoughby 44 Sir John Borlase 44 Cap. Robert Bailey 44 Sir Arthur Loftus 44 Cap. Wil. Billingsley 44 The Lord Esmond 44 The Lord Lambert 44 Sir George Hamilton 44 Lord Folliot 44 Sir Wil. Stewart 44 Cap. Robert Biron 44 Sir John Sherlock 44 The Earl of Clanricard 44 Cap. John Ogle 44 These Companies contain Officers 246 In all 2297 Souldiers 2051 In all 2297 Horse-Troopes THE Earl of Leicester Lord Lieutenant generall his Troop consisting of Captain Lieutenant Cornet and Horsemen 108 The Earl of Ormonds Troop like Officers and Horsemen 107 The Earl of Straffords Troop like Officers and Horsemen 58 Lord Dillons Troop like Officers and Horsemen 58 Lord Wilmots Troop like Officers and Horsemen 58 Sir Wil. Saint-Leguer Lord President of Munster the like 58 Lord Viscount Moore the like 58 Lo. Viscount Grandison the like 58 Lo. Visc Cromwell of Lecale the like 58 Cap. Arthur Chichester the like 58 Sir George Wentworth the like 58 Sir John Borlase the like 58 Lo. Viscount Conway the like 58 Sir Adam Loftus the like 58 These Troopes contain Officers 42 In all 943 Horsemen 901 In all 943 These were so strangely dispersed most of them into the remote parts of the kingdome for the guard of severall Forts and other places as it fell out to be in a maner most impossible to draw a considerable number of them together in any time either for the defence of the City or the making head against the Rebels in the North and besides it was much to be suspected the companies lying severally so remote and ill furnished with munition could with little safety march to Dublin Yet the Lords sent Potents presently away to require severall companies of Foot and some troops of Horse presently to rise and march up from their severall garrisons towards the city of Dublin And now it was held high time to give an accompt unto His Majesty then at Edenburgh in his kingdome of Scotland and to the Lord Lieutenant continuing still at London the Parliament still sitting there of the breaking out of this Rebellion Letters from the Lords Iustices and Councell to the Lord Lieutenant
the ill condition of the Kingdome the wants of the State and the Supplies absolutely necessary for their present defence and preservation And because the Letter to the Lord Lieutenant doth most clearly represent severall particulars which may much conduce to the knowledge of the affaires I have thought fit to insert a true copy of it which here followeth May it please your Lordship ON Friday the two and twentieth of this moneth after nine of the clock at night this bearer Owen Conally servant to Sir John Clotworthy Knight came to me the Lord Iustice Parsons to my house and in great secresie as indeed the cause did require discovered unto me a most wicked and damnable conspiracy plotted contrived and intended to be also acted by some evill-affected Irish Papists here The plot was on the then next morning Saturday the 23 of October being Saint Ignatius day about nine of the clock to surprize His Majesties Castle of Dublin His Majesties chief strength of this Kingdome wherein also is the principall Magazine of His Majesties Arms and Munition and it was agreed it seems amongst them that at the same houre all other His Majesties Forts and Magazines of Arms and Munition in this Kingdome should be surprized by others of those Conspirators and further that all the Protestants and English throughout the whole Kingdome that would not joyn with them should be cut off and so those Papists should then become possessed of the Government and Kingdom at the same instant Assoon as I had that intelligence I then immediatly repaired to the Lord Iustice Borlace and thereupon We instantly assembled the Councell and having sate all that night as also all the next day the 23 of October in regard of the short time left us for the consultation of so great and weighty a matter although it was not possible for us upon so few houres warning to prevent those other great mischiefes which were to be acted even at that same hour and at so great a distance as in all the other parts of the Kingdome Yet such was our industry therein having caused the Castle to be that night strengthened with armed men and the City guarded as the wicked Councels of those evill persons by the great mercy of God to us became defeated so as they were not able to Act that part of their Treachery which indeed was principall and which if they could have effected would have rendred the rest of their purposes the more easie Having so secured the Castle We forthwith laid about for the apprehension of as many of the Offenders as We could many of them having come to this City but that night intending it seems the next morning to act their parts in those treacherous and bloody crimes The first man apprehended was one Hugh Mac Mahon Esquire Grandson to the Traitour Tyrone a Gentleman of a good fortune in the County of Monaghan who with others was taken that morning in Dublin having at the time of their apprehension offered a little resistance with their swords drawn but finding those We imployed against them more in number and better armed yielded He upon his Examination before us at first denyed all but in the end when he saw we laid it home to him he confessed enough to destroy himself and impeach some others as by a Copy of his Examination herewith sent may appear to your Lordship We then committed him untill We might have further time to examine him again our time being become more needfull to be imployed in action for securing this place then in examining This Mac Mahon had been abroad and served the King of Spain as a Lieu. Colonel Vpon conference with him and others and calling to minde a Letter We received the week before from Sir William Cole a Copy whereof We send your Lordship here inclosed We gathered that the Lord Mac Guire was to be an actor in surprizing the Castle of Dublin wherefore We held it necessary to secure him immediatly thereby also to startle and deter the rest when they found him laid fast His Lordship observing what we had done and the City in Arms fled from his lodging early before day it seems disguised for we had laid a watch about his lodging so as we think he could not passe without disguising himself yet he could not get forth of the City so surely guarded were all the Gates There were found at his lodging hidden some Hatchets with the Helves newly cut off close to the Hatchets and many Skeanes and some Hammers In the end the Sheriffes of the City whom we imployed in strict search of his Lordship found him hidden in a Cockloft in an obscure house far from his lodging where they apprehended him and brought him before Vs. He denyed all yet so as he could not deny but he heard of it in the countrey though he would not tell us when or from whom and confessed that he had not advertised Vs thereof as in duty he ought to have done But We were so well satisfied of his guiltines by all circumstances as We doubted not upon further examination when We could be able to spare time for it to finde it apparant wherefore We held it of absolute necessity to commit him Close-prisoner as We had formerly done Mac Mahon and others where We left him on the three and twentieth of this moneth in the morning about the same hour they intended to have been Masters of that place and this City That morning also We laid wait for all those strangers that came the night before to town and so many were apprehended whom We finde reason to believe to have hands in this Conspiracy as We were forced to disperse them into severall Gaols and We since found that there came many Horsemen into the Suburbs that night who finding the plot discovered dispersed themselves immediately When the hour approached which was designed for surprising the Castle great numbers of strangers were observed to come to town in great parties severall wayes who not finding admittance at the Gates staid in the Suburbs and there grew numerous to the terrour of the Inhabitants We therefore to help that drew up instantly and signed a Proclamation commanding all men not dwellers in the City or Suburbs to depart within an hour upon pain of death and made it alike penall to those that should harbour them which Proclamation the Sheriffs immediately proclaimed in all the Suburbs by Our commandement which being accompanied with the example and terror of the committall of those two eminent men and others occasioned the departure of those multitudes and in this case all our lives and fortunes and above all his Majesties power and regall authority being still at the stake We must vary from ordinary proceedings not only in executing martiall law as We see cause but also in putting some to the Rack to finde out the bottome of this treason and all the contrivers thereof which we foresee will not otherwise be done On that
direct the Term to be adjourned to the first of Hillary Term excepting only the Court of Exchequer for hastning in the Kings money if it be possible We desire upon this occasion your Lordship will be pleased to view our Letters concerning the plantation of Conaght dated the 24 of April last directed to Mr. Secretary Vane in that part thereof which concerns the County of Monaghan where now these fires do first break out In the last place we must make known to your Lordship that the Army we have consisting but of 2000 Foot and 1000 Horse are so dispersed in Garrisons in severall parts as continually they have been since they were so reduced as if they be all sent for to be drawn together not only the places whence they are to be drawn and for whose safety they lye there must be by absence distressed but also the Companies themselves comming in so small numbers may be in danger to be cut off in their march nor indeed have we any money to pay the Souldiers to enable them to march And so we take leave and remain from his Majesties Castle of Dublin 25 of October 1641. Your Lordships to be commanded William Parsons John Borlase Richard Bolton Can. R. Dillon Anthony Midensis John Raphoe R. Digbie Ad. Loftus Ger. Lowther John Temple Tho. Rotheram Fran. Willoughbie Ja. Ware G. Wentworth Robert Meredith POSTSCRIPT THe said Owen Conally who revealed the Conspiracy is worthy of very great consideration to recompence that faith and loyalty which he hath so extreamly to his own danger expressed in this businesse whereby under God there is yet hope left us of deliverance of this State and Kingdome from the wicked purposes of those Conspirators And therefore we beseech your Lordship that it be taken into consideration there so as he may have a mark of his Majesties most royall bounty which may largely extend to him and his posterity we not being now able here to do it for him W. PARSONS To the Right Honourable our very good Lord ROBERT Earle of Leicester Lo. Lieutenant Gen. and Generall Governour of the Kingdome of Ireland THe dispatch sent to his Majesty was addressed to Sir Henry Vane Principall Secretary and carried by Sir Henry Spotswood who went by sea directly into Scotland And the Letters to the L. Lieutenant were sent to London by Owen O Conally the first discoverer of the Plot. The Lords now with all care and diligence applyed their further endeavours towards the preventing as much as was possible the destruction intended against all the Brittish inhabitants of the Kingdome The Lords Iustices cause the Proclamations to be dispersed Letters to be written and other means to be used for the prevention of the rising of the Irish in the North but all to no purpose as well as the security of the City and the places round about it A work of large extent and wherein they met with many difficulties by reason of their own wants both of men and money They having formerly sent away and dispersed the Proclamations into severall parts of the Countrey now sent Letters by expresse Messengers unto the Presidents of Munster and Conaght and to severall principall Gentlemen in those two Provinces as also to others within the Province of Lemster giving them notice of the discovery of the Plot and advising them to stand upon their guard and to make the best provision they could for the defence of the Countrey about them They sent another expresse to the Earl of Ormond then at his house at Caricke with Letters to the same effect and withall desired his Lordship presently to repair unto them at Dublin with his Troop of horse They sent likewise Commissions to the Lords Viscounts of Clandeboys and of the Ardes for raising of the Scots in the Northern parts and putting them into arms as they did also soon after to Sir William Stewart and Sir Robert Stewart and severall other Gentlemen of quality in the North. And as they gave them order for prosecution of the Rebels with fire and sword so they gave them power to receive such of them in as should submit to his Majesties grace and mercy But these dispatches they were enforced to send all by sea the Rebels having stopped up the passages and hindred all manner of entercourse with that Province by land The Lords of the English Pale repair to the Councell Board there declare their loyall affections to his Majestie The English Pale is a large circuit of land possessed at the time of the first conquest of Ireland by the English and ever since inhabited by them it contains severall Counties viz. the Counties of Dublin Meth Lowth Kildare c. The Lords of the Pale having been at the Councell Board and there declared to the Lords Justices with great protestations their loyall affections unto his Majestie together with their readinesse and forward concurrence with their Lordships in this service came unto them again within two or three dayes after with a Petition wherein they offered unto their Lordships the deep sense they had of an expression in the late Proclamation set out upon the discovery of this great Conspiracy intended as is there set down by some evill affected Irish papists which words they feared might be by some mis-interpreted and such a construction put upon them as might reflect upon their persons as comprehended under them Whereupon the Lords Justices and Councell thought fit to descend so far to their satisfaction as not only to remonstrate the clearnesse of their intentions towards them but that it might appear unto the world they entertained not the least jealous thoughts of them they caused a new Proclamation to be set out by way of explanation of the former which I have thought fit here to insert that it may appear how far they were from giving any of those Lords and Gentlemen occasion to break out into those rebellious courses they soon afterwards took to their own destruction By the Lords Iustices and Councell W. Parsons John Borlase WHereas a Petition hath been preferred unto Us by divers Lords and Gentlemen of the English Pale in behalf of themselvs and the rest of the Pale and other the old English of this Kingdome A Proclamation issued for the satisfaction of the Lords and Gentlemen of the English Pale shewing that whereas a late Conspiracy of Treason is discovered of ill-affected persons of the old Irish that thereupon a Proclamation was published by Us wherein among other things it is declared that the said Conspiracy was perpetrated by Irish papists without distinction of any and they doubting that by those generall words of Irish Papists they might seem to be involved though they declare themselves confident that We did not intend to conclude them therein in regard they are none of the old Irish nor of their faction or confederacy but are altogether averse and opposite to all their designes and all others of like condition We doe
chief persons of quality residing in the said Counties of the Pale and others adjacent to them to govern and command such forces as should be raised by them and armed by the state for the defence of the Countrey and issued out from the Councel-board severall Commissions of government unto them As one to the Earl of Ormond and the L. Viscount Montgarret for the county of Kilkenny to Walter Bagnall Esq for the county of Catâ—rlagh Sir Iam. Dillon the elder and Sir Iames Billon the yonger for the county of Longford L. Viscount Costeloe for the county of Maio Sir Robert Talbot and Garrat Birne for the county of Wiclow Sir Christopher Bellew for the county of Lowth Earl of Kildare for the county of Kildare Sir Thomas Nugent for the county of Westmeath Nicholas Barnewall for the county of Dublin L. Viscount Gormanston for the county of Meath All these were made choice of without distinction of religion the Lords holding it fit at that time to put the chief persons of power in the countrey into those places of trust hoping they might prove good instruments to oppose the threatning incursions of the Northern Rebels which they knew them well enabled to perform if they would really joyn in the service or at least be kept by this their great confidence in them from giving any entertainment or assistance to their rebellious designes The Commission directed to the L. of Gormanston I have thought fit here to insert It was found afterwards in his study by some of his Majesties army when he and all the rest of the Governours that were of the Romish religion thus chosen deserted their houses and openly declared themselves in actuall rebellion The other Commissions were all of the same tenour By the Lords Iustices and Councell W. Parsons John Borlase RIght trusty and well beloved We greet you well Whereas divers most disloyall and malignant persons within this Kingdome have traiterously conspired against His Majesty His Peace Crown and dignity and many of them in execution of their Conspiracy are traiterously assembled together in a warlike manner and have most inhumanely made destruction and devastation of the persons and estates of divers of his Majesties good and loyall subjects of this Kingdom and taken slain and imprisoned great numbers of them We out of our care and zeal for the common good being desirous by al means to suppresse the said treasons and traitors and to conserve the persons and fortunes of His Majesties loving Subjects here in safety and to prevent the further spoil and devastation of His Majesties good people here do therfore hereby require and authorize you to levie raise and assemble all every or any the forces as well Footmen as Horsemen within the county of Meath giving you hereby the command in chief of all the said forces and hereby further requiring and authorizing you as Commander of them in chief to arme array divide distribute dispose conduct leade and govern in chief the said forces according to your best discretion and with the said forces to resist pursue follow apprehend and put to death slay and kill as well by battell as other wayes all and singular the said Conspirators Traytors and their adherents according to your discretion and according to your conscience and discretion to proceed against them or any of them by martiall law by hanging them or any of them till they be dead according as it hath been accustomed in time of open rebellion and also to take waste and spoil their or any of their Castles Holds Forts Houses Goods and Territories or otherwise to preserve the lives of them or any of them and to receive them into His Majesties favour and mercy and to forbear the devastation of their or any of their Castles Forts Houses Holds Goods and Territories afore mentioned according to your discretion Further hereby requiring and authorizing you to do execute and perform all and singular such other things for examination of persons suspected discovery of Traitors and their adherents parlying with and granting Protections to them or any of them taking up of Carts Carriages and other conveniences sending and retaining espials victualling the said forces and other things whatsoever conducing to the purpose aforementioned as you in your discretion shall think fit and the necessity of the service require further hereby requiring and authorizing you as Commander in chief to constitute and appoint such Officers and Ministers respectively for the better performance and execution of all and singular the premises as you in your discretion shall think fit And We do hereby require and command all and singular His Majesties Sheriffs Officers and Ministers and loving Subjects of and within the county of Meath and the borders thereof upon their faith and allegiance to his Majestie and to his Crown to be aiding helping and assisting to you in the doing and executing of all and singular the premises This our Commission to continue during Our pleasure only and for the so doing this shall be your sufficient VVarrant Given at His Majesties Castle of DUBLIN Novemb. 1641. R. Dillon Io. Temple Ia. Ware Rob. Meredith To Our very good Lo. NICHOLAS Vic. Com. Gormanstowne IN these Commissions it is very observable that there was power given to these Lords and Gentlemen to whom they were directed not only to use fire and sword for the destruction of the Rebels and their adherents but also to preserve the lives of any of them to receive them or any of them into his Majesties favour or mercy This plainly shewes the very great confidence the Lords were pleased to repose in them as also their desires to make them instruments to deliver those multitudes of people that engaged themselves in this rebellion from the power either of his Majesties arms or civill justice They intended nothing but the reducing of a rebellious Nation and they at the first applyed lenitives which failing in the cure they were afterwards then enforced to have recourse to more violent medicines Arms and munition delivered out to the Lords and chief Gentlemen of the Pale by the Lo. Iustices and Councel That these Governours thus constituted might be the better enabled according to the authority and power given unto them by their severall Commissions to undertake the defence of the Countrey in this high extremity of the neare approaching dangers The Lords took order to have delivered unto them a certain proportion of arms to be imployed for the arming of some men to be raised in each county for the common safety besides the armes they gave them and other Gentlemen for the defence of their own private houses As to the Lord of Gormanstone there were delivered armes for five hundred men for the county of Meath There were also delivered armes for three hundred men for the county of Kildare Armes for three hundred men for the county of Lowth Armes for three hundred men for the county of West-Meath Armes for three hundred men for the
resolve others therein I cannot yet determine who were the very first Contrivers where the first debates were entertained or who first sate in Counsell about it This as all other works of this nature had its foundation laid in the dark and sealed up no doubt with many execrable Oaths the great engines of these times to bind up the consciences as well as the tongues of men from discovery Besides they knew well enough that the Plot being most abominable in it self to be carried on with such detestable cruelty should it take and be fully executed which commonly gives to all other treasons applause and highest commendation would certainly render the first authors as well as the bloody actors most odious and execrable to all Posterity Therefore it is not much to be wondred that the first beginnings so mysterious and obscurely laid remain as yet concealed with so great Obstinacy But yet I am very confident that upon view of severall examinations any reasonable man will conclude with me that the very first principles of this inhumane Conspiracy were roughly drawn and hammered out at the Romish Forge powerfully fomented by the trechery and virulent animosities of some of the chief Irish natives and so by degrees by them moulded into that ugly shape wherein it first appeared There certainly it received the first life and motion whether at Rome whether in Ireland or in any other place I cannot yet determine But my meaning is it was first hatched and set on foot by those most vigilant and industrious Emissaries who are sent continually abroad by the power of that See with full commission per fas nefas to make way for the re-establishment of the Romish Religion in all parts where it hath been suppressed Great numbers of these wicked Instruments the Laws against all of the Romish Clergy being of late laid aside and tacitely suspended execution came over into Ireland The main ground-work and first predispositions to a Rebellion in generall were most undoubtedly with great dexterity and artifice laid by them their venimous infusions taking such deep roots in the minds of a blind ignorant supersticious people as made them ready for a change the great ones mischievously to plot and contrive the inferiour sort tumultuously to rise up and execute whatsoever they should command And if we will give credit to severall examinations taken many of them from those of their own we must beleeve the plot for a Rebellion in Ireland The general Plot for a Rebellion in Ireland of an ancient date of a very ancient date as well as of a large extent It had been long in contriving and howsoever peradventure first thought on in Ireland yet received large contributions towards consummation out of England and other Forraign parts I have seen an Examination of one who affirms he heard it confidently averred by Malone a Priest one that stiled himself Chaplain Major within the Pale that he himselfe had been seven yeeres imployed in bringing on this plot to perfection and that he had travailed into severall parts about it Master Goldsmith a Minister in Conaught told me that he did a full yeer before the Rebellion brake out receive a Letter from a Brother of his residing at Brussels wherein he gave him notice thereof though so obscurely as he well understood it not till afterwards Patrick O Bryan of the Parish of Galloom in the County of Fermanagh Patrick O Beians Examination affirmeth upon Oath that all the Nobles in the Kingdom that were Papists had a hand in this Plot as well as the Lord Mac Guire and Hugh Oge Mac Mahowne that they expected ayd out of Spain by Owen Roe O Neale and that Colonel Plunket one of those that was to be an actor in the surprize of the Castle of Dublin told him that he knew of this Plot eight yeers since and that within these three yeers he hath been more fully acquainted with it Francis Sacheverel Esq Francis Sacheverel Esqu his Examination hath deposed that at several times shortly after the beginning of this Rebellion he hath heard four severall popish Priests viz. Hugh Rely of the County of Down Edmund O Tunnah of the County of Armagh Morice Mac Credan of the County of Tyrone and James Hallegan of the County of Armagh say that the Priests Jesuits and Fryars of England Ireland Spain and other Countries beyond the Seas were the plotters projectors and contrivers of this Rebellion and Insurrection and that they have been these six yeers in agitation and preparation of the same and that the said Priests did then expresse a kind of joy that the same was brought to so good effect He also further deposeth that at severall times Ever Boy Mac Gennis in the County of Down Gentleman and Hugh O Hagan in the County of Armagh Gent. did brag and say that they doubted not but that they should shortly conquer the English in the Kingdom and enjoy the same quietly to themselves and that they would not rest so content but they would raise strong Armies to invade and conquer England Roger Moore one of the prime Conspirators told Master Colely then prisoner with him that the Plot had been in framing severall yeers and should have been executed severall times but they were still hindered By Letters sent from Rome to Sir Phelim O Neale and the Lord Mac Guire which were intercepted and brought to the Lord Parsons though the Fryar that writ them doth not expresse any certain knowledge of this very Plot yet thus much appears by them that they had long desired to hear of the rising of the Irish that the news of Sir Phelim O Neal's taking arms was very acceptable to the Pope and his two Cardinal Nephews assuring him of all assistance from thence and further desiring him to send over an Agent to Rome and to imploy several persons of his own Nation whom he there named then residing at Madrid Paris and with the Emperour they being fit Instruments and such as he might make use of for the procuring succours from those Princes whom he assured him would joyn to give him all assistance in this action Besides these we have very many other presumptions that the Irish since they found their own strength The Irish have had it long in design to shake off the English government and that they were able to draw together so great numbers of men as their severall Septs so strangely multiplied during the late peace can now afford have long had it in design to shake off the English government to settle the whole power of the State in the hands of the Natives and to re-possesse them of all the Lands now enjoyed by the British throughout the Kingdom And that in this plot they did but goe about to actuate those confused general notions to put them in a way of execution Now they supposed there could never be offered unto them a fairer opportunity then this most unhappy conjuncture of
the affairs of great Brittain when Scotland lately in Arms had by their own power and wise managements drawn his Majesty to condiscend to their entire satisfaction as wel in their Church discipline as the liberties of that Kingdom And in England the distractions being grown up to some height through the great misunderstanding betwixt the King and his Parliament Ireland was at this time left naked and unregarded the Government in the hands of Justices the old Army dispersed in places of so great distance as it could be of little advantage the common Souldiers most of them Irish and all the old Commanders and Captains except some few worn out and gone This as the first plotters thought was the time to work out their own ends and masking their perfidious designs under the publike pretences of Religion and the defence of his Majesties Prerogative they let loose the reins of their own vindicative humour and irreconcilable hatred to their British Neighbours I will not presume to say they knew what would fall out in England or what miserable embroilments that Kingdom was ready to break out into for undoubtedly the first plot was laid and most exactly formed many moneths before the war brake out betwixt the King and his people But thus much I shall be bold to affirm that upon the very first breaking out of this Rebellion they did strangely conjecture and beyond all appearance of reason even somewhat positively divine of the dismal breach and fearfull distempers which afterwards followed to the disabling of the Kingdome of England from applying remedies towards the reducement of Ireland For the attestation of this truth I could produce the generall concurrence of severall circumstances many private discourses and advertisements as also a particular Letter which I had long by me written as it seems from a very intelligent Papist a great Zealot in the cause unto a Nephew of Sir Toby Matthew's then in Dublin who though lately converted retained yet a great friendship among them He tels him in the beginning of the Letter that he was desired from some well wishing friends to advise him as he tendered his safety and security upon the sight of those instantly to forsake and abandon that troublesom and most unfortunate Kingdom for God and man had speedily resolved to afflict and punish the overgrown impieties of these prophane times all hearts and hands happily conspiring to it and that he should be as speedy in his passage as was possible and rather as the case stood hazard all dangers by sea then the least at land to be sure not to stop in England especially at London that sink of sin as he cals it and center of disorders for by that time he arrived there he should be sure to find nothing but troubles factions and desperate distempers that he should dispatch therefore for Paris or rather Brussels where there should be order taken for the removall of all mistakes betwixt him and his Uncle This Letter was written about the beginning of Novem. 1641. which was some few dayes after the breaking out of this Rebellion and full six moneths before the taking up of Arms in England Now for the very time when this great Plot received its first forme The Plot for a Rebellion in Ireland first discovered to the Lord Mac Guire and others about the time of Master John Bellewes return out of England with commission to continue the Parliament in Ireland which was in Jan. 1640. though I conceive it of somewhat a more ancient date yet by all the examinations I have hitherto seen I can carry it up no higher then the moneth of January 1640. and that it was about that time communicated to some of the chief Gentlemen of Vlster the Lord Mac Guire doth sufficiently testifie as well in the relation written with his own hand in the Tower and delivered by him to Sir John Coniers then Lieutenant to be presented to the Lords in Parliament as also in his Examination taken before the Lord Lambart and Sir Robert Meredith Kinght in Ireland March 26. 1642. In both these he acknowledgeth that he being in Dublin in Candlemas Tearm about the time when Master John Bellew came out of England with the Commission for the continuance of the Parliament in Ireland Roger Moore acquainted him that if the Irish would rise they might make their own conditions for the regaining of their Lands and Freedome of their Religion and further saith that he had spoken with sundry of Lemster to that purpose who would be ready to joyn with them as likewise a good part of Conaught and that he found all of them willing thereto if so be they could draw to them the Gentlemen of Vlster Now for the manner of putting this Plot in execution the said Lord Mac Guire doth further testifie in his relation aforesaid that the said Roger Moore having the next day acquainted Philip O Rely Turlagh O Neale Brother to Sir Phelim O Neale Master Cosloe and Mac Mahone herewith did propose that first every one should endeavour to draw his own friends into that act at least those that did live in one Country with them and that when they had so done they should send to the Irish in the Low-Countries and in Spain to let them know of the day and resolution so that they might be over with them by that day or soon after with supply of Arms and Munition that there should be a set day appointed and every one in his own Quarters should rise out that day and seize upon all the Arms he could get in his own County and this day to be neer Winter so that England could not be able to send Forces into Ireland before May and by that time there was no doubt to be made but that they themselves would be supplied by the Irish from beyond the Seas Then he told them further that there was no doubt to be made of the Irish joyning with them and that all the doubt was in the Gentlemen of the Pale but he said for his own part he was really assured that when they had risen out the Pale Gentlemen would not stay long after at lest they would not oppose any thing and that in case they did that they had men enough in the Kingdom without them Moreover that he had spoken to a great man who then should be namelesse who would not fail at the day appointed to appear and to be seen in the act but that till then he was sworn not to reveal him but yet that upon their importunity he afterwards told them it was the Lord of Mayo who was very powerfull in the command of men in those parts of Conaught where he lived He further saith that in Lent following Master Moore according to his promise came into Vlster but that nothing was done there but all matters put off till May following where they met at Dublin it being both Parliament and Tearm time and that from thence they dispatched
since the twentieth yeer of King Henry the eight may be repealed 7 That the Bishopricks Deanaries and all other spirituall promotions of this Kingdome and all Frieries and Nunneries may be restored to the Catholick owners and likewise all impropriations of Tythes and that the Scits Ambits and Precincts of the Religious houses of the Monks may be restored to them but as to the rest of their temporall possessions it is not designed to be taken from the present proprietors but to be left to them untill God shall otherwise incline their own hearts 8 That such as are now entitled Catholick Archbishops Bishops Abbots or other dignitaries in this Kingdome by donation of the Pope may during their lives enjoy their spirituall promotions with protestation neverthelesse and other fit clauses to be laid downe for preservation of his Majesties rights of Patronages first Fruits and twentieth parts in manner and quantity as now his Highnesse receives benefit thereby 9 That all inquisitions taken since the yeer 1634. to entitle his Majesty to Conaught Thomond Ormond Eliogartie Kilnemanagh Duheara Wickloe and Idvagh may be vacated and their estates secured according to his Majesties late graces 10 That an Act of Parliament may passe here for the securing the Subjects title to their severall estates against the Crown upon any title accrewed unto it before sixty yeers or under colour or pretext of the present commotions 11 That all Plantations made since the yeer 1610. may be avoyded by Parliament if the Parliament shall hold it just and their possessions restored to them or their Heirs from whom the same were taken they neverthelesse answering to the Crowne the Rents and services proportionable reserved upon the undertakers 12 That the transportation of all native Commodities to all places of the world in peace with his Majesty may be free and lawfull his customes first paid and that the Statutes of 10 11 13. of Queen Elizabeth for restraining the exportation of native Commodities be repealed 13 That all preferments Ecclesiasticall Civill and Martiall in this Kingdome that lye in his Majesties gift may be conferred on Natives of this Kingdome onely such as his Majesty shall think meet without any distinction for Religion Provided alwayes that upon the Princes of his blood of England he may bestow what places he shall think meet 14 That a Marshall and Admirall of this Kingdome may be elected in it to have perpetuall succession therein with the same preheminence authority and jurisdiction as they respectively have in England and that the said places be ever conferred upon Noble-men Natives of this Kingdom 15 That there may be Trained Bands in all Cities Towns Corporate and Counties of this Kingdome armed and provided at the charge of the severall Counties Cities and Townes and commanded by the Natives of the same who shall be named by the Counties Cities and Towns respectively 16 That his Majesty may release all Tenures in Capite and by Knight-service in consideration whereof he shall receive a setled revenue of 12000. li. per annum being double the summe which he casually receives by them Reliefes Seismes Licenses for Alienations Escuage and Aydes neverthelesse to remain 17 That all Monopolies may be for ever taken away by Act of Parliament 18 That such new Corporations as have not the face of Corporate Townes and were erected to give voyces in the Parliament may be dissolved and their Votes taken away and hereafter no such to be admitted to voices in Parliament 11 That there may be Agents chosen in Parliament or otherwise as thought meet to attend continually his Majesty to represent the grievances of this Nation that they may be removable by such as did elect them and in case of death or removance others may be for ever successively substituted in that place and that such Agents may enjoy the freedome of their conscience in Court and every where else These are the means proposed by these Catholick Remonstrants for reducing of the Kingdom to peace these the great obstructions they would have removed the cōstant Counsel they would have followed in setling the tranquility present government of this Land so as we need seek no further evidence nor make any more curious enquiries into the secret causes of their first rising we have here enough out of their owne mouths to resolve the most scrupulous unbeleever of their first motives to this Rebellion The re-establishment of the Romish Religion onely a pretence for the rebellion And now for the matter of Religion howsoever I am very confident they ever really intended the re-establishment of that of the Church of Rome with all the Rites and Ceremonies thereof together with the utter extirpation of all of the reformed profession Yet considering the large indulgence and free liberty they universally enjoyed at that time in the full exercise of that their Religion throughout all the parts of the Kingdome it may be most justly suspected how zealously soever they now obtrude it that this was onely the bare outward couverture made use of by the principall undertakers to draw on a poore ignorant superstitious people to sacrifice their lives in this quarrell Neither can it by any reasonable man be ever presumed that such persons as made no conscience of committing treason so many cruell murders and all other kind of abominable villanies not to be paralleld in any other Country could be drawne meerly out of conscience towards God to act these for the regaining of the free and publike profession of their Religion This certainly was no more the true and main cause of their taking up Armes then the redresse of their pretended grievances All the grievances of the Kingdom redressed before the Rebellion brake out whereunto his Majesty had condiscended and out of his inclinations for their present reliefe had given much more satisfaction to their Agents lately in England then ever they could in any other time expect to receive or hope to enjoy Yet we see how little effect those great graces brought over not above two moneths before this Rebellion brake out took among them for presently after the return of their Agents with them this most detestable conspiracy which had been long in hatching began to work and to be put in execution And if we shall consider their maine designe and chiefe ends therein as they appear in their first principles or will give credit to the severall speeches and passages that we meet with among the Rebels in the very beginning of their breaking out as also to severall other testimonies that have since privately fallen from some particular persons among them we must beleeve that their designe cleerly was to destroy and root out all the British and Protestants planted within this Kingdom to cut off the Soveraignty of the Crowne of England and so to deliver themselves from their long continued subjection to the English Nation But to come to one maine particular taken into debate by the prime Movers
apparent danger and disturbance and that peradventure they might there finde as ill affections as they brought and so both joyning together they might easily destroy the state with the poore remainders of the English Nation in these Parts Whereupon the Lords thought fit to hold to their Prorogation yet to endeavour so to attemper and sweeten it as those who were most averse might in some measure rest satisfied therewith And therefore after a long debate of all particular circumstances they came at length to this resolution that the Earle of Ormond the Master of the Rolls and Sir Pierce Crosby three Members of the Board should have a meeting with Mr Darcy Mr Burk and some others of the most active and powerfull Members of the House of Commons and that they should let them know from the Lords that they have understood of their good affections and desires to doe somewhat in the House that might tend towards the suppression of this present Rebellion that they approved extreame well thereof And that howsoever they could by no meanes remove absolutely the Prorogation yet that they would descend so far to their satisfaction as to limit it to a shorter time and that at present they would give them leave to sit one whole day in case they would immediatly fall upon the work of making a cleer Protestation against the Rebels As also that they should have liberty if they pleased to make choyce of some Members of their own House to send down to Treat with the Rebels about laying down of Arms And for their grievances that their Lordships would with all readinesse receive them and presently transmit them over to his Majesty for a speedy redresse All this was accordingly performed the meeting was in the Gallery at Cork House Those of the House of Commons seemed at first to be extreamly troubled when they found there was no possibility of altering the present Prorogation But upon a further debate when they came to understand how ready the Lords were to yeeld to their satisfaction and that the time of the Prorogation should be shortned they seemed to rest indifferently contented undertook to make the Protestation in such full and ample manner as was desired and that they would fall immediately upon it and make it the work of the whole day Upon the 17 of November the Lords and Commons met in Parliament which was held in the usuall place of his Majesties Castle of Dublin And for the better security of the place as well as of the persons of those that were to meet there was a Guard of Musketiers appointed to attend during the time of their meeting but such care taken that they should carry themselves so free from giving any offence as no manner of umbrage might be taken at their attendance there The Houses were both very thin there were only in the House of Peeres some few English Lords three or foure Lords of the Pale and some two or three Bishops In the House of Commons they took into their consideration upon their first meeting the framing of the Protestation against the Rebels But those of the Popish party spake so ambiguously and handled the matter so tenderly as they could not be drawn to stile them by the name of Rebels so as they sent up unto the Lords a very meager cold Protestation against them which being in their House taken into debate it was strongly contested by the Protestant Lords that they should be stiled Rebels but that as stiffely opposed by the others They therefore fell upon a meane betwixt both which gave a kinde of accommodation saying they had Rebelliously and Traiterously raised Armes and so both parties being reasonably satisfied the Protestation was drawn up and returned back to the House of Commons in this Tenour as followeth The Protestation and Declaration of the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and Commons in Parliament assembled WHereas the happy and peaceable Estate of this Realm hath been of late and is still interrupted by sundry persons ill-affected to the Peace and Tranquillity thereof who contrary to their Duty and Loyalty to His Majesty and against the Lawes of God and the fundamentall Lawes of the Realm have Trayterously and Rebelliously raised Armes have seized upon some of his Majesties Forts and Castles and dispossessed many of his Majesties faithfull Subjects of their Houses Lands and Goods and have slaine many of them and committed other cruell and inhumane Outrages and Acts of Hostility within this Realme The said Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled being justly moved with a right sense of the said disloyall Rebellious Proceedings and actions of the persons aforesaid doe hereby protest and declare that they the said Lords and Commons from their hearts doe detest and abhorre the said abhominable Actions and that they shall and will to their uttermost power maintaine the Rights of his Majesties Crown and Government of this Realm and Peace and Safety thereof aswell against the persons aforesaid their Abettors Adherents as also against all forreine Princes Potentates and other persons and Attemps whatsoever and in case the persons aforesaid doe not repent of their aforesaid Actions and lay down Armes and become humble Suitors to his Majesty for Grace and Mercy in such convenient time and in such manner and forme as by his Majestie or the chiefe Governour or Governours and Councell of this Realm shall be set down The said Lords and Commons doe further protest and declare that they will take up Armes and will with their Lives and Fortunes suppresse them and their Attempts in such a way as by the Authority of the Parliament of this Kingdome with the Approbation of his most Excellent Majesty or of his Majesties chiefe Governour or Governours of this Kingdome shall be thought most effectuall Copia vera Exam. per Phil. Percivall Cleric Parliament Both Houses of Parliament sate two dayes and the time of the Prorogation being shortned unto the 11. of Ian. The Lords made choyce of the Lord Viscount Costelo to goe into England to carry over their desires to his Majesty concerning the meanes they thought fit to be used for the quenching this present Rebellion And besides those instructions formerly mentioned he had as I heard from the Popish Lords some more private which were to negotiate the staying such Forces as were intended to be sent out of England for that end Both Houses joyned together to appoint certaine Lords and some Members of the House of Commons to goe down to the Northen Rebels The Houses of Parliament send to Treat with the Rebels to understand the cause of their rising in Armes and referred them to the Lords Iustices for their instructions which accordingly they received together with a Commission under the Great Seale But the Rebellion having a farre deeper root then was at that time discovered this Commission was of little operation and the intended Treaty soone vanished The Northern Rebels were then so puffed up with their late victories
involve this whole Kingdome in generall and themselves in particular if this abhominable Treason be not timely suppressed and therefore with all readinesse bounty and chearefulnesse to conferre their Assistance in their Persons or Estates to this so important and necessary a Service for the common good of all Io. Browne Cleric Parliament About the same time the Lord Lievtenant finding that he could not procure so speedy a dispatch of all things necessary for the service of Ireland Commission granted to the Earle of Ormond to be Lievtenant Generall of the Forces in Ireland as would enable him presently to repaire thither in his own person made the Earle of Ormond Lievtenant Generall of the Forces there and sent him over a Commission for the same And the said Earle did within few dayes after receive a Letter from his Majesty out of Scotland wherein he was graciously pleased to let him know it was his pleasure to conferre upon him that charge There was then likewise brought over the summe of 20000 l. from the Parliament the coyne which arrived here was all in Spanish pieces of eight which went for 4 d. in a piece here more then in England and this gaine the Parliament was content the Merchants that undertook the transportation should make at that time in regard of the charge and venture they undertook to stand to It arrived most seasonably even when all that little money they had was quite spent in raising and paying the new Companies and that they were wholly destitute of all meanes to draw in any contributions towards the relieving of their present necessities There continued daily to repaire unto the City of Dublin great numbers of poore distressed English Commissions issued out for the Examination upon Oath of the losses of the British and the cruelties exercised by the Irish upon them who had been most barbarously stripped robbed and despoiled of all their goods and substance by the Rebels Now that it might appeare what their losses were what cruelties were acted what murders committed and who were the chiefe actors in them thorow out the severall Provinces The Lords Iustices and Councell thought fit to issue out a Commission under the Great Seale directed to certaine of the Clergy to take upon oath the severall Examinations of all such persons that having suffered by this present Rebellion would think fit to repaire unto them as will appeare by the Commission it selfe a Copy whereof I have thought fit to insert CHarles by the grace of God King of England France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. To our well-beloved Henry Jones Deane of Kilmore Roger Puttock William Huthcok Randall Adams Iohn Sterne William Aldrich Henry Brereton and Iohn Watsons Clerks Greeting Whereas divers wicked and disloyall people have lately risen in Armes in severall parts of this Kingdome and have robbed and spoiled many of our good Subjects British and Protestants who have been separated from their severall habitations and scattered in most lamentable manner And for as much as it is needfull to take due Examination concerning the same Know ye that we reposing special trust and confidence in your care diligence and provident circumspection have nominated and appointed you to be our Commissioners and doe hereby give unto you or any two or more of you full power and authority from time to time to call before you and examine upon Oath on the holy Evangelists which hereby we authorize you or any two or more of you to administer as well all such persons as have been robbed and despoiled as all the witnesses that can give testimony therein what robberies and spoyles have been committed on them since the 22 of October last or shall hereafter be committed on them or any of them what the particulars were or are whereof they were or shall be so robbed or spoiled to what value by whom what their names are or where they now or last dwelt that committed those robberies on what day or night the said robberies or spoiles committed or to be committed were done what Traiterous or disloyall words speeches or actions were then or at any other time uttered or committed by those robbers or any them and how often and all other circumstances concerning the said particulars and every of them And you our said Commissioners are to reduce to writing all the Examinations which you or any two or more of you shall take as aforesaid and the same to return to our Iustices and Counsell of this our Realme of Ireland under the hands and seales of any two or more of you as aforesaid Witnesse our right trusty and well-beloved Counsellours Sir William Parsons Knight and Baronet and Sir Iohn Borlace Knight our Iustices of our said Realm of Ireland Dublin 23 of December in the seventeenth year of our Raigne Carleton The Commissioners above nominated did very seriously addresse themselves to this work employing their paines therein with great diligence and faithfulnesse and have so well performed the charge imposed upon them as that by severall Examinations many principall Gentlemen of good estates were discovered to be the chiefe actors in the depredations of the British and to have committed many most horrid murders and other notorious cruelties which thorough their industry will now remaine upon Record but had otherwayes been concealed from Posterity and wrapt up in oblivion The like Commissions were in a short time after sent into Munster and Vlster In the Provine of Munster the Commissioners took great care in the Execution of it many Examinations of high concernment were taken by vertue thereof though they remaine as yet concealed and not returned up according as is required by the said Commissions Towards the latter end of November the Lords Iustices and Councell considering the miserable desolations brought upon the whole Kingdome A weekly Fast appointed by the Lords Iustices and Councell and the further calamities threatned by Warre and Famine did by a Proclamation set forth in print give strict charge and command That upon every friday a publike and religious fast should be devoutly and piously observed in and thorow the whole City and Suburbs of Dublin by all his Majesties people therein and that Divine Service and Sermons be celebrated and heard upon the said day weekly in every Cathedrall and other Church and Chappell in the said City and Suburbs thereof And this to be performed as is expressed in the said Proclamation to the end that the severe wrath and indignation of Almighty God may be averted from this Kingdome his divine aide and assistance implored and that some reliefe in these calamitous times may the better be afforded to such miserable persons as these Traytors by their rapine and cruelty have deprived of their fortunes and sent naked and almost famished up to this City The Lords Iustices and Councell being advertised of the neare approach of the Rebels to Tredagh The approach of the Rebels to Tredagh prepared to send down supplies both of
particular safety as well as for the preservation of the whole Kingdome not only to contribute their best advice and councell but even all the Forces they could any wayes raise towards the beating of the Northern Rebels out of the Pale Severall Letters of Summons were accordingly writ and sent away to the Earle of Fingale the Lord Viscount Gormanston and the rest of the Lords of the Pale the tenour of them here ensueth AFter our very hearty commendations to your Lordships for as much as we have present occasion to conferre with you A Coppy of the Letter written by the Lords Iustices and Councell to the Lords of the Pale concerning the present estate of the Kingdome and the safety thereof in these times of danger We pray and require your Lordship to be with us here on the eight day of this Month at which time others of the Peers are also to be here And this being to no other end we bid your Lordships very heartily farewell From his Majesties Castle of Dublin the third of December 1641. Your very loving friends William Parson Iohn Borlacy Ormondossory Ant Medensis R Dilbon Ad Loftus Ge Shirley I Temple Rob Meredith To our very good Lord George Earle of Kildare The like Letters eodem die to these severall Persons following Earle of Ormond Earle of Antrim Earle of Fingale Vis Gormanston Vis Netervile Vis Fitzwilliam Lo Trimbleston Lord Dunsany Lord Slaine Lord of Hoath Lord Lowth Lord Lambert These Letters were presently sent away But the Lords of the Pale being otherwayes engaged and having before or much about the time they came unto their hands though the Lords knew very little and that very uncertainly of it made that publike combination with the Vlster Rebels before mentioned durst no more adventure their persons within the City of Dublin But after their meeting at the Hill of Crofty appointed an other meeting at the Hill of Tarah and from thence they sent an Answer unto the Lords which as Mr Dowdall testifies was brought thither by the Lord of Gormanston ready drawn up and there only signed and so sent away The Copy of the Letter here followeth May it please your Lordships VVEe have received your Letters of the third of this instant The Answer of the Lords of the Pale to the Lords Iustices intimating that you had present occasions to confer with us concerning the present state of the Kingdome and the safety thereof in these times of danger and requiring us to be with you there on the eighth day of this instant we give your Lordships to understand that we have heretofore presented our selves before your Lordsips and freely offered our advice and furtherance towards the particulars aforesaid which was by you neglected which gave us cause to conceive that our Loyalty was suspected by you We give your Lordships further to understand that we have received certaine advertisement that Sir Charles Coot Knight at the Councell Board hath uttered some speeches tending to a purpose and resolution to execute upon these of our Religion a generall Massacre by which we are all deterred to wait on your Lordships not having any security for our safety from these threatned evills or the safety of our lives but doe rather think it fit to stand upon our best guard untill we heare from your Lordships how we shall be secured from these perils Neverthelesse we all protest that we are and will continue both faithfull advisers and resolute furtherers of his Majesties service concerning the present state of the Kingdome and the safety thereof to our best abilities and so with the said tender of our humble service we remaine Your Lordships humble Servants Fingale Gormanston Slane Dunsany Nettervill Oliver Lowth Trimblestown Dublin Decem. 7. Received 11. 1641. To the Right Honourable our very good Lords the Lords Iustices and Councell of Ireland In Answer to this Letter the Lords Iustices and Councell out of their unfained desires to give unto those Lords all due satisfaction and to remove those jealousies and great misunderstanding now grown up between them A Proclamation issued out by the Lords Iustices and Councell for the satisfaction of the Lords of the Pale thought fit by way of Proclamation to publish and declare to them and all others of his Majesties good Subjects of the Romish Religion That they never heard Sir Charles Coot or any other utter at the Board or elsewhere any such speeches tending to a purpose or resolution to execute upon those of their profession or upon any other a generall Massacre or any Massacre at all and that they never intended so to dishonour his Majesty and this State or wound their own consciences as to entertaine the least thought of acting so odious impious and detestable a thing upon any persons whatsoever and that if any proofe can be made of any such words spoken by any person whatsoever that he shall be severely punished And therefore that they did pray and require the said Noblemen to attend them at the Board on the 17. day of December that they might conferre with them And for the security of their repaire unto them they did thereby give to all and every of those Noblemen the word and assurance of the State that they might then securely and safely come unto them without danger of any trouble or stay whatsoever from them who neither had nor have any intention to wrong or hurt them But now it began to appeare unto the Lords Iustices and Counsell how farre they were engaged with the Northern Rebels By the Examinations taken of some English who made their escape out of those parts the newes of their solemne contract and Association beforementioned was brought up to Dublin And they then well enough discerned the maine obstruction in their comming the cause of their tergiversations and what good reason they had to finde out excuses to palliate their disloyalty They then expected no other fruits of their Proclamation then what it produced Neither indeed had it any other effect and operation among them then that they did with great boldnesse and confidence by way of Answer thereunto write back a Letter to the Lords Iustices wherein they pretend themselves so justly affrighted with Sir Charles Coot severity and deportment Severall pretences of the Lords of the Pale to colour their refusall to repaire to the Lords Iustices and Councell as that they dare not adventure themselves within the confines of his government They heavily impose upon him the inhumane acts perpetrated as they terme them in the County of Wiclow the Massacre of Santry and the burning of Mr Kings house and his whole substance at Clantarfe and with a little kind of cunning they seeme to pretend a breach of the publike faith but would transferre the blame from the Lords Iustices to Sir Charles Coot and therupon desire no sinister construction may be made of their stay and that they may have some Commissioners appointed to conferre with
of English breed and declare openly that their reason is because they are English so great is their hatred not onely to the persons of the English but also to every species of that Nation and they destroy all improvements made by the English and lay waste their habitations Wee formerly signified to your Lordship that to take away all jealousie from the Papists of the English Pale we would furnish them with some Armes and the rather because wee well know that in the last great Rebellion in Ireland the English Pale stood firme to the Crowne of England and that the Rebell Tyrone in the heigth of his power and greatnesse was never able to get into the Pale with his Forces whilst hee was in Rebellion and upon this occasion the Noblemen and Gentlemen of the Pale making deep professions of their loyalty to his Majesty in imitation of their Ancestors and with expressions seeming to abhorre the Contrivers of this Rebellion here against whom they offered their power and strength so as they might have Armes and we being well assured that if wee could gaine their concurrence with us it would much facilitate our work wee did at their earnest suit issue for them Armes for one thousand seven hundred men wherewith divers Companies were armed by them and some of them selves were appointed Governours of the Forces of the Counties and Captaines of their Compaines but so many of those Companies revolted to the Rebels and carryed away their Armes with them as we have recovered back but nine hundred and fifty Armes so as those whose loyalty We had reason to expect would help us are now through their disloyalty turned against us and are strengthned with our own Armes and without all question if those of the English Pale had done their parts as became good subjects with their Armes they had from us and those they might gather amongst themselves they might with our help not only have defended the Pale against the Rebels but might also have prevented the ruine and destruction wrought by their Tenants and Neighbours on the poore English and Protestants amongst them for the Noblemen and Gentry sate still and looked on whilst the English and Protestants were ruined before their faces the Papist in the meane time remaining secure without the losse of goods or any thing else When wee saw the power and strength of the Rebels still growing upon us more and more and approaching by degrees more neare to us and the English and Protestants robbed and spoyled even within two miles of this City in disdaine and affront of this State which are scornes of so high a nature as we could not endure if we had strength sufficient to represse their insolencies and when we observed the retarding of our Succours of men and armes from England or Scotland neither of both Succours being yet come nor as we heard so much as in view there or in Scotland and when we found apparantly that for want of those supplies we became in a manner so contemptible as we were in danger to be set upon for taking from us this City and Castle before our aides should come wee be-thought us of all the meanes we could of gaining time being confident that wee cannot be so deserted by the State of England but that some supplies may yet come unto us And therefore on the third of December we directed our Letters to divers of the Nobility of the Kingdome who were nearest to us and most of them being of the English Pale to be with us here on the eight day of this Month that we might conferre with them concerning the present state of the Kingdome and we hoped by their help to handle the matter so as we might gaine a few dayes time before our supprisall here by which time in all likelihood our Succours might arrive although it be boldly given out by the Rebels that we shall have no Succours from thence which they divulge to enbolden their party and to strike terror and discouragement into the well-affected amongst whom there are many so weak as to apprehend from thence too much feare whereby many are fled the Kingdome On the eigth day of this Moneth the Earle of Kildare the Lord Viscount Fitz-Williams and the Lord Barron of Houth came unto us but the rest of the Noblemen not comming deferred our conference and on the eleventh day of this Month we received Letters from seven of them namely the Earle of Fingale the Lord Viscount Gormonston the Lord Viscount Nettervile and the Lords of Slaine Trimblestone Dunsany and Lowth dated the seventh day of this Month and signed by them pretending a feare of a Massacre on those of their Religion and that therefore they are deterred to wait on us but doe rather think it fit to stand upon their guard and how that resolution of theirs may stand with the loyalty they professe wee humbly submit to his Majestie 's excellent judgment for whose royall view wee send you here inclosed a Copy of their said Letters When we received those Letters we did admire whence their feares of comming to us should arise but afterwards we heard that they had been in consultation with the Rebels which also as to most of them is confirmed by the enclosed Examination of Christopher Hampton and indeed we know no cause of feare they have of us unlesse their own guilts begot in them the feare they pretend and they spare not though unjustly to charge us with a neglect of their advises whereas not one of them to this House offered to us any advice or reall assistance towards Pacification of these troubles It became then publike nor could wee keep secret that which they had published to others that those Noblemen so farre sided with the Rebels as they now stood on their guard wee therefore adjudged it fit for vindicating the State from the aspersion which we found so publikely endeavoured to be laid upon us to publish the enclosed Proclamation as well to satisfie to the world as those Noblemen who certainly are abundantly satisfied in their own secret thoughts that wee never intended to Massacre them or any other that being a thing which we and all good Protestants doe much abhorre what ever the practice of their Religion is and hath been found to be by wofull experience in other parts whereof we confesse we are now in great danger if our long expected Succours come not the sooner to us and it may be gathered from that unexampled tyranny which the Rebels have already exercised towards those of our Nation and Religion who fell into their hands what we for our parts may expect from them but the dishonour and shame which may reflect upon the English Nation by exposing this State and Kingdome to so apparent ruine and with it the extirpation of Gods true Religion afflicts us more then the losse of our own lives and fortunes when all might be saved by sending seasonably those Succors Wee lately received Letters
Spaine or France And although out of the fore-sight we had of this extremity since these troubles began we have endeavoured to get in some provisions of victuall and corne yet we have not been able to provide our selves sufficiently to stand out any long siege nor can we now get in any more our Markets being almost taken away and the strength of the Rebels surrounding us so as wee can fetch in no more provisions wherefore we beseech your Lordship that the Magazins of Victuals designed to be setled on that side may be setled wirh all speed if it be not done already whereby we and the Succours we expect may not be in distresse of Victuals for our selves or them or oates for our horses Our want of Victuals is the more in respect of the daily accesse of the English spoyled in the Countrey The necessity of the defence of the Province of Munster required the immediate raising of a Regiment of Foot consisting of one thousand men and two Troops of Horse of threescore each Troop which threescore we appointed the Lord President to raise and for the payment and arming of of them wee humbly advise seeing we cannot doe it that money and armes be sent from thence to Youghall with a further supply of Armes and Munition for the stores in that Province now much wanting there And as the Rebels which have be set us and this City on all sides by Land doe threaten to cut off our Market at Dublin which we begin to feele already so they boldy declare that they will within a day or two cut off the watercourse which brings water to this City and Castle and that done that their multitudes will immediately burn our Suburbs and besiege our Walls which we confesse we yet want strength to defend and must want till our Supplies come forth of England or Scotland or both for here we have but about three thousand men the rest of the old Companies being dispersed in severall needfull Garrisons in the Countrey excepting seven Companies of them surprised and cut off by the Rebels at their first rising in Vlster and other Parts and about two hundred horse by pole of the old Army whereof many are Irish so as considering the spaciousnesse of this City and Suburbs to be defended the smalnesse of our number to defend them and the great numbers of Papists Inhabitants in this City and Suburbs and lastly the very great numbers of the Rebels who are so strong as to approach this City with many thousands and yet leave many thousands also at the siege of Drogheda wee cannot expect to bee able to defend this City for any long time against them without the arrivall of our expected Succours The Earle of Castle-haven on the tenth of this Month presented at this board the inclosed Oath tendered unto him by the Rebels to be sworn by him which he saith he refused to sweare and we heare they send it to all Parts to be tendered to the people pressing them to take the Sacrament thereupon We did lately in hope to gaine some time untill our supplies might come listen to an offer made by some Popish Priests to goe to the Rebels and Treat with them as you may perceive by the inclosed But since we finde there is little hope of it for some of the Priests are returned nothing being wrought thereby However it is fit your Lordship should know what wee doe we must now crave leave to declare to your Lordship that things being risen here to this heigth threatning not onely the shaking of the Government but the losse of the Kingdom as the Supplies of men Armes and more Treasure are of great necessity to be hastned away hither so is it also needfull that we enjoy your Lordships presence here for the conduct in your own person of the great and important affaires of this State as well in the Martiall as in the Civill Government which doe necessarily require it in this time of great imminent danger wherein so farre as we may be able to contribute any assistance with you we shall be ready to discharge our duties therein with that loyalty and uprightenesse of heart which we owe to his Majesty and the particular respect due from us to your Lordship but we hope you will bring that strength with you which may befit the greatnesse of the King our Master to send with his Leivtenant against so numerous enemies as these Rebels are become as well for the honour of his Majesty as for the terrour of those Rebels By what we have heretofore and now humbly represented to your Lordship you may in part see the greatnesse of the publike danger wherein this Kingdom now stands and particularly this City and Castle the principall piece thereof that if those be lost which we now againe assure your Lordship were never in so great perill to be lost since the first Conquest of this Kingdom by the Crown of England the whole Kingdom must quickly follow that the danger which must thereupon arise to the Kingdom of England is very great in many respects There is no possibility to prevent those evils with honour and safety to England but by Succours from thence or Scotland or both and that if those Succours come not speedily it cannot be avoyded but the Kingdom must be lost And if notwithstanding all this so often and truly made known by us to your Lordship we shall perish for want of Supplies we shall carry this comfort with us to our graves or any other buriall we shall have that your Lordship can witnesse for us to the Royall Majesty and to all the world that we have discharged our duties to God to his Majesty to that Nation and to this in humbly representing to his Majesty by your Lordship the chiefe Governour of the Kingdome the extremities and dangers wherein his Kingdome and people stand and the necessity of hastning Supplies hither by all possible meanes for preservation of both so as what ever become of our persons our memory cannot be justly stained with so wretched a breach of faith and loyalty to the King our Master as to forbeare representing thither the extremities wherein we are whether we have the credit to be believed or no and that we write truth and most needfull truth will be found true when perhaps we shall perish and which is more considerable the Kingdome also for want of being believed and succoured in time And so we remaine Your Lordships to be commanded William Persons Io Burlace Ormand Ossory R Dillon Char Lambart Ad Loftus Iohn Temple Charles Coot Francis Willoughby R Meredith From his Majesties Castle of Dublin 14 December 1641. Postscript BY our Letters to your Lordship of the 22 of November We did desire to be enformed from thence whether the Parliament here being once Prorogued may not againe be prorogued by Proclamation before they sit or whether it be of necessity that they must sit againe and the Parliament to
be Prorogued the House sitting And now that this Rebellion hath over-spread the whole Kingdome and that many members of both Houses are involved therein so as the Parliament cannot sit We humbly desire to know his Majesties pleasure therein and if his Majesty shall think fit to Prorogue it which in present we hold expedient that then we may receive his commandment for Prorogation and that the doubt concerning that be cleared for to assemble at that time cannot be with safety Our Letters of the third of December have been hitherto with-held on this side by contrary winds In this most miserable condition the Lords Justices and Councell continued shut up within the City of Dublin strugling with all their power for a short preservation from those dismall calamities which had generally over-spred the whole Kingdome Their care travell and endeavours had hitherto in some measure extended to the most remote parts how they might asswage the swelling distempers or yeeld some reliefe to the lamentable complaints and bitter out-cryes daily brought up unto them But now the evils abroad were grown past their cure and their own dangers so multiplyed as they were enforced to spend their time almost in a perpetuall consultation never at rest sometimes raised in the night by sudden advertisements alwayes in constant perplexity and trouble desperately threatned on every side so as what through treachery within or from without they had just reason to apprehend the losse of the City and Castle wherein they had enclosed themselves and so consequently the ruine and destruction of all the British and Protestants throughout all other parts of the Kingdome And thus they continued untill the most happy and welcome arrivall of that truly valiant Gentleman and gallant Commander Sir Simon Harcourt The arrivall of Sir Simon Harcourt with Forces out of England who being designed Governour of the City of Dublin was dispatched away by speciall Order of Parliament with his Regiment for the preservation of that place and landed here on the last of December 1641 to the great joy and comfort of all his Majesties Protestants and well affected Subject and to the terrour of those Rebels now in Armes who had made themselves believe that no Succours would be sent out of England towards the suppressing of their notorious Rebellion And now my intentions were to have proceeded further on in setting down what hath fallen out within the next foure Months and then to have added a briefe account of all such particular passages as have been acted during the space of those six Months within all the severall Counties of this Kingdom and so having recollected and presented as it were at one view the publike calamities and miserable desolations of all the foure Provinces there to have sate down and made the first period of this Story But I must here take up being unexpectly called away I resolve therefore patiently to attend the restoring of this Kingdome and the resettlement of our affaires and then if I find not this work undertaken and perfected by some more skilfull hand I shall hope to get the rest of my tailing together and make such further provision of all other materialls as may enable mee to goe through with the same In the meane time it will not be amisse to take notice that the Rebels within very few Moneths after their first breaking out had so ordered their affaires as that by their sudden surprises their sharpe and bloody executions their barbarous stripping and despoyling of all sorts that fell into their hands they had cleared the Inland Counteys of all the British Inhabitants And except some few Castles and other places of strength which they held severally besieged and had most of them suddenly after surrendred for want of reliefe they had in a manner made themselves absolute Masters in all those Parts of the Kingdome And for the Maritime places there were only some of the chiefe Cities which were held out against them besides some few other Forts and places of no great importance As in the Province of Lemster the Cities of Dublin and in the Province of Munster the Cities of Cork Youghall and Kinsale in Vlster London-Derry Colraine and Caregfergus And all these they held either besieged much distressed or they were otherwayes so over-pestred with the multitudes of poore stripped people fled to them for safety as they were confident they could not long hold out but that either open force treachery famine or sicknesse would within a short time inevitably put them into their hands Thus it pleased God to humble his own people in this Land and for their sinnes to give them up into the power of their cruell Enemies who began now to sacrifice to their own neâ—s to celebrate the memory of their Victories And upon the prosperity of their undertakings and late successe they were become so confident of prevailing even to the totall extirpation of all the British and Protestants out of this Kingdome as they proceeded to set down a certaine form of Government nominated the persons whom they intended to entrust with the management of their affaires what Lawes they would have revoked what Statutes newly enectad And in the meane time they erected a Councell which they stiled the Supreme Councell which they invested with absolute Power and Authority to order and governe the whole Kingdome This consisted of certaine Noblemen Gentlemen three or foure Lawyers and one Physitian who being elected unto this charge had the place of their residence appointed unto them at Kilkenny a City in the Province of Lemster where they sate ordinarily for the dispatch of all the great and weighty affaires of their State They there erected severall Courts of Judicature they made a new broad Seale appointed severall great officers of State coyned money settled an excise upon all kinde of commodities and performed many other acts of regall power Now how they proceeded on in the ordering these their great affaires what Councels they took what meanes they used to enable themselves to make opposition against the Forces sent over by the Parliament of England into all the foure Provinces of Ireland I shall here forbeare to speak of These particulars must be reserved for the ensuing part of this Story where they will most properly fall in to be related And where likewise we shall finde so strange a turn such a remarkable declination of their power their hearts failing them for feare their Councells infatuated their designs blasted their Forces routed their sieges raised such a generall defailliance and inprosperity in all their undertakings as we must needs give glory to our Maker and acknowledge that God hath most wonderfully wrought for the deliverance of the poore small remnant of his people which were here shut up and designed to the slaughter For after a considerable number of Horse as well as Foot sent over by the Parliament of England arrived at Dublin and had in some petty encounters thereabouts tried the mettaile of the Rebels and found their spirit of a poore and base allay they began extreamely to disvalue them and would be no longer abused with the fabulous reports of their great strength or numbers which with much advantage they had long made use of Therefore now they began to seek them out in all places and wheresoever they came to meet with them they alwayes prevailed even with small numbers very often against great multitudes of them sparing not many times to pursue them into the midst of their greatest fâ—â—tnesses and made the very bogges and woods unsafe receptacles for their broken Troopes And with so great successe was the warre prosecuted by the English from the first landing of their Forces out of England untill the Treaty of that most unhappy Cessation concluded in Sept. 1643. as that in all the incounters they had with the Rebels during that time they never received any scorn or defeats but went on Victoriously beating them down in all Parts of the Kingdome And so they carried on their work before them without any assistance either from the meere Irish or the English Irish For I can not my selfe remember any Gentleman of quality throughout the whole Kingdome that was there born and breed up a Papist that put himselfe into that service or desired to be listed as a member of the English Army It is true some of the common Souldiers there were of the English Irish that came in and though they were not considerable for their number yet they did good service and still with much fury and sharpnesse followed on upon the execution FINIS
of the chief conspirators assured him they were come up expresly to the Town for the same purpose and that next morning they would undoubtedly attempt and surely effect it if their designe were not speedily prevented and that he had understood all this from Hugh Mac Mahon one of the chief conspirators who was then in the town and came up but the very same afternoon for the execution of the plot and with whom indeed he had been drinking somewhat liberally and as the truth is did then make such a broken relation of a matter that seemed so incredible in it self as that his Lordship gave very little belief to it at first in regard it came from an obscure person and one as he conceived somewhat distempered at that time But howsoever the Lord Parsons gave him order to go again to Mac Mahon and to get out of him as much certainty of the plot with as many particular circumstances as he could straightly charging him to return back unto him the same evening And in the mean time having by strict commands given to the constable of the castle taken order to have the gates thereof well guarded as also with the Mayor and Sheriffes of the city to have strong watches set upon all the parts of the same and to make stay of all strangers hee went privately about ten of the clock that night to the Lord Borlacies house without the town and there acquainting him with what he understood from Conally they sent for such of the councell as they knew then to be in the town But there came only unto them that night Sir Thomas Rotheram and Sir Robert Meredith chancellour of the Exchequer with these they fell into consultation what was fit to be done attending the return of Conally And finding that he staid somewhat longer than the time prefixed they sent out in search after him and found him seized on by the watch and so he had been carryed away to prison and the discovery that night disappointed had not one of the Lord Parsons servants expresly sent amongst others to walk the streets and attend the motion of the said Conally come in and rescued him and brought him to the Lord Borlacies house Conally having somewhat recovered himself from his distemper occasioned partly as he said himself by the horror of the plot revealed to him partly by his too liberall drinking with Mac Mahon that he might the more easily get away from him he beginning much to suspect and fear his discovering of the plot confirmed what he had formerly related and added these farther particulars set down in his Examination as followeth The Examination of Owen O Conally Gentleman taken before us whose names ensue Oct. 22. 1641. VVHo being duly sworn and examined saith that he being at Monimore in the County of London-Derry on Tuesday last he received a Letter from Colonel Hugh Oge Mac Mahon desiring him to come to Conaght in the County of Monaghan and to be with him on Wednesday or Thursday last whereupon he this Examinate came to Conaght on Wednesday night last and finding the said Hugh come to Dublin followed him hither He came hither about six of the clock this evening and forthwith went to the lodging of the said Hugh to the house near the Boat in Oxman town and there he found the said Hugh and came with the said Hugh into the Town near the Pillory to the lodging of the Lord Mac Guire where they found not the Lord within and there they drank a cup of Beer and then went back again to the said Hugh his lodging He saith that at the Lord Mac Guire his lodging the said Hugh told him that there were and would be this night great numbers of Noblemen and Gentlemen of the Irish Papists from all the parts of the Kingdom in this town who with himself had determined to take the Castle of Dublin and possesse themselves of all his Majesties Ammunition there to morrow morning being Saturday and that they intended first to batter the Chimnies of the said town and if the City would not yield then to batter down the houses and so to cut off all the Protestants that would not joyn with them He further saith that the said Hugh then told him that the Irish had prepared men in all parts of the Kingdom to destroy all the English inhabiting there to morrow morning by ten of the clock and that in all the Sea Ports and other Towns in the Kingdom all the Protestants should be killed this night and that all the Posts that could be could not prevent it And further saith that he moved the said Hugh to forbear executing of that businesse and to discover it to the State for the saving of his own estate who said he could not help it But said that they did owe their Allegiance to the King and would pay him all his Rights but that they did this for the tyrannicall Government was over them and to imitate Scotland who got a priviledge by that course And he further saith that when he was with the said Hugh in his lodging the second time the said Hugh swore that he should not go out of his lodging that night but told him that he should go with him the next morning to the Castle and said if this matter were discovered some body should die for it whereupon this Examinate feigned some necessity for his easement went down out of the Chamber and left his sword in pawn and the said Hugh sent his man down with him and when this Examinate came down into the Yard and finding an opportunity he this Examinate leaped over a Wall and two Pales and so came to the Lord Justice Parsons William Parsons Tho. Rotheram Rob. Meredith Owen O Conally Octob. 22. 1641. HEreupon the Lords took present order to have a Watch privately set upon the lodging of Mac Mahon as also upon the L. Mac Guire and so they sate up all that night in consultation having far stronger presumptions upon this latter examination taken then any wayes at first they could entertain Mac Mahon taken The Lords Justices upon a further consideration there being come unto them early next morning severall other of the Privy councel sent before day and seized upon Mac-Mahon then with his servant in his own lodging they at first made some little resistance with their drawn swords but finding thewselves over-mastered presently yielded and so they were brought before the Lords Justices and Councel still sitting at the Lord Borlacy's house where upon examination he did without much difficulty confesse the Plot resolutely telling them His confession That on that very day all the Forts and strong places in Ireland would be taken That he with the L. Mac-Guire Hugh Birn Capt. Brian O Neale and severall other Irish Gentlemen were come up expresly to surprise the Castle of Dublin That twenty men out of each County in the Kingdom were to be here to joyn with them That