and flatter you dare not presume to come into your presence The Earl as well as the Lords of the Council were much offended at this odious and abusive Discourse which was usual with the Cardinal desiring him to name and prove particulars at length Kildare being out of patience interrupted him saying I find my Lord that you are very fit to be the mouth of this Board but my Lord those that put these words into your Graces Mouth had very wide ones themselves and have long gaped for my Ruine and having no other stuff have filled their Mouths with Smoak what my Cousen Desmond hath Contrived I know not I beshrew his naked Heart for holding out so long but what is this to me cannot he Conspire but I must be of his Council Cannot he hide except I wink Can he have no Friends but I must bethe Traytor This is strange reasoning you would not see him say they when was he within my View Who stood by when I let him escape they will swear it they say why Because they have my Letters they may lye lewdly against my Cousen Desmond since none dares contradict them but for my part I never thought them to have so much Wit Honesty that I would have ventured the Life of a good Hound upon their Secrecy or Silence much less my own Touching my Kingdom I know not what your Lordship means If your Grace imagine that a Kingdom consists in serving God obeying my Prince Ruling with Love suppressing Rebels and executing Justice I would be glad to be invested with so Royal a name but if you Term me King as Repining at the Government of my Soveraign Conniving at Malefactors or injuring the peaceable I utterly Disclaim that odious Title admiring that your Grace out of your profound Wisdom seems to appropriate so Sacred a Name to such wicked Actions But however I wish my Lord you and I were to change Kingdoms but for one Month I doubt not but in that time I should gather up more Crums than the Revenues of my Earldom are worth But you you are well and warm and continue you so still but do not upbraid me with such base Crimes I slumber in a hard Cabin while you sleep in a Bed of Down I serve the King under the Cope of Heaven when you are served at home under a Canopy I drink Water out of my Iron Head-Piece when you drink Wine out of Golden Cups my Horse is Trained up for the Wars while your Gennet is taught to Amble You are Be-Graced and Be-Lorded you are crept and kneeled unto when in the mean time I can find small regard with the Irish Borderers who are so stout they will never kneel to me except I cut off their Legs by the Knees The Council were much pleased at these sharp girds of Kildare against Wolsey who rising up in a Fury committed the Earl to Prison but he was afterwards bailed by the Duke of Norfolk to the Cardinals great Grief and entertained in his House during which the Irish made another Insurrection and the Cardinal again charging Kildare as the fomenter thereof committed him to the Tower for which he was much pityed by the Lieutenant and all the Court who loved him heartily One Night when the Lieutenant and he were playing at Shovel-Board a Warrant was sent for executing Kildare at which the Lieutenant fetching a deep sigh By St. Bride says he Lieutenant there is some mad game in that Scroll of Paper but let it fall how it will have at the Game When he understood the Message well said he pray do me the Favour to go to the King and know certainly whether it be his pleasure The Lieutenant was much afraid of displeasing the Cardinal yet kindness to his Friend prevailing he posted to the King at Midnight and having Admittance shewed him the Warrant the King incensed as he said at the Sawciness of the Priest gave him his Signet in Token of a Countermand which when the Cardinal understood he raved and raged in such furious Language that the Lieutenant went away leaving him to mutter the Devils Pater-noster by himself Shortly after Wolsey was thrown out of Favour and the Earl restored to his Life and Estate and Sir William Sheffington being made Deputy of Ireland carryed Kildare along with him About this time the Lieutenant being at Dinner News came that the O Moors were in Arms and ready to invade the English Pale whereupon the Mayor of Dublin raising Forces Marched against them who Dispersing themselves a party fell upon the Carriages which were weakly Guarded but were so warmly received by a stout young Man named Patrick Fitz-Simmons that he routed them and cut off two of the Rebels Heads Next Morning the Governors Men who fled from Fitz-Simmons Reported that he run away and the Carriages were lost whereupon the Governor coming in a Rage to the Mayors Tent cryed out that his Man Fitz-Symmons was a Cowardly Traytor in running away and losing the Carriages Fitz-Symmons skipping out of the Tent in his Shirt with the two Heads in his Hand My Lord said he I am no Coward I stood to my Tackling and when your Men gave me the slip I rescued the Carriages of which these Heads are a Token throwing them down before him sayest thou so cryed the Lieutenant then I cry thee Mercy and I would I had been with thee and so praising and rewarding him he Dismist him and soon after the O Moors retired to their Bogs and Fastnesses In 1532. The Earl of Kildare having several great Enemies in Ireland was again sent for over into England and charged with furnishing his own Forts with Artillery out of the Castle of Dublin for which he was committed to Prison he left his Son and Heir Thomas Fitz-Gerald Vice-Deputy in his stead who hearing his Father was in Custody the Enemies of the Geraldines incited him to a Rebellion thereby to destroy the Family of the Geralds So that Lord Thomas calling a Council his Horsemen and Servants rushed into the Chamber compleatly Armed for he had been informed that his Father was to be put to Death and himself to be seized and therefore resolved to defend himself turning then to the Chancellor he said How injuriously soever we have been used and are thus forced to defend our selves by Arms since our Service and Loyalty is misrepresented to our Prince yet let none say hereafter but we acted like Gentlemen and Soldiers in using this open Hostility and not Treacherously and Basely this Sword of State is yours and not mine I receiv'd it with an Oath and have used it to your Benefit and should therefore stain my Honour if I should turn it to your Damage or Hurt I have now need of my own Sword for the other only flattereth me with a painted Scabbard but hath indeed a Pestilent Edg already bathed in the Blood of the Geraldines and now newly whetted for further Destruction defend your selves therefore from us as
Voted the Restoration of K. Charles II. and upon notice thereof the like was done in Ireland and several of the most Eminent of that Nation were upon the Kings Arrival at White Hall sent by the Convention to wait upon him in the Name of that Kingdom with a tender of their Allegiance and a Present of 4000 l. to the Duke of York and soon after the King was proclaimed and universally acknowledged throughout the Kingdom But it was not long ere the great Inclinations to the Popish Partie in Ireland were made apparent in the Court of England and several Disputes arose about the Settlement of that Kingdom which were Debated before the King and Council where the Lord Chief Justice Santry in an Excellent Speech Represented to the Board the Horrid Rebellion of 1641. with the Barbarous and Inhuman Massacres which he had been eye witness of In Opposition to which Sir Nich. Plunchel one of the Popes Knights endeavoured to defend the Irish but so weakly having a bad Cause to Manage that the Lord Santry clearly carryed the point in the Judgment of the Auditors he desiring that they might be Tryed by the Common Law where they would meet with a fair and indifferent Tryal by Juties of their Neighbours and thereby could have no wrong done them But the King having Dissolved the Convention and called a Parliament in Ireland he prevailed so much upon them that an Act of Settlement was pressed and a Court of Claims thereby erected who were to Determine all Differences between the English and Irish Proprietars of the Lands there and to declare who were Nocent and who Innocent Papists These Commissioners being Nominated by the King he had so great an influence over them that they commonly gave their Opinions according to his Direction which was oftentimes very favourable to the Irish Rebels particularly in the Case of the Earl of Antrim one of the chief of them as by the following Letter to 〈◊〉 of Ormond then Lord Lieutenant and the Privy Council there doth appear CHARLES R. RIght Trusty and well beloved Cousins and Counsellors c. We greet you well How far we have been from interposing on the behalf of any of our Irish Subjects who by their miscarriages in the late Rebellion in that Kingdom of Ireland had made themselves unworthy of our Grace and Protection is notorious to all Men and we were so jealous in that particular that shortly after our return into this our Kingdom when the Marquess of Antrim came hither to present his Duty to us upon the Information we received from those Persons who then attended us by a Deputation from our Kingdom of Ireland or from those who at that time owned our Authority there that the Marquess of Antrim had so misbehaved himself towards us and our late Royal Father of Blessed Memory that he was in no degree worthy of the least Countenance from us and that they had manifest and unquestionable Evidence of such his Guilt Whereupon we refuse to admit the said Marquess so much as into our Presence but on the contrary committed him Prisoner to our Tower of London where after he had continued several Months under a strict restraint upon the continued Information of the said Persons we sent him into Ireland without interposing the least on his behalf but left him to undergo such a Trial and Punishment as by the Justice of that our Kingdom should be found due to his Crime expecting still that some heinous Matter would be objected and proved against him to make him uncapable and to deprive him of that Favour and Protection from us which we know his former Actions and Services had Meritest After many Months attendance there and wâ—presume after such Examinations as were requisite he was at last dismissed without any Censure and without any transmission of Charge against him to us and with a Licence to Transport himself into this Kingdom We concluded that it was then time to give him some instance of our Favour and to remember the many Services he had done and the Sufferings he had undergone for his Affections and Fidelity to our Royal Father and our Self and that it was time to redeem him from those Calamities which yet do lye as heavy upon him fince as before our happy Return And thereupon we recommended him to you our Lieutenant that you should move our Council there for preparing a Bill to be Transmitted to us for the Re-investing him the said Marquess in the possession of his Estate in that our Kingdom as had been done in some other Cases To which Letter you our said Lieutenant returned us answer That you had informed our Council of that our Letter and that you were upon consideration thereof unanimously of Opinion that such a Bill ought not to be transmitted to us the Reason whereof would forthwith be presented to us from our Council After which time we received the inclosed Petition from the said Marquess which we referred to the Considerations and Examinations of the Lords of our Privy Council whose Names are mentioned in that our Reference which is annexed to the said Petition who thereupon met together and after having heard the Marquess of Antrim did not think to make any Report to us till they might see and understand the Reasons which induced you not to transmit the Bill we had proposed which Letter was not then come to our Hands After which time we have received your Letter of the 18th of March together with several Petitions which had been presented to you as well from the Old Soldiers and Adventurers as from the Lady Marchioness of Antrim all which we likewise transmitted to the Lords Referees Upon a second Petition presented to us by Lord Marquess which is here likewise enclosed commanding our said Referees to take the same into their serious consideration and to hear what the Petitioner had to offer in his own Vindication and to report the whole matter to us upon a third Petition herein likewise inclosed we required them to expedite with what speed they could By which deliberate Proceedings of ours you cannot but observe that no Importunity how just soever could prevail with us to bring our self to a Judgment in this Affair without very ample Information Our said Referees after several Meetings and perusal of what had been offered to them by the said Marquess have reported unto us That they have seen several Letters all of them the Hand-writing of our Royal Father to the said Marquess and several Instructions concerning his Treating and Joining with the Irish in order to the King's Service by reducing to their Obedience and by drawing some Forces from them for the Service of Scotland That besides the Letters and Orders under his Majesty's Hand they have received sufficient Evidence and Testimony of several private Messages and Directions sent from our Royal Father and from our Royal Mother with the Privity and with the Directions of the King our Father by which they
Pembroke coming into England surrendered Dublin and all the Castles and Forts on the Sea coasts to King Henry and thereby removed his Jealousie and was again received into favour In 1172 King Henry the Second landed with a considerable Army whom Roderick in behalf of himself and all the other petty Princes of that Kingdom acknowledged for his Soveraign Lord and the supream Prince of all that Island so that none refused obedience to Henry but only the Province of Ulster the Christmas after the King Royally feasted all those Princes who were become his Subjects at Dublin and then taught the Irish first to eat Cranes flesh which was before abhorred by them He then called a Synod where divers abuses were reformed and new Canons made for the future Government of the Church and among others That since it had pleased God to bring them under the English Dominion they should for the future observe all the Rites and Ceremonies of the English Church Soon after King Henry returned to England being summoned by the Pope to answer for the death of Thomas Becket which occasioned much Trouble In 1185. Henry made over all his Right and Title to Ireland to his youngest Son John after King of England who Landing at Waterford accompanyed with a few Dissolute Companions whose advice he only regarded caused great Commotions whereupon he went back again the same year After the Death of his Brother Richard the first John succeeded and came again into Ireland setling the Country and Banishing the Lacies for some Misdemeanors but upon submission gave them pardon though not without paying him great Fines In 1300. Edward the first sent for Aid out of Ireland to Assist him in his Wars against Scotland and after his Death the Scots invaded Ireland being Assisted by the Wild Irish whereby the Country was miserably ruined four Princes of Connaught joyning with them but by the valour of the English eleven Thousand were slain in one Fight among whom were the King of Connaught Okelley a great Lord and divers others The Death of Okelly is somewhat Remarkable The Lord Bremingham Commander of the English Army sent one John Hussey his Esquire into the Field to view the dead Bodies and search whether his old mortal Enemy Okelley were slain among the rest Hussey goes only with one man to turn up the Bodies and was presently espied by Okelley that lay lurking behind a bush who knowing Hussey to be a stout man came towards him and said Hussey thou seest I am Armed at all points as well as my Esquire thou art naked with thy Page only so that had I not a great kindness for thee for thine own sake I would slay thee for the sake of thy Master but if thou wilt come and serve me as I desire I promise upon St. Patricks Staff to make thee a Lord of a greater Estate in Connanght than thy Master hath in Ireland These words not prevailing upon Hussey a lusty fellow belonging to Okelly began to reproach him for refusing so fair an offer so that Hussey had now three to deal with he therefore dispatcht this fellow first and then struck Okelleys Esquire such a blow under the Ear that he laid him for dead Lastly he fell upon Okelley himself and instantly slew him and then perceiving the Esquire who was only astonished with the stroke to revive again he caused him to carry his Lords Head upon a Truncheon and presented it to Bremingham who for this notable Service Knighted Hussey and gave him large possessions the Successors of whose Family were after Lords of Galtrim In King Edward the Seconds Reign the Lord Roger Mortimer was sent over Justice into Ireland at which time Edward Bruce Brother to Robert Bruce King of Scotland who had taken several places and caused himself to be Crowned King of Ireland was slain in a great Battle wherein the Scots were vanquished one Mawpas an Englishman who rushed into the midst of the fight to encounter Bruce hand to hand was in the search found dead fallen upon the Body of Bruce This year 1320. An University was erected in Dublin about which time the Lady Alice Kettell with her two Companions Petronelle and Basell were charged with Inchantment and that they had conference every Night with a Spirit called Robin Artisson to whom they Sacrificed in the Highway 9 red Cocks and 11 Peacocks eyes and that this Lady swept the Streets of Kilkenny in the Twilight bringing all the filth to the Door of her Son William Outlaw muttering these words 'To the House of William my Son ' Go all the Wealth of Kilkenny Town The Lady made her escape but in searching her Closet saith my Author they found a Wafer of Sacramental Bread having the Devils Name stamped thereon instead of Jesus Christ and an Ointment wherewith she greazed a staff upon which she galloped through thick and thin as she pleased Petronelle was burnt at Kilkenny upon this account In the Reign of King Edward the Third 1329. The Irish in Meath and Leinster Rebelled and Vanquisht the Earl of Ormond burning fourscore English in a Church and committing woful outrages at length the Citizens of Wexford falling upon them slew 400 the rest being drowned in the Water of Slane At this time Sir Robert Savage a wealthy Knight dwelt in Ulster who to secure himself from the incursions of the Irish began to fortifie his Mannor Houses with Castles and Ditches exhorting his Son and Heir to do the same for the benefit of himself and Posterity Father says young Savage I remember the Proverb better a Castle of Bones than of Stones where I have the strength and courage of Men by the Grace of God I will never incumber my self with dead Walls my Fort shall be the youthful Blood of my Friends and where I have room to fight The Father in a fume left building but the neglect of this Counsel was the Ruin of that and many other English Families in Ulster This Savage having raised Forces against the Irish gave to every man before the fight a stout Cup of Aquavitae Wine or strong Ale and provided Plenty of Beef Venison and Fowls for their return which his Captains disliking considering the uncertainty of War since the Enemy might happen to feast upon the same they being so few against a multitude of Irish he smiling Gentlemen said he You are too full of Envy this World is but an Inn wherein we have no certain Interest but are only Tenants at the will of the Lord. If it please him to command us hence as from our Lodging and set other good fellows in our Room what hurt can it be for us to leave them meat for their Suppers Let them stoutly win it and eat it If they should come to our Houses we could not but welcom them with what the Countrey affords and therefore much good may it do them with all my Heart however I have such confidence in your Courage and Gallantry that I doubt
afforded none at all for a long time though the Fryars in their white Habits went in Solemn Procession and threw Holy Water therein It would be almost endless to give a particular account of all the Detestable Cruelties and Murders acted by these incarnate Devils upon the Innocent English of whom they destroyed near three Hundred Thousand in a few Months being chiefly Animated thereto by their Villainous Priests upon the account of their Religion and therefore they often declared their Despight to the Bible as being directly contrary to their Cursed Principles and Practices In one place they burnt two English Bibles saying It was Hell Fire they burnt They laid another in a puddle of Water and then stamping on it said a Plague on it This Bible hath bred all the quarrel A Rebel perswaded a Man and his Wife to joyn with them in the Massacre who protested that rather than they would forsake their Religion they would dye upon the Sword 's point he would then have had the Woman burn her Bible but she refused saying she would rather dye than do it Whereupon they were both cruelly Murthered they Murthered Mr. Bingham a Famous Minister and cutting off his Head put a Gag in his Mouth and laying the leaf of a Bible before him bid him Preach saying his Mouth was open and wide enough During these horrid Barbarities there were several Indications of Divine Displeasure apparent in divers places the truth of which was sworn to and affirmed by Witnesses of Credit and Reputation As in the Province of Munster near the Silver Works where while the Rebels were Massacring a great number of Protestant Men Women and Children on the Lords Day Afternoon a most Loud and Dreadful Noise and Storm of Thunder Lightning Wind Hailstones and Rain happened though it was fair all the Day before which much affrighted the Murtherers themselves who confess it to be a sign of Gods Anger against them for their Bloody Cruelty At Portnedown Bridge where so many thousand Protestants were drowned the remaining Inhabitants were so Terrified with the noise of Spirits and Visions for Revenge that they durst not continue thereabout and some of the Rebels themselves said to others that the Blood of some of those that were knockt on the Head and afterward drowned in this River remained on the Bridge and could not be washt away There appeared sometimes Men sometimes Women Breast high in the River with Hands lifted up crying out with fearful Schreicks and Voices Revenge Revenge Revenge and it was not long ere Divine Justice overtook them Many thousands of the most Notorious Murtherers who perished by the Sword and Plague that followed it so that it was computed that in a few years scarce any of these Miscreants remained alive but were sent to their own place to give an account of their Tremendous Brutalities The King having made a Truce with the Scots who were entred with an Army into England to demand the Redress of their Grievances and the Forces on both sides being Disbanded he made a Journey into Scotland in the beginning of August 1641. and continued there till the latter end of October when this Horrid Rebellion happened Owen O Covally the first Discoverer of the Plot brought the first Letters to London and received as a Reward 500 l. in Money and an Annuity of 200 l. a year and presently the Parliament provided for the Relief of Ireland and the Lords of the Council and the Lords Justices there had with the Arms that were in Dublin Armed many well-affected Gentlemen and several Active Commanders were sent out of the City to defend the adjoyning Places from the Approach of the Rebels at which time the Parliament sent over Twenty Thousand Pounds for a present supply but could not relieve them with any Forces till December following when Sir Simon Harcourt Arrived with Seasonable Supplies of men and money and Raised the Seige of Drogheda which had been much straitned by Sir Phelim O Neal and the Rebels and the English recovered Dundalk Neury and several other Towns and Castles out of their Hands But though the Rebellion brake out in October 23. Yet the King who was now returned from Scotland did not proclaim them Rebels till Jan. 1. following and then gave strict Command that only 40 Proclamations should be printed and that none of them should be Published without the Kings Express Order which the Parliament among other things afterwards Taxed him with Who Replyed thereto That he was unwilling to make the Irish Desperate and utterly undoe his Protestant Subjects who were then too weak to withstand so Potent a Rebellion and that the Lords Justices of Ireland required only 20 as many of themselves well knew Yet this proceeding unhappily increased the Jealousies that began to arise between the King and his English Parliament because it was publickly discourst that it had not been done at all but that some Worthy Protestant Lords had earnestly advised him to proclaim them speedily that a better course might be taken against them and to wash off that foul Stain from himself by prosecuting severely those wicked Villains who reported every where That they had Authority from the King to Seise upon the Holds of the English Protestants that they were the Queens Souldiers and rise to maintain the Kings Prerogative against the Puritan Parliament of England That they told the poor Protestants it was for no purpose to fly for safety into England for that Kingdom would be as much distrest as theirs and that the King intended to forsake his Parliament in England and make War against them and that then they would come over having done their their Work in Ireland and help the King against his English Parliament The Lords therefore advised him by all means to purge himself of these Accusations than which there could not be greater on Earth Soon after the Earl of Leicester was made Lord Lieutenant of Ireland the Earl of Strafford being Beheaded some time before at Tower Hill But the Relief of that Bleeding Kingdom was much obstructed by the wide Breaches which daily happened between the King and the Parliament particularly upon his going Jan. 4. Attended with 300 Armed Gentlemen into the H. of Commons and Demanding 5 Members to be delivered him which the Parliament declared to be An High Breach of their Priviledges a great Scandal to the King and his Government a Seditious Act manifestly tending to the Subversion of the Peace and an Injury and Dishonour to the said Members there being no Legal charge or accusation against them and that there could be no Vindication of those Priviledges unless his Majesty would discover the Names of those who advised him to such unlawful Courses After this the Parliament considered of a Bill for Pressing Souldiers to be sent out of Scotland to Ireland as being near but the King excepted against it while it lay in the House of Lords as a Diminution to his Prerogative Whereupon the Parliament in
they were to encounter with to effect it and therefore moved the King that their Estates might be secured by an Act of Parliament with Liberty of Exercising their Religion only privately but Peters opposed this as a consideration too Worldly adding that if they would persue his measures he doubted not to see the Holy Church Triumphant in England Other Papists desired the King they might have Liberty to sell their Estates and retire into France and by his Intercession might be provided for in that Kings Dominions To which he replyed that before their desires came to him he had often thought of them and had as he believed provided a sure Sanctuary for them in Ireland if all those endeavours should be blasted in England which he had made for their Security and of whose Success he had not reason to despair adding many zealous Expressions of his extream kindness for the Catholick Church As that he resolved rather to dye a Martyr than not to settle the Roman Religion and that he would choose to dye the next day that design being compassed rather than live 50 years without effecting it having already been almost a Martyr for the Catholick Cause which had been the occasion of all his Troubles In pursuance of these Resolutions the King gave himself wholly up to the Conduct and Counsels of the Furious Jesuits being entred into their Society and was become a Lay Brother of that Order and consequently judged it Meritorious to extirpate and destroy Heresie especially being told That it would be a most glorious Action and that no doubt he would be Canonized for a Saint if he could Reduce 3 Kingdoms to their Ancient Obedience to the Holy See from which they had been so long Apostates and had Nurst up so many Damned Hereticks to the Disturbance of Holy Church But the present Lord Lieutenant being an Obstacle to the Vigorous progress of Popery in Ireland land the Jesuits resolved to remove him of which design a Person of Honour acquainted the King who absolutely denyed there was any such intention or that he had any thoughts of it nor did believe he ever should whilst both lived remove him from that Government though the Papists in Ireland confidently affirmed That he had before given assurance to Father Peters that Tyrconnel should be Lord Deputy and accordingly in 1686. he obtained that Government against all opposition the News of which so surprized the Protestants in Ireland that almost all that were able Deserted the Kingdom and flockt in great numbers to the Isle of Man Scotland and other places so great was their Terror and Consternation at these dreadful tydings and the dismal effects which they expected from his Management of Affairs at length Tyrconnel arrived there after having been kept a considerable time at the Sea side by contrary winds which seemed a Signal Act of providence to give warning and opportunity to the People to fly from the judgments just ready to fall upon that distressed Kingdom The Lord Clarendon Surrendred the Sword to him with an Admirable Speech concluding that as he had kept an equal hand of Justice to the Roman Catholicks so he hoped his Lordship would do to the Protestants But Popery was the Scene which must be Acted and the Protestants Trembled at the Terrible Consequences thereof whilst the Irish Triumpht and insulted over their Dejection reproaching them both as Englishmen and Protestants and usually calling them Fanatick Dogs and Damned Hereticks Yea so Barbarous were their Affronts and Indignities that the English were daily afraid of a general Massacre to be inhumanly put in Execution against them Tyrconnel now places Popish Judges and Officers in all the Courts of Judicature and then proceeds against the Charters of all the Cities and Corporations of the Kingdom He endeavoured to perswade the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Common-Council of Dublin to Surrender theirs to the King but meeting with much Opposition therein he in a Rage told them that this was the continuance of their former Rebellion having turn'd out all the Loyal Subjects in the last War of Ireland and would do so now if it were in their power whereupon they produced a Letter from King Charles I. Dated at Oxford containing great acknowledgments of their Signal Loyalty and Faithfulness to him with High Assurances of being Eminently rewarded if he were again Restored to his Crown But this availed nothing for the common saying of the Irish was that K. James would regard no Man for any Service formerly done to him his Father or Brother but only for future Service that he expected from them So that though the Citizens of Dublin sent a Gentleman on purpose to the K. with a Petition and Representation of their Case yet he would not regard him but upon first sight askt him if he had the Lord Deputies leave to come with this Petition and that he had those in Ireland that understood the Law better than himself and so turned from him and he was forced to go back again re infecta Yet the City of Dublin was resolved not to betray their Liberties but imploy'd the Council to defend their Charters but these Judges who had already broken through all inclosures of Law and Trampled upon the known Constitutions of the Kingdom that they were opposite to their Popish and Arbitrary Designs over ruled all their Pleadings and gave Judgment against them to the universal excessive Joy of the Irish and great Mortification of the Protestants Consonant to the Sentence against Dublin was Judgment given against all the Charters of the Kingdom except those who quietly Surrendred them The New Lord Deputy now chose him a Privy Council that all but three had scarce common Sense of which two of them would often complain saying that nothing could pass at the Council-Board of publick concern but their Country-men must first ask Teige ' if that would not spoil his Potato Garden but however they all agreed to inslaven and beggar their Country especially in matter of Trade as appeared by Tyrconnels first Proclamation with the Advice of his Council to break an Act of Parliament in taking off the Duty of Iron and this without asking the King leave but as soon as it was heard of in England a Proclamation came from thence forbidding this wise Act made by these Notable Statesmen and the Lord Bellasis swore in Council That Fool in Ireland was Fool and Mad-man enough to ruine 10 Kingdoms And Father Peters secretly Reprimanded him for his Political Blunder and writ to him if he acted not with greater Caution the King could not possibly preserve him in that Government This with the vast numbers of People that Deserted the Kingdom upon Tyrconnels coming Lord Deputy thither whereby the Towns and Cities were made almost Desolate and Traffick so ruined that the publick Revenue was sunk incredibly from the former value were so strongly pressed against him at the English Privy Council to his Disadvantage that he obtained the Favour of
as varying from the Common Law and abated the Subsidy that was given in the Earl of Straffords time from 40000 to 12000 l. and soon after Robert Sydney Earl of Leicester was made Lord Lieutenant The Roman Catholicks likewise privately enjoyed the free Exercise of their Religion and by the over-great indulgence of the late Governors had their Titular Archbishops Bishops Vicars General Provincial Consistories Deans Abbots Priors and Nuns who without Controul exercised a voluntary Jurisdiction over them they had also their Priests Jesuits and Fryers who came in great Numbers from Forreign Parts and without restraint Setled themselves in all the Chief Towns Villages Noble-Men and Gentlemens Houses and none of the Laws were put in Execution against them and the Ancient Animosities between the two Nations seemed to be Buryed so that they lived together in Peace for 40 years Marriages and all other indearments of Friendship passing between them and the Irish Lords and Gentlemen found such Advantage by the English Commerce and Cohabitation in the great Improvement of their Lands and Native Commodities beyond what they ever formerly enjoyed that Phelini O Neal and many other principal Leaders in the Succeeding Rebellion had not long before turned their Irish Tennants out of their Lands and exposed them to starve upon the Mountains and took the English for their Tenants who gave them greater Rents and payed them more certainly These and many other Symptoms of a Flourishing Kingdom seemed to declare That the Peace and Tranquillity of the Nation was fully Setled and humanly probable so to continue and the Irish Army Raised for the Invasion of Scotland was peaceably Disbanded and no Noise of War temained in the Coasts In this great Calm the English continued in a most deep Security when on a sudden the Irish Papists raised a Rebellion so execrable in its self so oâ—ious to God and the whole World as no Age Kingdom nor People can parallel the Horrid Cruelties and Abominable Murthers that were without Number as well as without Mercy committed upon the Brittish Inhabitants throughout the Land of what Sex Age or Condition soever which was long before presaged by some discerning Persons particularly by the excellent Learned and Religious Archbishop Usher of Armagh who amongst many other extraordinary Gifts and Graces wherewith he was endowed had a wonderful Spirit of Prophecy from which among many other things he foretold this Bloody Rebellion 40 years beâ—re it came to pass in a Sermon preached at Dublin in 1601. where from Ezekiel 4.6 Discoursing concerning the Prophets bearing the iniquity of Judah 40 Days the Lord therein appointing a Day for a year he made this direct Application in Relation to the Connivance at Popery at that time From this year says he will I reckon the Sin of Ireland that those whom you now imbrace shall be your Ruine and you shall bear your Iniquity Which Prediction proved exactly true for from that time 1601. to 1641. was just 40 years It is observed that the Irish have naturally a dull and deep Reservedness which makes them carry on their Business with much Silence and Secrecy but yet it is Admirable to consider how this mischievous Plot which was generally to be acted by several Persons in divers places at the same time should without Noise be brought to the very point of Execution without any Notice or Intimation given to any two of that huge Multitude of Persons who were designed to be Sacrificed in it there not being any certain Discovery made of it till Oct. 22. which happened in the manner following Owen O Covally a Gentleman of a meer Irish Family but had long lived among the English being a Servant to Sir John Clothwarthy and Trained up in the Protestant Religion came to the Lord Justice Parsons about nine a Clock that Evening and gave an account of a Wicked and Damnable Plot contrived by the Irish Papists for Seising the Castle of Dublin the very next Day with all the Arms and Ammunition therein And at the same Hour all other Forts and Magazines of Arms in the Kingdom and that all the Protestants and English who would not joyn with them should be cut off and thereby the Papists would be possest of the Government and Kingdom at the same instant upon this Discovery the Lords Justices and Councils caused Recruits to be put into the Castle and the City to be Guarded and then endeavoured to seise the Traytors many of whom came into the City that Night and Hugh Mac-Mahon Esquire Grandson to the Rebel Tyrone and the Lord Mac-Guire Two of the principal Conspirators were made Prisoners but several others of the chief escaped that Night So that only 30 of the most inconsiderable were taken the great ones having too many Friends in the City who furthered their escape Mac-Malion being Examined before the Council without much Difficulty confest the Plot Resolutely telling them That on that very Day Oct. 23. 1641. All the Forts and strong Places in Ireland would be taken That he with the Lord Mac-Guire Hugh Birn Captain Brian O Neal and several other Irish Gentlemen were come up expresly to Surprise the Castle of Dublin that 20 Men out of each County were to be there to joyn with them That all the Popish Lords and Gentlemen in the Kingdom were ingaged 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 added that it was true they had him now in their power and might use him how they pleased but he was sure he should be Revenged The next Day News Arrived that the Irish were Risen in the Province of Ulster Plundering Burning and Massacring the poor English and the Rebellion appeared to be general over all the Northern part of the Kingdom and every Hour people Arrived at Dublin like Jobs Messengers telling the Story of their own Sufferings and the fearful Murthers of the Protestants in all parts from whence they came The Rebels grew stronger every Day and by the latter end of October had got possession of all the Towns Forts Castles and Gentlemens Houses in seven whole Counties and half the County of Doun except London-Derry Colrain and the Town and Castle of Inniskilling this impetuous Torrent of Success seemed to proceed from the great Security and Confidence the English had in the Irish with whom they lived peaceably and quietly and to whom they had not given the least provocation So that in the Northern Countries they were suddenly swallowed up and over-run before they could make any manner of Resistance For most of the English having either Irish Tenants Servants Landlords or Familiar Neighbours So soon as the Country began to rise about them many fled to them for preservation and with great Confidence put their Lives Wives Children and all they had into their Power but these generally either betrayed them into the
were so Elevated with the Hopes of shaking off the English Yoak neither of the two Kingdoms being now in a Capacity to Relieve Ireland that the Romish Clergy thundered out Excommunication against any that should Acquiesce in the said Peace and Agreement and with an Army of 17000 Horse and Hoot resolved to Besiege Dublin which so startled the Protestants that the Lord Lieutenant was obliged to Resume the former Treaty with the Parliaments Commissioners and the King finding that all his Secret Transactions with the Earl of Glamorgan were Discovered by the Letters taken at Nasâ—by Fight to the great Disgust of the People in general and that all the Assurance he had from the Lord Lieutenant and the Lord Digby were Disappointed by the Falsness and Treachery of the Rebels He though with much Reluctancy consented that all manner of Treaty with the Enemy should cease the Earl of Glamorgan being for a pretence Imprisoned the Lord Lieutenant being prest with the Danger of a Seige from the Roman Catholick Confederates in 1647. Delivered up Dublin to the Parliaments Commissioners he having Articled for his passing freely to the King on whom he waited while the Army carryed him about and afterwards put him to Death and from thence passed to France from whence about September 16â—8 The Cathedral Confederates dreading a Storm from England by Letters to the King had importuned him to send for the said Marquess of Ormond late Lord Lieutenant and ordered him to return again into Ireland upon their Ingagement and Protestation of Plenary Submission to his Majesties Authority and to him as his Lieutenant as being the only proper Person for that Imployment The Marquess accordingly undertook it and making an agreement with the Lord Inchequeen and his Forces and likewise with those of the Marquess of Clan-riccard and the Earl of Castlehaven and the Confederate Catholicks who had proclaimed the Nuncio's Party Rebels and Traytors being all joyned under his Command they designed to Reduce Dublin then possest by the Parliaments Forces but differences soon arose about the Exercise of the Popish Religion and upon points of Command whereby Owen O Neal that had a considerable Party of Irish was Disobliged who thereupon makes an agreement with Collonel Monk in the Name of the Parliament though they afterwards disclaimed it but acknowledged his Faithfulness and Well-meaning therein by a Vote of Parliament considering how odious it would be to have Assistance from Irish Rebels However he Aided them all he could and releived London-Derry then Besieged by the Confederate Forces At length the Marquess of Ormond comes before Dublin with his Army and obliges Collonel Jones the Governor who had drawn out some of the Garrison to interrupt them to retire into the City which was indifferently Fortified and plentifully Mann'd both with Horse and Foot and therefore he durst not venture his Army upon a Desparate Assault since the Garrisons of Drogheda and Trim lay so convenient to Attempt upon them Commanded by Collâ—nel Monk and O Neal So that the Marquess wanting Money and Provisions and the English and Irish Forces Murmuring against each other he was almost resolved to have Marched away but O Neals Party being soon after Defeated and a Convoy of Arms and Ammunition which were sent him by Collonel Monk being taken by the Lord Inchequeen Drogheda was Surrendred together with Dundalk the Garrison Compelling Collonel Monk to deliver it and the Souldiers took up Arms for the King the Garrison of Trim was soon after taken from the Parliament after which the Lord Inchequeen brings up his Forces now much increased to Assist the Marquess at the Siege of Dublin who Designed to shut up the Garrison within their works and hinder them from getting Forrage or to graze their Cattel without the Line which was drawn round the Town The Besieged perceiving the Danger of being thus closely confined whereby they would have been prevented of all Succour both from Land and Sea and knowing the Marquesss want of Horse to Guard the New Forts resolved by a desperate Sally to disturb them which they made accordingly Aug. 2. 1649. about 8 in the Morning with 1200 Foot and 4000 Horse and finding the New Fortification slight and the Resistance weak they soon were Masters of it from whence seeing the Irish fly in great Disorder they contrary to the first intentions pursued the Besiegers even to the Avenues of their Camp and being Animated by Collonel Jones their Governor who had newly received a Supply of 3000 Men from England they fell with such fury upon the whole Army at Rachmines consisting of 19000 Men that in a short time they put them to the Rout killing 4000 on the place and making 2517 Prisoners many of them Persons of quality taking all their Cannon and a Rich Camp to reward the Souldiers Most of the Lord Inchequeens Foot that at first made some Resistance seeing the Day lost changed sides and joyned with the Parliaments Forces All this was done in so short a space and with so little noise that the Lord Dillon and the rest of the Marquess's Forces on the other side the River Liffy knew nothing of it till some run-aways brought the News the Irish making such hast home in so pannick a fear that the Lord Lieutenant could not possibly rally them and therefore fled with a considerable Perty to Kilkenny and there endeavoured to draw together as many of his Dispersed Troops as possible with which he speeds away to Trim and Drogheda where he had notice that Oliver Cromwell the Parliaments General was Landed with considerable Forces upon on which he put a Garrison of 300 Horse and 2500 Foot into Drogheda which was thought sufficient and having furnisht it with what Provisions he was able and made Sir Arthur Aston Governor went from thence to Trim and Terrogan About this time London-Derry possest by the Parliament and Besieged by Ormonds Forces was relieved and the Siege Raised and not long after a Ship from Spain brought the Plague into Galloway whereof a great number of the Irish dyed Cromwell having refresht his Men at Dublin Marches to Besiege Drogheda and made himself Master of it in a little time after a stout Resistance from the Garrison putting most of the Officers and every Tenth Souldier to the Sword to terrifie others from making Opposition against his Victorious Arms Sir Arthur Afton and several other principal Officers and Gentlemen with near 3000 Souldiers being Slain after this Cromwell Besieges the Town of Wexford and soon reduced it even before the Lord Lieutenants Eyes with the loss of 2000 of the Irish upon this the Marquess makes an Agreement with Owen O Neal whereby the Ulster Army were to joyn with his under the Command of Luke Taaf who was made Governor of Ross but soon forced to surrender it to General Cromwell after which the Garrisons of Bandon-Bridge Yough-Hall Cork Kingsale and all the English Towns in Munster declared for the Parliament and Cromwell marched to
Besiege Dungannon but finding little hopes of reducing it quickly he resolves to go to Kilkenny and the Marquess of Ormond and the Lord Inchequeen retiring without hindring his March he took in several strong Towns and Forts and at length Attacks Kilkenny with such Vigor that he took it in 6 days time after which he Besieges Clonmell a strong Garrison during which Colonel Reynolds and Hewson attack Trim and the Lord Broghill Defeats the Bishop of Ross who designed to relieve Clonmell which soon after was taken by Assault and a great carriage made because of their Obstinacy in defending the same After this Cromwell having in 10 Months done the Work of so many years returns to England and Colonel Ireton being made Lord Deputy is sent over thither there being only Lymrick Waterford Galloway and some few Castles in the hands of the Irish the first of which was Surrendred to him Oct. 29. 1651. But he dying Collonel Edmond Ludlow Succeeded him as Lieutenant General of the Army of that Kingdom The War was now almost at at end and the Lord Claurivard being in Galloway sends a Letter to Ludlow to desire him to appoint Commissioners to meet with others for the composure and conclusion of this wasting bloody War which Ludlow refused but sent him word That if the Irish would submit they should have such Articles and Conditions as were fit for them This prevailed on several Parties as the Lord Muskerries Fitz Patricks and the Odroyrs to come in and submit upon condition they might Transport their Forces into the Service of the King of Spain The Earl of Ormond and the Lord Inchequeen not pleased with the sace of Affairs left that Kingdom some time before and went to France and in 1652. the remaining Irish under the Lord Clanrick and having received several Defeats by the English Forces May 12. Galloway was Surrendred and afterward the whole Country was Reduced to the Obedience of the English Parliament Sir Phelim O Neal the Arch-Rebel being likewise taken Hanged and Quartered The last of the Irish who held out in the Boggs and Fastnesses was General O Brian who at length finding the weakness of his Party and weary of his sculking condition obtained the usual Articles of Transportation upon which Articles it was reckoned that from the year 1652. to 1653. near 27000. Irish had departed the Kingdom and the rest were Transported into the Province of Connaught environed on one side by the Sea and lockt up by Rivers and Garrisons on the other out of which they were not to stir under a severe penalty By this means the Country was much Depopulated and the Lord Fleetwood and the Commissioners in Ireland sent over Letters that some English Colonies might be sent thither to inhabit great Priviledges being offered to them that would Transport themselves and accordingly went over to better their Fortunes and in a short time this Harassed and Ruinated Kingdom began to flourish again both in Tillage Buildings and all other Accomodations I have been very brief in relating any thing of the Affairs of England or of the Actions of Oliver Cromwell in this Kingdom having already published 2 Books one the History of the Wars of England with all the most Remarkable passages till the Death of King Charles I. And his Tryal and last Speech at large And another called the History of the Life and Actions of Oliver Cromwell with his Death and Burial both of the same value with this to which I refer the Reader for further satisfaction In 1654. The Lord Fleetwood was Sworn Lord Deputy of Ireland Serjeant Steel was made Lord Chancellor and Serjeant Pepys Lord Chief Justice Collonel Hammond Corbet with others being made of the Privy Council they ordered that March 1. 1654. should be the longest time allowed to the Irish to Transport themselves out of that Kingdom under very severe penalties But a while after Oliver Cromwell having taken the Government upon himself with the Title of Lord Protector in July 1655. Henry Cromwell his Son was made by him Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in the place of the Lord Fleetwood all things still continuing very quiet there The same year Arch-Bishop Usher of Armagh dyed a Prelate of incomparable Learning and Piety upon whose Funeral the Protector expended 200 l. After the Death of Oliver Cromwell his Son Richard Succeeded but in a short time was removed from the Government by M. General Lambert and the Army and the Remnant of the Long Parliament restored in 1659. who sent Dispatches to the Lord Henry to Surrender the Government of Ireland to Chancellor Steel and Lord Chief Baron Corbet which he did without opposition and to oblige the Parliament the more signified by an Express that he was preparing to come for England with all speed to give them an account of that Kingdom which he had left in a very good conditon and hoped that his Successor might reap more Content in the Government than he hath found After his Arrival he applyed himself to the Council of State and had Liberty by an Order to go into the Country or whither he pleased But the Nation being Discontented at the continual Fluctuations of the Government the Long Parliament being soon after turned out again by the Army the People generally desired a Free Parliament And General Monk marching out of Scotland with his Army and Reinstating the Parliament and restoring the Excluded Members in March 1659. they Dissolved themselves having sent out Writs for Electing a New Representative to meet April 25 following and about the same time Sir Charles Coot in Ireland declares himself for a Free Parliament and thereupon possest himself of Dublin Castle having before Surprized Galloway from Collonel Sadler in this manner He invited him and his Officers all Zealots for the long Parliament to his House over the Water to be merry which done Sir Charles pretended a desire to drink a glass of Wine in Galloway privately with the Collonel So they two Secretly took a Boat with each a Servant and being on the other side Sir Charles said Collonel Sadler I am resolved for a Free Parliament and to have this Garrison you have a Sword about you draw and fight or else ingage your Honour you will make no disturbance in the Town upon our Admission and my Declaration To which Sadler Surprized and Troubled answered He would Acquiesce upon this he caused the Gate to be opened and Sir Charles having declared himself the Souldiers cryed out A Coot a Coot and a Free Parliament After this he secured Sadler and Sir Hardress Waller at Dublin and immediately all Ireland declared themselves satisfied in this Change offering their Lives and Fortunes in the Defence of the Parliament then Assembled and soon after a Convention was called at Dublin in Nature of a Parliament to provide for the safety of the Kingdom from whence the Lord Shannon Sir John Clothworthy and Major Aston were sent as Commissioners to England where the Parliament
are perswaded that whatever Intelligence Correspondence or Actings the said Marquess had with the Confederate Irish Catholicks was directed or allowed by the said Letters Instructions and Directions and that it manifestly appears to them that THE KING OUR FATHER WAS WELL PLEASED WITH WHAT THE MARQUESS DID AFTER HE HAD DONE IT AND APPROVED THE SAME This being the true State of the Marquess his Case and there being nothing proved upon the first Information against him nor any thing contained against him in your Letter of March 18 but that you were informed he had put in his Claim before the Commissioners appointed for executing the Act of Settlement and that if his Innocency be such as is alledged there is no need of Transmitting such a Bill to us as is desired and that if he be Nocent it consists not with the Duty which you owe to us to transmit such a Bill as if it should pass into a Law must needs draw a great prejudice upon so many Adventurers and Soldiers which are as is alledged to be therein concerned We have considered of the Petition of the Adventurers and Souldiers which was transmitted to us by you the Equity of which consists in nothing but that they have been peaceably in Possession for the space of seven or eight Years of those Lands which were formerly the Estate of the Marquess of Antrim and others who were all engaged in the late Irish Rebellion and that they shall suffer very much and be ruined if those Lands should be taken from them And we have likewise considered another Petition from several Citizens of London near sixty in number directed to our self wherein they desire that the Marquess his Estate may be made liable to the payment of his just Debts that so they may not be ruined 〈◊〉 the Favour of the present Possessors who they say are but a few Citizens and Soldiers who have disbursed very small Surns thereon Upon the whole matter no Man can think we are less engaged by our Declaration and by the Act of Settlement to protect those who are Innocent and who have faithfully endeavoured to serve the Crown how unfortunate soever than to expose to Justice those who have been really and maliciously Guilty And therefore we cannot in Justice but upon the Petition of the Marquess of Antrim and after the serious and strict Inquisition into his Actions declare unto you That WE DO FIND HIM INNOCENT FROM ANY MALICE OR REBELLIOUS PURPOSE AGAINST THE CROWN and that what he did by way of Correspondence or Compliance with the Irish Rebels was in order to the Service of our Royal Father and warranted by his Instructions and the Trust reposed in him and that the Benefit thereof accrued to the Service of the Crown and not to the particular Advantage and Benefit of the Marquess And as we cannot in Justice deny him this Testimony so we require you to transmit our Letter to our Commissioners that they may know our Judgment in this Case of the Lord of Antrim and proceed accordingly And so we bid you heartily farewel Given at our Court at White-Hall July 10. in the 15th Year of our Reign 1663. By his Majesty's Command HENRY BENNET To our Right Trusty and Right intirely well-beloved Cousin and Counsellor James D. of Ormond our Lieutenant General and General Governour of our Kingdom of Ireland and to the Lords of our Council of that our Kingdom Entred at the Signet Office July 13 1663 Soon after the following Answer of the D. of Ormond and the Irish Privy Council to the foregoing 〈◊〉 was sent to Sir Henry Bennet Principal Secretary of State On the 20. I the Lord Lieutenant received His Majesty's Letter of July 10. concerning the Marquess of Antrim which I imparted to the Council upon reading whereof at this Board we observing that though in several other matters relating to the proceedings of His Majesty's Commissioners appointed for executing the Act of Settlement his Majesty vouchsafed to direct this Letter to the Commissioners Yet that those Letters concerning the Marquess of Antrim are directed to us the Lieutenant and Council requiring us to Transmit the same to the Commissioners that they may know His Majesties Judgment in the Case of the Lord Antrim as it stands stated in those His Majesties Letters and proceed accordingly We hence gathered that His Majesty did judge it fit that those His Letters for the Marquess of Antrim should be directed to us to the end that if we his Majesties Servants here upon the place should find more in the Marquess of Antrims Case than are in those Letters taken notice of either in relation to his Majesty or his Affairs then in such Case we might Humbly Represent the same to His Majesty And as it was the Use and Custom here in former Times and particularly in the Times of his Majesty's Royal Father of Blessed Memory That if any Directions came from the King which in the Execution thereof might occasion inconveniencies to his Majesties Service the same was stay'd until the matter was by the Chief Governor here Humbly Represented to the King So it is also agreeable to his Majesties Instructions to me the Lord Lieutenant particularly in things relating to his Majesty's Revenue which likewise is the present Case For his Majesties Revenues are like to be hereby much lessened and moreover it is agreeable likewise with his now Majesties gracious pleasure signified thither by the Lords of His Majesties most Honourable Privy Council by their Letters of Aug. 12. 1661. directed to the late Justices and Council wherein it was declared That his Majesty and the Lords of the most Honourable Privy Council were well assured of a Demur the said Justices and Council had made upon Letters from His Majesty and their Forbearance to proceed thereupon till they should receive His Majesties further pleasure And therefore upon full consideration thereof had at this Board we humbly conceive that it is our Duty to His Majesty to defer for some time the Transmitting the said Letters to the said Commissioners till we shall have Represented to His Majesty that which appears to us here which it seems was not made known to His Majesty or those Lords of the Privy Council to whose consideration his Majesty refer'd the Marquess of Antrims Petitions mentioned in his Majesties Letters We observe that his Majesties said Letters seem to be grounded on these particulars 1. That after many Months Attendance here and as his Majesty is pleased to declare that he presumes that after such examinations as were requisite the Marquess of Antrim was dismissed hence without any Censure and without Transmitting any Charge against him to his Majesty and nothing proved against him on the first Information nor any thing contained against him in our Letters of March 18. 2. The Report made by these Lords of His Majesties most Honourable Privy Council to whom his Majesty refer'd the Consideration of the Lord of Antrims Petitions 3. That the Marquesses
Case as it stands flated in those Letters is the true State of his his Case As to the first we find that the Lords of his Majesties Privy Council by their Letters of Dec. 19. 1660. directed to the Justices of this Kingdom signified that the Marquess of Antrim then Prisoner in the Tower of London Petitioned His Majesty to be heard as to his being Criminal in the Aspersing the Memory of the late King our Soveraign and their Lordships by these Letters required the Justices with all convenient speed to send their Lordships Authentick Copies of all Papers whatsoever under his own Hand or any other which may any way relate to the said Marquess his being guilty of so foul a Crime as the Defaming his late Majesty and that the Justices should cause all such Witnesses reside in this Kingdom who can alledge any thing to the proving thereof to be examined and the Examinations to be returned to their Lordships attested by us and the Justices appointed to take the same and in pursuance of those Letters the Justices caused a Commission to issue under his Majesties Great Seal to several Persons some of them Members of this Board and some of His Majesties Judges and some of his Learned Council to call before them and examine Witnesses upon Oath concerning the Lord of Antrims Aspersing the Memory of his late Majesty That those Commissioners having examined several Witnesses and returned their examinations to the Justices with their Letters of Feb. 20. 1660. directed to the Lords of his Majesties Privy Council Transmitted the same to their Lordships That March 29. 1661. it was ordered by his Majesty in Council that in order to a farther proceeding here against the Lord Antrim the Examinations and other Papers should be returned hither Thus far the matter proceeded before the Arrival of the Lord Lieutenant in this Kingdom Aug. 18. 1661. the Lord Chief Justice Santry made a report at this Board of the Examinations taken concerning the Marquess and upon his Petition it was ordered That the Chief Justice should Cancel the Recognizance acknowledged by the Marquess and his Sureties and as to his being Criminal in Aspersing and Defaming the Memory of his Majesties Royal Father we Humbly crave leave to send herewith the said Examinations and other Papers concerning the same which we Humbly Submit to his Majesty's Consideration and we confess we are not willing upon these Examinations and Papers to aggravate any thing against him and therefore it was that there was no censure nor any Transmission of charge against him to his Majesty and as to our Letters of March 18. we confess there is nothing contained therein against him nor indeed under favour did we conceive it proper in these Letters to object any thing of Crime to him Our work in those Letters being but to inform his Majesty only of the particulars then under consideration and what occurred upon occasion of two Petitions exhibited the one by the Lady Marchioness of Antrim the other in the Name of several Adventurers and Soldiers and their Assignes and Tenants for we did not imagine the Lord Marquess would have attempted to put His Majesty upon a difficulty of giving a Rule contrary to the Act of Settlement but would have abiden the Tryal in the proper way prescribed by the Act wherein it is provided that the said Marquess shall be restored to his Estate in such Manner and Form and according to such Order and Method and no other as the Lord Viscount Nettervile and the Lord Viscount Gilmoy ought by vertue of the Act to be restored and besides we had no notice from thence that the matters relating to the said Marquess were under Debate or Consideration there which might give us occasion humbly to Represent to his Majesty those things which now for his Majesties Service we are necessrated to do To the Second namely the report made that those of the Lords of the Council to whom his Majesty refer'd the Marquesses Petition we must acknowledge the justice of their Lordships proceedings upon what appeared to them But there are some which we do verily believe were not made known to them and which do appear to us here wherein we may not be silent without breach of Justice to his Majesty For I the Lord Lieutenant do well know that the Peaces made by me in 1646. and in 1648. in this Kingdom and both derived by Authority from his Majesties Royal Father was both opposed by the Lord Marquess of Antrim who continually served with the Popes Nuncio and his Adherents against his Majesties authority then intrusted with me the Lieutenant and appeared active in all Assemblies and Councels wherein he was present in open opposition to all Members of those Assemblies and Councils who endeavoured to incline the People to Submission to the Peace when I the Lord Lieuterant laboured earnestly by all Just and Honourable ways and means to Reduce his Majesties Subjects in this Kingdom to their due Obedience to his Majesty and to give him assistance whereof he stood in need in the greatest and most imaginable necessity and when the Marquess of Antrim and the Popes Nuncio and Clergies Party and their Adherents laboured industriously to withdraw them from their Obedience and Assistance to his Majesty and so far prevailed that when things were in a tendency towards sending Ten Thousand Men to his Majesties Assistance the Lord of Antrim declared openly in the Confederates great Assembly that not a Man should go out of the Province of Ulster and in the end both these Peaces were by that Disloyalty to his Majesty and by the Countenance and Continuance of the said Marquess Rendred Fruitless and what great and general Evils followed thereupon to his Majesty and all his Kingdoms we need not now repeat whence it was that in the Act of Settlement it is enacted that such as at any time adhered to the Nuncio's or Clergy's Party or papal power in opposition to the Kings Authority shall not be restored as Innocent Papists And this being the Marquess of Antrims Case how far it may be fit for his Majesty in the greatest Humility we mention it to direft contrary to the said Act of Parliament that the ommissioners upon these His Majesties Letters should proceed to find him Innocent for so the Letter seems to imply and that as we humbly conceive without giving any Latitude of power to the Commissioners to examine matter of Fact pursuant to the said Act of Parliament We humbly submit to His Majesties Great Wisdom and as we humbly conceive it is not to be imagined that his late Majesty a Prince of most Eminent Honour and Prudence would privately intrust the Marquess of Antrim to oppose the conclusion of those Peaces for the obtaining whereof his Majesty had given publick authority to the Lieutenant or that he ever gave any Subsequent approbation which tended to his said Majesties utter reine and if it should be supposed that the Marquess his compliance
K. James to meet and confer with him at Chester carrying along with him Judge Rice for his Councellor and a Subtle Fellow who told the King so many fine Stories there being none to contradict him that he was dismist contrary to the hopes and expectations of many who thought he would never have returned again L. Deputy When he took leave of several Privy Counsellors and Officers at his going to wait on King James at Chester Aug. 1687. He said I have put the Sword in your Hands And then in his usual Stile prayed God to damn them all if ever they parted with it again During Tyrconnels stay here the New Judges went their Circuits wherein they discovered the most gross partiality imaginable for though they found the Jayls full of Tories and Irish Robbers committed for several Notorious Crimes yet with the Assistance of Irish Sheriffs and Juries they were most of them Discharged without punishment either being indicted by wrong Names or else by taking off the Prosecutors with Threats That if they proceeded their Cattel would be stoln their Houses burnt or their Throats Cut which often happened And this was done in pursuance of one of the Lord Deputies Instructions from Court to them that they should by all possible means weaken the Protestant Interest which they so effectually performed that no Englshman was secure of any thing he had by their Exorbitant proceedings against them So that had these Barbarous Injustices and publick Oppressions and Violences in the several Law-Courts even such as never were till then heard of among Christians continued but a few years longer these without other means might have wholy Reduced the Kingdom into Irish Hands it being observed that never one Cause came before them upon a Tryal for Land but the Judgment was constantly given in favour of the Irish As to the Army in Ireland of which I have mentioned something before I shall add that when K. James came to the Crown they consisted in about 7000 Men as cordial to his Interest as possible both Officers and Souldiers Respecting him as their Master and Father and shewed a great forwardness to have assisted him against Monmoth and Arguile Yet he was no sooner setled in the Throne but he began to turn the most zealous of them out of his Service because he could not expect they would be useful to him in destroving the Protestant Religion and Liberties of the Subjects which was the Service he expected from them and therefore took ther Troops away and gave them to persons of mean or broken Fortunes and some of them unqualified by Law and no consideration was had to Loyalty or Merit unless a Man were a Papist of which there were too many Notorious Instances And the manner of their being Discarded was with so much falshood and Barbarity from Tyrconnel as might have shaken the Obedience of any Army but this in the World and caused them to have dispatcht so false a Wretch for in the Morning he would take an Officer into his Closet and with his usual Oaths Curses and Damnations would profess the greatest kindness and friendship assuring them of the Continuance of their Commissions and in the Afternoon would Cashier them with all manner of Scorn and Contempt nay while he was Caressing them he had actually given away their Commands As for the Soldiers and Troops he Marched them to some place so far distant from their Quarters that they were not much known and there after great Hardships stript the Foot of their Cloaths which they had payed for and the Troopers of their Horses Boots and Furniture bought with their own Money and turned them off to walk Barefoot some 100 others 150 Miles to their Houses and Homes And though they were promised something for their Horses yet their Attendance cost them twice as much as they expected and most of them after all got nothing By this means 2 or 300 Protestant Gentlemen who had laid out great part of their Fortunes and Contracted Debts to obtain Commissions were not left worth any thing but were turned out without reason or any consideration and 5 or 6000 Soldiers sent a begging an Hardship perhaps never put upon an Army before for no other reason but because they were English-Men and Protestants and Irish men and Papists were by K. James put in their places clearly Demonstrating that he had no regard to the Laws or the Preservation of that Kingdom and that he absolutely designed to Ruin the Protestant and Advance the Popish Interest in Ireland And the same Fate attended all the Protestant Civil Officers several of them being outed though they had places by Patent for Life Sheriffs Justices of Peace Officers of the Revenue c. who were all changed for Roman Catholicks and this before the News of the Glorious Expedition of his now Majesty the Prince of Orange and without any provocation or the least pretence of Disloyalty Dec. 9. 1687. Being Sunday in the Morning happened such an Inundation of Water at Dublin as was never known before carrying away Stone Bridges overflowing Houses for 3 Days together so that a great part of the City was much indamaged thereby to their great Detriment and loss and was the more remarkable because no great Rain only a few small showres had fallen the â—ight before which seemed to presage the deluge of Troubles that were impending over the poor English in that distressed Kingdom The Earl of Castlemain being returned to England from his Embassy to the Pope and having received no Preferment complained to the Pope who writ to his Nuncio to Address the King in his behalf and being seconded by Father Peters it was resolved in the Cabinet Council Dec. 23. that Jefferies the Lord Chancellor for tampring in the business of Magdalen Colledge should be put out and 3 of the Lords of the Treasury be made Lords Commissioners of the Great Seal and that Castlemain should be Lord Treasurer Peters roundly telling the King that the most effectual means for accomplishing his Design of Establishing the Catholick Religion was to let his Prime Ministers and the World understand That no Service they had or could do should protect them or be reckoned of any account if they boggled in the least Tittle or Circumstance relating to the Catholick Cause But still the Furious Jesuits and their Accomplices were very much unsatisfied that notwithstanding they had a Catholick King upon the Throne yet the Popish Religion made but small progress and there was but a mean harvest of Converts to the Roman Faith Nay not in Ireland where all the power both Civil and Military was in their Hands hereupon a Project is contrived to destroy the Act of Settlement there in hopes the Protestants would Rebel and Forfeit their Estates whereby they should have an opportunity totally to extirpate them out of that Kingdom and so be in a capacity in a short time to subdue England and Scotland likewise In Order hereto the Lord
was a Jesuitical Stratagem contrived by Rice and Neagle as one of them afterward boasted carryed on without the privity of any but the Lord Deputy and themselves and every Body told the Lord Montjoy that it was all Sham and Trick only to amuse the Protestants and remove him out of the way who was most likely to Head them Yet the Lord Tyrconnel Swore most Solemnly that he was in earnest in this Message and that he knew the French Court would oppose it to the utmost who regarded only their own interest and did not care if Ireland were sunk into the Pit of Hell so they could give the Prince of Orange a Diversion but for 3 Months but said he if the King be perswaded to Ruin his fastest Friends only to gratifie France and do himself no Service he is neither so Merciful nor Wise as I believe him to be If he recover England Ireland will fall in course but he can never expect to conquer England by Ireland If he Attempts it he ruins Ireland to do himself no kindness but rather to exasperate England the more against him and make his Restoration impossible intimating that if the King would not do it he would look on his refusal to be forced on him by those in whose power he was and that he should think himself obliged to do it without his consent The Lord Montjoy alledged That his going into France could not influence the Councils in England who could reduce the Kingdom without his Assistance and that he must either obey the Deputy or Declare War against him and K. James's interest which he did not think safe since he had no Order nor Incouragement from England but on the contrary all the Advice he had from thence was to be quiet and not to meddle that he was obliged to K. James and neither his Conscience nor Gratitude would permit him in his present Circumstances to make War on his own Authority against him whilst there was any possibility of doing the business peaceably Upon these Motives L. Montjoy proceeds in this Negotiation and took Shipping with Rice at Waterford in Jan. 1688. Tyrconnel having first granted these General Concessions to the Protefâ—ants 1. That no more Commissions should be given out nor new Men raised 2. That no more of the Army should be sent to the North. 3. That none should be questioned for what was past 4. That no private House should be obliged to quarter Souldiers These he sent about the Kingdom by Letters yet the Lord Montjoy was no sooner gone but according to his usual Falshood he denied all and was angry at the Dispersing the Letters Soon after came News that the Lord Montjoy was made a Prisoner in the Bastile in France which more Exasperated the Protestants against K. James as a Violator of Publick Faith to his Subjects and likewise ruined the little Reputation that his Lord Deputy had among them Soon after a French Engineer Landed at Cork and came with all Expedition to Dublin assuring Tyrconnel that K. James would be suddenly with him and that nothing was to be feared from England till the end of the Summer upon this the face of things quickly altered and the little hopes that had hitherto supported the English now utterly vanished so that there appeared a necessity of associating together and getting into the Castles and best places of strength they had for the Defence and Preservation of their Lives some Protestants had a while before put themselves into a posture of Defence in the North c. but Proclamations were issued out by the Council signed by several Protestants commanding them to go to their respective homes under the penalty of being proceeded against as Traytors which proved fatal to the English they judging thereby the danger was not so great as they imagined But at length matters were reduced to such extremity that no course remained to preserve the Protestants but of making their escape for though the Lord Kingstone Sir Arthur Royden and others endeavoured to have secured several places yet matters were managed so indiscreetly that all proved ineffectual and their inconsiderable Forces were soon Defeated After which Tyrconnel Disarmed all the Protestants throughout the Kingdom in one Day In the Cities and Towns they shut up the Gates and none were suffered to pass in or out without being strictly searcht for Arms under pretence of which they â—â—so came into the English Houses and often Seiz'd 〈◊〉 â—heir Plate and Mony or what else they could meet with in this Confusion which lasted several days during which most of the Horses which belonged to English Gentlemen and Farmers was seized in the Country for the Kings use which were brought into the Towns where the Soldiers were quartered in so great numbers in private as well as publick Houses that the English had scarce Beds to lye on About this time Collonel Hamilton is sent with an Army to the North of Ireland and though more early in the year than usual yet the Judges were sent into the Country on pretence to punish the Thieves and Robbers that plundred the Protestants but the Design was to Condemn those poor Protestants that had taken up Arms and Defended their Houses against them and likewise to raise Mony for the Army their being very little in the Exchequer And the Judges read a Letter in every County directed from the Government to the principal Gentlemen and to the Minister and Popish Priest of every Parish requiring them to Summon their Parishioners together and perswade them to Subscribe to the utmost of their Ability for the Subsistance of the Kings Forces assuring them that he would be soon at the Head of them with a confiderable Assistance from France and that they who had no Mony should send in Meal Malt Beef Cheese Butter Herrings or else Leather Brogs Stockins Wool Cloth Linnen or any other Goods the Country afforded This was a great Oppression to the Protestants who though they had but very little left by the Rabble yet must Contribute largely or else were reckoned well-wishers to the Kings Enemies The Lord Galmoy was likewise sent with Forces to Guard the passages between the North of Ireland and those parts of Munster and Connaught that adjoyned to Ulster to prevent the South and Western Protestants from joyning who being a Malicious and Bloody Papist first drew Blood there causing two Gentlemen who had taken Arms for their own Defence under Collonel Sandason to be Hanged on a Sign-post at Belniot and their Heads being cut off were kickt about the Streets by his Soldiers like Foot-balls at Ornagh he took 2 others upon the same pretence and caused the Son first to Hang his Father and carry his Head on a pole through the Streets crying this is the Head of a Traytor and then the young Man himself was Hanged It was also Reported that some of his Dragoons meeting with a Clergymans Wife whose Husband had fled Northward several of them one
stand by them in Defence of their Lives and the Protestant Religion which they did believe by the Preparations they heard were making by the Enemy would be very soon invaded and the News they heard from London Derry did much Fortifie their Courage So that upon the Approach of the Irish Companies the Inniskillin Horse and Foot Advanced toward them but came no sooner in View ere the 2 Companies with the whole Rabble that was with them turned their Backs and fled without halting in very great Fear and Disorder and their Officers being then at Dinner at a Gentlemans House not far from thence hearing the Inniskillin Men were come out left their Dinners before they had half done and ran away after them and all of them got the next Day 24 Miles off in great Terror of the Inniskilliners who afterward performed many admirable Actions against the Irish King James's pretended Parliament Sate in Dublin from May 7. 1689. to July 20. following and in that short time entirely destroyed the Settlement of Ireland and outed both the Protestant Clergy and Laity of their Free-Holds and Inheritances by Repealing the 2 Acts of Settlement Whereby 2 thirds of the Protestants of the Kingdom held their Estates And the Real Estates of all that dwelt or staid in any place in the 3 Kingdoms who did not own K. James's Power or correspended with any such as they Term'd Rebels or were any ways Aiding Abetting or Assisting to them from Aug. 1. 1688 are declared to be forefeited and vested in the King By which Clause almost every Protestant that could write in the Kingdom had forfeited his Estate for the Pacquets went constantly from London to Dublin and back again from August 1688. to March following and few had Friends in England or the North but Corresponded with them by Letters and every such Letter is made by this Clause a Forfeiture of Estate They likewise passed an Act of Attainder whereby above 3000 Protestants were Attainted and their Estates forfeited to the King some for being in Arms but the greatest part for absenting themselves and going out of the Kingdom These proceedings were thought very severe by the Protestants since those that Armed themselves did not Attempt any thing even against those whom the Lord Deputy against the Laws of the Kingdom and the Interest of the Nation had intrusted with Arms and Imployments except in their own Defence when Invaded and Assaulted by them Neither was there one Act of Hostility committed wherein the Protestants were not on the Defensive Their Crime then if any was only that they were unwilling to be Robb'd and Plundered as their Neighbours were without opposition but Disarmed some of those who under Colour of being King James's Soldiers destroyed the Country this was all the Reason Tyrconnel had to proclaim them Rebels for Killing and Murdering his Majesties Subjects and with pillaging the Country whereas it was Notorious they never kil'd any but whom they found actually Robbing for killing of whom the Laws of the Kingdom not only indemnified them but likewise assigned them a Reward and it is as plain that the Protestants preserved the Country from being pillaged and for this they now forfeited their Estates As for those that were absent it would have been unwisely done for the Protestants that were gone to England to have returned again to a Ruinous Kingdom the Actual Seat of War where all the goods they had left behind were Imbezeled by Robbers and their Estates given to those Sons of Rebellion in 1641. And when Men of the best Estates in Ireland wisht themselves away and many were content to leave all and venture their Lives in little Boats to the Mercy of the Seas in the death of Winter reckoning any thing safer and easier than to stay under a Government which had effectually destroy'd all the measures of Right and Wrong and Condenmed so many Gentlemen to the loss of all without allowing them the favour either of being Tryed or Heard And of those that starâ— many of them were kill'd by the Soldiers Murthered in their Houses Executed by Martial Law starved and famished in Jay is and destroyed by many other Violences the Papists declaring That they designed to starve one half of the Protestants and hang the other and that it would never be well till this was done So that all King James's proceedings in that Kingdom clearly manifested his design to be the absolute inslaving it to Arbitrary Power and Popery by his Invading the Liberties and Estates and exposing their Lives to his peremptory Will and Pleasure This the Protestants in the North as well as others were very sensible of and therefore the People of London-Derry resolved to hold out to the last Extremity Some time before the English Navy being out at Sea to prevent Supplies from France Admiral Herbert with his Squadron had notice by his Scent-Ships that part of the French Fleet were abroad and stood for the Irish Coast whereupon he Sail'd after them and found them in Bantry-Bay whereupon drawing his Ships up into a Line and lying upon the Stretch he battered them extreamly from 10 in the Morning till 5 in the Afternoon at what time the French Admiral went off and stood farther into the Bay On our side we lost Captain Aylmer of the Portland with a Lieutenant and about 300 Seamen killed and Wounded the Damage of the French was equal to ours though they had the Bay to shelter them the Wind and a double number of Ships So soon as the English were gone the French weighed Anchor for fear of a second Engagement King James now sets forward with his Army toward London Derry where the Garrison had already Proclaimed King William and Queen Mary and had received from England 480 Barrels of Powder and Arms for 2000 Men with a Commission to Collonel Lundy to be Governor and promise of further Supply King James's Army consisted in about 12000 Men and a very good Train of Artillery his Generals were Monsieur de Mornont General of the French Horse the Sieur Piscina General of the Foot Collonel Hamilton Lieutenant General of the Irish Foot all under the Standard of France and consisting of several Regiments commanded by the D of Berwick and Fitz-James his Brother the Lord Nettervile Abercorn Collonel Shelden and Collonel Randleigh The King had some assurance given him that the Town upon his Approach would undoubtedly Surrender and that the very sight of so formidable an Army would fright them into a Compliance and therefore April 18. he advances with his Army before the Walls with flying Colours Orders were given that none should fire till the Kings Demands were first known but the People of London-Derry wondring to see Lieutenant General Hamilton approaching the Walls contrary to his ingagement not to come within 4 Miles of the Town imagined they were betrayed and fired their Guns upon them which being unexpected by the Enemy some of them fled others hid themselves and a great
he would allow them and at the same time gave Orders for the great Guns and Mortars to be ready if they refused to consent to them who seeing the Generals resolution and finding no other remedy at length Octo. 3. the Articles of Capitulation were signed consisting of 2 parts The first relating to Civil Affairs which were signed by the Lord Justices the General and the Persons deputed by the Garrison The other in reference to Military Affairs which were subscribed by the Generals on both sides Such of the French and Irish as had a mind to pass the Seas were to have Liberty for their present convenience to stay in the English Town and Island till they could be shipt away and the Castles of Ross Clare with all other Places and Castles that were then in possession of the Irish were forthwith to be delivered to the English In pursuance of this Agreement one Gate of the Town was delivered up that Evening and the next day the Lord Cutts marched into the Irish Town and took possession of it with seven Regiments of Foot At this very time nows came that divers French Men of War with Transport Ships were on the Coasts and endeavoured to put into some places distant from Lymerick either not knowing the Harbours or being uncertain how affairs stood there but at length it seems they had certain knowledge that Lymerick had submitted and upon what Terms and one Article being That such of the Irish and French as had a mind to leave the Kingdom and go to France might stay to expect a free Passage thither without distirbance the French being hereby asured not to be attacked by our Men of War they boldly appeared on the Coasts of Kerry being about twenty five Men of War and twenty five Transport Ships with some Fire-Ships having aboard 1000 Arms Wine Brandy and other Provisions And that it might be thought their design in coming was only to carry off the Frenh and Irish that were unwilling to stay Monsieur D'Vssen the late French Governour took the first opportunity to give notice of them to M. G. Talmash who was appointed by the General to command in Lymerick whereupon it being judged most convenient that they should Transport themselves in French Ships than to trust ours in the Enemies Port The Transport Ships were admitted to come into the River Shannon but the Men of War and Fire ships to keep out at Sea and those Transport-Ships to have Liberty to take on board such as would freely imbarke But the Irish Noblemen and Gentlemen having been made too sensible of the French insolency in their own Countrey resolved not to trust to their kindness in France and therefore many of them as well as some Chiefs of the Rapparees came in and freely took the Oath of Fidelity to their Maiesties But others being promised great advantages in France were persuaded by Sarsfield Sheldon and other Commanders to imbark with them and make their Fortunes in the service of the Late K. James Nov. 1. The Irish intirely left the English Town of Lymerick and part of them went aboard the French Ships one of which that carried 400 Men with several valuable goods ran upon a Rock and about 100 were drowned Dec. 22. The remainder of the Irish being about 2600 Men Women and Children were by Sarsfield imbarqued from Cork to France though he thought to have carried off a far greater number but several whole Regiments deserted him upon advice of the ill Treatment the Irish already landed in France had received where the Officers were generally displaced or made to serve in lower Stations and French men put over their heads After this Coll. Foulk Governour of Dublin had Orders to disband the Irish Regiments that came over to us upon the surrender of Lymerick except 1400. who were sent into the service of the Emperor of Germany Ireland being thus happily reduced to the Obedience of their Majesties General Ginkle went to Dublin where he and the rest of the gallant Commanders were received with a general joy and the highest marks of respect to their merits who had been so serviceable to the Kingdom Soon after the General imbarqued for England and was received very graciously by Their Majesties and created Earl of Athlone the Parliament likewise sending their thanks to him for his good services desiring him to communicate the same to all the Officers that served under him in this Expedition And he together with them was highly entertained with a noble Treat by the City of London The Lords Justices were very diligent to settle matters in Ireland which now began to breath again after such ruins and devastations as had been made by the brutish Irish And the Parliament in England abrogated the Oath of Allegiance in that Kingdom and ordered another Oath to be taken Sir David Collier was made Governour of Lymerick In August 1692. The Ld Vi. Sydney being constituted L. Leiuetenant of Ireland arrived there and was received with loud peals of Cannon and Complimented by the Nobility and after having taken the Oath the sword was delivered to him and the day ended with acclamations of Joy and Bonesires And soon after his Excellency issued out Writs for calling a Parliament in that Kingdom who met accordingly and his Excellency in an Eloquent Speech declared The happiness they enjoyed by being restored to this great Priviledge since the Kingdom could not so well be recovered to any degree of settlement legally as by a Parlirment constituted and setled and that behoped they would make use of at to pass such Laws as might tend to the firm settelment of the Conuntrey upon the Protestant Interest and that it would be a great satisfaction to his Majesty to see them established in peace and prosperity having had so great and glorious a part releiving them from the calamities under which they laboured After this the Commons presented their Speaker and proceeded to swear their Members They then ordered an Adress of Thanks to be drawn up to his Majesty and another to the Ld. Lieutenant and then passed 1. An Act of Recognition of Their Majesties undoubted Title to the Crown of Ireland 2. For incouraging Protestant Strangers to settle in that Kingdom 3. For an Additional Excise upon Beer Ale and other Liquors 4. For taking Affidavits in the Countrey After which the Parliament was Prorogued to April and from thence to Sept. 1693. A List of the Nobility in the Kingdom of Ireland 1693. SIR Charles Porter Kn. Lord Chancellor Dr. Mich. Boyle Lord Archbishop of Armagh Primate of Ireland Dr. â—r March Archbishop of Dublin Dr. Narcissus March Archbishop of Cashell Dr. Joseph Vesey Archbishop of Tuam Rich. Earl of Cork Lord Treasurer DVKES Butler Duke of Ormond Schomberg D. of Linster EARLS Fitzgerald E. of Kildare O Bryon E. of Thomond Burk E. of Clanriccard Touchett E. of Castlehaven Boyle E. of Cork Mc. Donnel E. of Antrim Nugent E. of Westmeath Dillon E. of Roscomon Ridgeway
the rest of that Nation were always reckoned Aliens and absolute Enemies so that from Hen. II. to Hen. VIII none were admitted to be Subjects or received any benefit by the English Laws but such as purchased Charters of Denization and it was no Capital Offence to kill any of them since the Laws did neither protect their lives nor Revenge their Deaths so that living in the Bogs and Woods on the Mountains they upon all occasions declared their Malice and Hatred against the English Colonies planted near them However the English were still Owners and Possessors of the Kingdom and kept themselves almost Entire for the first Hundred years after their Arrival not suffering the Irish to live promiscuously among them but by an High Hand Kept them in due Obedience and Subjection to the Crown of England and when they afterwards grew more careless and intermingled among them whereby the english learnt their beastly Manners and Customs there were very severe Laws made against them so that in the Reign of King Edward III. It was declared High Treason to Marry with the Irish or to let them Nurse their Children and to use the Irish Language Names or Apparel was made a Premunire that is to lose their Estates and be perpetually imprisoned And though in after Ages the English endeavoured to Civilize the People and introduce the English Laws Language Habit and Customs among them thereby to reduce them to Civility yet such was their Rough Rebellious Disposition and their implacable Malice to the English that nothing could Attemper or Reduce them to any Tolerable patience or perswade them to live peaceably among them So that in all times as well when they were admitted into the Condition of Subjects as while they were Esteemed and Treated as Enemies they took all Advantages most perfidiously to rise up and imbrue their Hands in the Blood of their English Neighbours and Ireland hath long continued a true Aceldama or Field of Blood and a dismal Sepulchre for the English Nation for after their intermixing with the Irish they Barbarouslâ— Degenerated into their Manners and Customs inso much that-by their intestine Broils and the Mischievous Attempts of the Irish upon them the English from their first Access to Ireland till the Reign of Queen Elizabeth being above 380 years had no setled Peace nor Comfortable Subsistance amongst them but were in such perpetual Troubles and so over-worn with misery that they could scarce Survive the Universal Calamity that over-spread the face of the whole Kingdom Whereupon that excellent Queen in the beginning of her Reign out of her Pious Intentions and Affections to her People took care to Redress these Disorders and sending over Prudent and Religious Governors made a great Reformation by many good Laws Enacted against the Barbarous Customs of the Irish and for the Execution of Justice throughout the Countrey which were reduced into Shires and Sheriffs and others Ministers of Justice placed in them and the High Powers Usurpations and Extortions of the Irish were Restramed and several Destructive Customs Repressâ—d The two Presidential Courts of Munster and Connaught were then Instituted and special Order taken for Free Schools to be Erected for Educating Youth throughout the Kingdom But these and other Courses for the Advancement of True Religion and Civility were Highly Disagreeable to the loose Humours of the Natives who pretended the English Government was Insupportable and began Desperately to struggle for their Liberty several Plots were laid some by those who were of the Old English by Extraction and divers Rebellions and petty Revolts happened during that Queens Reign which she timely Supprest either by Force and Favour often Renewing her kindness to them upon their continued provocations Restoring some Rebellious Lords to their Forfeited Estates and Commands and Bestowing New Titles of Honour upon others But all was in vain the Malignant impressions of Irreligion and Barbarism Transmitted from their Ancestors either by Infusion or Natural Generation had so irrefragably Stiffened their Necks and hardened their Hearts that they still retained all their wicked Customs and Inclinations without change in their Affections or Manners having their Eyes inflamed and their minds inraged with Rancor and Revenge against the English Nation breathing forth nothing but their Ruine Destruction and â—tter Extirpation and resolving at once to Disburthen the whole Kingdom and their Posterity of them and deliver themselves from their Subjection to the Crown of England a desperate Rebellion was raised by the Earl of Tyrone who had received Titles of Honour from the Queen a Command of Horse and Foot great proportions of Land and other Favours which he now ingratefully Cancell'd ingaging most of the Irish and some English Degenerate Families in his Treacherous Designs and likewise calling in some Foreign Forces to his Assistance The Queen perceiving that no Obligations would secure the Irish Loyalty Resolved to Reduce them by Force which was done in a short time and Tyrone brought upon his Knees though not without the Expence of much English Blood above a Million of Money the Country miserably wasted and a general Desolation and Famine over-spreading the Land King James at his first coming to the Crown conceiving that the powerful Conjunction of England and Scotland would overcome the Irish and contain them in their due Obedience resolved not to take any Advantage of these Forfeitures and great Confiscations which he was most justly Intituled to by Tyrones Rebellion but restored all the Natives to the entire possession of their own Lands After which for six years the Countrey was indifferent quiet when Tyrone made a second Insurrection and drew in the whole Province of Ulster who were absolutely at his Devotion to joyn with him but his Plot failed him for not finding himself in a Capacity to Resist the English Forces he fled into Spain promising speedily to return with Forreign Succors but by the care of the Government this Designed Rebellion was quell'd in the beginning and Tyrone never came back After which King James being justly provoked by the High Ingratitude of these Traytors caused their Persons to be Attainted and their Lands to be Seized and Distributed them among Brittish Undertakers many of whom came over and Setled in the Province of Ulster with their Families and Built several good Towns and Castles in divers parts of the Country whereby much Civility was introduced and the whole Kingdom began to Flourish in Costly Buildings and all manner of Improvements and the very Irish seemed to be much satisfied with the Peace and Tranquillity they enjoyed King Charles the I. was no less Indulgent to them for in 1640. upon the Complaint and Remonstrance sent him from both Houses of Parliament then Sitting at Dublin Representing the Heavy Pressures they had suffered under the Government of the E. of Strafford he made present Provision for their Redress Constituting Sir William Parsons and Sir John Burlace Lords Justices of that Kingdom who declared against the late proceedings