A LETTER FROM SR. LEVVIS DYVE to the Lord Marquis of New-Castle giveing his Lordship an account of the whole Conduct of the KINGS affaires in Irland since the time of the Lord Marquis of Ormond His Excellencies arrivall there out of France in Septem 1648. Until Sr. Lewis his departure out of that Kingdome In June 1650. Together with the annexed Coppies of sundry Letters mentioned by SR. LEWIS DYVE as relating to the Businesse He treats of From the Hague 10. 20. July 1650. HAGVE Printed by SAMUELL BROUN English Bookeseller 1650. MY LORD NOt long after my arrivall at the Hague intimation was given me by a noble freind upon some casuall discourse with him of the affaires of Ireland that your Lordship had a great desire to be satisfied as well in some particulars touching the conduct of that businesse since my Ld. Leiut. last went thither as in what condition the Kingdom stood at the time when I came from thence Wherupon not knowing whether the necessitie of my occasions or indeed the usuall thwartnesse of my fortune in what I most covet would allow me so great a hapiness as personally to waite upon you before I left this country I held it my duty in that case to leave some testimony behind me of my obedience and readinesse to serve you wherin rather then faile I have adventured to ingage my selfe in this relation though conscious of mine owne disability to performe it in such sort as the subject requires the unpollished rudenesse of so plaine and course a stile affording no lustre of ornament or beauty that may render it worthy to be presented to a person of your eminency which may the easier in my behalfe admit of excuse whose profession and practice hath all wayes bin accustomed rather to use a sword then a pen the only plea I have therfore to offer to your Lordship for this presumption is the candor and integrity where with it is written which I have religiously observed through the whole body of the discourse endeavouring to vindicate truth which I find highly suffering by the world either through the malice and malignity of these unhappy times or for want of cleare and impartiall information which I am confident your Lordship and all who rightly know me will expect from my hands and which sincerely I promise to afford without suffering the Biasse of any passion or privat respect or interest whatsoever to sway me in the least circumstance contrary to truth unlesse by misaprehension and want of judgment or by the misrepresentation of the ablest and best knowing persons I may unhappily have bin misled But that I may the better do it it will be necessary a little to look back and take a short view of the desperate time wherein his Ex cy the Marquesse of Ormond under tooke this worke and to reflect upon the sad face that was then upon His MAjESTIES affaires in all his three Kingdomes In England as your Lordship may well remember the King was not only made a close prisoner his Crowne his life and the succession of his posterity declared against but also all those parties that stood for him there or had declared in his behalfe and taken armes for his rescue were wholy dispersed and subdued yea and all other men whose parts honesty or publique interest made them worthy of a suspition either imprisoned banisht or utterly disarmed In Scotland the army raised for the freedome and restauration of the King having bin unfortunatly lost under the leading of Duke Hamilton in Lankashire all that acted by the Kings commission were not only compelld to lay downe armes but after being declared incapable to sit any more in Parliament or to have any share in Government som of them proscribed and expelled the land whilst Cromwell for having countenanced them in these proceedings was saluted at Edenburgh Preservator of the nation thus you see there are two Kingdoms wherin is neither Garrison nor army left at the Kings devotion nor any person scarce at liberty that durst owne either him or his quarrell Ireland only remaines to be considered and that God knowes a wofull spectacle cantonized into severall sundry factions drawing all divers waies and driueing on severall interests there was Iones Monke and Coote playing an Independant game as eagerly as might be there were the Scots Patronizinge the Covenant and Presbitery there was O Neale and the Nuntiated party of the Cleargy that with might and maine under the colour of Religion were promoteing a forraigne interest in case they could not make a Prince at home there was the counsell of the confederats together with all the auntient English and some of the Irish their adherents who being more moderat and averse to such desperat courses awakened also with the miseries that opprest them already the ruin that menaced them out of England made fresh applications into France unto the Queene and the Prince his highnesse that my Lord Leiut. and the Kings Authority might againe be sent amongst them wherupon these two factions grew to so great a fewde that the latter were all excomunicated by the first and the first proclaimed Traytors by the latter Besides all these there was Inchiquin who having recollected himselfe at last dislikeing the revolutions in England had prevailed with his party to declare for the King Wherupon he made a cessation with the counsell of the confederats in expectation of my Lord Leiu ts coming over which cessation being violently opposed both by the spirituall and temporall sword of the Nuntio and O Neale induced finally my Lord Marquess of Clanricard who from the time of my Lord Leiu nts going to sea from Dublin had retired himselfe and his family to a place convenient to ship away assoone as he should despaire of being able to serve the King by his further stay to take armes and drawe together his army to countenance the cessation and to make way for my Lord Marquess of Ormond with the Kings Authority to which he did highly contribute by awing and curbing the towne of Galloway at that time the seat of the Nuntio and the principall receptacle of the most factious people in the Kingdome as also by his succesfull reduceing of Fortfaukland Athlone Iames towne and the greatest part of the Province into his power But to the end that you may see with what steadinesse that Honorable Person in the depth of all these revolutions hath still adhered unto the service of the King and the Interests of the Crown even against those that couloured al their designes and practises over with the artificiallest and most deludeing pretences of Religion since it is an example fit to be recommended to posterity and truly worthy your lordships knowledge you may please to read the particular conduct of this his undertakeing in the Coppy of a Letter I send you herewithall writ from the Marquis himselfe to Mr. Walsingham then in France In this posture was Ireland when my Lord Leiut. came
bitter and unfit for action the Winter being now come on or if it were not so that he had neither meat nor mony wherwith to keep his men any longer together having since the revolt of Mounster which deprived him of the greatest share of his Contributions and Provisions been along time already forced to live upon the spoile of the rest of the Country he concluded upon dispersing his army into quarters also which because the Principall townes refused to admit them in he was fain to scatter over all the Kingdom The greatest part of the Vlster forces were sent into their own Province there to Choose a new Generall according as their conditions allowed them Luke Taaffe and Morogh O Flahartye with their men were sent back into Connaght to my Lord of Clanricard my Lord of Inchiquin with the remainder of such as belonged unto him went over into the County of Clare my Lord Dillon with his into Meath and towards Athlone all the rest were scattered severall wayes Only Major Generall Hugh O Neale was admitted with about 1500 Vlster men into Clonmell as Governour and Kilkenny received also a Competent Garrison to secure them against so ill neighbours as Rosse and Carrick were Here your Lordship beholds a summary of what past in the feild since the army first set forth untill their going to their Winter quarters in all which time how ill soever the successe hath been nothing can with any colour of reason be laid to my Lord Leiutenants charge except the not punishing those many failings treacheries and disorders that were committed during this Summers expedition Yet as to the disobedience neglects in the seidge of Dublin I gave you reasons why that was past over before And those that were committed since were for the most part by men of that condition Interest that it was neither safe nor fit all things considered to call them to an account as for treacheries most of the authors of them tooke care to secure themselves and in time get out of reach Only Crosby that betraid Kingsale after he was designed to dy by my Lord Leiutenant upon my Lord of Inchiquins coming to towne was I know not for what considerations repreived and saved The want of mony to pay the soldiers and the exigences they were for the most part in after the mischance at Dublin did so much authorize their disorders in the Country that if they had not been past by and connived at there had been no meanes of keeping them together There was no Officer in all that army that will not likewise confesse that my Lord of Ormond did too often and too freely expose himselfe to danger by going upon every litle expedition and that he did take more toile and paines then became a Generall by descending frequently to play the Major Generall the Quarter-Master the Provost Marshall or any thing which yet the unremediable negligence and insufficiency of many of his Officers obliged him unto Out of all which it is very evident that it was neither want of conduct courage or vigilancy in him that brought those sad successes upon the Irish but next after the immediate hand of God those factions that hee had neither power nor meanes of mastering those treacheries which no mans Prudence could prevent and those wants that his empty purse and deep engaged fortune could not supply For I dare boldy say that had it not been for the aversion of the Commissioners my Lord of Castlehaven my Lord of Inchiquin the Scots to Owen O Neale he had been reduced in time Both Derry and Dublin would have fallen into my Lord Leiuteuants hands no landing place have been left for Cromwell unsecured Nay I have many reasons to beleeve that notwithstanding the defeat at Dublin and successe upon Drogheda Cromwell with all his great army his fleet and store of mony had been lost and sunke to nothing if the Castles of Wexford and Carrick had not been so fowly betrayed Nay and after that too if those townes and forces in Mounster had not so treacherously revolted But how innocent soever his Excellency were by this time some leaders of the factious part of the Cleargy and people thinking now they had got a faire occasion of lifting him out of the saddle and therby of slipping their own necks out of the collar of obedience again begin to exclaime aloud against my Lord Leiutenant for their ill successes they blame his conduct of the army as if he had misguided it on purpose his disposing of their contributions as if he had defrauded them his Kindnesse Countenance to the English Gentlemen was a signe he wisht our Nation better then his owne and an inference of his not being fit to be trusted longer by them for to confirme which they coined a thousand arguments and scattered industriously amongst the people opinions that my Lord of Ormond was guilty of the greatest treacheries and miscarriages that had been committed To make which probable they called to mind afresh the surrender of Dublin to the Parliament rather then to them They instanced also his present supporting my Lord of Inchiquin though suspected so deeply by every one Nay out of his standing so hard with them in all past treaties upon concessions of Religion and out of his steadinesse in his own Profession they framed arguments of his unfaithfullness to them and aversion to theirs So that now you could speake with few amongst the common souldiers or the peasants that would not either say they could not looke to prosper under the Command of a Protestant or else tell you that it was no wonder their armies were beaten and their townes were lost since their cheife leaders betraid them Thus did the knavery and malice of a few steale away the hearts of the generallity of that undiscerning simple people from my Lord Leiutenant few of them being able to judge at all of the Prudence and integrity of his conduct or to consider that the army that was in the feild the foregoing Summer would have required foure times the Contribution that was raised without leaving any surplus either to be hoarded up or sent beyond seas From which his Excellency was so farr that on the other side he frequently offered to engage at a very low rate all that remained unmorgaged of his Princely estate for the support of the army These people could not reflect how much right and honour he did their Nation in his Civillities Noblenesse to those English Gentlemen that were in want and Bannishment only for their faith unto the King and who if ever the Royall Interest recovered were many of them like to become so capeable of acknowledging those favours with advantages back unto them wherfore his Excellency as well out of their common concernments as his own goodnesse bewayled nothing more then that his own private and the Kingdomes publique necessities limitted his bounty and that the ill nature and indiscretion that raigned amongst many
Drogedah which ensued imediatly upon O Neales defeat Dundalke it selfe being summoned the souldiers compelled Monk to a surrender and themselves took armes for the King Imediatly after this defeat of his party O Neale hastneth towards the releife of Derry which was the only towne in that Province untaken all the rest being already reduced by the Lord of Ards Sr. George Monro and Co ll Treuors who were now hindered only by O Neales army and the Siedg of Derry from bringing up a considerable body of horse and foot to the leaguer of Dublin Where may be observed how great a prejudice the faction of those men who desireing out of animosities ends of their owne to staue of O Neal his party from the benefit of the peace stood chaffering with him about his commande of 4000 or 6000. men and other trifles have don to the Kinges service and to the whole Kingdomes in deprivinge themselves therby not only of the forementioned assistance of the Scots but also of the possession of London Derry together with so considerable an addition of forces as O Neale could then have brought wherby not only the whole Province of Vlster would have bin secured to the King but Dublin it selfe either reduced or so strongly furrounded that it would have bin impossible either for Jones to releive himselfe or Cromwell to invade the Kingdom which notwithstanding all these fore mentioned disadvantages was upon the matter even gained already and would have bin entirely without any manner of question if it had fortuned that His MAjESTIE had feasonably come thither himselfe in person which by all parties was desired with infinit passion but especially by those whose prudence made them best able to judge how effectuall his presence would be not only for the animating of his own loiall party but also suppressing of all factious humors and uniteing all interests chearfully unanimously to go on against the common enemy which must soon have put a period to that warr and made his authority absolut in that Kingdom without dispute for as upon his arrivall His MAjESTIE should have found Mounster entirely in the Irish and my Lord of Inchiquins possession Vlster all reduced but the fort of Culmore and Derry into the hands of the Scots Conaght by the Marquess of Clanrieards fortunate gaining the strong fort of Slego with what else the enemy had then remaining in that Province wholy cleared in Leinster nothing left for rebellion to nestle in but Dublin Ballisonnan both which were so well attended upon that the defendants had but little pleasure to ayre themselves without the circuit of their workes so by his coming he would undoubtedly have diverted Owen O Neale who would imediatly have submitted unto the person of the King from releiving London Derry and therby have secured both that town and Province with Dublin also as it is thought for they that had reason to know Jones his mind apprehended that his leaving the Kings party did proceede from a Pique either against my Lord Leiut. or Sr. Robert Byron about a Leiut. Co lls place which was conferd over his head upon an other and that then the scene being altered in England his old freinds out of authority there his new termes with the Independents also yet unmade he had himselfe come over if the King had bin there in person or if not yet his party would have all deserted him and the worke had bin don one way or other that Kingdom wholy reduced without ablow all factions as I said before extinguisht and His MAjESTIE had an army of above 20000. men to have emploied where he pleased However thitherto you see my Lord Leiut. having cemented together so many differing parties mastered almost incredible difficulties hath with prudence and successe conducted the busines and is hindered only by the wilfulnes and faction of some of his owne party from compleating the worke After the taking in of Trim which followed soon upon the surrender of Dundalke my Lord of Inchiquin brings up his forces now much improved in number to the army before Dublin wherupon His Ex cy leaving a part of his army at Castleknock under the Command of my Lord Dillon of Costelo a person of much gallantry to keepe them in on that side the water removes his Campe to the other side the towne to distresse the enemy that way also which whilst they are endevouring to do upon intelligence that Cromwell was ready with an army to embarke himselfe for Ireland and that he intended to land in Mounster my Lord of Inchiquin thought it fit that he should with a good party of horse go down into those parts to secure his garrisons and provide for the worst His Lordship was no sooner gone but my Lord Leiut. designing to shut up the enemy within his workes and quite impede as well their getting in of hay as the graseing of their cattle without their line gave order to Patrick Purcell Major Generall of the foot to march with a sufficient party of men and an Engineer to Baggot-Rath there to possesse himselfe of that place immediatly cast up such a worke as had been already designed Sr. William Vaughan Commissary Generall of the horse had order likewise to draw together most part of the troopes that were on that side the water and to keepe them in a body upon a large plowed field looking towards the Castle of Dublin there to countenance the foot whilst the workes were finishing and to secure them in case the enemy out of the towne should attempt to interrupt them These my Lord were the orders given but not executed for notwithstanding it did not much exceed a mile whither the foot were to go yet through the ignorance or negligence of the Officers that were to conduct them many houres were spent ere they came at the place Whither when they were come they found the worke so wretchlesly advanced by Mr. Welsh the Engineer and to helpe all themselves kept such negligent guards that many judged it was done on purpose that these neglects proceeded from those lurking seedes of discord betwene the Kings and the Nuntios parties for it is certaine that about that time upon an apprehension that thinges went on too prosperously with my Lord Leiut. there were Letters written to Owen O Neale about broaching a new warr in case Dublin had bin taken what ever the grounds of these faileings were the enemy never stood to examin but being much troubled to see a fort designing there where with so much ease they might not only be kept from all forrage and succour by land but entercourse with the sea also and perceiving the posture they were in destitute of horse to guard them resolues upon a desperat sally to disturb this worke which they hapned to make about eight of the clock in the morning when His Ex cy who had bin on horseback most part of the night as his constant custome was since his
of the Irish would not suffer them to hide their repininges at his favour towards these Gentlemen The surrender of Dublin truly had been made unto the people of Ireland by the arts of those that were at that time in Government amongst them a most odious thing though those very persons knew well enough it was themselves and not my Lord Leiutenant that was in the fault by twice fowly violating their publique faith with him first in breaking a peace made and solemnly published both at Dublin and Kilkenny the respective seates of the Kings Leiutenant and the Councell of the Confederates in seconding that act after having imprisoned the Lord Muskerij Sr. Robert Talbott Sr. Lucas Dillon Mr. Brown Mr. Belings and the rest of their Supream Councell that had made the peace and still stood honestly to what they had done with bringing their armies before Dublin where having caused the burning and destruction of those quarters the town it selfe must have been lost unto them if upon overtures of a treaty with the Parliament they had not sent men and supplies to rescue it And next in the breach of that solemn engagement made between them and the Marquess of Clanricard as soone as upon beleife of their resolution to return unto their duty the treaty was broke of and the forces of the Parliament sent home again Could it be expected that after two such acts as these any wise man would trust or treat with the Irish any more whilst the Government was still in the same mens hands Who after all this wrought the whole Assembly to declare they would never have any Protestant Governour more and namely not my Lord Leiutenant and who were not ashamed at the same time both to anull the Peace and yet acknowledge that the forementiond Gentlemen that had been makers of it and suffered in justification of it had neither exceeded their instructions nor done any thing misbecoming honest men These kind of proceedings at Kilkenny joynd to a new expedition designed against Dublin as soon as the season of the yeare would suffer them to march were it must needs bee Confessed Provocations sufficient to have justified my Lord Leiutenant if he had received no such instructions from the King as he did finding himself unable to keep the place any longer in the surrender of it rather then to so faithlesse a people as those were that then swaied there and who were driving on a forraign Interests with might and main into the hands of the Parliament who were at that time in treaty with the King upon conditions of giving him free accesse to His MAjESTY and of repaying unto him those monies which hee during the troubles of his Government the Kings Exchequer failing had out of his own purse lent unto the army Whether His Excellency did in this case like a man of honour and as became him let the late Generall O Neale be judge who if he be not much wrongd did affirme unto a confident freind of his that if he had been intrusted from the English Nation and with the Interests of the Crown of England there as my Lord Leiutenant was he would have done just so as His Excellency then did His supporting my Lord Inchiquin then sinking in the Generall opinion if it had been duly waighd should have been an argument of much comfort and satisfaction to this jealous people to see his Excellency so tender of the Kings honour and his own word so just in his freindships and so exactly carefull to observe conditions Out of his wariness in all his treaties with them they might also have pleased to infer rather then what they did these two things first that like a faithfull servant he endeavoured to make as good a bargain as he could for the King his master secondly that without designes of cheating them into their duty like those that some others had he was resolud to assent unto nothing but what His MAjESTY and he might justly own and safely make good unto them Finally his steadinesse in a religion that from very tender yeares he had been imbued with and his firmnesse in his loialty in having stood for many yeares all those batteries that either with arguments or incredible offers of advantage they had often made to win him to their party in so much that they might see that nothing but the hand of God and the convinceing of his judgement could alter him in the first nor any thing in the world corrupt or shake him in the latter might at least have been an assurance to them that he would never become a Proselite to a Religion far lesse rationall and alluring then theirs was I mean Independancy and that having refused to become their Prince he would not betray so eminent a loyalty his Country his freinds and so noble a fortune as his is only to become a Vassall unto Cromwell from whom he could not possibly promise to himselfe if a security for the performance or permanence of it could be given him any thing of honour or advantage equall to what he did already enioy and might hereafter justly promise to himselfe from the King Thus went those kind of Spiders about making poison out of every thing where with having now either allienated or infected farr the greater part of the Kingdom by abusing them at home they have attempted also to do the same abroad and most particularly at Court by their letters and sneaking emissaries such as Hugh Rochford and Fitzmorris who under pretence of great devotion to the King by impudent corner suggestions and malicious whispers have laid all the foregoing accusations to His Excellencyes Charge endeavoured so to blast him there that his MAjESTY might have been enduced to remove him from the Government which on my soule if he had done or should do whilst these distractions continue it were the ready way to ruine all his Interests in that Kingdom for my Lord of Clanricard wauing it as especially upon that score and such a conjuncture without doubt he would have done Irland afforded not another person who for all respects was able and fit for that trust and no stranger could have been sent whose want of knowledge in that Nation and want of interest amongst them should not have laid him open to so great disadvantages as he should have done nothing else but loose himselfe and the Kings businesse Which is the Reall end which these base informers and their abettors driue at and the lurch they ly at for the broaching of a new Rebellion the impossibility of setting which on foot whilst so wise and experienced a person and one of so great an alliance and interest in the Kingdom is at the helme and their utter despaire of ever being able to bring my Lord of Ormond to their bent are the only true reasons of all their persecutions of and aversions to him Whom as I remember before this long yet necessary digression I left at Kilkenny where having
remove towards Lymerick where being negligently received without the accustomed respect used to the Kings Leiutenant he after a short stay departed thence into the County of Clare Immediately therupon the enemy having refreshd his men and encreased his army with a great accession of old souldiers that had formerly served under my Lord Inchiquin and my Lord Leiutenant takes the feild and falls a summoning Castles and bringing the Country under Contribution wherin he had a generall success most of the Castles surrendring upon appearance of a party of horse except Kiltenan which gave him some resistance His Excellencies army through the forementioned obstinacy and disobedience of the townes against receiving Garrisons was so farr dispersed that there was no meanes of drawing them together Neither if that were done of keeping them in a body for the Country was destroyed and wast so that it could not supply him besides during these disagrements between my Lord Leiutenant the Clergy and the Commissioners there were few or none of the Irish souldiers if there had been Provisions for them that would obey his Excellencies Orders Of all which Cromwell was well aware and therfore went securely and with confidence to work carrying all before him A mongst other of his successes Ballisonan is sold unto him and Cahir Castle then the dwelling house of Master Mathewes a yong youth and halfe Brother to my Lord Leiutenant given him contrary to those strict orders left by his Excellency with Master Mathewes for the keeping of it who was so conscious of his own misdoing in the act that he refused upon severall summons and invitations to appear before my Lord staied still in the enemies quarters to secure himselfe from His Excellencies indignation But neverthelesse this act of Mr. Matthewes is made aground of new suspitions and fresh clamours against my Lord himselfe by the Irish who all this while run on in their extravagancies intent only upon their disputes in hand as if there were no such man as Cromwell in the Kingdom in so much that seing so many severall meetings assigned and so much time spent to so litle purpose His Excellency concludes that those people would never be brought into order by him and therfore resolves to withdraw himselfe from the Government if not to depart the Kingdom and to commit the mannagement of all unto the Marquis of Clanricard which was the reason of his Lordships being sent for back from Sligo The enemy in the meane time having the Castles of Gowran and Laghlin together with the Officers commanding in them delivered into his hands by the common souldiers sets at last upon Kilkenny Whence a while before the Earle of Castle-haven who was now left with cheife command in Leinster was drawn out with his forces by reason the sicknesse raged so leaving Sr. Walter Butler and Major Walsh with about 50 horse and some 400 foot in the place where a breach being made and the enemy assaulting they were bravely repulsed leaving 600 armes behind them after which check they resolved to march of and are sending their artillery away silently before whilst the townsmen conuay a drummer privately over the wall and upon I know not what accord let the enemy in unknown to the souldiers who were then forced to retire to the Castle make their termes which being granted them they march away Kilkenny being gained by him let us leaue Cromwell at Cashell for a while amongst his Committee men returne into Connaght where the Cleargy and Commissioners seing that my Lord of Clanricard having refused to take the Government upon him was resolved in case they continued disobedient unto my Lord Leiutenant least the Kings Authority should bee exposed to further disobedience contempt to leave the Kingdom together with His Excellency considering what a certain ruine their departure would be unto them all are now courting my Lord Leiuteuant to stay and offer to come to composition with him who demands assurance from them that the respective towns of Lymerick and Gallway shall receive sufficient Guarrisons and that themselves with all the soldiers people shall hereafter readily obay him Which they undertake unto him upon condition that all the English what soever under his Excellencies command might be disbanded and sent away that the Bishops of the Kingdom might have a share in Councell and the mannagement of things that the Receiver Generall which was Sr. George Hamilton Brother in law to my Lord Leiutenant a person of great parts honour and merit might give in his accounts all which his Excellency out of his great desire to satisfy and unite the people therby to preserve the Country and the Kings Interest if it were possible at last assents unto This agreement being made the English were accordingly to free the Irish of their jealousies who either were or would seem to be equally suspitious of the Cavaliers as of those that had served the Parliament before disbanded and since there was no further employment for them nor meanes of getting away by sea they had leave to make their conditions with Cromwell to passe through his quarters out of the Kingdom which being granted by him all the small remainder of my Lord of Inchiquins men except a few that Colonell Buller was to Carry for Scilly went under the conduct of Colonell John Daniell into the enemies quarters so did my Lord of Ardes and after him Sr. Thomas Armstrong with whom went also Mr. Daniell O Neille upon the Score of carying a Regiment into Spaine There remained none behind that was permitted to beare any charge but Leiutenant Colonell Treswell at my Lord of Ormonds particular instance to command his Guards of horse only my Brother John Digby Colonell Henry Warren Colonell Hugh Butler staid to waite upon his Excellencies Person and beare him company in his adventures But before I go on I must not omit to tell you how Dean Boile who was sent to treat with Cromwell for the English that were disbanded being offered it as he saies by Cromwell and imagining as himselfe affirmes to do a service to my Lord Leiutenant my Lord Inchiquin in it adventured of his own head to take passes from him for their departure out of the Kingdom Wherof assoon as ever Dean Boile was gone he makes use to debaush the Irish Garrisons to take conditions from him assuring them my Lord Leiutenant had received his passe to depart the Kingdom as appeares by a letter that the Governour of Rosse writ it seemes by Cromwells order unto Generall Preston commanding in Waterford the Copy of which Letter with that of Cromwells passe three of Dean Boiles Letters concerning it together with his Excellencies to Cromwell when he sent him back his passe by a trumpet of my Lord Clanricards having procured them for my own satisfaction I herewithall send your Lordship that you may see how absolutely without my Lord Leiutenants privity or license these passes were accepted with what
indignation resented Emer Mac Mahon Bishop of Cloghor who had been chosen Generall of the Vlster army having a good while since received his commission from my Lord Leiutenant was now gathering together his army which in ad short time after before my leaving the Kingdom he had made up to be about 6000 men wherewith having taken severall little Castles in his way he was marched up into the Claneboyes and become master of the feild The next enterprize Cromwell went in hand with was to take Clonmell which was kept by Major Generall Hugh O Neale who behaved himselfe so discreetly gallantly in defending it that Cromwell lost neer upon 2500 men before it had notwithstanding gone away without it if they within had had store of powder but their small proportion being spent the Governour with his souldiers was fain to go out of the town on the other side of the river by night towards Waterford leave the townesmen to make conditions for themselves which they did the next morning the enemy not knowing but the Garrison was still in towne till the conditions were signed Thus the losse of this place severall other Garrisons for want of ammunition was another effect of the disobedience of the townes In so much that had it not been for a little magazine that my Lord of Clanricard had providently made before hand wherewith since the losse of Drogheda his Excellencies army the Scots the Vlsters most of the Garrisons were surnished All might have gone to an irrecoverable ruine whilst the walld townes like free States lookt on as unconcernd denying to afford it to them This being true no body that hath heard of any injuries or injustice in point of trade or prizes here can blame the King or my Lord Leiutenant for it neither of whom they did obey further then they pleasd themselves but now having received Garrisons as I make no question they have I dare be bold to assure any body that trafficks that way of all equity justice from my Lord Leiutenant hands About the time of the seidge of Clonmell David Roch having raised above 2000 men in the Counties of Corke Kerry and beginning to make head with them received a small brush from my Lord of Broghall which only dispersed his men for a few daies his losse being not considerable for any thing but the Bishop of Rosse who being taken was hanged with two other Priests by Cromwell for being found in armes as they said against the Right worshipfull the State of England Soone after the gaining of Clonwell Cromwell upon letters out of England inviting him thither goes to sea and leaves Ireton in cheife command behind him to subdue the rest of that miserable wasted Kingdom whilst himselfe went about the conquest of new Empires more worthy of his presence But since he is gone I cannot but here observe that of all those thousands that either came with him thither or were sent after there are now few hundreds surviving either to reap the benefit or report the stories of their Victories his army upon his departure being sunke to a very inconsiderable number especially in foot and neer three parts of those consisting of either Irish Jones or my Lord of Inchiquins men who only are able to undergo the wofull incommodities of that Country now groning under a universall plague famine and desolation to that degree that if they knew but halfe the misery that expects them there I am confident that no threats nor flatteries could perswade men out of England thither in hopes of reaping the fruites of their fellowes labours in that destroyed Kingdom Which as low as t is brought may chance to cost Cromwell a second expedition and another army and yet go without it For they have Waterford Galloway and Limrick three of the strongest and most considerable townes of the Kingdom still untaken any of which if they be well Garrisond as questionless now they are will be neare a summers work to reduce The forts of Duncannon Silgo the Castles of Caterlo Athlone Charlemont Neauagh are not easy puachases the Province of Connaght is still preserved intire by my Lord of Clanricard who will be able to bring 4000 men of his own into the feild now that Galloway his Country is somewhat cleard from the infection of the plague which begins to rage greatly in the enemies quarters as Cork Youghall Wexford and Dublin it selfe Kilkenuy Clonmell with severall places there abou ts being left desolate with it The County of Clare in Mounster brought unto my Lord Leiutenant at a Rendezvous just upon my coming away above 2000 men wherwith his Excellency being invited by the Magistrates was ready to march into Limrick for to Garrison the place and to make it his residence What Forces the Irish had in Vlster towards Kerry I have already told you as likewise what Connaght and the County of Clare afforded I must add that Hugh Mac Phelim had in Wicklow towards Wexford hard upon 2000 men at Waterford Generall Preston and Hugh O Neale had litle lesse to conclude besides all this the Lord Castlehaven the Lord Dillon and the Bishop of Drummore made account they should draw together a considerable body in Meath and the rest of Leinster to joyne with the Marquis of Clanricard towards the releife of Tecroghan then beseidged by Colonell Reynolds Thus your Lordship may see that provided they bee united amongst themselves as truly I left them and that meanes can be found of keeping them in bodies together there are men enough in armes yet to dispute the business with an enemy that is not halfe their number whose quarters are pestered likewise with the plague and famine as well as theirs especially these having such strengths and fastnesses still in their hands as are almost inaccessible to Cromwells souldiers Who after having mastered the greatest part of Mounster and Leinster and their supplies from England coming in but slowly â— have made bold at last with the people they flattered with before altered their manner of proceedings taking from them by force what they pleased and violating their protections given making not nice to tell them they suffered them to possesse their estates but during pleasure and till they could have planters to put into their roomes by which kind of clear dealing they have so lost made desperate the natives that lamenting their former too ready compliance with the enemy they now call for my Lord Leiutenant again taking armes in their hande begin to rise in all quarters of the Kingdom so that it is impossible for a greater power then Ireton has there to attend to the suppression of them all In this posture left I that Kingdom it being very probable that if the enemies recruites and provisions out of England did faile through any other diversion and the Irish receive but any moderate supplies from abroad they would not only make good all that
was left them But also recouer upon the enemy considerably this Summer which really I wish with all my soule they may Principally for His MAjESTIES sake and the present engagement of the Kingdom of Scotland to both which the preservation of what is left or the regaining of what is lost in Irland must needs be if well considered of high concernment And in the next place for the sake of many worthy families amongst them some of which were never involved in the association nor had any hand in the warr and many of the rest through the menaces strange kind of proceedings of the Parliament against the whole Nation upon the Insurrection the villanous practises of Parsons Burlacy the then Lords Justices who desired to make them all forfeit their estates were frighted forced into Rebellion All which are now to suffer equally and by Cromwell with out distinction designed for ruine together with those that were the Originall authors of the first Rebellion and those ugly massacres that were committed which indeed deserves commiseration since very many of the Nobility gentry with the body of the people wish the King as well have as great dispositions to his service as can be desired having been abused whoâ— into those offences they have committed by a few malicious ill affected persons craftier then most of the rest Who haâ— with great art and industry acquired unto themselves the opinion of wise religious and honest men Wherby they misleaâ— that credulous and for the most part unwise Nation upon pretence of the advancement of their Roman Religion and preservation of their Country to what they please Having been able to perswade them that all these afflictions misfortunes they suffer under are come upon them for their admitting of a cessation a peace indisobedience to the Nuntio for their joyning with Heretiques Not suffering them to consider rightly that it is their disobedience to the lawfull King the blood and murther they are guilty of that makes them so unfortunate that is their breaches of publike faith in compliance with the Nuntio the rapine and want of justice that raignes amongst them that hath brought upon them these heavy punishments given them over to be scourged by the hand of so faithless Bloody an enemy And surely whosoever shall recollect how first after the double breach of the former peace they were immediately punished with the defeat of two considerable armies one after another with the desolation of the flourishingest part of their Country upon which a famine ensued that devoured neer 20000 soules then how the plague that hath since over spread the Kingdom began first at Galloway the place that did most longest countenance those ill proceedings of the Nuntio O Neale of any other in the Kingdom where it swept away about 5000 soules those only of the common and meanest sort of people who were they that contrary to the inclinations of the principall persons being most of them moderate well disposed men carried all things their violent way Next how the Vlster army which I heare have received a great defeat since my coming away who were the beginners of the rebellion the breakers of the first Peace the opposers of the second the releivers of Derry are now come to fall under the hands of Coote those men who if it had not been for them had certainly been destroyed And lastly how the Bishops of Tuam Cloghor who had so deep hands in the contrivance of the warr were guilty of so much blood have both fallen if the printed relation concerning the last of them be true upon the edge of the sworde together with their armies The Bishops of Rosse Downe also the first of which had not many weekes before his own miscarriage appeared very unhandsomely in the persecution of the Protestant Lord Bishop of London Derry a person of great worth moderation and prudence one Who as he had meritted highly from the King for his loyalty and constant services so also was he very farr to my knowledge from deserving ill from that Kingdom The second one who had ever cherished stirrs factions both of them notoriously averse to peace to the Government coming to perish ignominiously in the hands of those enemies that by staving off a timely submission to the Kings Authority hindering the settlement of the Country they may be said after a sort to have brought into the Kingdom He must needs as I do admire the order of Gods Chastisements with submission acknowledging that he is just and that his judgements are right Through whose fault or through what miscarriage Tecroghan is lost after it hath been so long and gallantly defended by Sr. Robert Talbot and the lady Fitz-Garret and the Vlster army defeated I cannot undertake to say since they are accidents after my coming to sea Though I do much feare that the first was occasioned principally through the reliques of those unhappy emulations backwardnesses that dwelt in some of the great ones against others who were like to reap too much honour and advantage from the enterprize in case that place had been releived and preserved What ever the matter were I confess those mischances have much altered the case from what it was but yet I despaire not of the business in giving all for gone but hope Gods justice having been in some measure satisfied the people being become more humble more united that by Gods blessing they may weather this storm preserve themselves with that Kingdom to the King However I am confident this late defeat of the Vlster army under the conduct of the Bishop of Cloghor by so small a party will convince the people that these misfortunes are not entailed unto either my Lord of Ormonds person or religion conduce much to satisfy them that his Excellency hath neither betraied the Kings Interest nor them into this low condition they are brought into Of which being once perswaded they will turn their hearts fixe their hopes wholy upon the Kings Leiutenant Who beleeve me my Lord is as Wise as Honourable Gallant a Person as is any where to be found as excellent a subject as any Prince in the world can boast of Yea and one who I assure your Lordship if ever he shall thinke it fit to give the world an account of his actions is able with modesty truth to say so much for himselfe and for what he hath done as will wring a confession out of the mouth of enuy herselfe that hee hath behaved himselfe so prudently so uprightly in the place he now holds notwithstanding all these forementioned misfortunes that no man hath ever out gone him in loyalty to or merit from the Crowne and Royall house of England of which a better argument needs not be given then that most Excellent Speech for the eloquence and subject of it deserving an Eternall
upon the happy concluding of the peace and the great difficulties we overcame they will come fully represented unto you by severall wayes J shall only expresse my confidence that wee are now secured from any second revolutions amongst these people though the Marquis of Antrim Owen O Neale have not yet submitted for I conceive they are not so considerable but they will be soon supprest if they continue obstinate I judge it likewise very possible that this summer Dublin may if God so please be recovered either by force or treaty And now beleeving I have tired you with this tedious imperfect relation I shall with brevity and much truth give you assurance that you shall constantly find mee Your very affectionate Cousen CLANRICARDE Kilkenny Castle the 26. of Ianuary 1648. A Letter of Mr. Walsinghams to Colonell Jones Governour of Dublin in justification of the peace of Yrland and in reply to his second answer to my Lord Lieutenant Mentioned PAG. 8. SR HAvinge been at last so much beholdinge to your vanity as some daîes since to meete with those papers in printe that I long before heard were transmitted betweene my Lord Lieutenant and your selfe which I perceive his Excellencies modesty scorne would have still concealed had not your itch to have your confidence and clearkeship known transported you so far beyond discretion as to snatch at the occasion of publishing my Lord Lieutenants letters though such indeed as if your care and prudence in manageing the cause you plead for were not far inferior to your owne vaineglory you would industriously have smothered to the end you might not want some pretence to intrude upon the world together with them those manifest Cavills and leane discourses of yours that are stuft with nothing singular but insolence and malice And finding that his Excellency with a generous neglect both of your person and impertinence with whom his publicke zeale and duty to the King and Kingdome had enduced him to take thy paines and descend so low had now as one unworthy of so much honor and incapable of so much reason as was prest upon you given you over Notwithstanding as well for justice sake that you might not want the right of an encounter from a more equall hand then my Lord Lieutenant as also for that possibly there may be as I beleive there are some men so weake and so willing to be deceived that your impudence and fallacies shall passe for reasons with them if not replied unto I thought it fit that your last voluminous and peremptory Letter be not let passe unscand and brought unto the test by a more familiar pen that may with decency deale roundly with you give you what you cannot receive from his Excellencie the confusion of an foyle Though for man to thinke either with reason or language to contribute to the satisfaction of any discreet unprejudiced person much lesse to the rectifieing your mistakes after my Lord of Ormond hath gone before is a sottishnesse as great as yours who after two addresses from his Excellencie so civill so full of prudence unanswerable truth had the face to tell him you were nothing satisfied therewithall nor any way convinced in judgement thereby By which affirmation of how much impudence and malice you are convicted by your selfe I leave you and the world to gather out of what I shall hereafter say which I am confident will convince other men aswell as you that know it well enough already that your judgment was drownd in ambitious and selfe interests so absurd and so ill byassed that since reason and justice were inconsistent with them you had no will to be rectified For if you had surely you would never have produced arguments to coulor your persisting withall that well examined perswad point blanck against and may be returned with a double force upon you unlesse you did it out of so invincible a simplicity as to deale painely with you is not compatible with that hipocrisy sophistry your unmannerly epistle swels withall as I now come ro instance particaliarly unto you In the first place you hold forth the protestant religion for a baby to the people and alas good man your compassion and care of it is very great aswell becomes the sonne unto a Bishop and one imbued both by education and many yeares profession with it you say you see not how it can be advanced by an army of Papists nor how it can be secured in the peace no provision being made for it therin yet that t is no such miracle they being secured of their owne libertie of conscience that an army of Catholiques subjects to a protestant King and lead by a protestant Generall may in order to the restoreing their opressed soveraigne and to the supression of such a Turco Iudaisme as is now on foot be induced unto it and that it is no new thing in the world for men to be ingaged so nay where they have no tyes of duty nor other such powerfull motives as these men have directly against the interest of their owne religion you neede but looke into the Othoman armies where you shall find thousands of Christians fighting daily against Christianity it selfe and under the ensignes of France Spaine many regiments of protestants fighting in quarrells if you will beleive the princes themselves purposely set on foot for the advancement of the Roman Catholique faith which if waighed makes it neither impossible nor strange that the Irish should be content to concur with any body and almost upon any termes to the destruction of that Wild Bore who having already rooted up and overturned all government and religion in England is now preparing to do the like in Irland Now as for the provision the you find unmade for the protestant religion in the peace I beleive you urge that only to shew your owne dexteritye in finding out objections for you are rationall enough to know where his Majesties authoritie is once restored his lawes returne to their vigor and you should be lawyer enough to know that there are lawes enough provided in this last fourescore yeares for the securitye of the protestant religion all which the Roman Catholiques will willingly submit unto except such penal statutes as deprive them of the free exercise of their religion that are indeed by the peace to betaken a way and which being laide aside take not any thing from the security of the protestant The Roman Catholiques are not the givers but the cravers here they desire only to secure their owne not to usurpe upon the liberty of othermens consciences as is evident both by their daily professions and the whole transactions of the peace what absurdnes then it is for any one to thinke a new provision necessary or to expect it in this case that very condition for that army of sixteen thousand foot and two thousand five hundred horse with the deputation of those Trustees for to secure them of pardon for
their past offences and of liberty of conscience with those other promised graces and immunities against the severitie of the lawes in force untill all were confirmed in Parliament to any man endued with but Comon sense is a sufficient argument to say nothing of the apprehensions though vaine still amongst them that they are yet not for all this secure enough And what cause they had to insist upon this army and these commissioners do you but looke into your owne Conscience and laying your hand upon your hart imagin so well of your selfe as that it were your owne case and J am sure you will tacitely confesse it is a provision but very reasonable Nay let a looker on consider the time these men tooke to submit to his Majesties authority when he had neither meanes to punish nor protect them left and he will certainly commend their duty and be far from discommending either the king or my Lord Lieutenant for any thing that in the peace is granted unto them not excepting against either the number of that army or power of those Comissioners you make your selfe so scandalized withall His Excellencie hath been already pleased to tell you that as to the army the supreme comand thereof is in the Kings Lieutenant the ordering of which and disposing of all future commands wherin so it consist of and be to Roman Catholiques will in effect be left to him now that there are very many of that Religion inseparable from their duty to the King both the confederats and the Parliament have to their great cost and trouble had a plentifull experience witnesse the prudent and generous Marquesse of Clanricard Whose eminent piety and constancy in his profession joynd to his irreprehensible allegiance to the King will remaine to the glory of his Nation and Religion a great and lasting example to future times of a firm and united Loyalty both to divine and humane Majesty as it hath serud the present already for a pattern unto severall Other considerable persons in Ireland to follow And you have no reason but to thinke there are a good number of those in this army which will somwhat lessen the groundles danger you fancie to your selfe especially if you take also into consideration the frequent wayes and dispensations that have bin found for entertaining very many protestants into severall imployments in this army and how both these parties to say nothing of those in the north that have submitted to the Kings authoritie added to that remnant army as you call them in mounster consisting of about six thousand men led by an able and succesful commander who being undeceived at last by the publike villanies in England have betraid themselves it you will have it so againe into their duty will ballance any thing of ill that may be pretended in the case I leave it to any one that is but capable to judge in such a matter This dangerous argument being once removed how litle remaines of hazard in that other of the power of the commissioners is very evident by the articles of peace where it is plain that their power is absolute in nothing but the levies to be made upon their owne and that part of the peoples free holds which formerly acknowledged their Iurisdiction and who now had entrusted themselves into their hands whilst in all the other cases so industriously quoted by you though to no other end but take up paper and amuze the readers they limit him as litle as formerly the counsel table did He being able to determin nothing without their advise or Consent nor they to actuate any thing without his Commission authority which circumscription should you still affirme to bee too much would entirely vanish should his Majestie com in person hither as t is both hoped and beleived he will there being no condition in the peace that limits him But suppose the hazard preiudice of the protestant religion by the peace were as great as you affirm it is whether must be in fault the King or those men that prest him to that extremity that he was only left to choose whether he would drown or take hold of a brier to save himselfe whether he would utterly abandon his interest in all his Kingdoms to those that were rebells against his person his posterity and Kingly power or by giving the Irish whose rebellion could in the nature of it beare nothing so ill a Construction those not much unreasonable conditions they so positively insisted upon repossesse himselfe of one of his three Kingdoms again and therby becom enabled to dispute for the other two Thus far have I discoursed for the satisfaction of other men with your selfe I might deale more breifly and tell you it is grosse hipocrisy for you to pretend so much sollicitude for the security and advantage of the protestant religion on this side and yet can find them both sufficiently provided for by an army of Sectaries on the other side without any protestant superiour to moderate them as these have that have not only quite puld down the whole building of that Religion but almost leveld the walls of Christianitie it selfe by providing a libertie for all opinions and religions in the world the Catholique and protestant alone excepted because they conceive them forsooth to be more destructive to the great ends of their republique then any other the first as being too Monarchique too full of Majesty pleading prescription amongst Christians with too much authority and therefore likely to gain overmuch ground upon them in a time when all order religion were of the hinges the people so much at a gaze and the second as being for decency order not only overpopish but also from its birth too much interwouen with the interests of this Crown and royal familie Can any thing be more ridiculous then that you who derive your power from the Commanders and Commissioners of this army of saints and who are by your Commission if I be not mistaken incorporated into it having likewise set aside the profession and exercise of this protestant religion misconceive me not that Religion which for near a Century of yeares hath been practised established in the church of England accommodated your selfe clearly to Mr. Cromwells Cut though such a one as you or scarce himselfe if Cathechized can give an account either of the tenents or constitutions of should becom so great a patron of and so much concerned in the interests of a religion that either out of Change of judgment or out of endes no matter which in this case is abandoned by your selfe already After the protestant religion comes the English interest a consideration indeed if urged to a person whose trust from and concernment in it were somwhat lesse then my Lord Lieutenants fit for you that are of English blood and whose sword pen are both by nature and the lawes obliged to the service of that crowne in which onely and the