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
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
cannot be far from 〈◊〉 where Vice is Patroniz'd and Antrim a Rebel upon Record and so lately and clearly proved one should have no other Colour for his Actions but the King 's own Letter which takes off all Imputations from Antrim and lays them totally upon his own Father Sir I shall by the next if possible send you over one of our Briefs against my Lord by some Friend It 's too large for a Pacquet it being no less in Bulk than a Book of Martyrs Well might the Irish decline their Tryals by indifferent Juries and Appeal to this Court of Claims which the Lord Chief Justice Santry declared was like the Usurpers High Court of Justice Arbitrary and Unlimited and the English complained that the Natives by this Illegal Court were made Innocent though they were known to be deeply concerned in the Rebellion for that it was beyond all peradventure that not 10 of the Irish Papists were free from Rebellion and Murther and most of them stood Indicted and Outlawed for Treason and therefore dispaired upon their Tryal at the Bar to make any considerable defence Upon this a New Act was prepared to explain the former But Talbot after Tyrconnel being made a Principal Agent for the Irish and they insinuating themselves into the favour of Rainsford afterward made a Judge in England for his good Services in Ireland and the Commissioners of the Court of Claims it so fell out that though it was believed upon the Kings Restoration there could not have been the twentieth part of Ireland gained from the English Yet by Recommendatory Letters and other Stratagems of the Court in England there was almost an half of the Kingdom in value lost and at the same time the most Innocent Irish lost their Estates and the greatest Rebels got twice more than they had before the Rebellion began to such a height was Popery already grown which so far incouraged the Irish that they often told the English that in a short time the Protestants must be all of their Religion In 1669. The Lord Roberts was made Lord Lieutenant of Ireland but soon recalled and John Lord Berkley was sent in his Room In 1670. The Papists set up a pretence that the King when in Exile had ingaged to the French King to restore the Irish to their Religion and Estates which not being done might occasion a Breach with that Crown Whereupon Commissions were sent to Irish Papists to make them Justices of Peace in which Office they soon discovered themselves to be so partial and insolent that their proceedings were abhor'd not only by the Protestants but the most thinking Irish After this there was a design for Regulating the Corporations of Ireland and the Popish Party began with Dublin where without any Legal proceeding or pretence 7 of the Aldermen and Sir William Davis the Recorder who were opposite to the Romish Party were turned out in a Tumultuous Irregular manner and 7 of the Rabble put in their places and Sir Ellis Leaton the Lord Lieutenants Secretary was made Recorder and Papists were daily brought into the Common Council to the great Terror of the Citizens who plainly perceived that the design was apparently level'd at the Foundation of the Protestant Interest and Religion and for introducing Popery and Arbitrary Power In which Opinion they were confirmed by some Passages that happened about the same time Particularly that Talbot the Popish Archbishop of Dublin in 1672. Desiring of the Lord Lieutenant to borrow the Hangings of the Castle Silver Candlesticks and other Plate to the use at High-â—â—â—ss they were sent by Sir Ellis Leaton with this Complement that he hoped to have High Mass by Christmas at Christ-Church To effect which soon after an horrid Plot was discovered whereby all the Protestants were to have been barbarously Murthered and the Signal appointed to Distinguish the Irish from the Hereticks was a Cross of Straw which the Priests earnestly enjoyned every one to fix over their Doors telling them the omission thereof might be their Ruine for where the Cross were not found they would be destroyed as Hereticks But this Horrid Conspiracy being happily Discovered upon Search small Crosses of Straw not easily perceived were found on the Houses of most of the Irish in the Province of Munster But the Government of Ireland was at that time so Popishly inclined that they would not incourage the further Discovery thereof and those that appeared earnest in laying it open had their Cattel stole and were threatned to have their Houses burnt so that the whole Villainy was husht up in silence In 3673. The Earl of Essex was made Lord Lieutenant of Ireland the proceedings in the former year being thought by Courts of England too bare-faced This worthy and prudent Governor managed Affairs with so much skill and integrity that the Papists could hope for no Advantage whilst he held the Sword therefore one Sheredon and Edward Coleman were thought fit Instruments to imbarrass Affairs and manage the Catholick Interest but by the unparallel'd Conduct of this prudent Earl he so far outvy'd the Romish Politicks as to Cajole that Party into an approbation of those Proceedings which proved fatally Destructive to their designs of which at length the D. of York was so sensible that he became his inveterate enemy and set up private designs against him and at length prevailed to have him recalled and in 1677. the Duke of Ormond was again sent Lord Lieutenant thither This year the Papists set up another Project which was that the French should make some new Demands for the Irish upon pretence of the Articles made by King Charles 〈◊〉 in their favour and the King of England was to admit the French to Land Men The Earl of Tyrone the Lord Brâ—â—as and others were also to raise Men in Ireland in order to make a diversion to the putting the Popish Plot in force in England and an Insurrection was designed at the same time in Ireland the King was unacquainted with the chief part of the contrivance the Duke of York having undertaken to qualifie him if he should hear of the Irish Intreague but this was divulged by some of the Irish and the King was hardly prevailed with not to believe it at length the King and Council fearing some danger from Ireland the Duke of Ormond was sent thither and the Duke of York did not think it seasonable to oppose it but yet prevailed so powerfully with the King that he sent Orders for raising Men in Ireland upon pretence of Forreign Service they were all Papists except some Officers who were ready to be so but the Lord Lieutenant would not deliver them Arms so they were exercised with Sticks The next year 1678 the Popish Plot was discovered in England and soon after that in Ireland which was detected by those of their own Party and Religion not one Protestant appearing as evidence against them Upon which Orders came from England for Disarming all Papists but their Friends at
Court had given them timely notice to conceal them so that not above 150 Arms were found among all the Papists in Ireland they hiding them in Boggs and other secret places without any Damage the Lord Brittas and others escaped into France the Earl of Tyrone was committed to the Gate-House Talbot since Tyrconnel with his Brother the Popish Archbishop were imprisoned in Dublin Castle where the last dyed The Duke of York was sent to Flanders and all things appeareâ—â— so discouraging that an Irish Lord swore a greaâ—â— Oath that he believed Jesus Christ was a Protestant for that nothing they could do did prosper The Parliament of England were very busie in searching into the bottom of the Popish Conspiracy and found many Great Persons concerned therein several Papists were executed for the same but still the Court endeavoured by all manner of Arts to obstruct any further Discoveries the Duke of Yorks Interest still prevailing who was come from Flanders but upon the sitting of the Parliament was obliged to go to Scotland from whence he sent private Encouragements to the Irish Papists not to despair of retrieving all again But the English there were very secure as judging themselves happy under the peaceable Government of the D. of Ormond and their Interest in Ireland seemed more firm than ever because they were of Opinion that this late Conspiracy of the Irish would prevent the Kings shewing them any kindness for the future the Lord Lieutenant likewise procured a Grant for calling a Parliament there the News whereof so alarm'd the Duke of York that he came with all speed from Scotland to prevent it which he likewise effected and the Irish afterward boldly affirmed That there would be no Parliament till the Duke came to the Crown which they seemed to believe would be very shortly and accordingly the Death of King Charles the II. happened in February 1684. following which still remains a Mystery though the Papists in Ireland for some time before could fix upon the utmost period of his Life And now the long looken for day was come which so Transported them after all the Dangers and Difficulties they had met with that they could hardly contain their joys within any bounds So soon as King Charles II. was Dead the Duke of Ormond was removed from the Government of Ireland and upon his Arrival in England found King James inclined to such violent Courses as it is thought broke his Heart he dying soon after Before his going he called his Officers of his Army together and taking a glass of Wine in his Hand Look here Gentlemen says he they say at Court I am now become an old Doting Fool you see my Hand doth not shake nor does my Heart fail nor doubt I but I shall make some of them see their mistake The Lord Primate and the Lord Granard were now made Lords Justices of Ireland but the dayly reported insolencies of their Irish Nobility and Gentry as well as the Commonalty soon made them weary of their Government For they repaired in great Numbers to Dublin and in all places reproached and abused the English with the most impious Calumnies and Reflections and those that refused to drink Confusion to all Protestants and their Religion were seised with Warrants and threatned to be Murthered The Defeat of the Duke of Monmouth in 1685. heightned their Rage more and made them Contrive Hellish Plots against the Lives and Estates of the Protestants under the pretence that they designed to Massacre the Irish though they themselves knew too well that such an Horrid Attempt was as impossible as Ridiculous if any should have been so Villainous to have contrived it since in the most parts of the Kingdom the Irish were vastly more numerous than the English nay in some Countries an 100 Families for one After this Tyrconnel began to Model the Army and Disarm the Protestants upon pretence that Monmoths Rebellion had infected many aad might delude more in that Kingdom and the Irish declared that if any Arms were found in the Protestants Hands they would be judged Persons Disaffected to the King and his Government which so affrighted many that they brought in their own Arms and delivered them up to the Papists After which Tyrconnel went to England accompanyed with one Neagle a cunning Irish Lawyer who published an account of the injustice of the Act of Settlement reflecting with all manner of Invectives against King Charles II. But matters being not ripe enough in England King James did not think it convenient to propose Tyrconnel for Lord Lieutenant at present and therefore it was contrived by the Popish Cabal that the Earl of Clarendon should go over Lord Lieutenant and Tyrconnel Lieutenant General of the Army When the Earl arrived there the English were much Discouraged because of his Relation to the King but their Hopes were extreamly revived when they found him acting with inviolable Integrity to the Protestant The Irish Grandees were very little concern'd at it proceeding still with all violence in ruining the Protestants Interest and animating their vassals with hopes that he would soon be removed the Irish Composing Barbarous Songs in praise of Tyrconnel and that his Heroick Hand should Destroy the English Church They declared publickly That they liked no Government but that of France and that they would make King James as Absolute as King Lewis that they would shortly have the English Churches and Houses and if they suffered them to live would make them Hewers of Wood and Drawers of Water That Ireland must be a Catholick Country and that they would make the English as poor Devils as when they came first thither And of this they were so confident that the most Serious amongst them privately advised their Protestant Friends to change their Religion For said they you will be forced to do it in a while and if you delay a little time it may be too late and perhaps you may not be accepted for no Protestant must expect to enjoy any thing in this Kingdom and we resolve to reduce all things to the State they were in before Poinings Act in King Henry 7 time Yea King James himself and his followers use to say That the Irish must be restored to their former Power Estates and Religion in that Kingdom and when the English Objected that their proceedings were Arbitrary and against Law they called them Traytors Crying Damn your Laws it is the Kings Pleasure it should be so and you are all a company of Rebels because you are not of the Kings Religion and will not own his Will and Pleasure to be above all Laws But the English Roman Catholicks were not so confident of their Game so that a general meeting of the chief of them at the Savoy before Father Peters they seemed very doubtful of the Kings Capacity or willingness to expose himself to the hazard of securing the Catholick Religion in his Reign considering his Age and the almost insurmountable difficulties
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
E. of Londonderry Feilding E. of Desmond Brabason E. of Meath Barry E. of Barrymore Vaugham E. of Carbury Plunkett E. of Fingale Chichester E. of Donnegall Lambert E. of Cavan O Bryan E. of Insiquin Macarty E. of Clancarty Boyle E. of Orrery Coote E. of Montrath Moore E. of Drogheda Talbot E. of Waterford and Wexford Montgomery E. of Montalexander Palmer E. of Castlemaine Taaffe E. of Carlingford Power E. of Tyrone Jones E. of Rarelagh Aungier E. of Longford Forbes E. of Granard Dungan E. of Lymerick Coote E. of Eally more Ginkell E. of Athlone VISCOVNTS Preston Visc Gormanston Roch. Visc Fermoy Butler Visc Mountgarret Villiers Visc Grandison Annesly Visc Valentia Dillon Visc Costello and Gallen Netterville Visc Dowth Loftus Visc Ely Beaumont Visc Swords Magennis Visc Iveagh Needham Visc Kilmurry Sarsfield Visc Kilmallock Burk Visc Mayo Sanderson Visc Castlelown Chaworth Visc Armagh Scudamore Visc Sligoe Lumly Visc Waterford Smith Visc Strangford Wenman Visc Tuam Molineux V. Maryborough Fairfax Visc Emmly Butler Vis Kerrine Fitz-Will Visc Merryon O Dempsey V. Glenmalier Cockaine Visc Cullen Tracey Visc Rathcoole Smith Visc Carrington of Barrefore Bulkley Visc Cashell Brounker Vis Lyons Ogle Vis Catherlogh Butler Vis Galmoy Barnewall Vis Kingsland Boyle Vis Shannon Skevington Vis Massereene Chalmondly Vis Kells Fanshaw Vis Dromore O Bryan Vis Clare Trevor Vis Dungannon Boyle Vis Dungarven Berkely Vis Fitzharding of Beerhaven Caulfield Vis Charlemont Wingfield V. Powerscourt Boyle Vis Blessington Lane Vis Lanesborough Dawney Vis Down Parsons Vis Ross Steward Vis Monjoy Loftus V. Lisburne Extinct Bourke Vis Galway Brown Vis Kenmare Mc. Carty V. Mountcashell Chievers Vis M. Leinster BARONS Bermingham B of Athenry Coursey B. of Kingsale Fitz-Morris Bâ— of Kerry and Lixnow Flemin Baron of Slane St. Lawrence B. of Howth Barnewall B. of Trunleston Plunkett B. of Dunsany Butler B. of Dunboyne Fitz-patrick Ba. of Upper-Ossory Plunkett Baron of Lowth Burke B. of Castle-Connell Butler Baron of Cahir Burk Baron of Brittas Steward Baron of Castle-Steward Extinct Foliot B. of Bollyshannon Maynard B. of Wicklo George Ba. of Dundalk Digby Baron of Geashill Fitx-Williams B. of Lifford Blaney B. of Monaghan Malone B. of Glenmallum and Courchy Herbert B. of Castle Island Calvert B. of Baltimore Brereton B. of Loughlin Hare B. of Coleraine Sherard B. of Leitrim Magwive B. of Inniskilling Hamilton B. of Strabane Hawley B. of Ducannon Arrington B. of Killard King Baron of Kingston Barry Baron of Santry Annesly B. of Altham Bellow B. of Duleck Petty B. of Shelborne Fitton B. of Gawsworth Bourk B. of Bophin Nugent Ba. of Riverston Cutts B. of Gowran Coninges by B. of Clanbrazil Archbishops in Ireland 4. 1 Armagh 2 Dublin 3 Cashels 4 Tuam Bishopricks 18. 1 Mtath 2 Kildare 3 Waterford 4 Clowfert 5 Elphin 6 Fernes and Lagin 7 Clogher 8 Dromore 9 Ossory 10 Derry 11 Down 12 Killallow 13 Cork 14 Lymerick 15 Cloine 16 Killalla 17 Rapho 18 Kilmore University 1. Dublin There are 32 Counties in Ireland out of which are returned in all 275 Parliament men A Catalogue of all the Lord Lieutenants Lord Deputies and Lord Justices of Ireland from 1603. 1603 Sir George Carie Treasurer Deputy 1604 Arthur Chichester Lord Belfast Deputy 1613 Tho. Jones Lord Archbish of Dublin Justices 1613 Sir Rich. Wingfield Justices 1614 Lord Belfast L. Deputy 1615 Lord Archbishop of Dublin Justices 1615 Sir John Denham Justices 1616 Sir Oâ—iver St. John L. Deputy 1622 Adam Lostus V Ely Justices 1622 Rich. Wingfield V. Poyerscourt Justices 1622 Henry Cary V. Falkland L. Deputy 1629 Adam Loftus V. Ely Justice 1629 Richard Boyl E. of Cork Justice 1633 Thomas V. Wentworth L. Deputy 1636 Adam Loftus V. Ely Justices 1636 Ch. Wandsworth Esq Mr. of the Rolls Justices 1636 Thomas V. Wentworth Lieutenant 1639 Rob Dillon L. Kilkenny West Justices 1639 Charles Wandesford Esq Justices 1640 Tho Wentworth Earl of Strafford Lieutenant 1640 Charles Wandsworth Master of Rolls Deputy 1641 Sir William Parsons Justices 1641 Sir John Burlace Mr. of the Ordinance Justices 1642 Sir John Burlace Justices 1642 Sir Henry Tichburn Justices 1643 James Butler Marq Ormond Lieutenant 1654 Charles Fleetwood Deputy 1655 Henry Cromwell Lieutenant 1659 Chancellor Steel Justices 1659 Chancellor Baron Corbet Justices 1660 Maurice Eustace Lord Chancellor Justices 1660 Roger Earl of Orrery Justices 1660 Charles Earl of Montrath Justices 1662 James Butler D. of Ormond Lieutenant 1663 Thomas Earl of Ossory Deputy 1665 Duke of Ormond Lieutenant 1668 Earl of Ossory Deputy 1669 John Lord Roberts Lieutenant 1670 John Lord Berkley Deputy 1671 Lord Arch. B. of Dublin Justices 1671 Sir Arthur Forbes Justices 1671 John Lord Berkley Lieutenant 1672 Henry Capel E. Essex Lieutenant 1678 Duke of Ormond Lieutenant 1684 Lord Primate Justices 1684 Lord Grannard Justices 1685 E. of Clarendon Lieutenant 1686 E. of Trrconnel Lieutenant 1690 Lord Viscount Sydney Justices 1690 Tho Coningsby Esq Justices 1692. Lord Viscount Sydney Lieutenant A Catalogue of Books Printed for N. Crouch at the Bell in the Poultrey near Cheapside I. THe History of the House of Orange or a Brief Relation of the Glorious and Magnanimous Atchievements of His Majesties Renowned Predecessors and likewise of His own Heroick Actions till the Late Wonderful Revolution Together with the History of King William and Queen Mary c. Being an Impartial Account of the most Remarkable Passages and Transactions in these Kingdoms from their Majesties Happy Accession to the Throne to this time By R. B. Price One Shilling II. THE History of the two late Kings Charles the II. and James the Second being an Impartial account of the most remarkable Transactions and observable passages during their Reigns and the secret French and Popish Intrigues and Designs managed in those Times Together with a Relation of the happy Revolution and the Accession of Their present Majesties to the Throne Feb. 13. 1689. P. 1 s. III. THe History of Oliver Cromwel being an Impartial Account of all the Battels Sieges and other Military Archievements wherein he was ingaged in England Scotland and Ireland and likewise of his Civil Administrations while he had the Supream Government till his Death Relating only matters of Fact without Reflection or Observaion By R. B.P. 1 s. IV. HIstorical Remarks and Observations of the Antient and Present State of London and Westminster shewing the Foundations Walls Gates Towers Bridges Churches Rivers Wards Halls Companies Government Courts Hospitals Schools Inns of Courts Charters Franchises and Priviledges thereof with the most remarkable Accidents as to Wars Fires Plagues and other occurrences for above 90 years past Pr. 1 s. V. ADmirable Curiosities Rarities and Wonders in England Scotland and Ireland or an account of many remarkable persons and places and likewise of the Battles Seiges prodigious Earthquakes Tempests Inundations Thunders Lightnings Fires Murders and other Accidents for many hundred years past Together with the natural and artificial Raritie in every County in England with several
to rouse them out to weed them not to rake them over not to tread them down but utterly to root them up this lesson the Tyrant himself taught me for demanding once of him by way of Parable how Land might be freed from certain ravenous Fowls that annoyed it he advised us to watch where they bred and fire their Nests about their Ears let us go then and fall upon these Cormorants which shrowd themselves in our possessions and let us destroy them that neither nest nor root neither seed nor stalk neither branch nor stump remain of this cursed and ungracious Generation He had scarce ended his Oration when the People with shouts of Joy extolled him as the Defender of their Lives and Liberties assuring him of their utmost assistance and so joining their Forces they with a running Camp in a very short time cleared every corner of the 〈◊〉 of the Norwegians razing their Castles to 〈…〉 killing all that resisted and banishing 〈…〉 whereby every Prince again recovered his own Government The Histories of Denmark relate that some time before this Fridlenus King of the Danes arriving in Ireland besieged Dublin but perceiving it hard to take by reason of the strength of the Walls he contrived to catch a number of Swallows who had their Nests in the Houses within the City and tying Wildfire to their feet they flying home set the Houses on Fire which whilst the Citizens endeavoured to quench they entred the City after which Gonno the third King of Denmark though a Pagan Married Thyra Daughter to the Christian King Etheldred of Brittain by whom he had two Sons Canute and Harold who first invaded England and then Ireland where at the Siege of Dublin Canute was slain who for his Valour was so extreamly beloved by his Father that he vowed to kill him with his own hands who should bring him Tydings of his Death Gonno was now very old and blind pleasing himself in nothing more than hearing of the Victories of his Sons when therefore Q. Thyra had notice of her Sons Death which neither she nor any other durst discover to him she contrived to clothe her Husband all in Mourning and prepared all other things usual at a Funeral and then used many lamentable expressions of grief for the loss of some Friend which Gonno perceiving wo is me said he you then fignifie the Death of my Son Canute whereunto she answered that he himself and not she had now discovered the Truth whereupon for grief thereof he instantly gave up the Ghost We find little material in the Irish Chronicles from this time till the Conquest thereof by King Henry the Second which how it was occasioned I shall now relate In the year 1167. Dermot Macmur King of Leinster possessed all the East parts of the Isle along the Seacoasts using great cruelty toward the Lords and Gentry it happened that Morrice King of Meath going far into the Country Dermot in the mean time stole away his Queen by her consent which Morrice upon his return resolving to revenge represented it to Roderick O Conor King of Connaught and Monarch of all Ireland beseeching his assistance against the vile Adulterer the People of Leinster detesting both Dermot and his quarrel for his former Tyrannies universally forlook him so that he was forced to fly to King Henry the Second for succour who was then imployed in his Wars in France Henry had before cast an eye upon Ireland because they always assisted the French with men and Adrian an Englishman being now Pope he obtained his consent for the Conquest thereof upon condition of reducing the Inhabitants to Christianity who were almost turn'd barbarous at this very time Dermot offered him his service of which he was very joyful but having Wars with France he had not opportunity to go with him and therefore taking an Oath of Fidelity and Obedience from him he took him into his Protection and for his more speedy assistance sent him into England honourably attended with Letters Patents to this effect ' Henry King of England Duke of Normandy and Aquitain and Earl of Anjou to all our Faithful Subjects Englishmen Normans Welchmen and Scots and to all other Nations whatsoever subject to our Dominion fendeth Greeting When these Letters shall come to your hands know ye that we have received Dermot Prince of Leinster into the bosom of our Grace and Benevolence wherefore whosoever of our loving Subjects within our Dominions will aid assist and restore him as our Leige-man and Faithful Subject be you assured that you have not only our license but shall receive our favour and thanks for the same with these Letters he arrived at Bristow where he agreed with Richard Strongbow Earl of Pembroke to give him his only Daughter in Marriage for which the Earl was the next Spring to settle him in his Kingdom which was to descend to him in right of his Wife after Dermots decease in the mean time Robert Fitz Stephens and Maurice Fitz-Gerald his Brother Gentlemen of Wales promised Dermot that if he would assure them an Estate in the Town of Wexford for ever they would assist him to begin the recovery of his Country while the Earl of Pembroke was providing stronger Forces and accordingly Dermot going over privately before they with Thirty Knights Sixty Esquires and Three Hundred Archers landed in Ireland being the first Englishmen that ever came thither and marching toward Wexford Dormet met with them with five Hundred Men and joining their Forces they soon took the Town of Wexford which was freely given to Fitz Stephens according to their Covenant and their Army daily increasing they prevailed so much that Roderick the Monarch assembled all the Petty Kings to defend their Country at length an Agreement was made whereby Dermot was restored to his former Estate and more Forces arriving from England Dermot incouraged thereby resolved to be revenged of those of Dublin who had been great Enemies to him and his Father and marching thither they soon submitted themselves to him Now arrived the Earl of Pembroke with a considerable aid wherewith he made such notable Conquests that King Henry growing jealous of his greatness sent an Edict to recal all the English out of Ireland but the troubles raised by Thomas Becket Arch-bishop of Canterbury hindred the Prosecution thereof Pembroke was then in Dublin where he was closely besieged by the Irish under Roderick Dermot dying some time before and was at last reduced to such extremity that they resolved to Sally forth and dye like men rather than starve and so issuing out with not above two or three hundred men they valiantly assaulted their Enemies Camp consisting of near Thirty Thousand with so much resolution that with great slaughter of them they obtained a Glorious Victory chasing their Enemies till night came on and then returning Triumphantly with abundance of Provisions and Rich Spoil into the City Roderick himself hardly escaping with his Life after which the Earl of
not but we shall return home safe at Night and Banquet merrily upon our own Provisions Which happened accordingly for falling upon them they in a short time cut off three thousand Irish-men and returned triumphantly home In 1394. King Richard the Second being much grieved for the Death of his beloved Queen Ann not able to endure his Chambers of State without Tears passed over into Ireland to divert himself where divers Princes renewed their Homage to him In 1398. the Irish Rebelling Roger Mortimer Earl of March the Kings Lieutenant was slain with divers other Persons of Quality to Revenge which King Richard again sailed to Ireland and had several successful Skirmishes against them killing at one time two hundred of the Rebels and many more afterward and then going to Dublin he continued there some time divers Lords and Princes submitting themselves and were received very courteously by him During his stay here he had intelligence that Henry Duke of Lancaster his Uncle whom he had lately Banished was returned into England designing to deprive him of his Crown whereupon he committed the Dukes Son and the Duke of Glocesters Son both then in Ireland Prisoners to the Castle of Trim and then imbarquing arrived in Wales where he found such weak assistance that at length he fell into his Adversaries Hands and was Deposed by Authority of Parliament the Duke of Lancaster being admitted to Reign in his stead by the Name of Henry the Fourth In whose Second year Sir Stephen Scroop was made Lieutenant who was much exclaimed against by the People for his former Violences and Extortions under King Richard upon which his Lady assured him she would no longer continue with him there unless he took a Solemn Oath upon a Bible not knowingly or willingly to wrong any Christian Creature in that Kingâ—om and to repair all the wrongs he had done she hâ—â—ing made such a Vow to Christ that unless this were performed she could not live with him without peril of her Soul Her Husband consented hereto and became afterwards as Famous for Justice as he had been before Infamous for Oppression In the Reign of King Henry 5. 1420. James Butler Earl of Ormond being Lieutenant some of the Irish Lords making Insurrections the Earl fought with them in the red Moor of Athy where saith my Author the Sun being almost down miraculously stood still for three hours till the Irish who were commanded by Omore and his Terrible Army were utterly vanquished with the loss of a very few English neither did the bog or quagmire indamage either Horse or Man of Ormonds party till the feat was accomplished but continued firm like other ground In King Henry the Sixths Reign Richard Duke of York Father to Edward the fourth was Lieutenant his second Son George after Duke of Clarence being born in the Castle of Dublin The Earl of Desmond was Deputy in Edward the fourths time who speaking Disgracefully of the Kings marrying the Lady Elizabeth Gray she carried his Government in Ireland to be examined and for misdemeanours therein he was Condemned and Beheaded at Tredagh Girald Earl of Kildare was Deputy in Henry the Sevenths time to whom Richard Symonds a subtle Priest applyed himself bringing to him a young lad his Scholar named Lambert whom he affirmed to be the Son of George Earl of Clarence lately escaped out of the Tower of London the Youth had been so well Tutored and acted the part of a Prince so Gracefully that the Earl of Kildare and many others of the Nobility espoused his quarrel and Crowned him King in Dablin with much Joy and Triumph and then raising Forces they Imbarqued for England and Landed in Lancashire but were Defeated by King Henry's Army and Lambert taken but pardoned for Life In 1460. The Dutchess of Burgundy raised another Spirit or Illusion one Perkin Warbeck whom she sent into Ireland assuring the Lords that he was the youngest Son of King Edward the Fourth named Richard who had been strangely preserved from the Cruelty of his Uncle Crook-back but he being taken Prisoner confessed the whole Imposture In King Henry the 8ths time the Earl of Kildare was continued Deputy a plain open-hearted man very passionate and soon appeased Being once in a great Rage with his Servants one of his Esquires offered Mr. Boyce a Gentleman retainer an Irish Hobby upon Condition he would just then pluck an hair from the Earls Beard Mr. Boice took him at his word and knowing the Earls good Nature stept to him and acquainted him with the business Well said the Earl I am content but if thou pluck above one Hair I shall reach thee a sound Box on the Ear. Being accused before Henry the Seventh for burning the Cathedral of Cashels and many Witnesses appearing to justifie it he suddenly confest the Fact to the Wonder and Detestation of those present who admiring how he would come off By Jesus says he I would never have done it had I not been told that the Arch-bishop was within it Now he being there present and principal Accuser the King Laughed at the plainness of the man that he should alledge that for an Excuse which was the greatest Aggravation of his offence Lastly they sum'd up all in this Article Finally all Ireland cannot rule this Earl No quoth the King then in good Faith he shall Rule all Ireland and thereupon constituted him Deputy In 1521. Thomas Howard Earl of Surrey after Duke of Norfolk was made Lord Lieutenant and the Earl of Kildare was by the Contrivance of his Enemies summoned over into England to answer several Accusations against him and being brought before the Council the proud Cardinal Wolsey then Lord Chancellor charged him with several Misdemeanours as holding Correspondence with the Irish Rebels especially the Earl of Desmond his Kinsman who had been Treating with the French and Emperor about invading the Island and not seizing him when in his power with divers other Crimes using these Expressions to Kildare among others Surely this jugling and false play becomes neither a man of Honesty nor Honour had you but lost a Horse or a Cow two hundred of your Retainers had come at your whistle to rescue the Prey even from the uttermost parts of Ulster all the Irish in the Country must have fled before you but in pursuing so great an Enemy as Desmond merciful God! How nice how fearful how backward have you been One while he is from home another time he keeps close home sometimes he is fled sometimes on the Borders where you dare not venture I find my Lord there are dreadful Bugbears on the Borders which affright the Earl of Kidare Earl nay King of Kildare for when you please you can command like an Emperour where you are malicious the most Loyal Subjects are accounted Irish Enemies and where you plead an Irish Rebel shall pass for a dutiful Subject Hearts and Hands Lives and Fortunes lye all at your pleasure and those that do not fawn upon you
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
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
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
their Petition to him Asserted That the King by taking notice of a Bill while in Debate in the House of Lords had broken the Fundamental Priviledge of Parliament which he ought not to do concerning any Bill till it be presented to him in due course of Parliament and desired Reparation They then desired that an Army of Scots should be sent thither and that they should have the keeping of the Town and Castle of Carick-fergus but the King said that he doubted this might be to the Damage of England The Scots Commissioners replyed That they were sorry his Majesty being their Native King should repose less Trust in them than their Naighbouring Nation had freely done So that at length this was granted It was thought to be the most Feasible way for Reducing Ireland that proportions of Land there should be shared among English Adventurers proportional to those Sums of Money they should Subscribe that so whosoever in Person or Purse should assist in Conquering the Bloody Rebels might be Recompensed if the Work were done and Propositions were framed in Parliament to that purpose which the King confirmed Though at first he laught at them and was heard to say That they were like to him who Sold the Bears Skin before the Bear was killed At length an Act was passed for impowring the Parliament to carry on that War till Ireland should be declared wholy Subdued and that no Peace nor Cessation of Arms should ever be made with the Rebels without consent of both Houses of Parliament The King then offered to go in Person thither but the Parliament thought it not fit to hazard his Person in such an Expedition The Queen about February went to Holland carrying with her most of the Crown Jewels which she had pledged for Money and Arms for the King her Husband and for which she was afterwards voted a Traytor by the Parliament the King having taken leave of her at Dover went with the Prince and Duke of York to Theobalds and from thence to Newmarket where both Houses Presented him a Declaration sent by two Lords in which they Repeat the old Grievances the War of Scotland the Rebellion in Ireland his entring the House of Commons his causless fear of Residing near London to the perplexing of the Kingdom the hindring the Relief of Ireland and incouraging the ill affected Party in the Kingdom To which the King answered with great Indignation extenuating some things and excusing others accusing them for raising needless Fears and Jealousies After which the King passed farther North to York upon which the Parliament voted That the Kings Absence so far Remote from his Parliament is not only an Obstruction but may be a Destruction to the Affairs of Ireland That when the Lords and Commons in Parliament shall declare what the Law of the Land is to have this not only questioned and controverted but contradicted and a command that it should not be obeyed is an High Breach of the Priviledge of Parliament That they which advise the K. to absent himself from his Parliament are Enemies to the Peace of this Kingdom and justly to be suspected as Favourers of the Rebellion in Ireland From York the King sent a Message to the Parliament April 8. 1642. That he would go in Person over to Ireland against those Bloody Rebels and intended to raise a Guard for his Person in Cheshire to carry thither of 2000 Foot and 100 Horse whom he would Arm from his Magazine of Hull But the Parliament having Intimation that the K. designed to Seise that Magazine to Arm himself against them sent Sir John Hotham thither who refused to admit him Entrance upon which the K. Proclaimed him Traytor and complained to the Parliament of the Affront who endeavoured to appease him but justified Hothams Act and declared that the Proclaiming him Traytor without process of Law was against the Liberty of the Subject and Laws of the Land The King daily Summoned the Gentry of the Northern Counties to attend him all York as a Guard for his Person which he declared was in danger from the Parliament who thereupon declared That it appears that the King Seduced by wicked Counsel intends to make a War against the Parliament who in all their Consultations and Actions have proposed no other end to themselves but the Care of his Kingdoms and the performance of all Duty and Loyalty to his Person That whensoever the King maketh War upon the Parliament it is a breach of the Trust Reposed in him by his People contrary to his Oath and tending to the Dissolution of the Government That whosoever shall Serve and Assist him in such Wars are Traytors by the Fundamental Laws of this Kingdom and have been so adjudged by two Acts of Parliament 11 Rich. II. and 1 Henry IV. and that such Persons ought to suffer as Traytors the King Justified himself in his Declarations and Proclamations against the Parliament which daily encountred each other So that all things tended to an absolute Rupture and presaged the Calamities of the Civil War which soon after followed For both sides flying to Arms and the Nation being divided into Parties several bloody Battels were fought and the whole Kingdom was in a Flame In 1643. The Parliament of England invited the Scots to come in to their Assistance with an Army of 21000. Horse and Foot ingaging to pay them an Hundred Thousand pound towards the Charge of Raising them On the other side the King to withdraw the Protestant Army out of Ireland for Aiding him against the Scots concluded a Cessation of Arms for a year with those Rebels and 3000 of the English Army were Imbarqued from thence to joyn with the King This Cessation was much complained of by the Parliament since it was not only for the benefit of the Irish Rebels who gave him 3000 l. for the Favour but also directly contrary to the Act which the King hath lately Signed That no Cessation should be made without the consent of both Houses Thus was Assistance brought to either side and that English Army which for almost a year had fought Valiantly and Victoriously against those Rebels was now brought over to fight against the Parliament of England The War still continued with much Vigor and great Slaughter was made throughout the Kingdom yet in the midst thereof some Glimmerings of Peace began to appear for in 1644. Conditions were proposed both by the King and Parliament and a Treaty began at Uxbridge between Commissioners from both Parties during which the care of the War was not neglected on either side the King endeavouring to bring over some Forces from the Duke of Lorrain and some Irish to his Assistance and by his Letters to the Lord Lieutenant to make a Peace with the Rebels or at least to continue the Cessation for a year and to promise and grant them the free Exercise of the Romish Religion assuring them that if by their Assistance he could but finish his War in
England he would Abrogate those Laws made against the Papists there He gave thanks likewise to Muskeny Plumket and others of that party promising a Pardon for all that was past But they were much troubled at the Treaty of Peace with the Parliament being sensible that one necessary condition thereof must be the Vigorous Prosecution of the War in Ireland The King to remove this fear writ to the Lord Lieutenant that he could not refuse to make a Peace with his Parliament only upon the account of those Irish it being a point not Popular Yet from that consideration the Lieutenant might raise an Advantage to hasten a Peace with them it letting them know their own Danger by being Excluded from all Hope of Pardon from the Parliament For saith he if we agree upon all other conditions it will not be convenient for me to disagree only concerning those Irish Therefore let them take what I offer while time is and hasten the Peace and when once my Faith is passed no Human force shall make me break it The Queen also being then in France writing to her Husband seemed to grieve much that at Uxbridge they were to Treat of Religion in the first place assuring him That if any thing severe against the Catholicks should be concluded and yet a â—eace not be made the King could not hope for any Assistance from the Catholick Princes or from the Irish who must needs think that after they had done their best they should at last be forsaken And often intreats the King that he would never forsake the Catholicks who had faithfully served him in the Wars c. The Commissioners met at Uxbridge but nothing at all was concluded at that Treaty so that the War must decide it in pursuance whereof both Parties strengthen themselves with fresh Forces and the Kings Army was very formidable but not content with so great a power of English Souldiers he seemed more earnest than before to get over the Irish he had committed the Business to Ormond to make an Absolute Peace but perceiving their Demands were too High so that nothing was effected he now imployed the Earl of Clamorgan Son to the Marquess of Worcester a zealous Papist and therefore more acceptable with the Rebels giving him full power to make a Peace and indulge to the Irish whatever might seem needful and this was Transacted so secretly that both the Lord Lieutenant Ormond and the Lord Digby Secretary of Ireland were ignorant thereof till it was afterward Discovered and made publick But the King finding it difficult to make such a Peace as would bring him certain Assistance otherwise that he might throw all that Envy upon Glamorgan impowred him unknown to the rest For so the Rebels sweetned with large promises unknown to Ormond might the better admit of Conditions just in shew and openly excusable and the King might draw from Ireland such Souldiers as would more firmly adhere to his side and whom he might trust as being the greatest haters of the English Protestants and dispairing of Pardon against the Parliament of England He therefore gave Letters of Authority to Glamorgan in these words Charles by the Grace of God King of England c. Defender of the Faith to our Trusty and well beloved Cosen Edward Earl of Glamorgan Greeting Being confident of your Wisdom and Fidelity We do by these Letters as if under our Great Seal grant unto you full power and authority to Treat with the Confederate Roman Catholicks in Ireland and to indulge them all those things which necessity shall require and which we cannot so Comodiously do by our Lieutenant nor our self publickly own at present Therefore We Command that you do this Businese with as much Secrecy as can be Whatsoever you shall think fit to be promised in my Name that I do attest upon the word of a King and a Christian to grant to those Confederate Catholicks who by their Assistance have abundantly shewed their zeal to us and our Cause Given at Oxford under our Royal Seal March 12. and 20 year of our Reign In pursuance of these Powers the Earl of Glamorgan assured the King He would Land 6000 Irish Papists in May following in Wales and with the Transport Ships block up Melford Haven having already to advance the same thirty thousand pound in Money 1000 Musquets 2000 Case of Pistols 800. Barrels of Powder besides his own Artillery and a certainty of 30000 l. more The K. likewise obliged the Earl of Antrim to joyn with the Marquess of Montross then in Arms in Scotland who ingaged to send 10000 Irish thither from Ireland where the passage was shortestito assist him but was very deficient therein being scarce able to send 1200 thither In 1644. the Parliament ordered the Arraignment of the Lord Macguire and Collonel Mahon who were Seised at Dublin the Night before the Discovery of the Rebellion there and had been in the Town ever since They were now brought to their Tryal at the Kings Bench Bar at Westminster where Macguire insisted much upon his Peerage but was over ruled and both found Guilty of High Treason by a Jury of Middlesex Gentlemen and executed at Tyburn In 1646. the Lord Lieutenant endeavoured to make the Cessation with the Irish a kind of a Peace which they condescended to upon the following Propositions 1. That the Exercise of the Roman Catholick Religion should be in Dublin and Drogheda and in the Kingdom of Ireland as free as in Paris and Brussels 2. That the Privy Council of Ireland consist of Members True and Faithful to his Majesty and who have been Enemies to the Parliament 3. That Dublin Drogheda Trim Newry Cathirly Carlingford and all Protestant Garrisons be Manned by the Confederate Catholicks to keep the same for the use of the King and Defence of the Kingdom 4. That the said Councellors Generals Commanders and Souldiers do Swear and Ingage to fight against the Parliament of England and all the Kings Enemies and that they will never come to any Agreement with them to the prejudice of His Majesties Rights and and the Kingdoms 5. That both Parties according to their Oath of Association shall to the best of their power and cunning defend the Fundamental Laws of the Kingdom the Kings Rights and Liberties of the Subject This Peace was kept by some of the moderate Papists but was ill Resented both by the Parliament of England and the Popes Nuncio who infiuenced the most Serious Papists To put a stop to which the Parliament sent 2000 Men from Chester under Colonel George Monk with 3 Commissioners to the Lord Lieutenant at Dublin who refused to Deliver the City to them without the Kings Command So that after having Treated the Commissioners the English Forces were again Imbarqued and Landed at Belfast in Ireland whereby they did very good Service against O Neal and his Fellow Rebels who had of late been too Successful against the Protestants On the other side the Nuncio's Party
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
which were so cramm'd that they were ready to be stifled Deserting their Houses and all that ever they had in the World and running to the Ships with scarce Cloaths on their Backs and went to the Isle of Man in England or the North of Ireland such strange Confusions and Distractions did the Dread of the Barbarous and cruel usage which they feared from the Irish produce many of them having been eye witnesses of the Horrid Murders and Ravages committed by them in 1641. Tyrconnel having notice of this sudden Hurry on Sunday Morning sent two Protestant Lords to perswade the People not to go away and ordered a Yatch to fetch back them that were gone but both proved ineffectual He then sent to some of the Principal Protestants in Dublin assuring them with many Oaths and Protestations that he had an utter Abhorrence of any such Design as Massacring the Protestants and beg'd them to perswade their their Friends not to remove The dreadful Tydings Arrived at other places in Ireland that very Sunday Morning while the People were at Church and struck them with such Horror and Amazement for fear of present Destruction that many for hast got out of the Windows others were ready to be squeezed to Death at the Doors many left their Hats and Periwigs behind them yea the Cloaths on their Backs were torn to pieces in the Crowd others were trampled under Foot and the Women in worse condition then the Men Nay for several Sundays after the Protestants carried Arms with them to Church the Minister himself being Armed while Preaching whether the Design was real or no or whether this Discovery prevented it is not known but certainly the dread of it produced the greatest Horror Grief and Despair that Humane Nature could be capable of In this Consternation things continued till Janunuary when advice coming of K. James his flying to France the Irish Lords moved Tyrconnel to deliver up the Sword which many thought he would have been easily perswaded to since at the beginning of the Alarm it was believed that he would be the first Man in the Government who would endeavour his escaping having already packt up most of his Goods of Value and shipt some of his Treasure His whole Council were of the Opinion that he should surrender and he finding himself so very weak and so much in the power of the Protestants protested to them with the deepest Oaths and Curses according to his usual Acts of Dissimulation Falshood and Flattery That he would be rid of the Government very willingly so as it might be with Honour that it was easy for him to ruine and destroy the Kingdom and make it not worth a Groat but impossible to preserve it for his Master At another time he told them that he could not deliver the Sword with Honour till it was demanded and askt them whether they would have him throw it over the Castle Wall for there was none to take it Some imagined that he intended in earnest to have parted with it especially if it had been demanded before K. James went into France having likewise before procured Letters to be sent to England to excuse the Male Administrations in the Government and that it was the Opinion of all the Catholicks that the Kingdom would be ruined and themselves also if they yielded not to the Prince of Orange that they would be contented to be reduced to the same State they were in when King James came to the Crown c. But after all the generality of the Protestants were of Opinion that he meant nothing less only designed to gain time and delude them till he had got a kind of an Army together to master them and they were confirmed therein by his Secret giving out 500 Commissions of one sort and another in a Day The Irish likewise assembled in great Bodies and and were called Rapparees Armed with Skeins and Half-Pikes killing the Cattle of the English and stealing an 100 or 2 at once in a Night so that many Substantial Protestants who owned several Hundreds of black Cattel and Sheep c. had not one left and for 40 Miles together in the Province of Munster the Irish Cabbins were full of Beef stoln from the English which they did not so much as bestow salt upon but hung it up in the Smoak so that it lookt and stunk as bad as Carrion It was affirmed that in 9 Days the Irish stole eleven thousand Cattel in that one Province and at length to compleat the miseries of the Protestants they Robbed and Pillaged their Houses so that those who had lived in great Hospitality and Plenty now wanted Bread to eat and had nothing left to preserve them from Starving All this while the New Levies were Mustering every Day the Priests putting off their Wolves Clothing and with their Swords and Periwigs turn'd Commanders and Exercised the Irish Soldiers All the Scum and Rascality of the Country were made Officers every where Papists inlisted themselves and the Priests suffered no Man to come to 〈…〉 that did not Arm himself with a Skeine and 〈…〉 Pike the better Sort of their Captains and i◠〈…〉 or Officers had been Foot-men or Servants to Protestants most of them Sons or Descendants of the Rebels in 1641. who had Murthered so many Protestants many were Outlawed and Condemned Persons for Torying and Robbing no less then 14 Notorious Tories were Officers in Cormuck O Neals Regiment And these New Commissioned Officers were obliged without pay to subsist their Men as they called it being between 40 and 50000 for three Months a thing impossible for them to do since most of them were not able to maintain themselves which gave mortal apprehensions to the Protestants who had reason to fear the Destruction that immediately fell on them when they saw their Enemies in Arms and their own Lives and Goods in the power and at the Mercy of those Thieves Robbers and Tories now Armed and Authorized from whom they could scarce secure themselves when it was in their power to pursue and hang them And this was acknowledged by one of their own Justices who in his Charge at the Quarter-Sessions declared That among other Conveniences which they received from this Government one was That it had rid them of Tories for all these were taken into the Kings Army Tyrconnel and his Council were still in amaze and Confusion and all unanimous to submit except Nugent and Rice but on a sudden they came to a Conclusion that might quiet the Irish Lords who were for Submission to the Prince and Goverrment of England and the Project was That the Lord Montjoy a Protestant and the Lord Chief â—â—ron Rice should be sent over to the late King 〈…〉 in France to Represent to him The im 〈…〉 â—â—ility of their holding out against England 〈…〉 â—he necessity to yield to the time and make 〈◊〉 best Terms they could till a better Opportunity presented to serve himself of his Irish Subjects This
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
to be wasted and destroyed by the Enemy and Deserted by those you came to relieve But K. James had no power to help himself or them having by his Degenerate and Mean Spirit Truckled his Authority and became Subject to the power of France and contented himself to be a King in Name only April 6. 1690. Collonel Woolseley with a Detached Party of 700 Men Attackt the Castle of Killishandra with such Briskness that the Enemy Surrendred it they being 150 Men On the 10th Collonel Tiffen sent out a Party from Bellishannon who brought of a Prey from the Neighbourhood of Sligo and killed about 16 of the Enemy as they pursued them April 12. Sir Clovesly Shovel came to Belfast as Convoy to several Ships that brought over necessaries for the Army and having notice of a Frigat at Anchor in the Bay of Dublin with other small Vessels Loaden with Hides Tallow Wooll and some Plate and other Goods designed for France he Sailed thither and leaving the great Ships in the Bay with the Monmouth Yatch and 2 or 3 more and several Long-Boats he went to Polebeg where the Frigat lay of 16 Guns and 4 Pattereroes being a Scotch Ship taken the year before in the Channel When K. James heard of it he said It was some of his Loyal Subjects of England returning to their Duty and Allegiance But when he saw them draw near the Ship and heard the firing he rid out towards Rings End whither gathered a vast Croud of People of all sorts and several Regiments were drawn up if possible to kill those bold Fellows at Sea who durst on a Good-Fryday as this happened to be perform so wicked a deed as they said Captain Bennet that Commanded the Frigat run her aground and after several firings from her and some other Ships when they saw a Fire-Ship coming in which Sir Clovesly had given a sign to they all quitted the Frigat being at first 40 but lost 6 or 7 in the Action Sir Clovesly was in the Monmouth Yatch in going off one of the Hoys run aground and was dry when the Tide was gone and the rest of the Boats were not far off being full of Armed Men and a Frenchman of King James's Guards coming nigh the Boats to fire his Pistols in a Bravado had his Horse shot under him and was forced to fling off his Jack-Boots and run back in his Stockins to save himself some of the Seamen went on Shoar and took his Saddle and Furniture when the Tide came in they went off with their Prize to the Ships below K. James went back very much dissatisfied and it was reported should say That all the Protestants in Ireland were of Cromwells Breed and deserved to have their Throats Cut However all the Protestants that walked that way during the Action were imprisoned and 2 made their escape to the Boats Monsieur Callimot with his French Regiment had some time before Attempted the strong Castle of Charlemont setting fire to the Bridge and killing about 20 Men and then Retreated May 2. The Irish put Relief into the place which was conveyed with a Detachment of 4 or 500 Men and Collonel Callimots Regiment who were quartered at Blackwater knowing the Convoy must return resolved to intercept them and as they were Marching back fell upon them with such Courage that he forced them again into the Castle and this they did 2 or 3 times which Teague O Regan the Old Irish Governor perceiving he Swore If they could not get out they should have no Entertainment nor Lodging within And was as good as his word for they were forced to make little Huts within the Palisadoes so that between Teague and the English the poor Fellows were in a lamentable Condition After this the General sent several Regiments to block up Charlemont with Cannon to force Old Teague out of his Nest if possible having Summoned him to Surrender some time before who returned the Messenger with this Answer Go tell thy Master from Teague O Regan that he 's an Old Knave and by St Patrick he shall not have the Town at all when God knows there was no Town standng but an Old Castle The Duke only smiled and said He would give Teague greater Reason to be angry in a short time and accordingly those Irish that had a mind to go out being kept in soon made Victuals very scarce and no hopes of Relief appearing the Old Governor sent to Treat about a Surrender and the Terms being soon agreed to this strong place was delivered up about 400 Men and 200 Irish Women and Children Marching out of it the D. stood to observe them and Teague O Regan appeared Mounted upon an Old Stone Horse very lame with Spavin and Scratches and so vitious that he would fall a Squeeling and kicking if any Body came near him Teague himself had a great bunch upon his back a plain red Coat an Old Weather-beaten Wig hanging down at full length a little narrow white Beaver Cockt up a yellow Gravat-string tyed all on one side his Boots with a 1000 wrinkles and though it was very hot a great Muff hanging about his back and for uniformity he was almost fudled with Brandy In this Equipage he approached the Duke but had not made his Compliment ere the Jade fell to work so that the D. had scarce time to make a Civil return The Duke smiled afterwards and said Teagues Horse was very Mad and himself very Drunk The Officers and Soldiers made the Duke a great many Legs and stared upon him to see whether he was a Man or some other strange Creature for the Irish usually asked one another what is that Shambear that all this talk is of The Duke inquired why they kept so many Women and Children in their Garrison which must needs consume their Provisions He was told that the Irish are naturally very Hospitable and that they all fared alike but that the Soldiers would never be perswaded to stay in Garrison without their Wives and Mistresses The Duke replyed There was more Love than Policy in it The Irish were to be guarded to Armagh and among them were 2 Priests one of whom in the way fell into discourse with a Dragoon about Transubstantiation but being baffled was so angry that he fell a beating the Dragoon who not being used to blows thrasht the Priest severely of which complaint being made to Teague he replyed I be very glad of it What te Deal had he to do to Dispute Religion with a Dragoon King William being concerned that the War in Ireland should divert his Forces from going into France resolved if possible to reduce the Kingdom this Summer by going thither in Person and every one knew his Majesties Industry Courage and Resolution to be so great that he would endeavour to make a quick dispatch and accordingly having left Kensington June 4. Ten days after he Arrived safe at Carickfergus with his Highness Prince George the D. of Ormond the Earls
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
The Fort of Culmore had some time before been Deserted by Captain Jemmat the Governor by Order of Collonel Lundy and a few Irish possest themselves of it but it was soon Recovered by a small Artifice Divers Skirmishes happened between the 2 Armies during the Siege particularly May 6. in a Sally made by the Besiegers wherein 200 of the Enemy were killed and 500 wounded 300 of whom dyed in a few days of their wounds and among others General Mommune a French Man with other Officers of Note The Enemy now remove their Main Body from St. Johnstown and pitch their Tents about 2 Miles from Derry on an Hill placing such strict Guards on all sides of the Town that the Besieged found it impossible to Convey or Receive any intelligence and difficult to come by the Wells of water which they often sought for and cost some of them their Blood June 4. The Enemy with a Body of Horse and Foot made an Attack on the Windmill Works beginning with a loud Huzza which was seconded from all parts of of the Camp with most dreadful Screicks and Howlings of a Numerous Rabble that attended their Army The Faggot Men were forced to quit their New Defence which they laid before them for Security against the Shot and run for it Captain Butler with 30 Horse mounted the Works but none of his Men falling though shot at the Besieged found they had Armour and therefore kill'd their Horses whereby only 3 Troopers escapt The Irish Foot did not run away so fast as usual which was wondred at till it was observed that in their Retreat they took the Dead on their Backs to secure themselves from the Shot which was more secure than when they were alive the Enemy in this Action lost 400 Men most of their Officers kill'd and some made Prisoners the Befieged had only six Souldiers and a Captain killed June 15. A Fleet of 30 Sail came into the Lough from England but to prevent their coming up to the Town the Enemy Contrived a Boom of Timber joyned with Iron Chains and a Cable of 12 Inches and afterward another of which the Besieged had an account by some Prisoners taken which very much discouraged them for they doubted whether the Fleet at the first fight of which they were very joyful would be able to get up with the Provisions which they so extreamly wanted insomuch that the Men where they could find an Horse a Grazing neer the Windmill would kill and eat him The Enemy upon the appearing of the Ships seemed to be in a mighty Consternation pulling down their Tents and the Soldiers changing their red Coats ran away but the Terror was soon over when they saw them make no great Attempt to come up though they had both Wind and Tyde to assist them and thereupon they raised Batteries to hinder them and made the Boom aforementioned June 24. Rosen the French Marshal General Arrived in the Camp and finding so little progress in the Siege he Swore by the Belly of God he would Demolish the Town and bury the Besieged in the Ashes and put all to the Sword without Consideration of Age or Sex and Study the most Exquisite Torments to lengthen out the misery of those that opposed his Command but providence disappointed his Cruel Malice and delivered the poor Protestants out of his bloody Hands The Besieged used all possible endeavours to get intelligence from the Ships by making many signs from the Steeple by Cannon Shot and by drawing in their Flag to represent their Distressed condition to them but all proved ineffectual At length June 25 One Roch who got to the Water side over against them and then Swam cross the River came and gave them an account of the Ships Men Provision and Arms in them for their Relief adding That it was desired that if he got safe to Town to give them in the Ships notice of it by 4 Guns from the Steeple which was accordingdingly done They endeavoured to send back to M. Gen. Kirk and one went to that purpose but was taken and hanged by the Enemy The Besieged were more streightned every day by the Enemy their Iron Balls being now spent so that they were obliged to make Balls of Brick covered over with lead June 30. The L. Clancarty at the Head of a Regiment possesses himself of a Line and enters some Miners in a low Cellar but the Besieged fired so briskly upon them that his Lordship was forced to quit his Post and leave his Miners and 100 of his best Men dead on the place which much discouraged the Irish who had a Prophecy among them that a Clancarty should knock at the Gates of Derry but we see that little value is to be put either upon Irish Prophecies or Courage The same day Governor Baker dyed which was a sensible loss to the Garrison and generally lamented being a valiant Person who in all his Actions shewed the greatest Honour Courage and Conduct And now Rosen sends a Letter into the Town that if they did not Surrender by 6 a Clock Afternoon July 1. he would Order all the Protestants in the adjacent Towns to be driven under the Walls of Derry where they should perish if not Relieved by the Besieged that he would destroy all the Country if any Troops came to their Relief But if the Garrison would become Royalisss as he termed it and deliver on any Tolerable Conditions he would protect them from all injuries and give them his Favour The Besieged received all these Proposals with Contempt and some Indignation having before made an Order That it should be Death to mention a Surrender the Enemy drive the poor Protestants according to their Threatning under the Walls and the Besieged thinking them Enemies fired on them but were mightily pleased to hear that Divine providence had spared them and that their shot had kill'd 3 of the Enemy There were some thousands of them which so inraged the Besieged that in sight of their Camp they erected a Gallows threatning to hang their Friends that were Prisoners unless they were removed and sent home again The Prisoners themselves Reproached the Irish declaring they could not blame the Besieged for putting them to Death seeing their People exercised such Severity and Cruelty upon the poor Protestants that were under protection The sight of the Gallows and the importunity of some Friends of those that were to suffer at length prevailed so that July 4 the poor People had leave to return home the Enemy had now advanced so near the Town that the Besieged from the Works could talk with the Irish who exprest great prejudice and hatred against the French cursing those Damn'd Fellows that watched in Trunks meaning their Jack Boots who had all Preferments in the Army that fell and took the Bread out of their Mouths and they believed would have all the Kingdom to themselves at last July 11. The Enemy called for a Parley and sent one to know if
they would Treat about Surrendring which the Besieged to gain time thought fit to agree to and Commissioners were named on both sides but the Enemy not allowing them time till July 26. the Treaty soon ended The Garrison was now reduced to 4456 Men who were under the greatest extremity for want of Provision insomuch that Horseflesh was Sold for 20 d. a pound a quarter of a Dog fatned by eating the Dead Bodies of the Irish 5 s 6 d. a Dogs Head half a Crown A Cat 4 s. 6. d. A Rat a Shilling a Mouse Six pence a pound of Greaces a Shilling a pound of Tallow four Shillings a pound of Salted Hides a Shilling a quart of Horse Blood a Shilling a Horse pudding 6 d. an handful of Sea wreck two pence Of Chickweed a ponny a quart of Meal when found a Shilling Yea at length they were under so great necessity that they had nothing left unless they could prey one upon another And a fat Gentlemen thought his Body in such danger that he hid himself for 3 days imagining that several Soldiers lookt on him with a greedy Eye their Drink was Water and cost very dear they mixt it with Ginger and Anniseeds of which they had great plenty They eat a Composition of Tallow and Starch which did not only Nourish and Support them but was an infallible Cure of the Loosness which many were sorely troubled with And yet in the midst of this Extremity the Spirit and Courage of the Soldiers was so great that they were often heard confidently and with some anger contend whether they should take their Pay and Arrears in Ireland or in France when alas they could not promise themselves 12 hours Life But the Hour of their Extremity was the 〈◊〉 Season for Divine Providence to interpose and render it self the more observeable in their Deliverance for July 28. about 7 in the Evening they perceived 3 Ships which were the Montjoy of Derry the Phenix of Colrain and the Dartmouth Frigat which they soon discovered were the Ships Major G. Kirk had sent who had assured them That he would certainly relieve them when they could hold out no longer though he indangered himself his Men and Ships The Enemy Fired most Desperately upon them from the Fort of Culmore and both sides the River and they made sufficient returns with the greatest Bravery When they had passed the Fort the expectations of speedy Succor raised in the Besieged a strang Transport of Joy The Montjoy made a little stop at the Boom occasioned by her rebound after striking and breaking it so that she was run aground Upon which the Enemy who gathered in Swarms to the Water-side set up the loudest Huzza's and the most Dreadful to the Besieged that they ever heard Crying out Their Ships were taken they fired all their Guns upon her and were preparing Boats to burn her but by great Providence she firing a Broad-side the shock â—oosned her So that she got clear and passed the Boom the Phenix all this while was ingaged and the Dartmouth gave them very warm Entertainment At length the Ships got to them to the inexpressible Transport and Comfort of the Distressed Garrison who only reckoned upon 2 Days Life and had no more than 9 lean Horses left and one point of Meal to each Man Hunger and the Fatigue of War had so prevailed among them that of 7500 Men Regimented they had now alive but 4300 whereof at least one 4th part were rendred unserviceable This brave undertaking and their several Successful Attempts against the Enemy so Discouraged them that July 31. They raised the Siege and run away in the Night-time Robbing and Burning all before them for several Miles the next Morning after the Men were refresht with their New Provisions they went out to see what was become of the Besiegers whom they saw in their March and pursued a little too far so that the Reen guard of the Enemies Horse turn'd and kisted 7 of their Men and upon the News of the Deâ—â—at of Lieutenant General Mackarty they so hastned 〈◊〉 March that they broke in pieces four of their great Guns and threw 12 Cartloads of Arms and Aâ—â—munition into the River and the Besieged had above 2000 Arms besides Money Cloths c. Trus after 105 Days being close besieged by near 20000 Men constantly supplyed from Dublin God Almighty was pleased to deliver this poor City from a powerful and inveterate Enemy to their great Disappointment and Disreputation insomuch that K. James upon his Retiring was reported to have said in disdain to his Commanders Gentlemen I think we have made a very fine Summers work of it The Enemy lost near 9000 Men before the Walls and 100 of their best Officers most of them by the Sword the rest of Fevers and Flux and the French Pox which was very remarkable on the Bodies of several of their dead Officers and Soldiers Whereas the Besieged had only Eighty Men slain by the Enemy Neither were the Inniskillin Men wanting in performing many notable Actions for during the whole time of the Siege they kept at least one half of the Irish Army from coming before London-Derry for fear they should relieve the Town So that they durst not make a Regular Attack upon the place but were forced to divide their Men keeping strong Guards at several distant places and therefore they deserve no small part of the Honour of that places Preservation and particularly the Remarkable Defeat given to the Irish the day before the Raising the Siege the News whereof made the Enemy run away with such great hast and precipitation ought never to be forgotten for July 30. The Inniskilliners hearing that a Body of about 6000 Irish under Major General Mackarty were Marching toward them they very boldly and bravely went to meet them about 20 Miles off at a place called Newtown Butler where though the Enemy had secured their Army beyond a long Bog yet the Courage of the English was so great that they came up to the Mouths of their Cannon and Seized them killing all their Cannoneers which so terrified the Irish that both Horse and Foot instantly fled and the English Foot persuing theirs and giving quarter to sew or none but Officers that day they not having Courage to fight for their Lives Desperately leapt into the Bogg to several places to the Number of about 500 and none escaped drowning except one Person only who got through after many a shot made after him In this Action a Remarkable stroke was given by Capt. William Smith who at one blow Cut off the upper part of a Mans Head just under the Hat as much of the Skull as was within the Hat with all the Brains being quite struck away from the other part of the Skull that stuck with the Body and not so much as a bit of skin to keep them together but what was cut quite thorow Mackarty when his Men were fled got away with 5 or