will of those usurping Chieftaines And that Kingdome in a manner from age to age infested with continuall bloody insurrections and intestine commotions In which case it continued even unto the end of the Reigne of Queen Elizabth notwithstanding all that the English Governours sent by her coulde doe being assisted for the most part all that time with Irish Counsellors Iudges and Officers as is herein formerly metioned The Kingdom being held in great poverty and barbarisme notwithsTanding the vast expence of English bloud and treasure spent there by that gracious Queen and some of her Royall predecessors Neither could the Revenues and Profits of the Crowne in any of those times be advanced to above 11000 l. per annum and many times far lesse yea sometimes nothing at all And all it was advanced to was spent there besides the continuall exhaust of treasure out of England even to keep life in the few English that continued there obedient to the Crown and Lawes of England whereas on the other side since the beginning of the Reigne of the blessed King James and Your sacred Majestie successively Vid. Statute 11 Iac. c. 1. in Ireland for the benefit of Law and English government by His and Your wise and pious couduct and direction the English Governours with the assistance of English Iudges and officers have wholly abolished and removed all those Irish powers and jurisdictions and placed the dependencie of the people entirely on the Crown setled and secured a Legall property in every subject of their lands and goods bringing them absolutely into the state of free subjects utterly rased out the Irish Gavelkinde and Tainstry the very pest of the Nation the Farmers and Yeomanry being formerly scarce able out of the earth to gaine meat and sustenance for themselves and for idle Gentry and unimployed youth They introduced Civilitie peace and legall obedience to your Majestie throughout that Kingdome dispersed English habitations and manurance in all parts and Provinces even formerly the most rude Irish and uninhabited who built and erected Corporations and civill societies set up Markets and Faire for Commerce built and placed Churches bridges cawsies and passages gaoles Session houses Schooles for education of youth and thousands of Castles and houses of stone and brick for habitation and defence as did also then by their example many of the old English and Irish which were civilized besides foure walled Townes built in necessary places now since that Rebellion begun maintained for your Majestie by Garrisons They caused inclosures of lands planting of Orchards and Gardens and drayning of Bogs in all places as farre as time could permit They also brought in English habit language and usage and the full and universall exercise of the English lawes in all parts of the Kingdome turning all not formerly turned into Shire grounds setting known limits to all the Counties and Baronies thereof Into all which Iustices of Assize and Gaole delivery were halfe yearely sent for the happy and orderly administration of Justice and setling mens properties Whereas before the Reigne of King James the Iudges could travell no where but in the Pale and that not ordinarily because of Rebellions They placed Sheriffes Iustices of Peace and all Officers of Law in each County well instructed to execute their offices They caused estates for lives yeares and otherwayes to passe between Lord and Tenant for comfort and settlement of the people who were before generally Tenants at will in all parts And by commixture of new English and old English with Irish established indifferencie of Tryall by Iurie in most parts which before by reason of combined Irish Septs and the power of Irish Lords could not be They caused the Irish and others to live in Town-Reads not wandring with their cattell and creates dispersedly and barbarously in mountaines and wastes as formerly They enchartered the Townes and Corporations with enlarged and necessary Franchises Liberties and Jurisdictions aswell for government as ornament and benefit to the great enriching of those Inhabitants and increase of Merchandise they setled a learned Protestant Clergy of all degrees in all the parts of that Kingdom and Ordained the Consistories in a Legall form They caused to be enacted Laws for the course of Justice and quieting mens Estates and Interests agreeable as far as was necessary to the Laws made in England since the 10. of H. 7. They reformed the exorbitancy of Sheriffs who after the Captainships were taken away did in many places succeed them in extortion and oppression They had setled an Army of 2000 foot and 1000 horse intended to be English who tooke nothing of the Country without ready money and a competent Navy to guard the Coast all paid there without charge to England And lastly they had advanced your Majesties Revenues certain and casuall from under 8000 l. per annum as it was when King James began to above 85000 l. per annum besides a great gaine the Farmers of the Customes had for a few yeares to come and all this done with little or no charge to England And as an addition of blessing to all this the people generally by this meanes did wonderfully increase in riches and substance far beyond all other times Rents raised as high as in many parts of England where before lands yeelded little or nothing The breed of Cattell of all sorts wonderfully enlarged bettered and prized and infinite numbers of cowes horses and sheep with very great quantities of wooll yearely sent into this Kingdome and corne multiplied in all parts which redounded to the benefit of the Natives equally if not more then to the English as may appear as by many other things so particularly by the large mariage portions given by the Lords Gentry and others with their daughters ten times above the rates of former times dowries and joyntures of wives and purchase of lands proportionably encreased Mony let at Ten in the hundred at most whereas formerly it was at 15 l. 20 l. and 30 l. and sometimes higher And lastly whereas in all Queen Elizabeths time they could give her but one Subsidie and that but a meane one of 13 s. 4 d. out of every plough-land occupied or manured to continue for ten yeares very few Subsidies having beene granted in Ireland to any former Kings that Subsidy of Queene Elizabeth by reason that the Townes and Corporations were by a Statute freed and that divers exceptions of Gentlemens estates and other waies were incerted and that great quantities of the Kingdome were in the hands of the Irish not till then divided into Plow Lands much whereof was never so done and lastly by reason of the Rebellions of those times did never amount to any considerable summe now in the happy and plentifull Raigne of Your Majesty they were able to raise and grant unto Your Majesty ten Subsidies of one and forty thousand pounds each Subsidy and some of them 45000. l. besides Lords and Clergy over and above great contributions
the Popish Clergie contribute nothing notwithstanding that they have their duties from all the people duly payd them with great summes of moneys left unto them by the death of such as are Papists and by their doctrines of penance and Purgatorie and such like grow farre richer then the Protestant Clergie Yet so it is may it please your honours That after the payment of the said summes of One hundred and fifty thousand pounds and one hundred and twenty thousand pounds the popish partie only was advanced by stay of Execution of the aforesaid Lawes contrary to his Majesties pious intention as your supplicants verily beleeve And whereas in the Government of the said Lords Iustices when the Iudges of Assize in their severall Circuits twice had put the said Lawes in execution against the Papists and thereby brought multitudes to Church who were glad of that occasion to bee freed from the intollerable exactions of the popish Clergie even then about the time of payment of the said forty thousand pounds the said proceedings against the Papists were againe stopped since which time during the Government of the late Lord Lievtenant notwithstanding the said Subsidies both of the Clergie and Laitie Poperie hath beene countenanced farre more then the Protestant Religion they having libertie in the said Citie and in all other parts of the Kingdome to Marry Burie Baptize Communicate after their owne wayes professe their orders we are their severall habits meet in great numbers exercise all manner of Forraigne jurisdiction and Superstitious Ceremonies wthout giving any accompt for the same they having divers Fryaries and Masse-houses that were formerly suppressed by precedent Governours restored to the pretended owners which with other publike Masse-houses newly erected and furnished with Images and Altars are imloyed in the exercise of popish Religion both in the Citie and Countrey And likewise by their Titulary Bishops Dignitaries and numbers of parish priests farr exceeding the number of the Protestant Clergie with many thousands of Iesuites and Fryers the Emiscaries of Rome that swarme through all parts of the Citie and Kingdome especially since the late Proclamation of England against the Papists they have not only impoverished the Kingdome but amongst other their pernicious Doctrines that there is no salvation but in Communion with the Church of Rome and subjection to the Bishop of Rome have so seduced the people and insnared their consciences That no Papist that is made Iustice of Peace Mayor Sheriffe or other Officer will take the Oath of Supremacie And yet they are in all parts of the Kingdome admitted to the said Offices without any such Oath administred unto them and thereby the principall meanes provided for the execution of the said Lawes is taken away And your Supplicants likewise shew that the flourishing estate of the true Protestant Religion hath not beene ecclipsed by the popish Clergie only but by reason that in most parts of the said Kingdome there is many Parishes that have no Minister to read Service others that have no Preaching Minister others that have such Preachers as are very scandalous in their lives and many of the Clergie that suffer their Wives and Children to goe to Masse Besides in most places there is no sufficient maintenance for the Ministrie Yea and some of the Protestant Clergie advance to places of Dignitie in the Church instead of opposing Popery have brought divers popish superstitions into the Protestant Churches Turning Communion Tables into Altars bowing before them worshipping towards the East exhorting the people to confesse their sinnes to a Priest as a matter necessary to salvation with other such like Innovations for which there is no low nor Connon and alsouncharitably if not cruelly prosecuted divers of the Protestants both Clergy and Laity in the high Commission and other Ecclesiasticall Courts and Iudicatures for pretended non-conformity thereby causing some religious Ministers and people to flye the Kingdome others to take the Oath Ex officio against Law and equitie committed others to close prison who refused put downe Lectures discouraged some that kept them or that preached on Sundayes in the Afternoone So that betwixt the Popish faction and those of the Protestant Clergie ill affected as aforesaid being both incouraged under the late Government many Protestants have beene seduced some to popery others to superstitious practices and many others discouraged and full of feares of a change in Religion and not a few unstable in Religion become Newters or Atheists while the Papists thoronout the said Citie and Kingdome have and still doe not in corners only but publikely flocke to and from Masse as ordinarily openly securely and in as great yea greater numbers in some places by fourty to one then others goe to and from the Protestant Churches to the great dishonour of Almightie GOD the derogation of his Majesties Lawes and Authoritie the danger of those poore soules that are either seduced to or hardned in Idolatrie whereby it may appeare that the Papists in all things have bad that freedome for the time past that the Protestants could not obtaine And for the future the Protestants have just cause of feares that the Papists of the said Kingdome though in themselves peaceable yet by the instigation of their Clergie with the multitudes of discontented Iesuites Priests Fryers and others That since the said Proclamation came to them out of England are now more then ever labouring to advance their owne partie depresse the Protestants and hinder Reformation In tender consideration of the Premisses and to the end of the Lawes enacted against Poperie may for the time to come be duly executed throughout the said City and Kingdome the Popish Clergie banished the Masse houses seized or abolished the poore seduced people reformed and all unlawfull designes of the Papists against the Protestants prevented And to the end that all non-preaching and scandalous Ministers in the Protestant Church may be cast out all Innovations suppressed a speedy course taken for time to come that every parish may have an able and painfull Ministrie with meanes sufficient provided for their maintenance that such of the Clergie as are orthodox painfull and unblameable in life may be encouraged and preserved from contempt That all uncharitable prosecution of the Protestants as aforesaid may be stayed And the causes of all the aforesaid evils so searched into that they may for ever be prevented throughout the said Citie and Kingdome May it please this Honourable House for the glory of GOD the honour of our dread Soveraigne and welfare of the said Citie and Kingdome to take the Premisses and every circumstance thereof into consideration So that the poore Kingdome of Ireland may be made partakers of a blessed Reformation with the Kingdome of England by such meanes and in such manner as this honourable House and happy Assembly shall conceive to be most meete And your Supplicants will ever pray c. Copia vera Exem per Jo. Pue No. public Re. And of some disorders and
Iournymen of the City went daily to the Rebels and joyned with them and that daily rumours were spread in the City aswell by words as by papers scattered and found that surprises and massacres were intended against your Majesties Subjects the Protestants of the City then was it thought fit and not before to disarme those Catholiques the better to secure the City for your Majesty and quiet the Catholiques who might well know that the strength of the Protestants was their security and from which Protestants the Catholiques never found any violence offered the Protestants profession abhorring such wickednesse the Lords Justices and Counsell also sent armes and powder to Drogheda delivered armes and powder for zoo men to Wexford they sent powder to Waterford and gave them licence to buy and import powder and armes for their defence though afterwards when they ioyned in the Rebellion the Lords Juces and Counsell restrained it as much as they could They sent powder to Trym they sent powder for Dondalke as far as Drogheda where it was staid because Dondalk was yeilded up to the Rebels before it could come thither they also wrote letters to the severall Townes of Wexford Waterford Gallway and Drogheda commending their then seeming forward affections and encouraging and perswading to stand constantly in duty and faith to your Majestie their Lord and King It is true that the Lords Justices and Counsell received an order of both houses of Parliament in England whereby they did commend to the Lord Leivtenant or in his absence to the Lord Deputy or Lords Justices according to the power of their Commission to bestow your Majesties gracious pardon to all such as were seduced on false grounds and within a convenient time to be declared by their Lordships should returne to their due obedience This Order the Lords Justices and Counsell printed at Dublin forthwith after receipt thereof the 12 of November 1641 and dispersed it into all parts of the Kingdom as farre as they could to try whether it might worke any relenting or application of those confederated Catholiques to the Lords Justices and Counsell to the end they might have further proceeded to have obtevned a more full direction for granting pardon if that could have beene likely to reclaime any of them The Lords Justices also found in their Commission and instructions no expresse warrant to pardon such pernitious Traitours and that in all late former pardons Treasons against your Majesty and murther was excepted and they daily expected the old Levitenants comming over with more ample authority and direction and considered also that on the 30 of October before the Lords Justices and Counsell had by publique Proclamation adventured so farre as to tender your Majesties grace to all seduced Rebels whereupon none then tendred themselves to the Lords Justices and Counsell or any other your Majesties Officers and afterwards on the first day of November 1641 the Lords Justices and Councell foreseeing the danger that the Inhabitants of Meath Lungford Westmeath and Lowth who of the Pale lay next to the Northerne Rebels might be first educed either by strange rumours spread abroad or by the false enticement of the Clergy and desirous to contayne and preserve as many of them as they could did by publique Proclamation advised and drawne by Mr. Plunket and others of the Commons house admonish all that were not Freeholders nor having their hands in blood within ten dayes to submit themselves before any Justice of Peace or cheif Officer of a Corporation and restore the Protestants goods which they had taken thereupon they should be received to mercy whereupon a few submitted in the County of Meath but never restored any thing nor proceeded further to give satisfaction of their loyalty but soone after returned to their former defection and ioyned in the said Rebellion All which advisedly considered the Lords Justices and Counsell thought not fit to prostitute your Majesties royall grace to men so ungratefull and deperded for they plainly saw that the confederacy and their perswasion to carry all by force was so strong as their actions gave no hope of any inclinations to submit themselves to your Majesties grace and mercy No not when your Majesties Proclamation under your royall Signature and privy signet was sent amongst them Commanding them to lay downe Arms nor untill they of the Pale and the Irish of Vlster were beaten from Drogheda and the seige wholly raised which was about the beginning of March and that your Majesties Levitenant Generall of your army was in the feild with a strong force of foote and horse able to March where he pleased in Meath Lowth and Dublin ready to burne and destroy their houses and eize on the former owners thereof if they could be found Then and not till then some and those but very few of Meath rendred themselves to the Leivtenant Generall of your Majesties army who received them as prisoners and a few others of that County rendred themselves at Dublin who were all imprisoned as was just to so notorious and obstinate offendors And it were criminall in the Lords Justices and Counsell not to commit them Neither did the Lords Justices and Counsell ayme at any of their estates but on the contrary alwayes shewed much regret at the unnaturall defection of the pale which had for the most part in other Rebellions stood firme and loyall And certainly they would have beene most glad to have preserved as many of them as they could as well appeared in their readinesse to embrace the Earle of Westmeath and his Familie upon timely application made though the Lords Justices and Counsell had Intelligence of Northerne Rebells resorting to his house They also upon Sir Morgan Cavanaghs false and feigned Protestations permitted him to returne to his house in hope of his good obedience though they had cause to suspect his and hsi sonnes comming to the Towne on the 22. of October one thousand six hundred fourty one They permitted Sir Luke Fitzgerald to depart quietly because he came to them soone after the beginning of the Rebellion though the Protestant Tenants dwelling on his land were despoiled of all their substance not without his privitie as since hath appeared They permitted Robert Harpoole of Frowle and necre Catherlogh to depart upon his faire protestations notwithstanding they had intelligence of his former being with the Rebells The Sheriffe of Longford and others of the Offarralls permitted backe againe though informed to have joyned in pillaging of the Protestants and many others in like manner because the Lords Justices thought fit to forbeare all manner of strictnesse at first hoping they would not so farre forget their duties as afterwards they all did and also divers others about Dublin who entertained Rebells some perhaps of necessity were permitted to be at libertie by the Lords Justices because they desired to retaine as many of them as they could comming in any time before they had openly joyned with the Rebells and committed the
any mans goods so much as touched or laid hands upon till a good time after the Lords Gentry and Inhabitants of the Pale and other Counties were publikely declared Rebels Indeed afterwards the souldiers which came out of England in times when they wanted pay did many unruly acts by pillage and otherwayes But the Lords Justices and Councell did labour to restraine such acts as much as possibly they could which may well appeare by their severall Warrants and Proclamations against pillaging and all other unwarranted violence wherein they adventured so farre as to trench on the martiall part of government rather then so much as might any wayes lie in their power to prevent it to suffer such disordered acts to be done and which were declared to them would and so did indeed prove to be prejudiciall to themselves to have such lawlesse consumption made of of those things which well ordered taken from such persons who had justly merited it and orderly Warrants given for it would long afford them subsistence which restraint though it wrought little yet procured great dislike in the Army to the Lords Justices touching the Calumny of pillaging and burning the houses of persons of ranke and quality imployed by the Lords Justices who kept their houses and annoyed no body and of others having the protection of the State It is most false that any such thing was done by the command or privity of the Lords Justices and Councell neither without the Councell did the Lords Justices doe any manner of thing concerning the government neither can it be conceived reasonable that the Lords Justices and Councell should be answerable for the irregular acts of so unbridled and ill-paid an Army who in those necessitous and extreamly disordered times would not be punished Though the Confederates have no cause to complaine of their losses it being but just vengeance on their wilfull and unprovoked rebellion and for persons of ranke or quality employed no such persons ever offered themselves or were imployed by the Lords Justices and Councell except two of the County of Meath who after they had joyned with the Northerne Rebels wrote to the Lords Justices that if they might have Commission to parly with the Rebels they hoped to doe some good for the quiet of the Countrey which Commission the Lords Justices and Councell gave them Although it after appeared that it was sought by them onely to gaine some colour of security for those persons rebellious complying with the Rebels However the Lords Justices and Councell sent them Commission as is before mentioned being desirous to leave no meanes unassayed that might give hope of any ceasing of extremities being then in very weake case to use that just force that was requisite to compell obedience the British and Protestants being generally robbed and spoyled as is before mentioned and the City daily threatned as well by those of the Pale as other Rebels To this Commission those men soone after made a very frivolous and scornfull returne and indeed dealt most deceitfully in all things with the Lords Justices and Councell seeming by letters to give them intelligence which were no other then either terrour and threatning of the Rebels or publike Acts which they knew would come to their knowledge otherwise from the common fame which will appeare in their Letters yet extant yet were neither of these mens houses burnt at all neither were their goods taken by any direction or command of the Lords Justices But being open Rebels as the rest of that Countrey were when your Majesties forces were of some strength and when it was thought fit by the Lords Justices and Councell and Commanders of the Army to burne and spoyle that Countrey to the end to disappoint the Rebels and send them further off the Army being sent abroad spoyled them as it seemes amongst the rest and indeed burnt many other houses where the Rebels were releeved and harboured and from whence they had opportunity daily to take Cattle by sudden Roads from the lands of Dublin having spoyled and robbed all the British and Protestants round about it And touching protected men the Lords Justices and Councell gave very few Protections finding by ancient and late experience that course to turne onely to your Majesties disadvantage It is true that while the Natives inhabiting within few miles of Dublin were permitted by the Rebels to live on their holdings from whom the active Rebels had daily reliefe The Governour of Dublin gave passes to very many of them to bring corn and other Victualls to Dublin for reliefe of the Towne and so did the Captaines and Commanders of other Garisons of purpose to draw to the Market what they could from the Rebels which all out of their Garisons and their Limits then were either in act or full consent and combination yet were none of those people pillaged or spoiled by any direction of the Lords Justices and Councell but all such things resisted by them as farre as they could possibly do against an unpaid Army neither did the Lords Justices and Councell ever give direction or any permission to violate any word or writing of safety given by them or any Commander or suffer it to be done wheresoever they could withstand it But after long forbearance of those wicked and evill disposed people and it being found by daily experience that under pretext of relieving the City they carried Munition and other provisions out to the Rebells and much more relieved them then the City and by that meanes gave the Rebells much more ready way to annoy and rob the City and that some seeming to labour at the Plow had their weapons hidden neare them and if any of the stragling Souldiers or other British or Protestants ventured to passe by them single or in weake parties they assaulted and murthered them and that from those parts the Lords Justices and Councell or any Commander of the Army could not at any time receive any intelligence to discover where the Rebells haunted or rested though they daily lived and passed among them Then were the Lords Justices and Councell necessitated to disanull and revoke all those passes and pretended protections and yet that was not done but upon a fore-warning and time given and that by publike Proclamation And afterwards were the Army sent out though with the great griefe of the Lords Justices and Councell to burne and spoile those parts which they well foresaw must conclude in their own great distresse as after it did for want of promised provisions out of this Kingdom of all which their proceedings they from time to time advertised your Majesty by their letters to the then Lord Lieutenant your Majesties Secretary Neither was any quarter though somtimes unwarrantably given ever violated by the Lords Justices and Councel or with their privity neither was any man killed or his goods taken by any authority because an Irish man or a Roman Catholique but because a wilfull Rebell And indeed those
Nobility Gentry Officers of the Army and other Protestant Inhabitants in Ireland taking into serious consideration their sad condition the great necessity they were reduced unto and their extream sufferings by the late Conspiracy and horrid Rebellion there and finding by the Articles of Cessation and his Majesties Proclamation thereupon that the Rebels of Ireland were allowed to send Agents to his Majesty who would doubtlesse watch all opportunities to prejudice the Protestants and to indevour to cleare themselves of their ill-done actions the Protestant Petitioners met together at the Earle of Kildares house in Dublin where they framed a Petition to the then Lords Justices and Councell which they presented at the Couneell board and received their Lordships answer the twelfth day of the same Moneth which Petition and Answer follow In haec verbo TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE Lords Iustices and Councell The humble Petition of diverse of his Majesties Protestant Subjects of IRELAND Humbly sheweth THat your Petitioners being pressed by extream necessities and their great sufferings in the present Rebellion for remedy thereof desire to addresse themselves to his Sacred Majesty by their Agents and because they understand by his Majesties Proclamation and the Articles of Cessation lately published in Print that the Romish Catholicks are admitted to send Agents to his Majesty who will doubtlesse watch all opportunities to prejudice your supplicants They humbly pray that your Lordships will bee pleased to bee a meanes that they bee not admitted to his Majesty untill your supplicants Agents may bee present which shall bee with all convenient speed And to that end they humbly desire that your Lordships will bee pleased to grant licence unto such as your supplicants shall from time to time appoint to attend his Majesty touching the premisses And in regard that your supplicants conceive that the dissolving of this Parliament which by the alteration of the late Lords Justices will shortly determine unlesse by speciall Commission the same bee continued may prove of very evill consequence to his Majesties good Subjects They humbly pray that your Lordships will bee pleased to recommend the same effectually to his Majesties pious consideration that timely direction may arrive for continuance thereof Octobris 12. 1643. VPon consideration of this Petition Wee think fit to let the Petitioners know that his Majesty out of his gracious care of his affaires and good Subjects here hath been pleased already to signifie hither his Royall intention to call into England some such able and fitting Ministers or servants of his Majesty on this side as are fit to bee sent into England to assist in the treaty there when the persons to bee imployed to his Majesty from the Irish shall go over and his Majesties Royall purpose therein is already so farre advanced as the names of fit and able persons of eminent quality free from any exception and well experienced in the affaires of this Kingdome are already transmitted to his Majesty that so hee may make choyce of such as hee shall think fit so as all that could bee thought of necessary for the good of his Majesties Protestant Subjects his Majestie hath already provided for with great piety and wisdome Yet wee who well know his Majesties abundant care and tendernesse of his Protestant Subjects here being desirous to give the petitioners all needfull satisfaction in their desires so farre as may confist with the duty wee owe to his Majesty and looking into former times do finde that when Agents were sent from this Kingdome to attend his Majesty by the approbation of this board it was by his Majesties gracious Licence first obtained wherefore wee hold it our duties at this time also to reserve that part for his Majestie And therefore wee doe forbeare of our selves to give any direction therein but doe intend humbly to transmit a Copy of this their Petition to his Majesty which also answers the Petitioners request concerning the Parliament And wee will labour to obtain a signification of his good pleasure therein with all convenient speed which wee shall readily obey And if in the mean time there bee any matter of grievance offered by the petitioners to us which is in our power to redresse here Wee do let the petitioners know wee shall bee ready to heare it and to interpose his Majesties authority intrusted with us towards their just reliefe therein Ormonde Jo. Borlase Cha. Lamberte Tho. Lucas Roscomon He. Tychborne Fra. Willoughbie Ja. Ware Edw. Brabason Ant. Midensis VPon the receit of the aforesaid Answer the Protestants met againe at the Earle of Kildares house and conceived such persons as the Lords Justices and Councell mentioned in their Answer to bee called into England were to assist by their counsell in the Treaty and to advise in what should bee proposed and for ought known to the Protestants not to represent the bleeding and miserable condition of that Kingdome or to make proofe of the unparalleled cruelties of the Rebels neither did the Petitioners then know who those persons should bee And notwithstanding the Lords of the Councell pretended they had no precedent for the giving of approbation to Agents to attend his Majesty without his Majesties speciall Licence yet it was recent in many mens memories that there were severall precedents for it and that in very late times wherefore the Protestant Petitioners conceived that these delayes were put upon the Protestants by some ill affected meerly to gaine the Rebels advantage of time to work their ends at Court and to discourage the poore Protestants in the prosecution of their intendments And the Protestant petitioners being not satisfied with the Lords of the Councels Answer proceeded to the choyce of Agents and prepared a petition which afterwards was presented to his Majesty And on the foureteenth day of October 1643. the Protestants presented another petition to the Lords Justices and Councell and delivered their Lordships a Copy of the Petition that was prepared to bee sent to his Majesty which was answered by the Lords the nineteenth of the same Moneth which Petition and Answer follow In haec verba To the Right Honourable the Lords Iustices and Councell The humble Petition of divers of his Majesties Protestant Subjects as well Commanders of his Majesties Army as others Humbly sheweth unto your Lordships THat wee have received your Lordships Answer in writing to our Petition whereby wee perceive his Majesties abundant care and tendernesse of us which wee shall with all humble thankefulnesse ever acknowledge together with your Lordships readinesse therein And whereas wee finde in your Lordships said Answer your willingnesse for redresse of any manner of grievance which is in your Lordships power Wee doe humbly herewith offer unto your Lordships a Copy of our most humble Petition which wee prepared to present to his Sacred Majesty wherein wee set down part of our grievances Humbly desiring your Lordships to take the same into your grave consideration and so farre to condescend to our just
and Trust within that Kingdome be conferred upon Romane Catholiques Natives in equallity and indifferencis with your Majesties other Subjects Answ We humbly conceive that the Romane Catholique Natives in Ireland may have the like Offices and Places as the Romane Catholiques Natives of England here have and not otherwise Howbeit we conceive that in the generallity they have not deserved so much by their late Rebellion Therefore wee see not why they should be endowed with any new or further Capacities or Priviledges then they have by the Laws and Statutes now in force in that Kingdome 9. Propos That the insupportable oppression of your Subjects by reason of the Court of Wards and respit of homage be taken away and a certain Revenew in lieu thereof fetled upon your Majestie without diminution of your Majesties profits Answ We know of no oppression by reason of the Court of Wards and we humbly conceive that the Court of Wards is of great use for theraising of your Majesties Revenews the preservation of your Majesties Tenures and chiefly the education of the Gentry in the Protestant Religion and in civility of learning and good manners who otherwise would be brought up in ignorance and barbarisme their estates be ruined by their kindred and friends and continue their dependencie on the chief Lords to the great prejudice of your Majesties service and Protestant Subjects And there being no colour of exception to your Majesties just Title to Wardships we know not why the taking away of your Court concerning the same should be so pressed unlesse it bee to prevent the education of the Lords and Gentry that fall Wards in the Protestant Religion For that part of this Proposition which concerneth respit of Homage we humbly conceive it reasonable that some way may be setled for that if it stand with your Majesties good pleasure without prejudice to your Majestie or your Protestant Subjects 10. Propos That no Lord not estated in that Kingdome or estated and not resident shall have Vote in the said Parliament by proxie or otherwise and none admitted to the House of Commons but such as shall be estated and resident within the Kingdome Answ Wee humbly conceive that in the year 1641. by the graces which your Majestie then granted to your Subjects of Ireland the matter of this Proposition was in a fair way regulated by your utter abolishing of blank Proxies and limitting Lords present and attending in the Parliament of Ireland that no one of them should bee capable of more Proxies then two and prescribing the Peers of that Kingdome not there resident to purchase fitting proportions of Land in Ireland within five years from the last of July 1641. or else to lose their Votes till they should make such purchases which purchases by reason of the troubles happening in that Kingdome and which have continued for two years and a half have not peradventure yet been made And therefore your Majestie may now bee pleased and may take just occasion to enlarge the time for five years from the time when that Kingdome may again bee setled in a happy and firme peace And as to Members of the House of Commons the same is most fit as wee humbly conceive to be regulated by the Laws and Statutes of that Kingdome 11. Propos That an Act bée passed in the next Parliament declaratory that the Parliament of Ireland is a frée Parliament of it self independent of and not subordinate to the Parliament of England And that the Subjects of Ireland are immediatly subject to your Majesty as in right of your Crown And that the Members of the said Parliament of Ireland and all other the Subjects of Ireland are independent and no way to bée ordered or concluded by the Parliament of England and are onely to bée ordered and governed within that Kingdome by your Majestie and such Governors as are or shall be there appointed and by the Parliament of that Kingdome according to the Laws of the Land Answ This Proposition concerns your Majesties high Courts of Parliament both of England and Ireland and is beyond our abilities who are not acquainted with the Records and Presidents of this nature to give any answer unto and therefore we humbly desire your Majesties pardon for not answering unto the same 12. Propos That the assumed power of jurisdiction in the Councell boatd of determining of all manner of Causes be limitted to matters of State and all Pattents Estates and Grants illegally and extrajudicially avoyded there or elsewhere bée left in state as before and the parties grieved their heirs or assignes till legall eviction Answ The Councell-Table hath alwaies exercised jurisdiction in some cases ever since the English Government was setled in that Kingdome and is of so long continuance in cases of some natures as the beginning thereof appeareth not which seemeth to be by prescription and hath always been armed with power to examine upon Oath as a Court of Justice or in nature of a Court of Justice in Cases of some natures and may bee very necessary still in many Cases especially for the present till your Majesties Lawes may more generally bee received in that Kingdome And we conceive that Board is so well limitted by Printed Instructions in your Majesties Royall Fathers time and by your Majesties graces in the 17. year of your Reign that it needeth for the present little or no further Regulating at all howbeit they humbly refer it to your Majesties great wisdome and goodnesse to do therein as to Law and Justice shall appertaine Propos 13. That the Statute of the 11.12 and 13. yéer of Quéen Elizabeth concerning Staple commodities be repealed reserving to his Majesty lawfull and just poundage and a book of Rates to be setled by an indifferent Committée of both Houses for all Commodities Answ The matter of this Proposition is setled in a fitting and good way by your Majestie already as we conceive amongst the graces granted by your Majesty to your people of Ireland in the 17 year of your Majesties Reign to which we humbly refer our selves Propos 14. That in as much as the long continuance of the chief Governour or Governours of that Kingdome in that place of so great eminency and power hath béen a principall occasion that much Tyranny and oppression hath béen exercised upon the Subjects of that Kingdome That your Majestie will be pleased to continue such Governours hereafter but for thrée years And that none once imployed therein be appointed for the same again until the expiration of six years next after the end of the said thrée yéers And that an Act passe to dis-inhable such Governour or Governours during their Government directly or indirectly in Vse Trust or other wise to make any manner of purchase or Acquisition of any Manners Lands Tenements or Hereditaments within that Kingdome other then from your Majesty your heirs or successors Ans We humbly conceive that this Proposition tendeth to lay a fals and scandalous
not prevayling therein with your Majesty as they expected have by their Letters and instruments labored with many leading Members of the Parliament there to give stop and interruption thereunto and likewise transmitted unto your Majesty and some of the state of England sundry misconstructions and misrepresentations of the proceedings and actions of your Parliament of this your Kingdom and thereby endeavoured to possesse your Majesty of an evill opinion thereof and that the said Parliament had no power of Iudicature in Capitall causes which is an essentiall part of Parliament thereby ayming at the impunity of some of them and others who were then impeached of high Treason and at the destruction of this Parliament But the said Lords-Iustices and privy counsell observing that no art or practise of theirs could be powerfull to withdraw your Majesties grace and good intentions from this people and that the redresse granted of some principall grievances was to be passed as Acts in Parliament The said Lords Iustices and their adherents with the height of malice envying the good union long before setled and continued between the Members of the house of Commons and their good correspondency with the Lords left nothing unattempted which might raise discord and disunion in the said house and by some of themselves and some instruments of theirs in the said Commons house private meetings of great numbers of the said house were appointed of purpose to raise distinction of Nation and Religion by meanes whereof a faction was made there which tended much to the disquiet of the house and disturbance of your Majesties and the publicke service And after certaine knowledge that the said Committees were by the waterside in England with sundry important and beneficiall Bills and other graces to be passed as Acts in that Parliament of purpose to prevent the same the said faction by the practise of the said Lords-Iustices and some of the said privy Counsell and their adherents in tumultuous and disorderly manner on the seventh of August 1641. and on severall dayes before cryed for an adjournment of the house and being over-voted by the voyces of the more moderate part the said Lords-Iustices and their adherents told severall honorable Peeres that if they did not adjourne the Lords house on that day being Saturday that they would themselves prorogue or adjourne the Parliament on the next Monday following by meanes whereof and of great numbers of proxies of Noblemen not estated nor at any time resident in this Kingdom which is destructive to the liberty and freedome of Parliament here the Lords house was on the said seventh day of August adjourned and the house of Commons by occasion thereof and of the faction aforesaid adjourned soone after by which meanes those Bills and graces according your Majesties intention and the great expectation and the longing desires of your people could not then passe as Acts of Parliament Within a few dayes after this fatall and inforced adjournment the said Committees arrived at Dublin with their dispatch from your Majesty and presented the same to the said Lords-Iustices and Councell expressing a right sense of the said adjournment and besought their Lordships for the satisfaction of the people to require short heads of that part of the dispatch wherein your Majesty did appeare in the best manner unto your people might be suddainly conveyed unto all the parts of the Kingdom attested by the said Lords-Iustices to prevent dispayre or misunderstanding this was promised to be done and an instrument drawn and presented unto them for this purpose and yet as it seemes desiring rather to adde fuell to the fire of the subjects discontent than quench the same they did forbeare to give any notice thereof to the people 8 After this certain dangerous and pernicious petitions contrived by the advice and Counsell of the said Sir William Parsons Sir Adam Loftus Sir Iohn Clotworthy knights Arthur Hill Esquier and sundry others of the malignant party and signed by many thousands of the malignant party in the City of Dublin in the province of Vlster and in sundry other parts in this kingdom directed to the Commons house in England were at publick Assizes and other publick places ' made known and read to many persons of quality in this kingdom which petitions contayned matters destructive to the said Catholicks their Religion lives and estates and were the more to be feared by reason of the active power of the said Sir Iohn Clotworthy in the Commons house in England in opposition to your Majesty and his barbarous and inhumane expressions in that house against Catholick Religion and the professors thereof Soon after an order conceived in the Commons house of England that no man should bow unto the name of IESVS at the sacred sound whereof all knees should bend came to the knowledge of the said Catholicks and that the said malignant party did contrive and plot to extinguish their Religion and Nation hence it did arise that some of the said Catholicks begun to consider the deplorable and desperate condition they were in by a Statute Law here found among the records of this kingdom of the second yeare of the raigne of the late Queen Elizabeth but never executed in her time nor discovered till most of the Members of that Parliament were dead no Catholick of this kingdom could injoy his life estate or libertie if the said statute were executed whereunto no impediment remained but your Majesties prerogative and power which were indeavoured to be clipped or taken away as is before rehearsed then the plot of destruction by any Army out of Scotland and another of the malignant party in England must be executed the feares of those twofold destructions and their ardent desire to maintain that just prerogative which might encounter and remove it did necessitate some Catholicks in the North about the two and twentieth of October 1641. to take Armes in maintenance of their Religion your Maiesties rights and the preservation of life estate and liberty and immediately thereupon tooke a solemne Oath and sent severall Declarations to the Lords-Iustices and Counsell to that effect and humbly desired they might be heard in Parliament unto the determination whereof they were ready to submit themselves and their demands which Declarations being received were slighted by the said Lords-Iustices who with the swaying part of the said Counsell and by the advice of the said two impeached Iudges glad of any occasion to put off the Parliament which by the former adjournment was to meet soon after caused a Proclamation to be published on the three and twentieth of the said Moneth of October 1641. therein accusing all the Catholicks of Ireland of disloyalty and therby declaring that the Parliament was prorogued untill the six and twentieth of February following within a few dayes after the said three and twentieth day of October 1641. many Lords and other persons of rank and quality made their humble addresse to the Lords-Iustices and counsel made
truth First as to their vaunt of 1300 yeares unalterable profession of the now Romish Religion It is most apparent in the learned Treatises of the Lord Archbishop of Armagh and otherwaies that for above 600 yeares within the said time of 1300 yeares the Religion professed by the Clergie and people of Ireland was more agreeable to the true Protestant Religion now by law established and by publique Authoritie maintained in that Kingdom then unto that Roman Catholike Religion as they call it which they doe now professe the free exercise whereof throughout that Kingdome they by their confederacie and oath of Association are to maintain and doe now by force authorize And for most of the time after the said 600 years the Religion professed in that Kingdome was far otherwise then now it is professed and practifed by these Confederates and some of their Ancestors for the Councell of Trent which ended about the yeare 1563. brought Articles of Faith into the Church farre different from the former Catholique faith And this new Religion of Popery is the Romish Religion which they call Catholike and is now professed by them And this is the great Antiquity of these Romanists present profession which they fay they and their Ancestors have so long unalterably professed though that also in so large an extent is utterly untrue for besides what is declared in the Statute lawes in Ireland enacted in the Reigne of King Henry the 8. and Queene Elizabeth expressing the detestation of those Paliaments against the Popes usurped authority in that Kingdome his wresting of Gods holy word and Testament to his worldly and carnall affection and entangling and troubling the jurisdiction and Regall power and much unquieting the people making that unlawfull which by Gods Word is lawfull and many such like expressions in severall Statutes which shewes the genius of the people of Ireland at that time It is cleere that since the Reformation in the latter end of the Reigne of King Henry the 8 in all the time of King Edward the 6. and Queen Elizabeth the Natives of that Kingdome Ancestors to these Confederates howsoever perhaps in mind popishly affected according to the ignorance of those times did generally without scruple resort to the Protestant Ceurches in all places where any Protestant Clergie could reside untill about the 13. yeare of Queene Elizabeth that the Bull of Pius Quintus was sent into Ireland And then began some persons of note to stand at distance But after that they did also generally come to Church both in Townes and Country till about the 30 yeare of Queen Elizabeth that the Spaniards wracked upon that Coast dispersed themselves into the Townes and severall other parts and left generally many evill impressions which caused some more wilfulnesse in Recusancie yet after that most of the Natives of Ireland all the residue of Queen Elizabeths Reigne for then there were few new English and most of the Reigne of King James partly by faire inducements and partly by the weake impulsives of the Statute of 2. Eliz. did still for the most part till of late yeares come to Church which is all that Your Majesties Government and Your Laws there do enjoyn them generally unto not offering to enforce the Conscience with torture death or otherwise as the Romanists doe Neither were they so unalterable in their supposed Catholique profession but that of late yeares severall of them even of noted pregnancie in the Doctrinal part did for a Majoraltie in a City or to save a pension in some times or some other imployment in others forsake their Masse for that season to come to Church Sir Philonty O Neal makes it more plain in his Letters of triumph to his holy Confessor that his purpose was conquest and not defence of Religion his Majesties Prerogative or their Liberties there being none there that offered any offence to either of them and for Liberty in their profession they had little or no restraint Vid. the epistle of Paul Harris Priest to P. Vrban the 8. in his booke intituled Fratres sobrii estoie An 1634. It is as hard to find what numbers of Friars be in Dublin as to count how many frogs therewere in the 2d plague of Egypt for they had by the patience of the Governours their titular Archbishops Bishops Vicar generall and provinciall Consistories Ecclesiasticall Deanes Abbots Priors Moncks Nunnes Iesuites Priests and Friers without number all officers proper to that Hierarchy and free use of Masse aswell in Townes as Country they not so much as in truth doubting or fearing any violent cruelty of the English knowing their nature and disposition as they did so as feare of being massacred for their Catholique Religion was not their motive for taking Armes as they fraudulently pretend It is utterly untrue that ever since the Statute of second Elizabeth the Catholiques of that Kingdome were debarred from places of honour and trust in Church or Common wealth for after that Statute many Noblemen of the old English were made Councellours who were bred in the ignorance of those times though afterwards they came to Church And after that Statute tenne severall Iudges of that Birth and education possessed successively all the prime Places of all the Benches of the Law and likewise all the Inferior Iudges of those Benches were of the same birth and education though afterwards most of them came to Church and the officers in Courts of Iustice and otherwayes were exercised by men of like condition the Malignity of Popery being in those times not discerned to be so perillous as of later times the Spanish Armado in 88 Tyrones Rebellion the Powder Treason this present Insurrection and many other treacherous and mischievous machinations and plots have discovered it to be T is true that about the 29. yeare of the Reigne of Queen Elizabeth upon the death of Sir John Plunket Chiefe Iustice of the Kings Bench Sir Robert Gardner was sent out of England who was the first English Iudge sent into that Kingdome in many yeares before And after upon the death of some of the rest a little before the end of the Raigne of the same Queen three more were sent thither and so from thenceforth as the rest dyed others were sent thither And how the reformation of the Kingdome and Your Majesties services were advanced before the comming of those English Iudges the Stories and Records doe shew And for the Natives of that Kingdome such as would conforme and come to Church were freely admitted to be Counsellors Iudges and Officers as many of them were and yet are Besides for matter of trust many of the Lords and prime Gentry of the old English though reputed Catholiques were throughout that Queenes time made Commanders of men in her Army and very many made chiefe Commanders in severall Counties and of the forces in those Countries All which time that Kingdome was kept almost in continuall garboyle and as well then as ever since her decease the Noblemen
time But it is now plainly seene that the secret reason why those Remonstrants so distasted and in Parliament laboured against the disbanding of that Army was because by their disbanding they saw themselves like to be disappointed of such a helpe and of those Armes with a more fall hand to execute their bloody designe upon your Majesties Brittish and Protestant Subjects which it seemes was consented unto by many of these Remonstrants members of both houses in the May session of Parliament before as was declared by Hugh Mac Mahon upon his examination Those Remonstrants well knowing that the greatest part of that Army aswell the common souldier as many of the Commanders were ready to be imployed by them in that exploit as since more fully appeared And that this their confederacy seems to be begun at that time or before doth somewhat more appeare in that at the next Session in Iune and July when that Army was disbanded and that your Majesty for good reasons had commanded by your severall warrants that they should be sent over sea to serve other Princes in amity with your Majesty those Remonstrants tooke great paynes to frame reasons to stay them which by their meanes the Lords Justices were then pressed to transmit to your Majesty And that they were unwilling to supply those Princes whose aide they so undutifully soone afterwards sollicited against your Majesty and your Majesties true Subjects and servants not that they beleived the kingdome could not well spare those men being then loose and noe way setled but that they intended shortly to make an other use of them to the utter destruction of your Majesties good Subjects as lamentable experience now evinceth besides it was then made knowne to the Lords Justices and Councell That the Priests and Jesuits diswaded the Colonels Captains and Souldiers all they could from going over which was on the same grounds to open which secret a little further It must be also remembred that in that Session upon a pretence that some of the Lord Straffords servants had placed powder under the Parliament House with purpose to blow them all up which was a meere fiction They moved the house to send certain Committees of Lords to the Lords Justices wherein the lord Magwier a chief conspirator as himselfe confessed was a most busie man to require search for the powder which they curiously performed and veiwed every corner on purpose to see what Armes were brought in that being a place where Arms had been in former times kept though the Officers of the Ordnance assured them that noe powder had been laide there for some yeares before neither was there any at that time And when they had seene what there was they adventured and drew the other Lords of that Committee then and now good Subjects to renew their motion to the Lords Justices to be admitted to see the stores of powder and armes placed in other parts in and about the Castle to whom the Lords Justices then answered that those were the Kings precious Iewels not to be without speciall cause shewed and so refused them whereat they seemed discontented as being left in uncertainty in what state your Majesties stores stood which they desired much to know especially whether the powder Armes were all there where they lay that if they were not come in they might find them elsewhere or if there then by the intended surprize to be sure of them and to know where on the suddaine to find them As for that strange Chimera of bringing a 10000 Scots into that Kingdome to force the Catholiques thereof to change their Religion and that Ireland would never be well without a Rebellion to the end the Natives might be extirpated It is little marvile that those Remonstrants in whose braines exterpation of Brittish and Protestants did so much runne which they to their uttermost power soone after executed had their hearts full of Rebellion which they wickedly practised soone after could easily fancy such thoughts in other men as one colour of excuse amongst others for their own evill intents But that those persons named in this Article should declare or advise such an act to the disturbance of that blessed peace in setling whereof they have beene principall actouts and in that Kingdome where their whole subsistance is and where their children are matched to Natives knowing also as they doe that such an action cannot be without great meanes and authority to support it it is incredible neither can they conceive that it will gaine more credit with any intelligent man then the tale of wagers mentioned in this Article the true particular whereof is That at an Assizes at Wexford a little before the Rebellion certaine Papists and Protestants being at the Sheriffs table at dinner a Protestant and a Papist had some conference about Religion The Protestant at last wished the Papist to come to Church as most of them had done formerly whereto the Papist answered he would never go to Church the Protestant said I wil give you 5 l. you shal give me 50. l. for it if you come not to Church before this time Twelve-Moneth he well knowing that the Papist would not come to Church whereat the Papist seeming startled was very earnest to understand the secret of that wager which at last the Protestant discovered and so it proved a merriment to the whole table as is well knowne to the Remonstrants And these are some of the grounds whereon these Remonstrants pretend to found their bloody Massacre which soone after ensued to the destruction of your Majesties Brittish and Protestant subjects What the Parliament in England protested or intended concerning the Catholiques in Ireland The Protestants in Ireland were not much moved with the rumours thereof being strangers thereunto and presumed those Remonstrants were better setled in the assurance of your Majesties Protestant subjects love to them and your Majesties gracious favours and care shewed to their security It is true that some Prints have been seene here seeming to averr that Lawes made in England will bind in Ireland if Ireland named This is a power that may equally concerne your Majesties Protestant subjects as those confederates But it being a matter yet farre from determination might have been thought more fit to be disputed in peaceable and civill Assemblies then canvased by Armes in open hostilitie against your Majestie and your obedient Subjects and the resolution written in the blood of so many thousand innocent Protestants unable to resist and that by treacherous surprize without the least notice of force intended especially seeing therein they say truly and that in all respects only truly hitherto in their Remonstrance that your Majesties high wisedome was able to apply seasonable cures to any such evils or innovations neither can it be beleeved that those Remonstrants or Catholiques of Ireland as they call themselves could be truly informed of any Protestation made by both Houses of Parliament in England or an intention in
of Lords and others aswell Protestants as Papists and to make a guard for them in their passage to and from the house and have held the same course ever since when those houses have consisted in a manner wholly of Protestants and all done without any intent or designe to offend affront or terrify any of them which the Remonstrants did and do well know if they would deale sincerely in the matter And certainly any of the members of either house then present could not from such a civility rendred to them take up the least apprehension of terror in some inward guilt did not beget in them a feare or jealousie of what was never intended or thought of The same course for ornament being held by the late Lord Leivtenant the Earle of Strafford in the former Parliament and by the now Lord Lievtenant at the last Session Neither did any thing then hinder the Lords Justices from seizing on their persons if they had beene willing to take strong presumptions and probability of guilt for a ground against men whom indeed they desired to thinke better of and hoped they would employ themselves better for your Majesties service It is also an untruth that the Lords Justices and their partie of the Counsell what is meant by that partie is not understood for there was not so much as a shadow of any partaking or siding there in any matter But the Lords Justices and Counsell unanimously concurred in all things did cause an order to be propounded in the Parliament to declare That the Irish had taken up Armes in rebellious manner For the Lords Justices and Counsell did not conceive that there was any necessity for their attestation so that too well knowne a truth the bleeding testimonies of many miserable spectacles men women and children unable to resist who escaped those cursed blood-suckers in Vlster daily comming to the Citie of Dublin and to other Garrisons stripped robbed wounded and spoiled then gave sufficient evidence of then Rebellious and tyrannous acts But the truth is the sitting was permitted two dayes at their owne suite as appeares by Proclamation after published That they might draw up some Declaration of their owne loy alties as they said and their detestation of the abominable acts of the Rebells yet seeing they have the confidence to move in that passage sinisterly to your Majestie your Royall Majestie may please to know that when the Houses had appointed certaine Committees to draw up that Ordinance and those Committees had dutifully expressed those Rebells by the just tearmes of Traitours and Rebels Many of these Remonstrants then of the House much contested it and would not have them so called being privie to what themselves had formerly with those Rebells contrived to be done and fearing it might move the Rebells to recriminate Howsoever the Declaration passed by Votes and was agreed on But that any such menaces to such as should oppose that Declaration were by any man uttered though they say it is a thing that was credibly informed is a most false scandall the orders of the Houses shewing plainly that it was done in the Houses no way urged or enforced upon them There were never any such provocations pressures and indignities as in this Article are mentioned offered to the considerable partie of the Catholiques And although the Remonstrants say That at the time of that Session all the Cities and Corporations and whole Provinces stood quiet yet at the apprehension of Hugh Mac Mahon on the 23. of October aforesaid The said Hugh being demanded by the Lords Justices and Counsell whether he thought that though they had taken Dublin the rest of the strong Townes in the Kingdome which were the Kings would yeeld to them he boldly answered that he and the rest were well assured that none of those Townes would stand against them as did fully after appeare for they all joyned with them except very few where your Majesties forces lay strong and except the Protestant townes which kind of defection was never so in any former Rebellion those townes being in all times places of refuge for your Majesties forces and good subjects and a great bridle to the Rebells And the same Mac Mahoun also declared the privitie and consent to the foresaid Conspiracy of all the Catholiques in both Houses of Parliament in the Summer Session before as is before mentioned The same Mac Mahoun also declared That twenty men out of each County in the Kingdome were appointed to be at Dublin the said 23. of October to execute the Plott on your Majesties Castle and Citie of Dublin and indeed thither they did come at the time in very great numbers of whom very many were apprehended which proves the generall Combination And the Lord Magwire upon his examination declared that in Summer before the conspiracy and action was agreed on amongst the Irish which the event proved to be true Besides it is testified upon oath by a very credible person sometimes prisoner with the Rebels in Cavan That Collonel Richard Plunkett late of Donsaghly in the County of Dublin within the pale who should have been one at the taking of the Castle comming into that County of Cavan about the twenty sixth of October 1641. said openly that he had a contract under the hands of all the Lords in Ireland that were Catholiques to stand firme in this insurrection wherein although the said Plunkett cannot bee believed as to all the Lords seeing some of them have even in this Rebellion manifested their loyaltie to your Majestie in opposing the Rebells yet hee may be beleived as to all of them except very few their owne actions also afterwards concurring therein The same Collonel Plunkett also by his Letters written to the Titular Abbot of Mellifont whom hee stiled Lord signified that hee had beene a meanes to incite the Lords and Gentrie of the Pale to appeare in the Blessed cause then in hand meaning the Rebellion and that hee would use his best endeavours night and day to accomplish Ad majorem Dei gloriam those are his owne words The above mentioned Contract or Covenant was also spoken of usually by the Vlster Rebells before many Protestants then prisoners and was declared by some Rebells afterwards taken prisoners upon examination It is observable also that notwithstanding your Majesties Warrant stood good for foure Collonels viz. Collonel Iohn Barry Collonel Taaf Collonel Garrett Barry and Collonel Porter for transportation of foure thousand men And that the Lords Justices and Counsell gave them all Warrants and other helps for their passage And that the three Collonels that were there had gathered their men yet it being neere the time of execution of the foresaid great Designe and conspiracy their transportation was deferred and pretences made partly of the adversaries of that Parliament in Ireland and partly of want of money and other impediments their men were kept in Bodyes the one in Munster not farre from Kinsale another in Connaught towards Gallway and the
where hee then found aswell in the house of the said King as other houses in the Towne divers of the goods taken out of the said two Barkes robbed at Clantarfe And by this meanes was strucken off much of that danger And to the end it may further appeare That the Lords of the Pale especially of Meath were in the same Confederacie with the Rebells at Swoards and other parts of Leinster and not forced to take up Armes for their owne safety nor fearing to bee murthered by any under the command of the Lords Justices and Counsell as in the Remonstrance is maliciously and scandalously urged the Lords Justices and Counsell seeing dangers thus multiplyed on all sides receiving Letters of intelligence from all parts of rebellious Acts done and hearing many strange rumours of the generall combination before the said meeting at Swoards or killing at Santry robberies and spoyles being before that time committed on the English in every County in Leinster Their Lordships thereupon desired in their great distresse to have the advice and assistance of those Lords of the Pale in whose fidelitie they formerly much confided as appeares by their comfortable expression thereof in October before aswell to the then Lord Lievtenant in England as to your Majesties principall Secretarie the effect whereof appeared in the Parliametn order sent thither thereupon soone after and printed the twelfth of November 1641. wherein they declared that they conceived the Massacre was intended aswell against your Majesties good Subjects Antient Inhabitants of English blood though of the Romish Religion who have in former Rebellions given testimonie of their fidelitie to the Crowne of ENGLAND as against the Protestants and that they intended to move your Majesty for the encouragement of those English or Irish that should raise Horse or Foote against the Rebells that they should bee honourably rewarded and therefore on the third of the same December the Lords Justices and Counsell did write severall Letters unto those and other Lords in and neere Dublin to meet together with the Lords Justices and Counsell at Dublin the eighth day of the same moneth to the end they might conferre with those Lords concerning the present state of the Kingdome and the safety thereof and specially of the Citie of Dublin in those times of danger to this the Earle of Fingall and the Lords of Gormanston Slane Dunsany Nettervile Lowth and Trimletstowne by their Letter dated the seventh of the same December answered That they had cause to conceive their loyaltie was suspected and that they had received advertisement that Sir Charles Coote at the Connsell Board had uttered some speeches tending to a purpose and resolution to execute upon those of their Religion a generall Massacre whereby they were deterred to come not having securitie for their lives but rather thought fit to stand on their guard till they might heare from the Lords Justices and Counsell how they should bee secured They well knowing that the Lords Justices and Counsell had no force or having force had no intent to hurt them unlesse much greater cause appeared in which Letter they did mention the killing at Santry which it seemes they had not then heard of and could not take that for a ground of their rebellion as now they urge and so they did forbeare to come as they were required but the Earle of Kildare the Lords Fitzwilliams and Houth came at the day appointed with whom Conference was had Thereupon the Lords Justices and Counsell desirous and labouring by all the meanes they could to cleare all erronious conceptions in those Lords and to prevent their hurt by any undutifull resolutions and asmuch as they might to provide against any breach with them least thereby greater extremities might bee drawne upon them and the Rebells at Swoards might be raised in stomacke did print and publish a Declaration dated the thirteenth day of the same December and sent it those Noblemen therein positively affirming That the Lords Justices and Counsell did never heare Sir Charles Coote or any other utter at the Councell board or else-where any such speeches tending to a purpose or resolution to execute upon those of their profession or upon any other a generall Massacre and that that board never intended or meant to dishonour your Majestie or that State or wound their owne consciences by harbouring the least thought of so odious impious and detestable a thing upon any persons whatsoever And that they were had would be ready to inflict due punishment upon any man against whom proofe shall be made of speaking the same therein likewise requiring those Lords to attend the Lords Justices and Counsell at the Board on the seventeenth day of the same moneth of December Thereby also giving to those Lords and every of them the word and assurance of the State for their safe repaire to the Board without danger of any trouble or stay whatsoever of or from the Lords Justices and Counsell or any under their Command who never had intention to wrong or hurt them neither in truth did they feare any such massacre there having never beene any such thing attempted against Papists either in England Scotland or Ireland notwithstanding their difference in Religion and the Protestants provoked by many strange plots in former times The same thirteenth day also of December the Lords Justices and Counsell printed and sent to the said Luke Nettervile and the rest at Swoards their manifest setting forth the truth of the aforesaid action at Santry and that they had no knowledge of it till it was done and their readinesse to give redresse it upon prosecution there were cause either at the Board or at a Counsell of Warre therein also laying before them their high and unsufferable Contempt in not separating according to former Command declaring also that there was no intent or purpose against the lives of them or any other your Majesties good Subjects Protestants or Papists who were not actors or abettors in the traiterous murthers and robberies lately committed but that their care and endeavour alwayes was and should bee to cherish and preserve all your Majesties good Subjects of what profession soever requiring them againe forth with to separate and forbeare further terrour and annoyance to your Majesties good Subjects and therein the Lords Justices and Counsell required the said Luke Nettervile and the rest who formerly signed the Letler to appeare before them at the Counsell board on the eighteenth day of the said moneth where they should receive due hearing and further gave unto them and every of them the word and the assurance of the state as to their persons for their safe repaire unto them without any trouble or stay from them whatsoever and that they had no intention to wrong or hurt any of them all which notwithstanding they did not separate but on the contrary sent men to Clantarfe as aforesaid which gave the Lords Justices and Counsell full assurance that they were resolved to run on
their and and our joynt Agents did desire of your Majesty And we continuing amongst them in all love and amity without distrust your Petitioners and others who laboured to oppose those damnable designes and practices have been driven from their dwellings estates and fortunes their houses and Churches burnt and demolished all monuments of civility utterly defaced your Majesties Forts and places of strength throwne downe and the Common and Statute lawes of this your Kingdome utterly confounded by taking upon themselves the exercise of all manner of authorities and jurisdictions Ecclesiasticall and Civill both by Land and Sea proper and peculiar to your sacred Majesty being your just Prerogatives and the Royall flowers of your Imperiall Diadem to the disherison of your Crowne and your royall Revenues brought to nothing and the Protestant Clergy with their revenues and support for the present destroyed This your Kingdom in all parts formerly inhabited with Brittish Protestants now depopulated of them and many thousands of your Protestant subjects most barbarously used stripped naked tortured famished hanged buried alive drowned and otherwise by all barbarous cruell sorts of death murthered such as yet remaine of them are reduced to that extremity that very few of them have wherewith all to maintain a being and all of them so terrifyed and afflicted with those barbarous and inhumane cruelties the true report whereof being now spread abroad into the Christian world you Suppliants conceive feares that your Majesties Brittish subjects will be discouraged from comming againe to inhabite this Kingdome and the remnant of the Brittish left here will be forced to depart All this being done by the conspiracy of the Papists who did publiquely declare the utter extirpation of the Protestant Religion and all the Brittish professors thereof out of this your Majesties Kingdom And to the end it may the better in some measure appeare your Suppliants have made choice of Captaine Mr. William Ridgeway Sir Francis Hamilton Knight and Baronet Captaine Michael Iones and Mr. Fenton Parsons whom they have imployed and authorised as their Agents to manifest the truth thereof in such particulars as for the present they are furnished withall referring the more ample manifestation thereof to the said Captaine Mr. William Ridgeway Sir Francis Hamilton Captaine Iones and Fenton Parsons or any three or more of them and such other Agents as shall with all convenient speed be sent as occasion shall require to attend your Majesty from your Protestant Subjects of the severall Provinces of this your Kingdome We therefore your Majesties most humble loyall and obedient Protestant subjects casting downe our selves at your Royall feet and flying to you for succour and redresse in these our great calamities as our most gracious Soveraigne Lord and King and next and immediately under Almighty God our protector and defence most humbly beseeching your sacred Majesty to admit into your Royall presence from time to time our said Agents and in your great wisdome to take into your Princely care and consideration the distressed estate and humble desires of your said Subjects so that to the glory of God your Majesties honour and the happinesse of your good Subjects the Protestant Religion may be restored throughout the whole Kingdome to its lustre That the losses of your Protestant subjects may be repayred in such manner and measure as your Majesty in your Princely wisdome shall thinke fit and that this your Kingdome may be so setled as that your said Protestant Subjects may heareafter live therein under the happy government of your Majesty and your Royall posterity with comfort and security Whereby your Majesty will render your selfe throughout the whole world a most just and glorious Defender of the Protestant Religion and draw downe a blessing on all other your Royall undertakings For which your Petitioners will ever pray c. Subscribed by the Earle of Kildare the Lord Viscount Montgomery the Lord Blany and many others At the Court at Oxford the 25 of April 1644. HIs Majesty being very sensible of the Petitioners losses and sufferings is ready to heare and relieve them as the exigencie of His affaires will permit and wisheth the Petitioners to propose what they thinke fit in particular for His Majesties information and the Petitioners remedy and future security Edw. Nicholas And His Majesty looking upon the petition and the names of the subscribers commanded the same to be read and after the reading thereof His Majesty was pleased to expresse himselfe that he knew the contents of the Petition to be truth and that the same could not be denyed and required the Protestant agents to reduce the generals of the Petition into particulars And His Majesty then further said to the said Agents That the Agents for the Irish tooke it upon their salvation unto him that the Conspiracy in Ireland at first was not generall and that the English pale of Ireland were forced into Rebellion by His Governours of Ireland and that if his Parliament of England had permitted Him to have gone into Ireland when He desired He doubted not but He should soon have suppressed that Rebellion His Majesty having directed the Protestant Agents by His answer on the said petition to represent what they should thinke fit in particular for His Majesties information and the petitioners remedy and future security the said Agents likewise taking into consideration a scandalous and most false Remonstrance of the Irish rebels presented to His Majesties Commissioners at Trymme in Ireland the 27 of March 1642. which afterwards was printed at Waterford by Thomas Bourke printer to the Confederate Roman Catholiques of Ireland whereunto he affixed His Majesties Armes many of which bookes were published and dispersed by the rebels not onely in Ireland but at Oxford and other parts of this Kingdome and in forraigne parts of purpose to asperse the late government there and His Majesties good and faithfull Protestant subjects and to put a shew of reason upon the barbarous and inhumane cruelties which the said Rebels had acted on the Protestants of Ireland unprovoked in time of full peace The Protestant Agents for vindication of the late government and of the Protestants of Ireland and for the satisfaction of all good people conceived themselves bound in duty to God and His Majesty to present to His Majesty some collections of knowne truths in answer to the said Remonstrance of the Rebels of Ireland Which Remonstrance and the copy of the said Collections in answer thereunto were presented to His Majesty together with their first propositions in the behalfe of the Protestants of Ireland which first propositions follow in haec verba The humble Propositions of your Majesties Protestant Agents of Ireland in pursuance of the humble Petition of your Majesties Protestant Subjects aswell Commanders of your Majesties Army there as others presented to your Majesty the 18 day of Aprill 1644. and answered by your Majestie the 25 of the same 1. WE most humbly desire the establishment of the true
high and unreasonable in their propositions they must expect nothing but War To which the Agents answered that they were ill furnished for a War but had rather undergoe the hazard of a War then consent to a dishonorable and destructive peace and they further answered that they should betray the trust reposed in them by the Protestants of Ireland if they did admit of any further alterations of the said propositions then as is hereafter mentioned which the said Agents were resolved upon no terms to doe Then Sir George Radcliffe said that he was sure that if the said Agents would fall three parts of foure of the said Propositions that the fourth part would not be consented unto And afterwards Sir George Radclieffe seeing he could no way further prevaile with the said Agents to alter their propositions told them that they were sent over by the Protestants of Ireland to preserve them ☞ and unlesse the said Agents consented to a peace His Majesty being in no condition to send them any reliefe the Irish upon their Agents returne home would destroy the remnant of the Protestants of Ireland and therfore desired the said Agents to consider of some way to secure them To which it was answered by the Protestant Agents that there were five more he yet to come to the end of the Cessation within which time meanes might be found for their reliefe and that it were better that the Protestants should quit Ireland for a time then consent to a destructive peace Then Sir George asked how they could get the Protestants from thence To which it was answered by one of them that His Majesty might make stay of the Irish Agents in England untill the protestants were brought out of Ireland Sir George Radcliff replied that be had rather advise the King to lose that Kingdom then that he should violate his word with the Irish Agents who were come to Treate with His Majesty and had his Majesties promise for their safe returne And the said Sir George said further ☞ that if the Irish had not good conditions it was not likely that they would forbeare Armes untill the end of the time limited by the Articles of Cessation The next day the Protestant Agents delivered the aforesaid propositions unto Secretary Nicholas to be presented to his Majesty or to the Lords of the Committee which he thought fittest which propositions follow in haec verba The humble Propositions of Your Majesties Protestant Agents of Ireland in pursuance of the humble Petition of Your Majesties Protestant subjects aswell Commanders of Your Majesties Army there as others presented to Your Majesty the 18. day of April 1644. and answered by Your Majesty the 25 of the same 1. WE most humbly desire the establishment of the true Protestant Religion in Ireland according to the Lawes and Statutes in the said Kingdome now in force 2. That popery and popish recusants may be suppressed according to the lawes and statutes established in Ireland 3. That the Parliament now sitting in Ireland may be continued for the better setlement of that Kingdome for if that Parliament should be dissolved there would be few or no protestant freeholders found in that Kingdome they being either killed or banished by this rebellion to elect or chuse any of Your Majesties protestant subjects to sit in Parliament hereafter which by consequence may be destructive to Your Majesties rights and prerogatives and protestant subjects in their lives liberties and fortunes 4. That all such lawyers who refuse to take the Oathes of supremacy and alleageance may be suppressed and restrained from practise in that Kingdom the rather because the lawyers in England doe not here practise untill they take the Oath of supremacy And it hath beene found by wofull experience that the advice of the popish lawyers to the people of Ireland hath been a great cause of their continued disobedience 5. That there may be a present absolute suppression and dissolution of all the assumed arbitrary and tyrannicall power which the said confederate Roman Catholiques as they call themselves exercise over Your Majesties subjects both in causes Ecclesiasticall and Temporall 6. That all the Armet and Ammunition of the said confederates may be brought into Your Majesties hands when any conclusion shall be made 7. That Your Majesties protestant subjects ruined and destoyed by the said confederates may be repaired for their great losses out of the estates of the said confederates not formerly by any Act of Parliament in England otherwise disposed of in such manner and measure as Your Majesty in Your high Wisdome shall think fit whereby they may the better be enabled to reinhabit and defend the said Kingdome of Ireland 8. That the said confederates may rebuild the severall Plantation Houses and Castles destroyed by them in Ireland in as good state as they were at the breaking out of the rebellion which Your Majesties protestant subjects have beene bound by their severall patents to build and maintaine for Your Majesties service or otherwise that Your Majesty will discharge Your said protestant subjects of that Covenant or condition in their severall patents and that an Act be passed in this present Parliament to that purpose And whereas severall Castles and Houses were surrendered upon Quarter upon Articles under their hands with solemne Oathes or otherwise to preserve the said Castles and houses from being defaced or demolished That the said confederates who have so Articled with any of Your Majesties protestant subjects may rebuild the said Castles or Houses in as good state as they were at the time of surrendring up of the same upon Articles as aforesaid or such a considerable fine may be levied out of the Estates of the said confederates as may rebuild the said Houses as Your Majesty in your high Wisdome shall think fit 9. That the great arrears of rent due to Your Majesty out of the Estates of Your Majesties protestant subjects at and since Michaelmas 1641. may be paid unto Your Majesty by the said confederates who have either received the said Rents to the uses of he confederates or destroyed the same by disabling Your Majesties protestant subjects to pay the same and have also destroyed all or the most part of all other rents or meanes of support belonging to Your said protestant subjects or that Your said protestant subjects may be discharged of all such arrerages of rents to Your Majesty And that Your Majesty will be further graciously pleased to give an abatement of the great yearly rents payable from Your protestant subjects for some reasonable time as in Your Majesties high wisdome shall be thought fit for their encouragement and enablement to replant that Your Kingdome in respect the said lands for the most part depopulated by the said confederates will not be worth Your Majesties rents for a long time 10. That Your Majesty will be graciously pleased to take into Your Majesties hands so much of the confederates estates as are necessary to be planted
The False and Scandalous REMONSTRANCE OF The Inhumane and Bloody Rebells of Ireland DELIVERED To the Earl of St. Albans and Clanrickard the Earl of Roscomon Sir Maurice Eustace Knight and other His Majesties Commissioners at Trim the 17. of March 1642. to be presented to His Majesty by the Name of The Remonstrance of Grievances presented to His Majestie in the behalf of the Catholicks of IRELAND Printed at Waterford nine Moneths after by Tho Bourk Printer to the Confederate-Catholicks and untill then concealed from His Majesties good Protestant Subjects Together with an ANSWER thereunto on the behalf of the Protestants of Ireland Also a true Narration of all the Passages concerning the Petition of the Protestants of IRELAND presented to His Majesty at Oxford the 18. of April 1644. With the Reasons inducing the said Protestants to Petition The Proceedings and Successes thereof in Ireland and afterwards in England untill the Protestant Agents were dismissed by His Majesty 30. Maii 1644. Collected in obedience to the Order and Command of the Honorable House of Commons of England For the manifestation of the Truth and Vindication of the Protestants August 27. 1644. IT is this day Ordered by the Committee of the House of Commons in Parliament concerning Printing That the Books intituled An Answer presented to His Majestie at Oxford unto the false and scandalous Remonstrance of the Inhumane and Bloody Rebells of Ireland Together with A Narration of the proceedings at Oxon be forthwith printed and published JOHN WHITE London Printed for Edw. Husbands in the Middle-Temple 1644. A Remonstrance of Grievances Presented to his most Excellent Majestie in the behalfe of the Catholicks of IRELAND To the Kings most Excellent Majestie MOst gratious Soveraigne We your Majesties most dutifull and loyall subjects the Catholicks of your Highnesse kingdom of Ireland being necessitated to take armes for the preservation of our Religion the maintenance of your Majesties rights and prerogatives the naturall and just defence of our lives and estates and the liberties of our country have often since the beginning of these troubles attempted to present our humble complaint unto your Royall view but were frustrated of our hopes therein by the power and vigilancy of our adversaries the now Lords-Iustices and other ministers of State in this kingdome who by the assistance of the malignant party in England now in Arms against your Royall person with lesse difficulty to attaine the bad ends they proposed to themselves of extirpating our Religion and Nation hither to debarred us of any accesse to your Majesties justice which occasioned the effusion of much innocent bloud and other mischiefes in this your kingdom that otherwise might well be prevented And whereas of late notice was sent unto us of a Commission granted by your Majesty to the right honorable the Lord Marques of Ormond and others authorizing them to heare what we shall say or propound and the same to transmit unto your Majesty in writing which your Majesties gracious and princely favour we find to be accompanied with these words viz. Albeit we do extreamly detest the odious rebellion which the recusants of Ireland have without ground or colour raised against us our Crown and dignity which words we do in all humility conceive to have proceeded from the misrepresentations of our adversaries and therfore do protest we have been therein maliciously traduced to your Majesty having never entertained any rebellious thought against your Majesty your Crown or dignitie but alwayes have been and ever will continue your Majesties most faithfull and loyall subjects and do most humbly beseech your Majesty so to owne and avow us and as such we present unto your Majesty these ensuing grievances and causes of the present distempers 1 In primis the Catholicks of this kingdom whom no reward could invite no persecution inforce to forsake that Religion professed by them and their ancestors for thirteen hundred yeares or thereabouts are since the second year of the raigne of Queen Elizabeth made incapable of places of honor or trust in Church or Common-wealth their Nobles become contemptible their Gentry debarred from learning in Vniversities or publick Schooles within this kingdome their younger brothers put by all manner of imployment in their native country and necessitated eyther to live in ignorance and contempt at home or to their great discomfort and impoverishment of the land to seek education and fortune abroad misfortunes made incident to the said Catholicks of Ireland only their numbers quality and loyalty considered of all the Nations in Christendome 2 Secondly that by this incapacity which in respect of their Religion was imposed upon the said Catholicks men of mean condition quality for the most part were in this kingdom imployed in places of greatest honor and trust who being to begin a fortune built it of the Ruines of the Catholick Natives at all times lying open to be discountenanced and wrought upon and who because they would seem to be carfull of the government did from time to time suggest fals malicious matters against them the said Catholicks to render them suspected odious in England from which ungrounded informations their many other ill Offices these mischeifs have befallen the Catholicks of Ireland First the oppositions given to all the graces and favors of your Maiesty or your late Royall Father promised or intended to the Natives of this Kingdom Secondly the procuring of false inquisitions upon fained Titles of their estates against many hundred yeares possession and no travers or petition of Right admitted thereunto and Iurors denying to find such Offices were censured even to their publicke infamy and ruine of their estates the finding thereof being against their consciences and cleere evidences and nothing must stand against such offices taken of great and considerable parts of the Kingdom but Letters-patents under the great Seale And if Letters-patents were produced as in most cases they were none must bee allowed valid nor yet sought to be legally avoyded So that of late times by the underhand working of Sir William Parsons now one of your Lords-Iustices here and the arbitrary illegall power of the two impeached Iudges in Parliament and others drawne by their advice and counsell one hundred and fifty Letters-patents were avoyded in one morning which course continued untill all the Patents of the Kingdom to a few were by them and their associates declared voyd such was the care those ministers had of your Maiesties great Seale being the publick faith of the Kingdom this way of service in shew only pretended for your Maiesty proved to your disservice and the immoderate and too timely advancement of the said ministers of state and their adherents and too neere the utter mine of the said Catholicks 3. That whereas your Majesties late Royall Father King James having a princely and fatherly care of this Kingdom was graciously pleased to grant severall large and beneficiall Commissions under the great Seal of England and severall instructions
Letters under his privie Signet for the passing and securing of the estates of his subjects here by Letters Patents under the great Seal and Letters Patents accordingly were thereof passed fines payed old rents increased and new rents reserved to the Crown And the said late King was further graciously pleased at severall times to send divers honorable persons of integrity knowledge and experience to examine the grievances of this kingdom and to settle and establish a course for redresse thereof And whereas your Majesty was graciously pleased in the fourth yeare of your raign to vouchsafe a favourable hearing to the grievances presented unto you by agents from this kingdom and thereupon did grant many graces and favours unto your subjects thereof for security of their estates and redresses or remove off those heavy pressures under which they have long groaned which acts of Iustice and grace extended to this people by your Majesty and your said Royall Father did afford them great content yet such was and is yet the immortall hatred of some of the said Ministers of Sate and especially of the said Sir William Parsons the said impeached Iudges and their adherents to any welfare and happinesse of this Nation and their ambition to make themselves still greater and richer by the totall ruine and extirpation of this people that under pretence of your Majesties service the publike faith involved in those grants was violated and the grace and goodnesse intended by two glorious Kings successively to a faithfull people made unprofitable 4 The illegall arbitrary and unlawfull proceedings of the said Sir William-Parsons and of the said impeached Iudges and their adherents and instruments in the Court of Wards and the many willfull erroneous decrees and Iudgements of that Court by which the heires of Catholick Noblemen and other Catholicks were most cruelly and tyranically dealt withall destroyed in their estates and bred in dissolution and ignorance their Parents debts unsatisfied their Sisters and younger brothers left wholy unprovided for the Ancient and appearing Tenures of Mesne Lords unregarded estates valued in Law and made for valuable considerations avoyded against Law and the whole Land filled up with the frequent swarmes of Escheators Feodaries Pursevants and others by authority of that Court. 5 The said Catholicks notwithstanding the heavy pressures before mentioned and other grievances in part represented to your Majesty by the late Committees of both houses of Parliament of this kingdom whereunto they humbly desire that relation be had and redresse obtayned therein did readily and without reluctation or repyning contribute to all the Subsidies Loanes and other extraordinary grants made to your Majesty in this kingdom since the begining of your Raign amounting unto well neer on Million of pounds over and above your Majesties Revenue both certain and casuall And although the said Catholicks were in Parliament and otherwise the most forward in granting the said sums and did bear nine parts of ten in the payments thereof yet such was the power of their adversaries and the advantage they gained by the opportunity of their continuall addresses to your Majesty to increase their reputation in getting in of those Moneys and their authority in the distribution thereof to your Majesties great disservice that they assumed to themselves to be procurers thereof and represented the said Catholicks as obstinate and refractary 6 The Army raised for your Majesties service here at the great charge of the kingdom was disbanded by the pressing importunity of the malignant party in England not giving way that your Majesty should take advice therein with the Parliament here alleadging the said Army was Popish and therefore not to be trusted And although the world could witnesse the unwarrantable and unexempled invasion made by the malignant party of the Parliament in England upon your Majesties Honour Rights Prerogatives and principall Flower of your Crown And that the said Sir William Parsons Sir Adam Loftus Knight your Majesties Vice-Treasurer of this kingdom and other their adherents did declare that an Army of ten Thousand Scots was to arrive in this kingdom to force the said Catholicks to change their Religion And that Ireland could never doe well without a Rebellion to the end the remain of the Natives thereof might be extirpated and wagers were laid at generall Assizes and publike meetings by some of them then and now imployed in places of great profit and trust in this kingdom that within one year no Catholick should be left in Ireland that they saw the ancient and unquestionable priviledges of the Parliament of Ireland unjustly and against Law incroached upon by the orders Acts and proceedings of both houses of Parliament in England in sending for and questioning to and in that Parliament the Members of the Parliament of this kingdom sitting the Parliament here And that by speeches and orders Printed by the authority of both houses in England it was declared that Ireland was bound by the Statutes made in England if named which is contrary to known truth and the Laws here setled for four hundred yeares and upwards And that the said Catholicks were throughly informed of the protestation made by both houses of Parliament of England against Catholicks and their intentions to traduce Laws for the extirpation of Catholick Religion in the three kingdoms and that they had certain notice of the cruell and bloudy execution of priests there only for being priests and that your Majesties mercy and power could not prevail with them to save the life of one condemned priest and that the Catholicks of England being of their own flesh and bloud must suffer or depart the Land and consequently others not of so neer a relation to them if bound by their Statutes and within their power These motives although very strong and powerfull to produce apprehensions and feares in the said Catholicks did not prevail with them to take defensive Armes much lesse offensive they still expecting that your Majesty in your high wisdom might be able in a short time to apply seasonable cures apt remedies unto those evils and innovations 7 That the Committees of the Lords and Commons of this Kingdome having attended your Majesty for the space of nine Moneths your Majesty was graciously pleased notwithstanding your then weighty and urgent affaires in England and Scotland to receive and very often with great patience to heare their grievances and many debates thereof at large during which debates the said Lords-Iustices and some of your privy Counsell of this Kingdom and their adherents by their malicious and untrue informations conveyed to some Ministers of state in England who since are declared of the malignant party and by the continuall solicitation of others of the said privy Counsell gone to England of purpose to crosse and give impediment unto the justice and grace your Majesty was inclined to afford to your subjects of this Realm did as much as in them lay hinder the obtaining of any redresse for the said grievances and
it evidently appear unto them that the said prorogation was against Law and humbly besought the Parliament might sit according to the former adiournment which was then the only expedient to compose or remove the then growing discontents and troubles of the land And the said Lords-Iustices and their party of the Counsell then well knowing that the Members of both houses throughout the kingdom a few in and about Dublin only excepted would stay from the meeting of both houses by reason of the said prorogation by proclamation two dayes before the time gave way the Parliament might sit but so limited that no Act of grace or any thing else for the peoples quiet or satisfaction might be propounded or passed and thereupon a few of the Lords and Commons appeared in the Parliament house who in their entrance at the Castle-bridge and gate and within the yard to the Parliament-house door and recesse from thence were invironed with a great number of Armed men with their match lighted and Muskets presented even to the breasts of the members of both houses none being admitted to bring one servant to attend him or any weapon about him within the Castle-bridge yet how thin soever the houses were or how much over-awed they both did supplicate the Lords-Iustices and Counsell that they might continue for a time together and expect the coming of the rest of both houses to the end they might quiet the troubles in full Parliament and that some Acts of security granted by your Maiesty and transmitted under the great Seale of England might passe to settle the minds of your Maiesties subiects To these requests so much conducing to your Maiesties service and the settlement of your people a flat denyall was given and the said Lords-Iustices and their party of the Counsell by their working with their party in both houses of Parliament being then very thin as aforesaid propounded an order should be conceived in Parliament that the said discontented Gentlemen took Arms in rebellious manner which was resented much by the best affected of both houses but being awed as aforesaid and credibly informed of some particular persons amongst them stood in opposition thereunto that the said Musquetiers were directed to shoot them at their going out of the Parliament house through which terrour way was given to that order Notwithstanding all the before mentioned provocations pressures and indignities the far greater and more considerable party of the Catholicks and all the Cities and Corporations of Ireland and whole provinces stood quiet in their houses whereupon the Lords-Iustices and their adherents well knowing that many powerfull Members of the Parliament of England stood in opposition to your Majesty made their principall application and addressed their dispatches full fraught with calumnies and false suggestions against the Catholicks of this kingdom to them and propounded unto them to send severall great forces to Conquer the kingdom those of the malignant party here were by them armed the Catholicks were not only denyed Arms but were disarmed even in the City of Dublin which in all successions of ages past continued as loyall to the Crown of England as any City or place whatsoever all other ancient and usuall Cities and Corporate Townes of the kingdom by means whereof principally the kingdom was preserved in former times were denyed arms for their money to defend themselves and expresse order given by the said Lords-Iustices to disarme all Catholicks in some of the said Cities and Towns others disfurnished were inhibited to provide Arms for their defence and the said Lords-Justices and Counsell having received an order of both houses of Parliament in England to publish a proclamation of pardon unto all those who were then in rebellion as they tearmed it in this kingdom if they did submit by a day to be limited The said Sir William Parsons contrary to this order so wrought with his party of the Counsell that a proclamation was published of pardon only in two Counties and a very short day prefixed and therein all free-holders were excepted through which every man saw that the estates of Catholicks were first aimed at and their lives next The said Lords-Iustices and their party having advanced their design thus far and not finding the successe answerable to their desires commanded Sir Charles Coot Knight and Baronet deceased to march to the County of Wickloe where he burnt killed and destroyed all in his way And in a most cruell manner man woman and child persons that had no appearing wills to doe hurt nor power to execute it soon after some foot-companies did march in the night by direction of the said Lords-Iustices and their said party to the Town of Sawntry in Fingall three miles off Dublin a Country that neither then nor for the space of four or five hundred yeares before did feel what troubles were or war meant but it was too sweet and too neare and therefore fit to be forced to armes in that town innocent husband-men some of them being Catholicks and some Protestants taken for Catholicks were murthered in their Inne and their heads carried triumphant into Dublin next morning complaint being made of this no redresse was obtained therein whereupon some Gentlemen of quality and others the inhabitants of the Country seeing what was then acted and what passed in the said last march towards the County of Wickloe and justly fearing to be all murthered forsook their houses and were constrained to stand together in their own defence though ill provided of Arms or Ammunition Hereupon a proclamation was agreed upon at the Counsell board on the thirteenth of December 1641. and not published or printed till the fifteenth of December by which the said Gentlemen and George King by name were required to come in by or upon the eighteenth of the said Moneth a safety was therein promised them On the same day another proclamation was published summoning the Lords dwelling in the English-pale near Dublin to a Grand-Counsell on the seventeeth of the said Moneth but the Lords-Justices and their party of the Counsell to take away all hope of Accommodation gave direction to the said Sir Charles Coote the said fifteenth day of the said Moneth of December to march to Clontarff being the house and Town of the said George King and two miles from Dublin to pillage burn kill and destroy all that there was to be found which direction was readily and particularly observed in manifest breach of publike faith by meanes whereof the meeting of the said Grand-Counsell was diverted the Lords not daring to come within the power of such notorious faith-breakers the consideration whereof and of other matters aforesaid made the Nobility and Gentry of the English-pale and other parts of the province of Leinster sensible of the present danger and put themselves in the best posture they could for their naturall defence and imployed Lieutenant Colonel Read to present their humble Remonstrance to your Sacred Majesty and to declare unto you the state
attaynt many thousands of your Majesties most faithfull subiects of this kingdom they being never summoned nor having notice of those proceedings and Sheriffs made of obscure mean persons by the like practise appointed of purpose and poore Artificers common souldiers and mecanicall servants returned Iurors to passe upon the lives and estates of those who came in upon protection and publick faith 14 Therefore the said Catholicks in the behalfe of themselves and of the whole kingdom of Ireland Do protest and declare against the said proceedings in the nature of Parliaments and in the other Courts aforesaid and every of them as being heynous crimes against Law destructive to the Parliaments and your Majesties prerogatives and authority and to the rights and just liberties of your most faithfull subjects Forasmuch Dread Soveraign as the speedy application of apt remedies unto these grievances and heavy pressures will tend to the settlement and improvement of your Majesties revenue the prevention of further effusion of bloud the preservation of this kingdom from desolation and the content and satisfaction of your said subjects who in manifestation of their duty and zeale to your Majesties service will be most willing and ready to imploy 10000. men under the conduct of wel-experienced Commanders in defence of your Royall rights and prerogatives They therefore most humbly beseech your Majesty That you will vouchsafe gracious answers to these their humble and just complaints And for the establishment of your people in a lasting peace and security The said Catholicks do most humbly pray that your Majesty may be further graciously pleased to call a free Parliament in this kingdom in such convenient time as your Majesty in your high wisdome shall think fit and the urgencie of the present affaires of the said kingdom doth require and that the said Parliaments be held in an indifferent place summoned by and continued before some person or persons of honour and fortune of approved faith to your Majesty and acceptable to your people here and to be timely placed by your Majesty in this government which is most necessary for the advancement of your service and present condition of the kingdom in which Parliament the said Catholicks doe humbly pray these and other their grievances may be redressed and that in the said Parliament a statute made in this kingdom in the 10. yeare of K. Henry the 7. commonly called Poynings Act and all acts explayning or inlarging the same be by a particular Act suspended during that Parliament as it hath been already done in the 11. yeare of Q. Eliz. upon occasions of far lesse moment then now do offer themselves And that your Majesty with the advise of the said Parliament will be pleased to take a course for the repealing or further continuance of the said Statutes as may best conduce to the advancement of your service here and peace of this your Realme and that no matter wherof Complaint is made in this Remonstrance may debarre Catholicks or give interruption to their free votes or sitting in the said Parliament And as in duty bound they will ever pray for your Majesties long and prosperous Raign over them FINIS THis Remonstrance was delivered by the Lord Viscount Gormonstown Sir Lucas Dillon Knight Sir Robert Talbot Baronet and John Walsh Esquire thereunto authorised by the Confederate Catholicks of Ireland to His Majesties Commissioners at the Town of Trim in the County of Meath on the 17. of March 1642. to be presented to His most Excellent Majestie Printed at Waterford by Thomas Bourke Printer to the Confederate Catholicks of IRELAND Anno Dom. 1643. To the Kings most excellent Majestie YOur Majesties most loyall and obedient Protestant Subjects of Ireland groaning under the heavy pressures of the confederate Romane Catholiques of Ireland who to adde to all their other injuries have printed a booke intituled A Remonstrance delivered by the Lord Viscount Gormanstowne and others authorised by the said confederate Catholiques to Your Majesties Commissioners at Trym the 17. of March 1642. which came not to the knowledge of Your Majesties Protestant Subjects of Ireland till of late wherein they have endeavored by confounding of times and by other subtile conveyances to put a shew of reason upon their wicked and unnaturall acts We therefore beseech Your most sacred Majestie to cast your eye upon the ensuing Collection of some passages and unknown truths wherein will appeare part of the grievances of Your Majesties said Protestant subjects and part of the many untruths and scandalous aspersions by the said Remonstrants cast upon Your Majesties gracious government and upon Your said Protestant subjects And although these Collections in some measure answer the Remonstrance and come attired in round and plaine expressions as the wofull case requireth the just vindication of Your Majesties gracious government pressing also that all vizards and palliations be laid aside yet it is humbly prayed that nothing herein may be construed as to proceed of malice or desire of aggravation against any person therein concerned how intollerable soever the projects and actions of many of them have been or to be contrived to avert foreclose or shorten Your Majesties grace or clemencie which Your Majestie shall extend to any of them in Your Majesties abundant indulgence as a Princely parent to your people and may stand with Your Majesties honour and soveraignty and the peace and future security of Your Majesties Kingdome and good people of Ireland First to the Preface THat the Remonstrants were no way necessitated to take Armes for the preservation of their Religion for which long time before their taking arms they were not troubled nor so much as questioned having also in their actions varied from the rules of all Christiā Religion nor for maintenance of your Maties rights prerogatives there being no opponents in the kingdom of Ireland in that matter except the Remōstrants themselves who knew that Governours and Officers there have with all zeale and constancy from time to time maintained and with extreame hazard of their lives to maintaine the same and that none in the said Kingdome hath offered to oppose or diminish them save what these Remonstrants have done by laying aspersions on your Majesty in your Goverement and striving to abridge both your profit and Authority under that popular and specious pretence of grievances which is one of their maine ends in all their unruly actions and now having possessed themselves almost of all your Majesties Revenues both certaine and casuall and also of the estates of your Protestant Subjects doe undutifully assume unto themselves and exercise a Papall Iurisdiction in that Church and a tyrannicall power in that Common-wealth as well by sea as by land a presumption never adventured upon in any former rebellious times and which can be nothing but a ground-plot of insurrections hereafter They publish new Lawes for Government erect new Courts and Tribunalls of all kind of Iudicature they ordaine Magistrates Iudges and Officers of all
and other Natives of fit capacitie and breeding have been trusted and imployed in all Commissions from the Courts or otherwise in all matters as well concerning the King as other subjects in equall degree with Protestants the Gentry also from time to time even till this Rebellion were appointed Sheriffes Iustices of the Peace high Constables Marshalls upon occasion and all other Officers in the Country that the Law appoints They were also allowed chiefe Officers and Iudges in Corporations and other Liberties and Franchises their sonnes also admitted Clarkes in the Courts and other under Officers which are graces and favours rarely allowed to the pretended Catholiques in England though Natives of this Kingdome so as very few of that Kingdome have been observed to seeke fortunes in other Countries except some that doe passe into this Kingdome for their preferment and except such as do voluntarily travell beyond Seas to the warres and to become Clergy-mer and some students in the Arts as natives of England doe the same their Lawyers also to our deare experience notwithstanding different in Religion are and have been admitted to the Bar and all other practice as Protestants are by which they grow popular and in short time farre richer and greater purchasers then the Protestant Lawyers or Iudges now imployed can doe in many yeares a favour not allowed to like natives here in England which hath been an extreame mischief to that Kingdome of Ireland as hereafter shall appeare many of the prime Gentry have by suite to Your Majesty and Your most blessed Father been advanced to honour of severall degrees have been dignified with titles of Baronets and Knights and for preferment in the Church It is apparant that after the Statute of Secundo many of that Nation were then continued Bishops and other Dignitaries and many newly created upon the yeelding to the externe part of the Reformation though it is to be remembred what is declared of some of them by Statute in that Kingdome enacted in the eleaventh yeare of Queene Elizabeth Cha. 6. In which is this expression viz. Where the right honourable sir Henry Sidney Knight of the honourable Order now Lord Deputy of Ireland hath in his late progressE into Munster and Connaught found amongst other experiences the great abuse of the Clergy therein admitting of unworthy Personages to Ecclesiasticall dignities which hath neither lawfulnesse of Birth Learning English habit or English Language but discended of unchast and unmarried Abbots Priors Deanes Chaunters and such like getting into the said digniries either with force symony friendship or other corrupt meanes to the great overthrow of Gods Holy Church and the evill example of all honest Congregations Be it therefore c. Yet they were continued during their lives howsoever afterwards none were admitted to those places but such as were knowne Protestants and therein the Natives of that Kingdome being so conditioned were freely entertained and many of them so dignified as they are at this day it being not thought fit to put that charge into the hands of Recusants because it hath been since observed as it is now clearely manifest that they are in that Kingdome of Ireland the Seeds-men and wombe of all the distempers and miser able sufferings of the now deplorable Common-wealth which is by many of considerable quality now lamentably acknowledged neither indeed are the Recusants capable of that charge by the Lawes of the Land and if they take offence at those Laws supplications not Murthers Rebellions and depredations were a proper way to sue for the repeale of them but the Nobles that they are become contemptible is a strange affirmation they have been graced by Your Majesty and Your Governours from time to time with all the respects of Honour and Priviledge that is any way due to them and in no lesse measure then the Protestants have been besides it is well knowne that since the Protestant subjects Brittish and others became their neighbours and Tenants and inhabited their now desolate estates the Rents and Revenues of those Lords were so raised as they were brought into a condition to livel ike Noblemen in a civill Common-wealth which they were not before able to doe nor it is beleeved will ever be againe if some as perillously credulous as the Protestant Subiects now ruined have been do not make such adventures as they have done to their cost Lastly where those confederates doe boldly and untruely affirme that their Gentry were debarred from Learning in Universities and publique Schooles first their children though themselves and their Parents Papists were freely admitted into all publique Schooles as well of Your Maiesties foundation as other waies without question of Religion wherein they attained to the knowledge of the Latine and the Greeke Tongues and full introduction into the Arts and all other humane learning And for Universities they know there is but one only Colledge in Ireland founded by Queene Elizabeth and endowed by Your Maiesties most blessed Father for the education of the youth of that Kingdome That Colledge is of smal capacity yet can it not be instanced that any the son of a noble man or Gentleman were refused to be admitted thereunto if they would conforme to the Lawes of the Land and Statutes of that Society neither are they there pressed with the Law till they come to be Graduates and it is well knowne that as well from that University as Innes of Court here in England very many of them have gained learning and knowledge which in many of them now is imployed to the extream annoyance and harme of Your Maiesty and Your Kingdome and though they were not so freely admitted into those Societies and in Corporations because they would not conforme to the Lawes of the Land and Charters Orders and Customes of that society yet many of those lived there and here with greater freedome from those Lawes then the Natives of England of the Popish Religion did in England and yet it is humbly conceived that if their numbers quality and loyalty be rightly weighed and considered there will not be found any good cause or found reasons why the Native Papists of Ireland should have more freedome in Ireland then the Native Papists of England have in England and whereas they so needlesly presse for the free admittance into the Schoole of the Kingdome as they have clearely received that freedome as is above mentioned which also well appeares in the men of this age educated sarre beyond all former times so they should have laid their challenge with all hample acknowledgment and thankefulnesse to Your sacred Majesty and the famous ProresTant Princes preceding Your Muesty and Your English Government For first in the 28th yeare of King Henry the 8th it was enacted that every incumbent should keepe a Schoole in his Parish to teach English Secondly Queene Elizabeth by a Statute in the 12th yeare of her Reigne ordained that there should be a Free Schoole kept in every Diocesse of that Kingdome to
be maintained by her owne Clergy and her senants of impropriate Parsonages and Viccaridges Thirdly Your Maiesty and Your Royall Father in all the Plantations erected many Free Schooles and endowed them Fourthly many Protestants have built and endowed Free Schooles in speciall places whereas before there were few and those only in some Townes supported by very small salaries not able to give the Teachers subsistance and so in a manner discontinued as well appeared by the ill iteratenes and indeed barbarisme of the people in former times and it cannot be shewed that any Papist there has built or endowed any Schoole nay which is worse all the Popish Clergy and all other Popish Laiety from whom that Clergy can draw any such charity much being so gotten doe send all that can be so gathered to Schooles and Universities beyond the seas whereby that Kingdome is much impoverished and the love and dependency of the people much translated from Your Crowne to forraigne Princes and Potentates To the second Article As they have not spared scandalous and untrue aspersions against Your Maiesty and your Government and against Your Officers and Ministers Arti. 2. which is no other then Art used to cover or if it were possible excuse their odious murthers and other cruelties now committed upon Your Majesties Protestant Subjects so they have presumed to taxe Your gracious Majesty and Your glorious predecessors with want of love and care of their Subjects of that Kingdome by placing as the Remonstrants pretend in the seate of Government and other Offices of eminency men of mean condition and quality who were to begin their fortunes upon the ruines of the Catholique Natives which taxe untrue in it selfe is so undutifull to those Soveraign and gracous Princes as no person of honour will appeare in it but it must be devised by the Romish adversaries of the Clergy or Iesuited Lawyers who now appeare to have been the chiefe firebrands of all these horrible flames which have almost consumed that Kingdome for it cannot be denyed that Your Royall Majesty and the other excellent Princes Your predecessors have since the said Statute of Secundo sent thither to governe Earles Barons and others of noble extraction and plentifull esTates in England and when in intervalls for short times Iustices were appointed they were sometimes Noble men and otherwise men of the best ranke sufficiency and ability to undergoe that charge and it cannot be shewed that many of them have built their fortunes on the ruines of Your Majesties Subjects either Protestants or Preists to whom they 〈…〉 equally in all things but on the contrary some of them have lost themselves and have been much damnified in their estates by their imployment there partly by the unjust clamours and maliciou accusations of of some of those Catholique Natives never enduring long any English Governour or other servants of the King of England that endeavoured the peaceable and legall obedience to the Crowne And it is manifest that of 21 Lieutenants Deputies and Iustices successively Thirty Privy Counsellors and Twelve prime Iudges and several inferior Iudges sent thither out of England since the Statute of 2 do no one of them hath left any Estate there neither were they inriched by that service And though some others and not many left esTates it onely was for the most part by bounty of the Crowne and very few or none by their purchase except the Earle of Strafford who paid great summes of money for all he bought whereas on the other side of eleven prime Iudges and many inferiour Iudges of the birth of Ireland imployed there since the Statute of 2 do every one of them left visible and valuable estates many of them equall at least with the prime Gentry and severall of them in themselves or their posteritie since advanced to titles of honour by the favour of your Majestie and your Royall Ancestors whereby your Majestie may be pleased to judge whether the English or Irish officers have most built their fortunes on the ruines of Catholique Natives It is true that no Natives have been imployed as Chiefe Governours there since the 27. of King Henry the 8. but in former times many of them were untill the last of them gave cause to the King to alter that course And yet since that time most of the prime and inferiour Iudges and the Officers were of the Natives even untill towards the latter end of the Reigne of Queen Eliz. as is before said Vid. the Stat. of 10 H. 7. c. 8. and other Statutes for the prosperitie of Ireland while the English lawes were executed and how it decaied afterwards And if times be compared it will appeare by good records and histories that from the end of the first 90 yeares after the first comming of King Henry the 2d. in which time of 90 yeares the English Colonies spread over all the then most habitable parts of the Kingdome the Townes being also wholly English and the English lawes then only used and obeyed throughout all the English Colonies The Irish then and many yeares after declared enemies and aliens did encroach and prevaile strangely against the English Colonies which happened by reason of the unwise and irregular behaviour of many of the English Lords and Chieftaines of Irish birth who then and after degenerated into Irish manners and usages cast off the English lawes subjected themselves to the Brehon and Irish customes The English Lords falling into mortall quarrels among themselves called in and waged the Irish in their contentions who formerly lived in mountaines bogs were of no force whereby the Irish grew powerfull and bold and so wrested out the English freeholders by allowance of the English Lords which hapned chiefly in the times or by occasion of the civill wars in England joyned with the Irish in marriage fostering gossoprick and all other things even against their own fellow conquerors the English freeholders almost to their utter ruine The Governours also and otehr Officers being for the most part of those old English gave way perhaps necessitated in some times to the Irish encroachments and customes though some of them at severall times behaved themselves nobly and dutifully yet others raised Coyne and Livery and other Irish exactions upon the remaining English Colonies and all other Inferiors All which by the English governours and officers were after taken away insomuch as before the end of the Reigne of King Henry the 8. even al lthe Kingdome except the sive Shires of the Pale walled Townes and som small parts about them which also were much degenerated were turned Irish except a few of prime Nobility the English Law renounced Irish Captainships advanced many of the old English Lores turned Irish Captaines All which Captainships and all exactions coyne and taxes belonging thereunto were after taken away by Act of Parliament And all the Inferiors for the most part wholly reduced into Irish slaverie having neither lands nor goods but at the
alia expressio _____ aut aliqua alia exquisita forma ad hoc servanda foret illorum tenorum praesentibus pro sufficienter expressis ac formam in illis traditam pro servata habentes hac vice specialiter nominatim et expresse ad effectum praesentium derogamus Caeterisque contrarijs quibuscunque Vt autem praesentes nostrae quam ad singula loca deferri non possunt ad omnium noti facilius deveniant volumus et earundem praesentium transumptis vel exemplis etiam impressis manu alicujus notarij publici subscriptis et sigillo alicujus personâ in dignitate Ecclesiastica constitutae munitis eadem prorsus adhibeatur fides quae adhiberetur praesentibus si forent exhibitae vel ostensae Datum Romae apud Sanctum Petrum 25 Maij 1643 Pontificatus nostri Anno vigessimo M. A. Maraldus It is Translated into English thus Vrbanus Octavus c. AD FUTURAM REI MEMORIAM HAving taken into Our serious consideration the great zeal of the Irish towards the propagating of the Catholick faith and the pietie of the Catholick warriors in the severall armyes of that Kingdome which was for that singular fervency in the trus worship of God and notable care had formerly in the like case by the inhabitants thereof for the maintenance and preservation of the same Orthodox Faith called of old the land of Saints and having got certain notice how in imitation of their godly and worthy Ancestors they endeavour by force of armes to deliver their thralled nation from the oppressions and grievous injuries of the Hereticks wherewith this long time it hath been afflicted and heavily burthened and gallantly do what in them lyeth to extirpate and totally root out those workers of iniquity who in the Kingdome of Ireland had infected and alwayes striven to infect the masse of Catholick purity with the pestiferous leaven of their hereticall contagion We therefore being willing to cherish them with the gift of those spirituall graces whereof by God we are ordained the only disposers on earth by the mercy of the same Almighty God trusting in the authority of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul and by vertue of that power of binding and loosing of souls which God was pleased without our deserving to conferre upon us To all and every one of the faithfull Christians in the foresaid Kingdome of Ireland now and for the time militating against the Hereticks and other enemies of the Catholick Faith they being truly and sincerely penitent after confession and the spirituall refreshing of themselves with the sacred communion of the body and blood of Christ Do grant a full and plenary Induigence and absolute remission for all their finnes and such as in the Holy time of Iubilée is usuall to be granted to those that devoutly visit a certain number of priviledged Churches within and without the walls of our City of Rome by the tenor of which present letters for once only and no more we freely bestow the favour of this absolution upon all and every one of them and withall destring heartily all the faithfull in Christ now in armes as aforesaid to be partakers of this most precious treasure To all and every one of these foresaid faithfull Christians we grant licence and give power to choose into themselves for this effect any fit Confessor whither a secular Priest or a Regular of some Order as likewise any other selected Person approved of by the Ordinary of the place who after a diligent hearing of their confessions shall have power to liverate and absolve them from excommunication suspension and all other Ecclesiasticall sentences and censures by whom soever or for what cause soever pronounced or inflicted upon them as also from all sinnes trespasses transgressions crimes and delinquencies how haynous and Atrocious soever they be not omitting those very enormities in the most peculiar cases which by any whatsoever former constitutions of Ours or of our Predecessor Popes then which we will have these to be no lesse valued in every point were designed to be reserved to the Ordinary or to the Apostolick Sea from all which the Confessor shall hereby have power granted him to absolve the foresaid Catholicks at the barre of conscience and in that sense only And furthermore we give them power to exchange what vow or vows soever they were formerly astricted to those of religion and chastity excepted into any other pious and good work or works imposed or to be imposed on them and every one of them to performe in all the foresaid cases by a wholesome penance according to the mind and will of the Confessor Therefore by the tenour of these present Letters and by the vertue of that Holy strict obedience wherein all Christians are bound unto Us we charge and command all and every one of the reverend Brethren Archbishops Bishops and other Ecclesiasticall Prelats and whatsoever Ordinaries of places now residing in Ireland together with all Vicars substitutes and officials under them or these failing We command all such to whom in those places the care of souls is incumbent that as soon as they shall have received the copies of these Our Letters they shall forthwith without any stop or delay publish them and cause them to be published thoroughout all their Churches Diocesses Provinces Countrys Cities Townes Lands Villages and places whatsoever Nevertheles we do not intend by these present Letters where any publick or secret irregularity is made known or any defection apostasie incapacity or inhability in any manner of way contracted to dispense therewith or grant to any other any power or faculty of dispensation rehabilitation or restoring the Delinquent to his former condition though but at the barre of conscience neither can nor should these our present Letters availe or be stedable to those who by us and the Apostolick Sea or by any Prelate or Ecclesiastick Iudge have been excommunicated suspended interdicted or declared and publiquely denounced to have justly incurred the sentences and censures of the Church till first they have satisfied and agreed with the parties therein concerned notwithstanding all other Constitutions and Apostolicall Ordinations whereby uevertherlesss the faculty of Absolution in these as well as other expressed cases is so reserved to his Holinesse the Pope for the time being that no kind of Iubilée nor power of granting such indulgences can in any sort availe unlesse expresse mention be made of the fault or faults in particular and the whole tenour of them fully deduced by an individuall relation from word to word and not by generall clauses importing the same thing this or some other exquisite form of the like nature being carefully observed we in that case especially expressely and namely by the effect of these presents do totally abolish and remit them all and every one of them their offences notwithstanding any thing to the contrary Now that these principall Letters of ours which cannot be conveniently brought to every place may the sooner come
to the notice of all Our will and pleasure is that any whatsoever Copies or Transumpts whether written or printed that are subscribed with the hand of a publick notary and which have the seale of some eminent Person in Ecclesiasticall dignity affired thereunto be of the same force power and authority and have the like credit in every respect given unto them as would be to these our principall Letters if they were shewen and exhibited Dated at Rome in the Vatican or St. Peters Palace the 25 of May 1643 and in the twentieth year of our Pontificat M. A. Maraldus THe Recusant Lawyers on the other side secretly infusing into the credulous Irish and many old English pretended grievances and quarrells against your Majestie and your Government and the English Iudges and officers which pretended grievances even those Lawyers themselves knew to be of no importance towards any prejudice to the Kingdome in generall and which they well faw the English Iudges and Officers were most earnest to redresse and did it as fast as could be being to strive against such irregularities and reluctances as they found when they began And to prepare for this Rebellion they did in the present Parliament declare that killing in rebellion was no forfaiture of lands though the Law was heretofore held other wayes and much of your Majesties revenew stands upon that Title And for petitionary wayes and some other illegall parts in the Government the Popish Lawyers now chief leaders of the Remonstrants were the chiefe practizers at Councell board and most solicitous to lead the people into those wayes to flatter the Governours All which they did of purpose as it now appeares to poyson the minds of the people and to heape up matter whereout to gather discontent in them against your Majesty and your Government that when the Clergy could worke in them a grounded hatred to the Protestants and gaine in their hearts a further loathing of English Government how just and profitable soever both might meete towards destruction of the Kingdome in a Warre as they have now brought to passe And yet if a thorough Scrutiny were made and the state of that Realme with other Kingdomes notwithstanding their loud clamors of pretended Grievances no such enormities or abuses will be found to have been there when the Rebellion began as do exceede others in forraigne Kingdomes but rather farre lesse and not any such as might stirre up such implacable malice and hatred against your Majesty and the English Government and nation as now they shew Besides it is observable that in the Protestation and Declaration of the Lords and Comons in this Parliament of Ireland they do protest and declare that that Kingdome at the Earle of Straffords first comming to that Government was in a flourishing wealthy and happy estate and that for many yeares past before his coming the Government was Laudable Mild and Legall and yet in some Prints they now call it Tyrannicall for forty yeares past Touching the opposing of the graces this is as untrue as the rest for as to the graces in the fourth yeare of your Majesties raigne they were allowed the benefit of them for the most part as in particular THe placing of the Souldiers in Garrisons and ordering them so as they were no burthen to the Country neither were they from thenceforth used to collect Your Maiesties rents other then those graces allowed and that rarely The licences for retailing Ale and Beere were called in and so remained till setled by Law Orders were made for regulating the Clarke of the Market The imposition upon the short Plowes ceased untill a Law was made for it and the penalty of that Law also forborne at the motion of the Lords in Parliament Limitation for Tanning of Leather quite taken away Free Libertie given for Transportation of Corne Tallow Hides Beefe and other Commodities Bishops and Abby Liberties in Townes did contribute with the Townes Creation money allowed to Lords who had it graunted to them by Patent Liveries Ouster Lemaines c. past without Oath of Supremacy notwithstanding the Lawes then and now in force otherwayes ordeyned Divers Lands in Connaught put out of charge on those graces Rates of Compositions observed Commissioners of the Country appointed to ioyne with officers for inquiry and all other directions mentioned in the graces concerning the Court of Wards were obeyed The ordering of Fees of Officers in Court was left to the Parliament who tooke paines in it through not fully finished Estates of undertakers in Vlster were confirmed according to the graces and no man denied it that sued for it The Recusant Lawyers without taking the Oath of Supremacy admitted to the barre and all others to practize as Protestants were The Plantations of Longford Leytrim c. had their allowance of two years for performance of Covenants as was required The towne of Athlone had time given them as in the graces was commanded The Iudges were required to take order for summoning of convenient numbers of Iurors at Assizes and Kings Bench Not to allow accusation and testimony of infamous persons convicted of treason for evidence Not to bind over Iurors in case of tryall betweene subiects To dispatch poore mens causes in Courts Not to assesse Recompence upon robberies Not to bind over Witnesses upon Tryalls and to forbeare Reprivalls except upon case of necessity All which were observed by the Iudges as farre as might be The Bishops were required to take care that Pluralities should not be bestowed on unqualified or unworthy persons which was observed generally Provost Marshalls were forborne in all places except upon rare occasions of necessity and commonly at the suite of the Country while the necessity required and then to cease The Scottish men were generally made Dennizens either by Patent or Act of Parliament and none were refused it and now lately all the residue naturalized by Act of Parliament Strict course was taken to recover Vicaridges out of Impropriators and Laymens hands many recovered and where no Vicars were the Impropriators compelled to give good maintenance to Curates Protections against Iudgments in Courts and Decrees in Chancery very rarely graunted Corporations were Assessed towards contributions and other Country charges Order was given for Sherifes Fees as well in Leets as for removing possession and for effecting their Fines by Iustices of peace which was observed so as it was not complained of The Exchequer was commanded to proceed touching Custodiaries as was required by the graces and not to compell possessours to plead to charges upon Patents graunted to strangers All which was observed Warrants of Assistance to the Clergie were wholly forborne only in one Diocesse of Downe foure yeares since or thereabouts which was called in And in effect all those graces were yeilded unto and allowed as fast as the times could permit Except the enrolling the surrenders of Connaught and granting away those lands and Tenures and except the limitation of Your Majesties Titles above sixty
rest of those Territories but only subjected to great travell and paines for your Majesties service and common benefit of the Kingdome and people And in the then intended Plantation of Connaught so much complained of by the Remonstrants the same course was observed for avoyding the Pattents of Protestants which were many and for taking part of their lands as of the Roman Catholiques without any difference at all Which course was by the Parliament of Ireland represented to your Majestie as a generall grievance in the Remonstrance sent over by a Committee of Protestants and Papists and redresse obtained in that point In the third Article doth plainly appeare 3. Article contrary to the intention of the Remonstrants and the Princely Fatherly care of blessed King Iames for the generall good of that Kingdome both by sending Commissioners for setling estates and often renewed and enlarged and after Statutes made by your Majestie to confirm all those Graunts And also in sending Cōmissioners to examine grievances and instructions for the general ease of the people All which by the Governours and Officers there was most wililingly obeyed performed so farre as was possible or might any wayes stand with your Majesties service and the general happinesse of the Kingdom as is more particularly expressed in part in the answer to the precedent Article and shal hereafter herein appeare at full All which should have wrought love and obedience in their hearts to so gracious a King and thankfulness to his Ministers who bestowed daily labour for their benefit as appeared wel in the encrease of the Kingdom in all riches and worldly substance far beyond all former times there being no such pressures as might occasion such outcry and should have restrained their unjust malice to the English Government But their desperate hatred to Protestants in general and to English Governours Ministers of State how beneficial soever to them far beyond any of their own working or endevours was so uncessant and prevalent as brought forth all these cursed events and heathenish cruelties And in particular for officers named in this Article and other English officers if particulars may come to an exact examination it will be most cleare That they have done more for the generall peace and prosperitie of the Kingdome then any of these Remonstrants ever offered to doe or could doe And if the English Governours and Officers would have concurred or connived with these Remonstrants practises for setting up Popery and the Abridgement and Diminution of your Majesties Prerogatives Authorities Rights and profits to which end most of their pretended grievances and complaints are framed and devised they might have enjoyed their more tollerable reports and approbation the contrary whereof they deserved not neither will it appeare that they have been questioned for any particular injustice oppression or private disaffection unlesse they be charged with the just detestation of the Remonstrants perfidious breach of faith to your Majestie and undeserved cruelties committed upon your Majesties faithfull Ministers and innocent Protestant subjects who could be no way guilty of the pretended terrours and mis-behaviours of your Majesties Governours and Ministers if any such were neither is this reluctation and hatred in those of the Irish and such of the old English as after degeneration joyned with them against the New English and English Government vernours and the desire to root them out any new thing for it was the same in the raigne of King E. the 3. as appeares by Record and good story It was the same in the raigne of King H. the 8. as appeares by the Statute made 28. H. 8. cap. 1. It was the same in the raigne of Queene Elizabeth as is evident and in all other times when the Kings of England endevoured reformation or reducement there To the 4th Article 4. Article The parts of this Article consisting of Generalls are untrue and unjustly devised to traduce your Majesties gracious Government in all the parts thereof as farre as these Confederates can invent First there are no adherents or instruments who have dealing in the Court of Wards other then the three sworne Judges and the sworne Officers thereof which are not many against whom in particular no just complaint did in twentie years appeare not in the times of the most strict Governours who would have been as was thought apt to give ready eare unto them neither can it appeare that any wilfully erronious Decrees or Judgements were ever given in that Court in which point the Confederates would not have beene wilfully silent if they had had just cause to complaine of any such as they never had neither were the heires of Roman Catholiques Noblemen or others cruelly and tyrannically dealt withall which are scandalous and to your Majestie undutifull tearmes and sinisterly devised But on the contrary it is evident by the records orders and proceedings of that Court ever since the Erection thereof That all Decrees and Judgements there given were grounded on an orderly proceeding in a Chauncery course according to your Majesties Commission in that behalfe Counsell on both sides freely heard and all parties convinced of the justnesse of every Decree or judgement there given and all tollerable respect and moderation used in executing the same so as no man could justly complaine All which part of that Judicature was wholly governed by the Attorney of that Court who is well able to answer for it It also appeares by the Records and Entries in that Court that since the Erection thereof in favour to all your Majesties Subjects aswell Papists as Protestants above two hundred Wardships were granted to the friends of the Ward or unto others of their nomination who in some cases might better be trusted to the use of the heire for payment of their debts preservation of their houses sustentation and preferment of younger Sons and Daughters if not provided for by the Ancestor and their lands leased to their most responsible friends to the same uses and good security given for accompt Most of all which if the Judges of that Court had been regardlesse of the heires and other children or carefull to raise profit to themselves or their friends they might have granted to others by force of their Commission and instructions yet none were granted to strangers to their owne use except by your Majesties immediate Warrants or in some few cases where the parties neglected many Tearms or refused to prosecute or where they obstinately opposed the Kings Tytle and so of necessity it was prosecuted at great charge and travell by others by allowance of the Court which could not otherwise be done and this manner of granting was the safest way for the heire for it being in a strangers name to the use of the heire and strict bonds taken for accompt every friend or kinsman of the heire or younger Children espying any abuse of their estates would be apt to informe often without cause or ground Wheras on the other
side if the same had been left to the order of the friends there would have been none to informe against them The Judges of that Court also did take order actually to pay many of those heires debts out of the heires estate in some cases 1000. pounds if the Wardship continued any time in other cases lesser summes as they could enforce the money received out of their friends the trustees hands who would often endure imprisonment ere they would pay it in They also often appointed portions for Daughters and younger children many times also by labour and suite preserved their estates from encroachment of friends and neighbours and secured for them their Leases Chattels and Debts if they could discover any And lastly tooke care of their Marriages as farre as they could and specially of their Evidences It is also manifest that the Compositions taken for Marriages of Wards Lyveries ouster le maynes Allienations and other contempts were very easie and moderate the values of the estates and the charges and incumbrances thereupon duly considered your Majestie alwayes receiving but a small part of what was justly due to your Majestie and in many cases lesse then by your Majesties instructions the graces was ordained It is also most apparant that if the heires were so under age as any way fit for schooling 6. and other good learning for which purpose by the care of that Court of Wards speciall houses honest and religious Overseers Schoole-masters and Ushers were waged and ordained many of the Wards sent to the Colledge when they were fit for it whereby they were all in the view of the Master brought up and instructed in the true Religion and in all other good literature and knowledge fitting their qualitie and by this meanes severall Noblemen and Gentrie are at this day good Protestants and loyall Subjects and for those that afterwards forsooke the Religion and became Papists if they be compared with any of their qualitie in the Kingdome their abilitie and behaviour will testifie their education farre surpassing the others bred in the Countrey All which severall cares as well for education as ordering their estates were in former times neglected and forborne and never any such course held And as to the disallowing of Tenures of mean Lords and avoyding of estates valid in law by unjust judgement It is a causelesse imputation for it is most apparant by the Acts of that Court that whatsoever could in law or conscience bee allowed unto them was done Nay whereas in former times when that part of your Majesties businesse had a kind of being in the Exchequer That Court did usually seize lands upon one De quo or an Ignoramus found of a Tenure of lands But when the Court of Wards was erected those Judges did never seize untill the second De quo which gave the Subject much time and libertie to collect and find out evidences or other matter if any were to helpe himselfe And if any losse and damage happened by those Judgements it fell on your Majesties part through tendernesse towards the parties so farre as the oathes of the Judges could permit In all which the Attorney of the Court is able to give good accompt on whose judgement in law the rest relyed And in cases where the Barre yeelded not to the opinion of the Attorney the Master by your Majesties gracious instructions called others of the most learned and grave Judges who upon arguments on both sides resolved the question and so the judgement passed Besides if differences at any time happened betweene the Judges of that Court They had by your Majesties instructions a resort to the Court of Chancery where they were to sit with the Lord Chancellour and other Judges and there was to be the finall determination where the Judges of the Court of Wards did only once sit on that occasion there being cause for it no oftner And there those Catholique Natives might have sought reliefe daily if they could have justly complained of any erronious and unjust Judgements and as to the swarming of Escheators Feodaries and Pursevants there are but five Escheators and eight Feodaries in the whole Kingdome which is farre lesse then the lawes of the Land doe appoint being all men of knowne judgement moderation and integritie And whereas in the Kingdome of England the heires friends doe with all earnestnesse sollicite those Officers for timely obtaining due discharges against the Crowne In that Kingdome such is the refractorinesse and disobedience of many of those pretended Catholiques as those Officers were driven to expresse them and attend severall disappointed dayes to their no small travell and losse and at last content themselves with bare fees And for Pursuivants there are but two belonging to that Court and their necessary servants And those never used but in cases of contempt And those contempts many times multiplied and in case of non-payment of your Majesties moneys the use of whom the Court were necessitated unto and could not forbeare unlesse they would contrary to their oathes suffer your Majestie to lose your Majesties legall and just profits And truly aswell may these Remonstrants charge the government with multitude of Sheriffs Sheriffs men Bailiffs other Officers by reason that men would not willingly obey the law deale justly and pay their debts and just duties by occasion whereof many were disquieted and attached many outlawed which concluded with their great losse damage But when these Confederates have summoned their inventions to infame that necessary and orderly Court they forbeare to expresse the true grounds of their grievances which are first the education of the Wards as well in civilitie as true Protestant Religion and other good literature which they generally abhorre Secondly that the Uncles and friends might not freely take into their hands the Childrens Evidences Lands Rents and goods and wast them without accompt as they had formerly done tending to the ruine of many heires Thirdly because the just and legall dependancie of the Gentrie is rightly settled in your Majestie whereof the Irish Lords and Chieftaines did in former times unjustly deprive your Majestie and your Predecessors and so labour still to doe Lastly because by the blessing of peace and good order your Majesties rights interests and iust profits were by your Majesties Judges and Officers more carefully looked unto and brought in which also is one true reason why these confederats doe so much hate peace and the government of the Laws because their licentious appetites are thereby somewhat restrained and your Majesties rights and iust Prerogatives maintayned as appeares by their actions In the fift Article the Remonstrants doe still inculcate pressures of purpose to scandalize that government 5. Article where in truth none such were of any moment other then that which was for the service of the Crowne and benefit of the Kingdome which they call greivances or where the publike necessities of the Kingdome iustly required it or the irregular carriage of
them to introduce law for the extirpation of Catholique Religion in the three Kingdomes at any time before these Remonstrants openly entred into this actuall Rebellion and bloudy assacination though those Remonstrants draw it in amongst their provocations to take up Armes Neither indeed did those Remonstrants feare any violence or sharpe prosecution from their quiet Neighbours the Protestants in Ireland there having been very great and as now appeares very dangerous patience used towards the Remonstrants aswell by Governours as all Officers and Protestants who would have beene glad to live among them in peace if the Remonstrants could have endured their company Lastly whereas they seeme grieved That the Parliament of England encroached against law and unjustly upon the Priviledges of Parliament in Ireland in sending for and questioning too and in the English Parliament the members of that Parliament They do wel now to expresse sence of it amongst the rest of their pretexts for their wicked acts But when Protestant members of this Parliament against whom that pretended encroachment most extended were sent for they imploring the aid of the Parliament of Ireland to defend them and their priviledges were not holpen therin by the Commons house but were answered by a leading Member of the Cōmons house now a Remonstrant that the House should do well not to take notice thereof least any variance should arise betweene the two Parliaments so unwilling they were to assist the Protestants or maintaine that right which now they so stoutly challenge though a good while afterwards both Houses tooke occasion to write to their Committee in England to sollicite concerning that particular And so little feare had they then of any pernicious purposes in that Parliament against them though they now make mention of that Parliaments unwarrantable invasion since made on your Majesties Rights and Prerogatives as a pretence for their wicked and abominable actions long before that begun In the seventh Article Those Remonstrants doe justly acknowledge your Majesties grace and Princely patience in hearing their grievances 7. Article which would have wrought upon any loyall or dutifull heart to returne love and obedience to so gracious a Soveraigne and at least neighbour-like demeanour towards your Majesties faithfull Subjects the Brittish and Protestants which how they performed their then immediately ensuing acts doe demonstrate But in this Article also they continue their untrue and malicious calumniations against your Majestie in your Governours and Officers who did never give any of them just cause of offence It cannot appeare that the Lords Justices and Counsell did give any untrue Information against them or the Committees of that Parliament neither is it true that any such thing was done for that they know the Counsell of whom the Lords Justices then were gave all the furtherance they could to the going of that Committee Hoping that what your Majestie should be pleased to grant might redound to the common benefit of your people Neither did any Privie Counsellours goe into England of purpose to crosse or give impediment to your Majesties Justice and graces But it is true that the late Lord Dillon afterwards Earle of Roscomon and Sir Adam Loftus your Majesties Vice-Treasurer were about that time sent for by your Majestie upon the motion of your Parliament of England as it seemed to testifie in the cause moved in that Parliament against the Earle of Strafford And if in their attendance there their advice or knowledge concerning any thing there propounded or handled by the Committee were required by your Majestie doubtlesse those Counsellours did faithfully discharge the duty of good servants to your Majestie and true wel-wishers to that Kingdome being both Natives thereof and members of that Parliament Neither did your Majesties Justices and Counsell transmit unto your Majestie or any of the State of England any misconstructions or misrepresentations of the proceedings and actions of that Parliament but rather it may justly be beleeved that those Remonstrants doe worke upon their owne evill imaginations in this as in the former Articles they have presumed to avouch severall knowne untruths Nay the Lords Justices were so farce from any such malevolence to that Parliament or any Members thereof as when they received your Majesties Commission dated the sourth of Ianuary 1640. authorizing them to continue prorogue or determine the Parliamnent as they thought fit They in confidence that the intent of all the Members of the Parliament was for the generall good of the Kingdome and your Majesties service did willingly continue it and gave all countenance and assistance to it which well appeares by a motion made by a noble Peere in the Lords House That the Lords Justices had alwayes chearfully received their requests and Messages and were ready to comply with them desiring it might be entred to the end it might remaine to posteritie It is also conceived that when your Majestie had given direction that all Letters from thence should be kept apart to the end the Committee might have recourse unto them if any such misrepresentations could have appeared to them they would have instanced the same in this Remonstrance and not have offered to your Majestie suppositions for certainties And touching the Parliament of Irelands power of Judicature in matters Capitall there was nothing written from thence concerning that matter untill your Majestie being advertized of the impeachment of the Lord Chancellour and others in the Lords House required the Lords Justices to search and certifie whether any presidents might be found there for such a proceeding Your Majestie then also graciously declaring that as your Majestie intended not to prejudice the Rights of the Lords House so your Majestie did expect that they should nto introduce any new president for that cause Thereupon the Lords Justices having searched and demanded of the two Houses of Parliament if any such presidents they could shew none were produced which the Lords Justices certified backe to your Majesties principall Secretarie as in duty they ought And it is beleeved that those Remonstrants would not now more earnestly presse for that power in Judicature then heretofore was done were it not by the exercise or terrour thereof if their partie could have prevailed to rid themselves of your Majesties English Judges and Officers whom they cannot endure to beare rule amongst them though they clearly saw the Kingdome prospered above any former times under their great labour and travell It is most untrue that your Majesties Protestant officers or subjects did envy the good union betweene the two Houses But the truth is they did labour to cherish and confirme it by their uttermost skill and industry And if your Majesties servants or your Protestant subjects did happen to oppose those Remonstrants in any their undutifull motions and projects either concerning Religion or your Majesties Protestant Clergie or concerning the derogation of your Majesties Prerogatives Rites and authories or malicious practise against your Majesties Officers Those Remonstrants did and now
doe ascribe it to malice against them and the Nation which is a most unjust obloquie And though your Majesties Protestant subjects of the Commons House saw and knew that there were then daily and nightly meetings of those Remonstrants and their party then members of both Houses Insomuch as it was in the former Session 1641. moved in the Lords House that an order might be entred against such meetings And though your Majesties Protestant subjects found that from those meetings proceeded daily motions in the Commons House touching the above-mentioned particulars in prejudice of your Majesty your government whichin a manner tooke up all their time to moderate contayn them yet your Majesties said Protestant Subjects of that house did for their parts forbeare any such course of meetings fearing to under goe suspition of siding or inclination to disunion at last finding the continued inconvenience of that practise in the Popish party and hearing also that it was muttered amongst many of the now Remonstrants that they intended to impeach divers of your Majesties principall Officers who could not be drawne to vary from their iust duty to your Majesty and your rights and against some other your Maesties Brittish Protestant Officers who had either given opinion or any waies laboured towards the clearing of your Majesties title to the Lands in Connaught the obstructing frustrating whereof was the Remonstrants darling care all the rest of their pretended greivances both in the fourth yeare of your Majesties raigne and those lately being gathered up and for the most part strained out of particulars and subservient to countenance and support the importunity concerning that businesse which plantation if it had proceeded they knew would have beene a full ground of peace to that Kingdome which they laboured to retaine from your Majesties knowledge Then and not till then some of your Majesties Protestant Subjects of that house in these respects did only once meete in which meeting there were some Papists also of purpose to become in some measure prepared to free themselves and the house from those unreasonable attempts in which meeting nothing was done or agreed that ever gave offence or iust distast to the house or any member thereof which may appeare in that the Remonstrants can mention no disturbance thereby which they would not spare if any such thing they could speake of though they have not trembled to present to your Majesties royall veiw many as strange inventions neither were the Lords Justices so much as acquainted with the meeting It is utterly untrue that during that Session of Parliament which was very long from the 11 of May to the 7 of August there was any certaine knowledge there of the Committees being at the waterside in all which time of the Session little was done to the good of the Common wealth or advancement of your Majesties service for most part spent in Protestations Declarations Votes upon the queries the stay of souldiers from going over seas and private petitions About the 14 day of Iuly 1641. the Lords Justices finding nothing of moment for the generall good or your Majesties service then in doing in the house sent to both Houses to consider of a reasonable time of prorogation or adjournment of that Session the rather because the harvest drew on many members were gone home and the house grown thyn as in some orders appeares in the Lords House Vpon the 30 of Iuly the Commons House desired the Lords House that the adjourning might be staid till the saturday seavenight after which was the 7 of August On the second of August the Lords house ordered that in respect the Judges were very shortly to goe their circuites and some of them already licensed the rest of them should be that day licensed to depart and no more to attend that Session on the same day the Commons house sent to the Lords HOuse that they conceived the prorogation or adjournment was fit to be on saturday the 7 of that moneth and to meete againe the ninth of November following on the 5 of August the Lords House ordered that a Committee of that House should ioyne with a Committee of the Commons whereto the Commons House also assented to acquaint the Lords Justices that both Houses had agreed that a prorogation or adjournment should be on saturday aforesaid and to meete againe on the said ninth of November and desired their Lordships approbation thereof To this the Lords Justices answered them that there were three severall wayes of recesse one by writte-of adjournment for which no president was found in that Kingdome another by adjournment to be entred in the bookes of the Houses as done by the Lords Justices consent and the third by prorogation which their Lordships intended But because the Houses enclyned to an adjournment their Lordships consented thereto by order to be entred in the Houses as by their consent On the 6 of August the Lords House ordered that the adjournment should be on the satturday aforesaid according to their resolution sent to the Lords Justices On the same 6 day the Lords House ordered that a Message should be sent to the Commons House to let them know that they saw no cause to alter their former resolution for the adjournment finding no cause in the letter that day received from the Committee in England nor by what they otherwise understood at the late conference and from the said Earle of Roscommon who late then landed there and who brought the letter from the Committee to expect the Bill desired in any short time for indeed they were then at London undispatched and the Letter said they were then busy about their dispatch And accordingly the next day being the 7 of August their Lordships adjourned the House till the 9 of November following All which being the very truth in this particular it is hardly credible that the Lords Justices and their adherents whosoever is meant thereby would take occasion to use those menacing words to severall Honourable Lords in the Article mentioned viz that if they did not adjourne the Lords House on that day being saturday they would prorogueon Munday following or whether it be likely that by the practises of the Lords Justices and some of the Privy Counsell and their adherents that faction as those Remonstrants injuriously tearme them did or could in such tumultuous and disorderly manner cry out for the adjournment with purpose to prevent the passing of those acts and graces that Session which were expected from your Majesties goodnesse But those Remonstrants having broken faith with your Majesty and all your faithfull people do take liberty to asperse your Majesties Governours and well affected Officers whom they desire for ill ends to make odious to the people of both Kingdoms And as a fatall perclose to this Article they subioyne another palpable untruth That after the artivall of that Committee who came not thither till towards the end of August That Committee could not obtaine
from the Lords Justices Notification to be given to the Countrey of your Majesties goodnesse and bounty intended and shewed to the people which might have tended to their great satisfaction Whereas the Lords Justices never denyed them any such thing But De facto did forthwith write to all the Ports in the Kingdome with briefes of those graces concerning matters of Customes which that season most required Commanding the Officers punctually to obey those his Majesties directions They also published Proclamations for the sending away of Wooll and what Customes was to be paid for the same And sent severall Letters to all the Ports of the Kingdome to publish the same And sent warrants for free entries of all Tobacco brought in or to be brought in at all the Ports and what Custome to be paid They gave order for drawing a Bill for repeale of the preamble of the Act of Subsidies They also desired Sir Iames Montgomerie and Sir William Cole two of the Committee then returned if they could overtake the Assises in the Counties of Vlster to give publicke notice to all the undertakers what your Majestie had graciously granted and intended to them which they undertook to doe They had formerly sent over the Bill for the generall pardon which was all that for that short time could be done specially the Terme and the next Session being so neere aswell for passing the Acts then newly come over as upon deliberate consultation in the meane time to prepare for an orderly execution and publication of the rest of those graces Most of the rest of the graces being to be executed there in Dublin and in the Courts The Committee also and the few others of the Members of the House remaining then in Dublin being very urgent to goe to their houses which they suddenly did But it appeared soone after that those Remonstrants and their party had other intentions and determined to be their owne carvers aswell of your Majesties Rents and Subsidies then in the Collectors hands as of all the goods substance and estates of your Majesties Brittish and Protestant subjects which intenon they within a few dayes after fully put in practise As to the prodigious tale mentioned in the eight Article of dangerous 8. Article and pernitious Petitions to the Parliament in England pretended to be contrived by the foure persons named in this Article and signed by many thousands of a malignant party which Petitions they say were made knowne at Assizes and other publicke places containing as they pretend matters destructive to the Catholiques their Religion lives and estates This allegation exceeds all the rest in malice and untruth and certainly if ever there were such a Petition as there was not it is wonderfull being signed as they say it was by many thousands that to this houre no Copy thereof can be shewed by any But these Remonstrants care not what detractions how untrue and improbable soever they print or publish against those they hate for the truth is those foure persons never contrived or advised joyntly or severally and such Petitions or indeed any Petitions to that Parliament But to open this Trojane Hourse the truth is That about the thirteenth of August 1641. The Lords Justices and Counsell having intelligence out of the County of Tyrone that a Petition to the Parliament of England framed as it after appeared by some Protestants in Dublin was carried up and downe in those parts to gather hands their Lordship 's not knowing what it was and doubting it might be some such thing that might breed distemper in those Inhabitants Did by their Letter dated the said thirteenth of the same August pray and require the Lord Bishop of Clogher to take that Petition and carry it to the Justices of Assize then in the Countrey and to wish them to proceed thereupon as they should thinke fit according to law And after the Assizes ended to send it up to the Lords Justices and Counsell All which was done and the Petition then sent up and ever since remaines in the hands of the Clerkes of the Counsell Now lately in the yeare 1643. it was discovered to the Commissioners for Ecclesiasticicall causes That one Partington of Dublin had a Petition framed in the name of severall Inhabitants in and about the Citie of Dublin and some few parishes within the Diocesse of Laughlyn whereupon he being cited and examined produced the draught of that Petition which upon view appeared to be the same in substance with that which remaineth in the Clearke of the Counsells hands which Petition contained no matter destructive to the said Catholiques their Religion lives or estates but doth rather lay accusations of some disorders and remissnes in the Protestant Clergie as appeares by the Copie of the said Petition which followeth in these words To the Honourable the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the Commons House of Parliament assembled in England The humble Petition of severall the Protestants inhabiting and now residing in and about the City of Dublin and in some few Parishes within the Diocesse of Laughlin and Fearnes in the Realme of Ireland In all humblenesse sheweth THat whereas the Protestant Religion was generally received in the said Realme of Ireland in the beginning of the raigne of our late Soveraigne Lady Queene Elizabeth of famous memorie as by severall good Lawes and Statutes then made and established by Parliament for restoring the Crowne to the Antient Iurisdiction over the estate Ecclesiasticall and Spirituall for abolishing all Forraigne power and authoritie out of the said Realme and for uniformity of Prayer and administration of the Sacraments within the said Kingdome may appeare By which Lawes all Ecclesiasticall persons and Officers Iudges Iustices Mayors and temporall Officers are enjoyned to take the Oath of Supremacie and all persons mhatsoever required on Sundayes and Holidayes to repaire to Church upon the severall paynes therein limited and expressed And whereas ever since the making of the said Statutes it hath beene the care of our dread Soveraigne the constant Defender of the Faith and his most noble Predecessors tohave his people governed according to those and other the laudable Lawes of England and Ireland And whereas both the Protestants Clergie and Laitie have heretofore contributed to his Majesties occasions towards the free Gifts of one hundred and fifty thousand pounds and likewise by an other gift of one hundred and twenty thousand pounds more during the Government of the Lord Viscount Fauckland as largely as the Papists and after in or about the next ensuing Government of Lords Iustices to the Gift of forty thousand ounds and the Protestant Laytie likewise contributed to the six intire Subsidies in the tenth yeare of his Majesties reigne which Subsidies in the Collection amounted to two hundred and fiftie thousand pounds besides the eight intire Subsidies of foure shillings in the pound granted to his Majestie the same yeare by the Protestant Clergie In all which payments as in all other publike charges
third in Leinster about Dublin and those parts when the Castle and Citie of Dublin was preserved there was a generall change in all former Counsells yet afterwards the said Garrett Barry and all his men went into Rebellion and so did most of the souldiers and officers of the other two Regiments Besides on the twenty third day of October one thousand six hundred forty one The Rebells in Vlster when they spoiled and murthered the English said with one voyce that Dublin was taken Also are to bee remembred the severall Antecedents to this Rebellion aswell in print as in words uttered by Romish Clergie men and some Laicks that within three yeares a generall Rebellion should be in Ireland mentioned in the printed Deposition of Doctor Iones And in the moneth of October before the execution of this Plott It was consulted in a great Assembly in the Countie of Westmeath at or neere Multifernam consisting as well of the prime Popish Clergie as of the lay Gentrie what should bee done with the Brittish and Protestants whether to murther and kill them all or to kill some and spoile and banish the rest or only to spoyle pillage and banish all And how your Majestie should be limmited in your Revenewes Rights and Authorities as more at large appeares in the said Doctors examination The like Discoveries of the generall Combination appeares in the Digest framed and collected by the Commissioners for examining the spoyles and murthers committed upon the Protestants by the Rebells tendered there by Master Watson and others of those Commissioners and sent over to your Majesties principall Secretarie It appeares also by examinations sent up by the late Lord President of Munster in the beginning of this Rebellion that about the twenty three of October 1641. the taking of the Castle of Dublin and other your Majesties Forts in Vlster c. was then muttered in that Province for a while after in shew quiet And the like in Connaught though at that time neither of those had heard any thing of the discovery from Dublin nor many dayes after By all which is somewhat plaine That the Conspiracy was generall and that the three Provinces stood not so cleare and quiet in November as in this Article is insinuated The Remonstrants being carefull to leave nothing unobjected that malice or Art can invent doe suggest that the Lords Justices and their adherents who those were is not yet knowne well knowing that many powerfull members of the Parliament in England stood in opposition to your Majestie made their principall addresses to them full fraught with calumnies against those Catholiques First it is conceived that there was no such opposition given to your Majestie as in the Article is mentioned when this Rebellion began your Majesty being then in Scotland bestowing your Grace and Royall presence on your Subjects there Neither at that time was any difference heard there betweene your Majesty and your Parliament in England save what concerned the Earle of Strafford whom the Remonstrants most violently prosecuted Secondly the Lords Justices and Counsell did first addresse their advertisement of this Rebellion not to the Parliament of England as the Remonstrants pretend but to your Majestie on the twentie five of October 1641. And to your Majesties then Lievtenant of that Kingdome to whom all addresses thence were to bee made by your Majesties Order A Copie of which Letters to the Lord Lievtenant they then sent to your Majesty and by the answer of that dispatch they were advertised that your Majesty had sent to the Parliament of England concerning that affaire and that your Majesty doubted not of their speedy resolution for releife of your Majesties faithfull Subjects The next dispatch sent away by the Lords Justices and Counsell into England or Scotland was on the fift of November 1641 at which time they directed letters to the Lords of your Majesties privy Counsell in England and considering that your Majesty was then in Scotland and that it then became of absolute necessity to invoke all the powers that might stand with your Majesties honour and good pleasure from whom any deliverance could come to assist for preservation of your Majesties Crowne and Kingdome They then also and not before directed letters to the speakers of both houses of Parliament in England referring the particulars to the Lords of the Counsells letters and moving for succours and then also they sent a dispatch to your Majesty into Scotland and enclosed therein copies of their severall letters to the Lords of the Counsell and both the Speakers and then also signified by their letters to the Lords of the Counfell that they had so written to both the Speakers And touching the denying of Armes to the Catholiques and arming the Malignant party who in the Remonstrants esteeme are all your Majesties Brittish and Protestant Subjects in Ireland though there never appeared any Malignity in them in the least degree either to your Majesty or your government or to these pretended Catholiques quatenus Catholiques True it is that many Roman Catholiques aswell as Protestants were armed by the Lords Justices and Counsell when they were listed into your Majesties Army to defend your Majesties Kingdome rights and government against those confederate Catholiques in the beginning of this Rebellion whose plot and designe was to surprise your Majesties Castle of Dublin and your Monition and stores there and all the rest of your Forts and stores in that Kingdome to extirpate all your Majesties Brittish and Protestant Subjects by death or exile and further as is before mentioned Note there were but â—00 armes in the store It is true also that the Lord Justices and Counsell did deliver Armes and Ammunition as farre as they could possible spare aswell to the Roman Catholiques as Protestant Subjects for defence of their houses in severall parts and in great numbers They did also deliver to the five Counties of the Pale Armes and Ammuniton for 1700 men for defence of those Countryes although your Majesty was no way bound to furnish them with armes for their owne defence and some of those armes upon notice of the defection of those trusted with them were recovered and brought backe and the rest soone after imployed by the confederats to fight against your Majestie and your Armyes And for the Cotholiques in the City of Dublin of whose ancient fidelity in the beginning of this Rebellion the Lords Justices and Counsell were fully perswaded they were not disarmed till most of the Catholiques of the Pale declared themselves in open Rebellion against your Majestie which the Lords Justices and Counsell finding and considering that those Inhabitants of Dublin were for the most part allied matched with the gentry and considerable Inhabitants of the Pale That some of them sent daily intelligence to the Rebels sent them provisions of victualls and otherwayes and sundry of them of good substance went to the Rebels with their goods That great numbers of the Popish prentizes servants and
the truth is the Lords Justices had that morning before hee declared it sent away to have it done that night otherwise they had been taken and hee thinking that the Lords Justices and Councel could not so soon remove them and presuming besides in case they were so removed to have them within a few dayes in Drogheda whether hee moved they might bee convayed by taking that Towne whereof hee little doubted About the beginning of November aforesaid Arms and Munition for three hundred men were by the Lords Justices and Councell delivered to three Captaines appointed for the Guard of the County of Kildare And on the 2 of December aforesaid the whole Company of Mr. Nicholas White eldest Sonne of Sir Nicholas White did run away with their Armes to the Rebels and so did the other two Captaines and their Companies soon after and then did the Gentry and Inhabitants of the said County of Kildare appoint Officers of the Field and Captaines for the Catholique Army All which particulars are here specified together with the times of each action as many others might bee mentioned to the end that it appearing in what ease the Pale and other parts of Leinster stood before the killing at Santry and burning at Clantarfe your Majestie may the more clearly see the vanity and malignity of the Confederates in pretending to be terrified into Armes by those acts which they well know were subsequent to their taking Armes and by their other devised Provocations in England and Ireland no truer then the former And it is observable that in the beginning of the Remonstrance they in expresse and plaine termes doe affirme that they at first were necessitated to take Armes for preservation of their Religion the maintenance of your Majesties Rights and Prerogatives and defence of their Lives Estates and Liberties of the danger whereof there was not then so much as a shadow beside their generall avowment of their acts in Vlster in the beginning of the rebellion as done by authority which was most false and so afterward acknowledged by them and to the end it may appeare to all the world that the Lords Justices and Councell did not draw your Majesties sword upon jealousies or presumptions till the highest extremities and acts committed compelled them nor till the innumerable murthers spoiles and outrages comitted on the British and Protestants in so many places without stop or restraint by any of the Lords or Gentry nor till the horrid defamation of your Sacred Majestie nor till it fully appeared that all was done by Conspiracy and Designe there being a wide difference betweene malicious designe and Profession to doe evill and confession of acts done perhaps necessitated or by seducement And as to the Remonstrants unjust complaint of stopping Lieutenant Colonell * Note that this Read is now Sir John Read For hee being examined in Ireland by the State there as a plotter of that Rebellion was after-ward sent over hither and committed for High Treason Who to escape his Condigne punishment broke prison went to Oxford and was there Knighted and is now gone back into Ireland Read whom they say they imployed to your Majestie with Remonstrance of the state of their Affaires The truth of the matter stands thus In the foresaid moneth of December foure Lords and three Gentletlemen of the County of Meath framed a Petition to your Majestie of some particulars concerning them intending as they told Lieutenant Colonell Read to send him with it to your Majestie but deferred it for that time presuming on their strength to winne their ends another way and on the weake estate of your Majesties Forces to oppose And when severall times the said Lieutenant Collonell Read moved them to bee sent away They whiled it off it is Reads own phrase and the Lord Gormanston said that there would bee time enough for that matter all which the said Lieutenant Collonell Read declared on his Examination after his comming to the Lords Justices and Councell in the beginding of March 1641. when hee delivered the draught of the Petition amongst other papers but did not say hee was then sent by them or desired to bee sent on that businesse And to make this more manifest the said Licutenant Collonell Read on the tenth day of January 1641. wrote to the Lords Justices for their passe into England not mentioning any imployment from the Remonstrnats or any of them to whom their Lordships wrote that they desired to confer with him before his going into England and wished him to repaire unto them to the end they might conferre with him and consider of his request but hee would not come nor any other wayes make known any other imployment or trust hee had for the said Remonstrant By all which it is manifest their abusive tax on the Lords Justices and Councell in stopping or hindering their Petition by Lieutenant Collonell Read or his pretended imployment for them And for the racking of the said Lieutenant Collonell Read it was not without president it being for the discovery of things that might highly concern the safety of your Majesties Kingdom and good people there To the tenth Article THe Lords Justices did never give any such direction to the Lord President of Munster Art 10. as in this Article is most untruely offered much lesse would they do it while the Province stood quiet the peace whereof they by all meanes sought to provide for neither would hee have obeyed any such unrighteous and halfe command himselfe being a Native of the Kingdome allyed amongst the old English and Irish and in all things lovingly affected to the people so long as they by any means could bee contained in duty neither was hee provided wantonly to make a warre being soon after driven to great extremity by their unprovoked disloyalty True it is that from the 23 of October 1641. till about the end of November following that Province of Munster stood in appearance quiet whereof hee from time to time advertized the Lords Justices and Councell and from them hee received severall expressions by many Letters of their great joy and comfort to finde that people so well disposed and as the Lord President signified to them the constancy or merit of any particular person the Lords Justices and Councell wrote Letters of thanks and incouragement to them specially they wrote to the Lord of Muskery whom the said Lord President had used with all civility trust and respect from time to time acknowledging his zeale in your Majesties service and giving him thanks for it in your Majesties behalf praying and requiring him to apply himselfe to the Lord President and bee advised and directed by him for his own future good and the safety of the Countrey whose concurrence if hee had continued loyall as hee stood obliged by his severall corporall oathes to the said Lord President would have availed much to the generall peace The same was done to others both to the Nobility and Gentry of that
themselves and that not upon particular quarrels or pretended grievances which your Majesty could easily have redressed whatsoever they could bee but upon prepensed resolution and designe to extirpate all the British and Protestants If these bee the Liberties that they fight for doubtlesse they are not justifyable by the Laws of God or Man but utterly inconsistent with the loyalty of Subjects to a Religious Monarch now by the mercy of God granted to that Nation They complaine of persons impeached in Parliament to bee dismissed by the Parliament now sitting This wee conceive to bee a just act they having fully answered their charge and no crime appearing against them And it is upon good reason believed that the same was set on foote against those impeached Judges rather out of dis-affection to the Government and because they were observed carefull Servants to your Majesty then out of any crime that could bee truely objected and proved against them It is confessed that the Parliament since the beginning of that Rebellion have made divers Orders and Declarations for the advancement of your Majesties Service and the Publick good and declaration of the Truth and if there had been any Acts ready which might have been good for the Kingdome they might have beene passed with as much authority as at any other time neither can it appeare that ever the Protestants did or ever offered to passe any Acts prejudiciall to your Majesty or harmefull to the Nation wherein themselves by Gods Providence were incorporated both in habitation alliance and interest Nay rather their ill requited love to the Nation will appeare in that as is before herein set down they freely joyned as well in this Parliament as in the last Parliament and in that held in the Reigne of the blessed King James to repeale all Acts that were offensive or penall to the Nation It is confessed that since the beginning of Hillary Terme 1641. Termes have been kept in Dublin as legally and justly they ought to bee and in the Kings Bench many known Traytors and Rebels have been upon just and full evidence indicted and many outlawed by a legall and due course but no known faithfull Subjects were then indicted nor ever intended to bee neither were any Sheriffes appointed but men of known-credit and subsistence competent for such a trust as now the State of the Kingdome standeth most of the Sheriffes formerly appointed having openly joyned in the conspiracy and action of rebellion against your Majesty your Government and Laws And where these Remonstrants seeme offended that Souldiers are members of the Parliament and have been Jurors on those indictments and some tryals They should have considered that their Rebellion forced many of those men to forsake their Estates and undergoe that honourable profession to stand in your Majesties just quarrell against the Remonstrants and to defend the residue of your Majesties distressed Subjects and the Government and Laws of the Kingdom Those Confederates well knowing that many of those men had and yet have full interests in as good estates as themselves and aswell in point of Interest as other abilities of education are as fit as any of them were to bee partakers of the best trust in the Common-wealth And whereas they say that divers who came in upon protection and publick faith were so tryed for their Lives and Estates It is a most notorious untruth and can onely befit the Remonstrants to averre but can never gaine credit with any that know Ireland or will duly weigh what is here before truely specified And for their Protestation against the Parliament and the Acts of it and of other your Majesties Ministers it can be of no better value And for the Remonstrants desire that your Majesty would bee graciously pleased to call a free Parliament in Ireland in such convenient time as your Majesty in your High Wisdome shall thinke fit and the urgency of the present affaires of that Kingdome doth require and that the said Parliament bee held in an indifferent place summoned by and continued before some Person or Persons of Honour and Fortune of approved faith to your Majesty and acceptable to your people there By this their desire your Majesties Protestant Subjects doe evidently perceive that the Remonstrants thereby intend the dissolving of that Parliament which your Majestie hath now sitting and which hath on weighty reasons been continued thus long and how dangerous this may prove to your Majestie and your Majesties Protestant Subjects they most humbly beseech your Majestie in your High Wisdome to judge First they being Parties criminous will gaine the acquitall of their owne ill done actions and the management of the most weighty affaires of the Common-wealth and wholly exclude your Majesties Protestant Subjects who with all reall fidelity have served your Majesty this present Parliament and they seeme not willing to have any of your Majesties Protestant Subjects amongst them assuring themselves that if any thing shall bee there propounded to the dishonour of God the prejudice of your Majestie or any of your good Subjects there that your Majesties Protestant Subjects will stand in opposition to their intentions The Remonstrants well knowing that by their cruell actions they have either murthered or banished most of your Majesties Freeholders so as no votes are left either in Counties or Corporations for the electing of your Majesties Protestant Subjects by which they intend no other then a Parliament of Roman Catholiques who we doubt not will take care to vindicate themselves And as for those of your Majesties Protestant Subjects that these Remonstrants have left undestroyed by the Sword they now desire to destroy or banish them out of that Kingdome by colour of Justice as may appeare by this following Oath by them generally taken The oath of the Confederate Romane Catholiques of IRELAND c. I A. B. Doe in the presence of Almighty God and all the Angels and Saints in Heaven promise vow sweare and protest to maintaine and defend as farre as I may with my life power and Estate the publike and free exercise of the true and Catholique Romane Religion against all persons that shall oppose the same I further sweare That I will beare Faith and Allegiance to our Soveraigne Lord King CHARLES his Heires and Successors And that I will defend him and them as farre as I may with my life power and estate against all such persons as shall attempt any thing against their Royall Persons Honours and Estates or Dignities And against all such as shall directly or indirectly endeavour to suppresse their Royall Prerogatives or do any act or acts contrary to Regall Government as also the power and priviledges of Parliament the lawfull Rights and Priviledges of the Subject And every person that makes this Vow Oath and Pretestation in whatsoever hee shall doe in the lawfull pursuance of the same And to my Power as farre as I may I will oppose and by all wayes and meanes endeavour to bring to condigne
punishment even to the losse of life liberty and estate all such as shall either by force practise Counsells Plots Conspiracies or otherwise doe or attempt any thing to the contrary of any Article clause or any thing in this present vow Oath and Protestation contained So help me God AND as for the place of holding the Parliament your Majesties Protestant Subjects cannot imagine why the Remonstrants should desire any other place then Dublin it being the place of the residence of the State unlesse those Remonstrants would draw your Majesties Governours and the remainder of your Majesties Protestant Subjects into some remote place where they might inforce them to comply with them in their desires And your Majesties Protestant Subjects doe conceive that this present Parliament is continued before a person of honour and fortune And by the repealing or suspending of Poyings Law it plainly appeares that the Remonstrants desire to bereave your Majestie of the advice of your Privie Councels both of England and Ireland It is not agreeable to reason that your Majesty who is the head should not be acquainted with the making of those Lawes which perhaps may bind your Majestie and Posterity your Prerogatives and Revenues yea perhaps alter the whole frame of that your Government If this Law be suspended they may repeale the Statute made in the second of Queene Elizabeth for restitution of Jurisdictions of the Crowne in causes Ecclesiasticall and the abolishing the Popes usurped Jurisdictions out of that Kingdome and all Lawes which doe concerne the worship of God or the jurisdiction Ecclesiasticall whereby your Majesty will lose above the one moyty of your Regall Authority and God be bereaved of his honour and all good people be enforced to forsake that Kingdome It being most unreasonable at this time for that would make themselves their owne Judges and they being the parties criminous should not onely have the power of their owne acquitall in their owne hands but also of the condemnation of your Majesties British and Protestant Subjects who persecuted them for their disloyalty against your Majestie It is also dangerous for that the Remonstrants have erected that Idoll of popular Government We meane their Councels called the supreame Councels Provinciall Councels and County Councels and all other their usurped judicatures both by Sea and Land which if they should settle by Parliament they would thereby give countenance to their past actions and for ever exclude the honourable and just Lawes of England which for these 400. yeares have governed that people Also your Majestie is already intituled to a great part of that Kingdome by Attainder of many of the Remonstrants in this Rebellion which by this meanes they will be sure to deprive your Majestie of And so to disable your Majestie to raise any yearely Revenue out of their lands or to make your Majesties Protestant Subjects any satisfaction for their losses thereout This Statute was held so sacred and inviolable that notwithstanding that the Committee from the Parliament made suite to your Majesty that an Act might passe for the further explanation of the same Statute which your Majesty upon mature deliberation did not think fit to give way unto And for the suspension made in the 11 year of Queen Elizabeth It was with those cautions and restrictions as can neither give expedition to the present affaires or be applyed to these times or occasions And your Majesties Protestant Subjects doe humbly crave leave to informe your Majesty that whereas by the late Articles of Cessation of Armes in Ireland It was amongst other things agreed That your Majesties Protestant Subjects and their adherents should injoy all their severall possessions and quarters as they stood the 15 of September 1643. at twelve of the clocke of the said day without interruption of the said Confederate Roman Catholickes and their adherents And that restitution should be made of any things taken after the said time as may appeare by the said Articles yet the said Confederate Roman Catholickes have since the said 15 of the said September as well by fraud as by force of Arms taken from divers of your Majesties Protestant Subjects several holds and places of strength and divers lands and goods amounting to a very great value and refuse to make restitution of the same and have burnt and wasted many places to the ruine of divers Families and to the great terrour of your Majesties said Protestant Subjects And whereas also upon the Conclusion of the said Cessation it was agreed by the said Lord Viscount Muskery and others on the behalfe of the said Confederate Roman Catholickes that thirty thousand pounds should be paid by them at certaine dayes agreed upon which was intended and declared should be imployed to the maintenance of your Majesties Army then much distressed for want of meanes yet neverthelesse although the times are long since expired that the most part of the thirty thousand pounds should have been paid the far greatest part thereof is detained and what was paid was paid so unseasonably as that your Majesties Army that relyed thereupon have been reduced to very great extremities and your Majesties Protestant Subjects forced to pay taxes and contributions towards their reliefe farre above their ability which failer of payment by the Remonstrants your Majesties Revenues being in the hands of the confederate Roman Catholikes necessitated the souldiers to pillage and plunder thousands of your Majesties good Subjects to their utter ruine and destruction in manifest breach of their undertakings and to the great disservice of your Majestie And by these former and continued evill actions knowne untruthes and scandalous aspersions cast on your Majestie and your Royall government and Protestant Subjects of that Kingdome in their said Remonstrance all men may judge that they intend nothing but the absolute extirpation of your Majesties English government and Protestant Subjects there All which your Majesties Protestant Subjects doe most humbly desire may be redrest by your Sacred Majestie for the continuation of your Majesties English Governours and government in that Kingdome and for the encouragement of your Majesties loyall and obedient Protestant Subjects A TRVE NARRATION OF ALL The Passages concerning the Petition of the Protestants of Ireland presented to his Majesty at Oxford the eighteenth day of Aprill 1644. Together with The Reasons inducing the said Protestants to Petition the proceedings and successes thereof in Ireland and afterwards in England from the beginning untill the Protestant Agents were dismissed by His Majesty from Oxford the thirtieth day of May 1644. Collected in obedience to the Order and Command of the Honourable House of Commons of the Parliament of England for the manifestation of the Truth the vindication of the Protestants the satisfaction of the Well-affected and prevention of the Popish party whose daily practice it is to represent untruths to the world and under specious shews to delude and blind the people ABout the sixt of October 1643. diverse of the Protestant
demands in our former Petition and humble motions to your Lordships exprest for the Licence and recommendation of our Agents and Petition to his sacred Majesty as that the cause of our Religion of our selves and our Posterity whereof his Majesty is so abundantly earefull his Majesties honour and service so much concerned therein may not suffer through delay or want of true and full information which your supplicants humbly conceive cannot bee without particular persons as Agents from the severall parts of this Kingdome to that end chosen by those who have now suffered to solicite and wholly attend the same And they shall ever pray c. 19 Octobris XIX Octob 1643. THe answer which on the twelfth of this moneth we gave to a former petition concerning this matter exhibited at this board In the name of divers of His Majesties protestant subjects of Ireland doth sully answer the requests of this your petition to which we can now adde That such is our care of the petitioners as that on the same day we gave them that answer We signed letters directed to Mr. Secretary Nicholas and inclosed therein their petition to Us and we have by those letters earnestly entreated Mr. Secretary that with all convenient speed we may understand His Majesties gracious pleasure therein which we shall readily obey and if the Petitioners shall think fit to send any to attend His Majesty as we shall not hinder them or any other from making their humble applications to his Majesty in any their occasions so we hold it agreeable with our duties to forbeare our recommendation for the reasons expressed in our said answer of the twelfth of this month untill we first understand his Majesties good pleasure therein Jo. Borlaso He. Tichborne Ormonde Roscomon Ant. Midensis Cha. Lambert Geo. Shurley Fra. Willoughbyâ— Ja. Ware Tho. Rotheram Whereupon Sir Sichard Bolton Knight Lord Chauncellor of Ireland upon the delivery of the said Copy at the councell board said that the Copy of the petition prepared to be sent to his Majesty was not a true copy because it wanted the names who had subscribed the originall petition which nicity was soon taken away by the protestants delivery of a perfect list of the names of such as had subscribed the petition intended to be presented to His Majesty The next day a Protestation was framed against the Protestant Petitioners and their agents by some ill affected to so good a worke and countenanced by the Earle of Roscomon and Sir James Ware two members of that board amongst others to draw scandall and prejudice on the Protestants and their petition which Protestation followeth in haec verba The sense of divers of His Majesties Protestant subjects who have signed to the late Petition directed to His Majesty Suffering under the misconstruction of our Petition we hold it fit to declare that we exhibited not the same through want of assurance of His Majesties care of the Protestant Religion and of his subjects Nor yet to divert any supplies that may be drawne from honce against such as in His Kingdome of England have taken up Armes against him but meerely in right to Gods Cause and in our right humbly to informe His Majesty when the Irish agents repaire unto him if the said Agents shall endevour to surprise or prejudice us in either this is the Commission We give and if any person or persons imployed by Vs shall goe further or otherwise busie themselves to the disturbance of His Majesties service against such we doe and shall protest as being in our intentions no parties thereunto which as it may serve to vindicate our faith to His most sacred Maiesty so it may shew how causelesse the Jealousies are of this addresse to Him And some ill affected persons were imployed unto severall of the subscribers to the Protestant petition desiring them to subscribe the said Protestation which tooke so little effect that not one man who had formerly subscribed the said Petion to his Majesty would be drawne to signe the said Protestation one Officer of the Army excepted who immediately after came to the Councell-Board divers of the Protestant petitioners being there present and desired that the Lords Justices and Councell would permit him to withdraw his name from the said Petition intended to be presented to His Majesty which he had formerly subscribed yet seeing the designe of the petition and other discouragements given the Petitioners tooke no other effect but that the protestant petitioners constantly presisted in their zeale to their Religion honour of his Majesty the vindication of the innocent blood of their brethren shed by the barbarous rebells and the preservation of the remainder of the poore protestants there They that favoured the said petition desisted from any further proceedings therein About the begining of Ianuary a letter from His Majesty dated the 6 of November 1643 arrived at Dublin licensing the protestant Agents to repaire to His Majesty which followeth in haecverba CHARLES REX RIght trusty and well beloved Counsellors and right trusty and right welbeloved Cousens and Counsellors we greet you well We have seene your letters to secretary Nicholas of the 18 of October 1643. with the copy of a petition to you presented the sixth day of that moneth by our cousens the Earle of Kildare and Lord viscount Ardes and divers others in the names of more of our protestant subjects in that our Kingdome and what answer you then made thereupon with a reservation till our pleasure should be signified concerning their requests We have likewise seene your letter to our said Secretary of the 28 of the same moneth with the coppy of a petition to us and a list of the subscribers in the name of divers our protestant subjects aswell Commanders as others in that our Kingdome and a Copy of their petition to you in pursuance of their former with your answer thereupon In all which we finde you have very prudently and carefully done what befits your duties to Us The foure persons nominated by the petitioners We are pleased may repaire hither over and above the persons by us formerly appointed with fitting instructions concerning the grievances mentioned in the petition aforesaid and that you permit them accordingly to come over when or before the persons to be sent from our Roman Catholique subjects of that our Kingdome shall come And if hereafter our said Protestant Subjects shall desire to add more to them upon Declaration of their names who are desired to be added to you and your advertizement thereof to Us you shall receive further direction and so we bid you heartily farewell Given at our Court at Oxford the 6 day of November in the Ninteenth year of our Raigne 1643. To our right trusty and welbeloved Counsellors Sir John Borlase and Sir Henry Titchborne Knights Lords Iustices and to our right trusty and right welbeloved Cousens Counsellors and trusty and welbeloved Counsellors the Lords and others of our Privy Councell of Our
Kingdome of Ireland By His MAjESTIES Command Edward Nicholas After the receipt of which letter the Protestant Petitions proceeded and the 26 of Ianuary made choise of Sir Charles Coote Knight and Baronet and Captaine William Parsons to be added over and above the foure persons formerly nominated for agents and presented their names unto the L. Marquesse of Ormond then L. Lieutenant of Ireland to be transmitted to his Majesty Soone after viz on the 17 day of Febuary 1643 the said Petition of the Protestants was read in the Commons house of the Parliament of Ireland yet continuing who declared their concurrences therein and that the same day the Parliament was prorogued to a further time Shortly after the Protestant Petitioners humbly moved the Lord Lieutenant and Councell for a recommendation to His Majesty both of the cause and persons of their Agents And they were answered by the said Lord Lieutenant and Councell that by His Majesties letter of the sixth of November the Agents were to have fittting Instructions concerning their grievances and their desires mentioned in the petition of the Protestants unto His Majesty and therefore they were required by the Lords of the Councell to shew their Instructions without which they could not recommend the Agents or their cause Thereupon the 4th of March the Protestant Petitioners tendred a Copy of their Instructions for their Agents to the L. Lieutenant and Councell which followeth in haec verba Instructions for the Agents who are to attend His most Sacred Majesty on the behalfe of His Majesties Protestant Subjects of Ireland FIrst most humbly to represent unto His Sacred Majesty the Remonstrance or Petition of his truly obedient and loyall subjects the Protestants of this His Kingdome of Ireland intituled To the Kings most Excellent Majesty The humble petition of divers of Your Majesties Protestant subjects in Your Kingdome of Ireland aswell Commanders of Your Majesties Army here as others whose names are subscribed in the behalfe of themselves and others Your protestant subjects in this Your Kingdome and to manifest by all good wayes and meanes the truths thereof in every particular and to solicite the obteyning the humble desires therein requested and to refell and disprove the untruthes of the scandalous aspersions laid by the confederate Roman Catholiques c. of Ireland upon the most gracious Governments of Our most royall late Soveraignes Queene Elizabeth and King James of ever blessed memory and also of our most Gracious and dread Soveraigne King CHARLES and also the extreame falsehoods by the said confederate Roman Catholiques published and imposed upon His Majesties said protestant subjects of this Realme 2. And also to offer unto His Majesties royall and most tender confideration the barbarous usage inhumanity cruell tortures and bloudy murthers committed done upon His Majesties protestant subjects in the severall parts of the Kingdome without provocation and that commonly after quarter given passes promises and oaths for security or safe convoy especially in that glorious plantation of King James of ever blessed memory in the province of Vlster which terrible effusion of innocent blood cryeth to Almighty God and his sacred Majesty for Justice 3. In like manner to present unto his sacred Majesty the true and entire faith and alleageance of his Majesties protestant subjects of this Kingdome unto his royall person Crowne and Dignity their cheerefull and constant acknowledgement of his Supremacy in all causes and over all persons their universall obedience to all his Lawes and gracious government and their continued desires and endevours even to the uttermost hazard of their lives and fortunes for the preservation of all his rights and just prerogatives and to present to his Majesty in what estate and condition the Kingdoms was in at the time of the breaking out of this horrid Rebellion 4. And most humbly to desire the preservation and establishmant of the true protestant Religion in this Realme and the suppression of popery according to the lawes and statutes to that end established 5. Most humbly to desire His sacred Majesty that the great losses of his protestant subjects now utterly ruined by the Rebellion of the said confederate Roman Catholiques c. may be repaired in such manner and measure as his highnesse in his Princely wisdom shall think fit whereby his Majesties said protestant subjects may be enabled to subsist and re-inhabit in the said Kingdom 6. Most humbly to present to his Sacred Majesty all other things that may conduce to the glory of God to the advancement of the true Protestant Religion according to the Lawes the honour and profit of His Majesty the just prerogatives of his Crown the preservation of the Lawes and just Liberties of the subject the securing of this Kingdome to his Majesty and his royall posterity and future safety to His Majesties protestant subjects in their Religion Lives and Fortunes that they may no longer nor hereafter be liable to such and the like evills and destructions on them committed as they have now suffered from those who sell upon them spilt their blood and destroyed their estates unprovoked and even when they lived together in full peace 7. And for avoyding mistakes that you present or propound nothing to his Majesty but what shall be first well debated amongst your selves and maturely considered of and agreed upon in writing by the major part of you and subscribed with your hands 8. That from time to time you give an accompt of your proceedings unto those who are here appointed to negotiate this affaire 9. Which said Instructions being read the protestant petitioners were required to withdraw who after debate had on the Instructions at the Councell board were called in againe and exceptions were taken to the 1 2 3 4 6. Articles of the instructions and they were told by the Lords of the Councell that they could nor would not recommend them as the Instructions were now drawne and while the third Article of the Instructions remained In respect that they knew that there were many protestants in the Province of Vlster in Ireland that were not obedient to His Majesties Laws and the Lord Chancellor moved that these words in the second Article aforementioned might be omitted out of the Instructions viz. commonly committed after quarter given passes promises and oathes for security of fase convoy especially in that glorious plantation of King James of ever blessed memory in the Province of Vlster which effusion of innocent bloud cryeth to Almighty God and his sacred Majesty for justice And the Lord Lieutenant and Councell further gave the Protestant petitioners the particulars in writing which they would have added and omitted in the said Instructions otherwise they would not recommend the protestant Agents nor the Cause to His Majesty By reason whereof the Protestant petitioners were necessitated to the alteration of their Iustructions as hereafter followeth In the second Article of the first Instruction quarter given is lest out In the former part of the third
Article these words are left out viz. in like manner to present unto His sacred Majesty the true and entire faith and allegiance of His Majesties Protestant subjects of this Kingdome unto His Royall Person Crowne and Dignity their cheerfull and constant acknowledgement of His supremacy in all causes and over all persons their universall obedience to all His Laws and gracious Government and their continued desires and endeavour even to the uttermost hazzard of their lives and fortunes for the preservation of all His Rights and just Prerogatives In the fourth is added in Doctrine and Discipline In the sixth is added and Statutes in this Kingdome established and now of force And about the same time the Lord-lieutenant sent for the Protestant Agents and declared unto them that it would be for their better reception at Court that they should prepare their severall Companies under their commands to goe into England to serve His Maiesty Sir Charles Cootes excepted whose command lay in another Province And soone after Captaine Parsons Troope was casheered because they refused to goe into England Captaine Bridgeway and Sir Francis Hamiltons Companies notwithstanding divers of them refused to goe and that the Lord-lieutenant on his first motion promised not to impose that on them and that Captaine Bridgeway and Sir Francis Hamilton were desirous that their Companies might remaine there for their suture hopes of settlement there were ordered to goe with their Lieutenants which was very prejudiciall to the said Agents and souldiers most of the Souldiers being Lessees or under Farmers unto them and persons who expected satisfacton from the rebels for their losses and injuries sustained by them which course was the cause as Major Iones another of the said Agents declared that he declined the said imployment After which Captaine Ridgeway and Sir Francis Hamilton were imployed to the Lord Lieutenant and desired his Lordship that Sir Charles Coote and Captaine Wil. Parsons who were chosen and added as Agents by the Protestants might have liberty to goe along with them into England They received answer from his Lordship that he would acquaint the Board therewith The eighteenth of March the Protestant Petitioners petitioned the Lord-lieutenant and Councell for licence for Sir Charles Coote and Capt. Parsons to repaire into England to joyne with their other Agents in the behalfe of the Protestants in regard the petition limited the negotiation thereof to three or more of them and that Major Iones had formerly declined the Agency and that Mr. Fenton Parsons then at London was not acquainted with the choice of him made therefore it was doubtfull whether he could attend the same or no. Which request being denied by the Lords did very much discourage the Protestants untill they were revived by the arrivall of His Majesties Letter of the 27 of February 1643. which came to Dublin the 29 of March 1644. signifying his Majesties pleasure in approbation of Sir Charles Coote and Captaine William Parsons for their comming into England which followeth in haec verba CHARLES REX RIght trusty and right entirely beloved Cousin and Counsellor Right trusty and right wel-beloved Cousins and Counsellors and trusty and wel-beloved Councellors We greet you well We are very well pleased to observe in your Letter to Secretary Nicholas of the third of this moneth how dutifully the Earl of Kildare and the rest of our good Protestant subjects in Ireland acknowledged before you the confidence We gave them of Our Grace and Favour which We hope they will give Us cause more particularly to make good to every of them as occasion shall be offered And whereas they have further proposed the addition of Sir Charles Coote and Captaine William Parsons to those Gentlemen designed to attend Us We are well contented to give way to that addition and that you licence them accordingly to come over hither to attend Us with the rest for which these Our Letters shall be your sufficient Warrant Given at our Court at Oxford the twenty seventh of February 1643. To Our right trusty and entirely beloved Cousin and Councellor James Marquesse of O mond Our Lieutenant-Generall and generall Governour of Our Kingdom of Ireland and to the rest of Our Councell there By His Majesties command EDW. NICHOLAS whereupon the said Agents received Letters which were delivered them as Letters of recommendation from the Lord Lieutenant and Councell to Mr. Secretary Nicholas but what was the effect of the said Letters or of former Letters delivered to those agents formerly appointed neither the Protestant petitioners nor their Agents did ever know being refused to be communicated to the said Agents though they earnestly desired the same On the second of April 1644. the Protestant Agents tooke shipping at Dublin and on the seventeenth of April came to Oxford and that day they delivered to Mr. Secretary Nicholas the said Letters from the Lord Lieutenant and Councell formerly mentioned and desired him to let them know what time he thought fittest for the said Agents to waite upon His Majesty to present unto Him the petition from the Protestants of Ireland who appointed them the next day at nine of the clocke in the Garden at Christ-church in Oxford and then they were by him presented to His Majesty where after kissing His Majesties hands they presented unto Him the said petition to which afterwards they received an answer which petition and answer follow in haec verba To the Kings most Excellent Majesty The humble Petition of divers of your Majesties Protestant Subjects in your Kingdome of Ireland as well Commanders of your Majesties Army here as others whose names are subscribed in the behalfe of themselves and other your Protestant Subjects in this your Kingdome Sheweth THat this your Highnesse Kingdome reduced with the vast expence of Treasure and much effusion of Brittish blood to the obedience of the Imperiall Crowne of England hath beene by the Princely care of your Royall progenitors especially of Queen Elizabeth and of your Royall father of ever blessed memory and your sacred Majesty in many parts happily planted great sums of money disbursed in buildings and improvements Churches edified and endowed and frequented with multitudes of good Protestants and your Customes and Revenues raised to great yeerely summes by the industry of your Protestant subjects especially and great summes of money by way of Subsidies and Contributions cheerfully paid unto your Majesty by your said Subjects In which happinesse this your Kingdome hath flourished in a long continued peace and under your Highnesse most glorious and happy government untill that by the present generall conspiracy and rebellion raised out of detestation of your blessed government and for rooting out of the Protestant religion and so for the dispossessing of your Majesty of this your said Kingdome without the least occasion offered by your Majesty or your Protestant subjects And notwithstanding that your Majesty immediately before had enlarged beyond president your Royall favour and bounty to them in granting all that
Protestant Religion in Ireland according to the Laws and Statutes in the said Kingdome now in force 2. That the Popish titular Archbishops Bishops Jesuits Friers and Priests and all others of the Roman Clergy be banished out of Ireland because they have been the stirrers up of all rebellions and while they continue there there can be no hope of safety for your Maiesties Protestant Subjects And that all the Laws and Statutes established in that Kingdome against propery and popish Recusants may continue of force and be put in due execution 3. That restitution may be made of all our Churches and Church-rights and revenues and all our Churches and Chappels re-edified and put in as good estate as they were at the breaking out of the rebellion and as they ought to be at the charge of the confederate Roman Catholiques as they call themselves who have been the occasion of the destruction of the said Churches and possessed themselves of the profits and revenues thereof 4. That the Parliament now sitting in Ireland may be continued there for the better settlement of the Kingdome And that all persons duely indicted in the said Kingdome of Treason Felony or other heynous crimes may be duely and legally proceeded against out-lawed tryed and adjudged according to Law And that all persons lawfully convicted and attainted or to be convicted and attainted for the same may receive due punishment accordingly 5. That no man may take upon him or execute the Office of a Major or Magistrate in any Corporation or the Office of a Sheriffe or Justice of peace in any City or County in the said Kingdom untill he have first taken the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance 6. That all popish Lawyers who refuse to take the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance may be suppressed and restrained from practice in that Kingdome the rather because the Lawyers in England doe not here practice untill they take the Oath of Supremacy and it hath been found by wofull experience that the advice of popish Lawyers to the people of Ireland hath been a great cause of their continued disobedience 7. That there may be a present absolute suppression and dissolution of all the assumed arbitrary and tyrannicall power which the said confederates exercise over your Majesties subjects both in causes Ecclesiasticall and Temporall 8. That all the Armes and Ammunition of the said Confederates be speedily brought in to your Majesties stores 9. That your Majesties protestant Subjects ruined and destroyed by the said Confederates may be repaired for their great losses out of the estates of the said Confederates not formerly by any Acts of this present Parliament in England otherwise disposed of whereby they may the better be enabled to reinhabit and defend the said Kingdome of Ireland 10. That the said Confederates may rebuild the severall plantation houses and castles destroyed by them in Ireland in at good state as they we eat the breaking out of the rebellion which your Majesties protestant subjects slave beene bound by their severall Patents to build and maintaine for your Majesties service 11. That the great arreares of rent due to your Majesty out of the estates of your Majesties protestant subjects at and since Michaealmas 1641 may be paid unto your Majesty by such of the said Confederates who have 〈…〉 the said rents to the uses of the said Confederates or dessroyed the same by disabling your Majesties protestant subjects to pay the same and have also destroyed all or the most part of all other rents or meanes of support belonging to your said protestant subjects And that your said protestant Subjects may be discharged of all such arreares of rents to your Majesty 12. That the said Confederates may give satisfaction to the Army for the great arreares due unto them since the rebellion and that 〈◊〉 Communcers as have raised forces at their owne charges and laid forth great famines of money out of their owne purses and engaged themselves for money and provisions to keepe themselves their holds and souldiers under their commands in the due and necessary defence of your Majesties right and Laws may be in due sort satisfied to the encouragement of others in like times and cases which may happen 13. That touching such parts of the said Confederates estates as being forfeited for their Treasons are come or shall duely come into your Majesties hands and possession by that Title your Majesty after due satisfaction first made to such as claime by former acts of Parliament would be pleased to take the same into your own hands and possession and for the necessary encrease of your Majesties revenue and better security of your said Kingdome of Ireland and protestant Subjects living under your gracious government thereto plant the same with Brittish and Protestants upon reasonable and honourable tearmes 14. That one good walled Town may be built and kept repaired in every County of the said Kingdome of Ireland and endowed and furnished with necessary and sufficient meanes of legall and just government and defence for the better security of your Majesties Lawes and rights more especially the true Protestant Religion in times of danger In any of which Townes no papist may be permitted to dwell or inhabit 15. That for the better satisfaction of justice and your Majesties honour and for the future security of the said Kingdome and your Majesties Protestant subjects there exemplary punishment according to Law may be inflicted upon such as have there traiterously leavyed warre and taken up Armes against your Majestles protestant Subjects and Laws and therein against your Majesty especially upon such as have had their hands in the shedding of innocent blood or had to doe with the first plot or conspiracy or since that time have done any notorious murder or overt act of Treason 16. That all your Majesties Townes Forts and places of strength destroyed by the said Confederates since the said rebellion may be by them and at their charges re-edified and delivered up into your Majesties hands to be duely put into the government under your Majesty and your Laws of good Protestants and that all strengths and fortifications made and set up by the said Confederate since the said rebellion may be slighted and throwne down or else delivered up and disposed of for Protestant government and security as aforesaid 17. That according to the presidents of former times in cases of generall rebellions in Ireland the attainders which have been duely had by Outlary for Treason done in this rebellion may be established and confirmed by act of Parliament to be in due forme of Law transmitted and passed in Ireland and that such Traitors as for want of Protestant and indifferent Jurors to indict them in the proper County are not yet indicted nor convicted or attainted by Outlary or otherwise may upon due proofe of their offences be by like act of Parliament convicted and attainted and all such offenders forfeit their estates as to Law appertaineth and your Majesty to
be adjudged and put in possession without any Office or Inquisition to be had 18. That your Majesties protestant Subjects may be restbred to the quiet possession of all their Castles Houses Mannors Lands Tenements and Hereditaments and Leases and to the quiet possession of the rents thereof as they had the same before and at the time of the breaking forth of this rebellion and from whence without due processe and judgement of Law they have since then been put or kept cut and may be answered of and for all the meane profits of the same in the interim and for all the time untill they shall be so restored 19. That your Majesties said protestant subjects may also be restored to all their Moneys Plate Jewels Houshouldstuffe Goods and Chattels whatsoever which without due processe or judgement in Law have by the said Confederates been taken or detained from them since the contriving of the said rebellion which may be gained in kind or the full value thereof if the same may not be had in kind and the like restitution to be made for all such things which during the said time have been delivered any person or persons of the said Confederates in trust to be kept or preserved but are by colour thereof still withholden 20. That the establishment and maintenance of a competent Protestant Army and sufficient Protestant souldiers and forces for the time to come be speedily taken into your Majesties prudent just and gracious consideration and such a course laid down and continued according to the tules of good government that your Majesties rights and Laws the Protestant religion and peace of that Kingdome be no more endangered by the like rebellions in time to come 21. That whereas it appeareth in print that the said Confederates amongst other things ayme at the repeale of Poynings Law thereby to open an easie and ready way for the passing of acts of Parliament in Ireland without having them first well confidered of in England which may produce many dangerous consequences both to that Kingdome and to your Majesties other Dominions your Majesty would be pleased to recent and reject all propositions tending to introduce so great a diminution of your Royall and necessary power for the confirmation of your Royall estate and protection of your good protestant Subjects both there and elsewhere 22. That your Majesty out of your grace and favour to your Protestant subjects of Ireland would be pleased to consider effectually of assuring them that you will not give order for or allow of the transmitting into Ireland any act of generall Oblivion release or discharge of Actions or Suits whereby your Majesties said Protestant Subjects there may be barred or deprived of their legall remedies which by your Majesties Laws and Statutes of that Kingdome they may have against the said Confederates or any of them or any of their party for or in respect of any wrongs done unto them or any of their ancestors or predecessors in or concerning their lives liberties persons lands goods or estates since the contriving or breaking forth of the said rebellion 23. That some fit course may be considered of to prevent the filling or overlaying of the Commons house of Parliament in Ireland with popish Recusants being ill affected members and that provision be duely made that none shall vote or sit therein but such as shall first take the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance 24. That the proofes and manifestations of the truth of the severall matters contained in the Petition of your Majesties Protestant subjects of Ireland lately presented to your Majesty may be duely examined discussed and in that respect the finall conclusion of things respited for a convenient time their Agents being ready to attend with their proofes in that behalfe as your Majesty shall appoint Which Remonstrance Answer and Propositions His Majesty received from the said Agents the 27 of Aprill 1644. and the same delivered to Master Secretary Nicholas and then the said Agents desired him to move his Majesty that nothing might be concluded with the Irish Agents untill the said protestant Agents were fully heard and that they might have a Copy of the Propositions of the Irish The next day after Master Secretary Nicholas told them that his Majesty had referred the protestants petition their answer to the rebells Remonstrance and their propositions to the Committee for Irish affaires The 29th of April the protestant Agents were told by one of the Committee for the Irish affaires at Oxford that such of the Committee who were at the reading of the Answer to the Rebells Remonstrance and the Propositions of the protestant Agent said That those Propositions were drawne by the close Committee of London and that they wondered that His Majesty would receive so mutinous a Petition The same day the Protestant Agents being informed by divers persons of quality that the rebells Agents were upon dispatch they waited on the Lord Cottington chiefe of the Committee and desired his Lordship to be a meanes that they might have a Copy of the Rebells Propositions to His Majesty his Lordship seemed a stranger to the businesse and said he knew not any Propositions the Rebells had made and said further that he conceived they meant the Irish Remonstance whereunto they answered that the same was long since printed and that they were not strangers thereunto To which his Lordship replyed that if any such Propositions were made it were fit the same should be made knowne unto them but that he knew of none such Notwithstanding the said Lord Cottington was present at the Committee appointed by His Majesty for Irish affaires the 19 of April when the said Propositions from the Rebells of Ireland were read and by his Lordship and the rest on inviolable secrecy delivered unto Sir William Stewart and Sir Gerard Lowther Sir Philip Percivall and Mr. Justice Donuelland who were sent for out of Ireland and appointed by His Majesty to advise with him upon the Treaty and who received command from their Lordships not to communicate the said Propositions to any body which Injunction of secrecy was a great prejudice to the Protestant cause that those persons being persons of ability and integrity should be restrained from a free communication of all occurrences concerning that affaire with the said Protestant Agents and both they and the Agents were thereby prevented of satisfying severall persons that on false grounds and misinformation of the Rebells and their party who tooke liberty to discourse of the reasonablenesse of the Rebells desires and of the motives inducing the same were deluded with an opinion of the moderatnesse of the Rebells propositions and other their proceedings The same day the Protestant Agents being much troubled with the said Lord Cottingtons answer repaired unto Sir William Stewart Sir Gerard Lowther Sir Philip Percivall and Justice Donuellan and unto Sir George Radcliffe and Sir William Sambach who were added to them for that affaire and acquainted them that they were attending
in that Kingdome for the encrease of Your Majesties revenues towards the defraying of Your Majesties necessary chage of that Kingdome the satisfying in some measure the arreares of Your Army in Ireland especially those who have laid great sums of money out of their owne purses and deeply engaged themselves for money and provisions to keepe themselves their holds and Souldiers under their commands in the necessary defence of Your Majesties rights and lawes and for the encouragement of others in like times and cases which may happen who otherwise will be totally ruined by their great engagements which we humbly submit to Your Majesties consideration And likewise that Your Majesty will be graciously pleased in the said plantations to erect and build some walled Townes in the said Kingdome of Ireland and endow and furnish them with necessary and sufficient meanes of legall and just government and defence for the better security of Your Majesties lawes and rights more especially the Protestant Religion in time of danger 11. That for the better satisfaction of Justice and Your Majesties honour and for the future security of the said Kingdome and Your Maiesties protestant subiects there exemplary punishment may be inflicted upon such of the principall offenders as have had their hands in the shedding of innocent blood or had to doe with the first plot or conspiracy or since that time have done any notorious murthers 12. That Your Maiesties Townes forts and places of strength destroyed by the said confederates since the said rebellion may be by them and at their charge reedified and delivered up into Your Maiesties hands to be duly put into the government under Your Maiesty and Your lawes of good protestants and that all strengths and fortifications made and set up by the said confederates since the said rebellion may be slighted and thrown down or else delivered up and disposed of for Protestant government as aforesaid 13. That Your Maiesties Protestant subiects may be restored to the quiet and peaceable possession of all their Castles Houses mannors lands Tenements hereditaments and leases as they had the same before and at the time of the breaking forth of this rebellion and from whence without due processe and Judgement in law they have since then been put out and kept 14. That Your Maiesties said Protestant subiects may also be restored to or satisfied for all their monies plate Jewells houshold Stuffe Goods or Chattells whatsoever which during the Rebellion have been delivered to any person or persons of of the confederates in trust to be kept and preserved which are yet detained from them without colour of law or Justice 15. That the establishment and maintenance of a compleat protestant Army and sufficient protestant Souldiers and forces for the time to come in Ireland be speedly taken into Your Majesties Prudent Just and Gracious confideration and such a course laid down and continued therein according to the rules of good government that Your Majesties rights and lawes and the protestant Religion and Peace of that Kingdome be no more endangered by the like Rebellion in time to come 16. That whereas it appeareth in print that the said confederates amongst other things aime at the repeale of Poynings Act thereby to open an easie and ready way for the passing of Acts of Parliament in Ireland without having them first well considered of in England which may produce many dangerous consequences both to that Kingdome and to Your Majesties other Dominions Your Majesty would be pleased to recent and reject all propositions tending to introduce so great a Diminution of Your royall and necessary power for the conservation of Your royall estate and protection of Your good protestant subjects both there and elsewhere 17. That Your Majesty out of Your abundant grace and favour to Your Protestant subjects of Ireland will be pleased to consider effectually of assuring them that if your Majesty shall thinke fit for the furtherance of your service to grant to the said confederates an Act of oblivion that your Majesty will not allow of discharge or release any actions suites debts or interests whereby your Majesties protestant subjects of Ireland may be barred or deprived or any of their party in respect of any wrongs done unto them or any of their ancestors or predecessors in and concerning their lands goods or estates since the contriving or breaking forth of the said rebellion 18. That some fit course may be considered of to prevent the filling or overlaying the Commons house of Parliament in Ireland with popish recusants and unlesse some course shall by due meanes be settled the popish faction may at some time or other get such an over-ruling power in that house as may endanger both your Majesties rights and royall prerogatives and the Protestants of that Kingdome And that provision may be made that none shall Vote or sit in any Parliament there but such as shall first take the Oaths of Supremacy and Alleageance 19. That the proofs and manifestation of the Truth of the severall matters contained in the Petition of your Majesties protestant subjects of Ireland and the collections made to disprove the scandalous aspersions cast on your Majesties gracious government and on your good and loyall protestant subjects by the confederates may be duly examined and discussed The seventh of May Sir William St Leger came from His Majesties Army to Oxford and being with the protestant Agents told them That that party of the Army that came out of Munster in Ireland were much discontented to heare that the protestant Agents received no better countenance and that he had told the Lord Digby so much and that the Lord Digby on discourse with the said Sir William said That The greatest favour he could doe the Protestants Agents was to call them mad men that he might not call them roundheads for that the said Agents had proposed mad propositions and wished him to prevaile with some of the Agents to come to him that he might confer with them which the said Agents did not the L. Digbies expressions then and before so little encouraging them thereunto The same day there was a report in Oxford grounded upon a letter that came out of Ireland signifying that it went for currant newes in Dublin that the Irish Agents were dispatched at Court and that they staid to procure the protestants pardons This being told to the L. Digby by the said Sir William St Leger his Lordship answered That the Protestant Agents had raised that report of purpose to cast an aspersion upon the King The eighth of May the Protestant Agents waited on Mr. Secretary Nicholas desiring to know what resolution was taken upon their second propositions who told them That the Lords sate not that day according to their appointment And the said Agents heard by others that some of the Lords desired to avoid sitting in counsell when the businesse of Ireland was debated The ninth of May the protestant Agents were commanded to wait at the
Councell board which they did and His Majesty being present told them That they were sent over by his Protestant subjects to move him in their behalfe and desired to know in what condition the Protestants were to defend themselves in case a peace should not be concluded which was answered by the Protestant Agents That they humbly conceived they were imployed first to make proofe of the effect of the protestants petition and disprove the scandalous aspersions which the Rebells had cast on His Majesties government and the protestants of Ireland The King said that needed not for to what purpose is it to prove the Sun shines this day when we all see it The Agents said they found not His Majesty satisfyed but that the five severall Counties called the English Pale were forced into Rebellion by his governours To which His Majesty answered That that was but an assertion of the Irish Then the King againe defired to know in what condition the protestants were in to defend themselves in case he should not make a peace with the Irish The said Agents desired some time to make an answer to that Question but His Maiesty answered That he thought they had come prepared to declare the whole condition of that Kingdome And further asked whether they would have Peace or no. To which it was answered by the Agents That peace was the thing they had been bred up in and that they were not against peace so it might stand with His Majesties honour and safety of his protestant subjects in their Religion Lives Liberties and Fortunes Then the Lord Digby told His Majesty That they desired Peace The Duke of Richmond and the Earle of Linsie replied it is true the Agents have expressed that they are not against Peace so that it may be with honour to His Majesty and safety to His Majesties Protestant Subjects of Ireland Then the King said he had rather they should have their Throates cut by Warre then that they should suffer by a Peace of His making And that hee would take a care that the Protestants of Ireland should be preserved His Majesty told the said Agents that they should have a Copy of the Propositions of the Irish and wished them to make an answer to them And the said Agents being wished to withdraw and being sent for in againe His Majesty told them That for the cleering of the matter he must tell them two things the first was That he could not relieve his Protestant subjects in Ireland either with Men Money Armes Ammunition or Victuals And secondly That he could not allow them to joyne with the new Scots or any others that had taken the Covenant with them And on the same day about one of the clocke the Protestant Agents received a copy of the Rebels high and destructive propositions from Secretary Nicholas who wisht them from His Majesty to put in their answers thereunto within two daies On which the Agents desired two daies longer which was granted And on the 13 of May 1644. at the Councell-board the King Prince and Duke of Yorke with many of the Lords there sitting the Protestant Agents presented unto His Majesty their answers to the Rebels propositions both which hereafter follow in haec verba The Propositions of the Roman Catholiques of Ireland humbly presented to His sacred Majestie in pursuance of their Remonstrance of grievances and to be annexed to the said Remonstrance Together with the humble Answer of the Agents for the Protestants of Ireland to the said Propositions made in pursuance of your Majesties directions of the ninth of May 1644. requiring the same 1. Proposition THat all acts made against the Professors of the Roman Catholique Faith whereby any restraint penalty mulct or incapacity may be laid upon any Roman Catholique within the Kingdome of Ireland may be repealed and the said Catholiques to be allowed the freedome of the Roman Catholiqus Religion Answer To the first We say that this hath been the pretence of almost all those who have entered into rebellion in the Kingdome of Ireland at any time since the Reformation of Religion there which was setled by Acts of Parliament above 80 yeeres since and hath wrought good effects ever since for the peace and welfare both of the Church and Kingdome there and of the Church and Kingdome of England and Protestant party throughout all Christendome and so hath been found wholsome and necessary by long experience And the repealing of those Laws will set up Popery againe both in jurisdiction profession and practice as it was before the Reformation and introduce amongst other inconveniences the Supremacy of Rome and take away or much endanger your Majesties supreame and just authority in causes Ecclesiasticall a diminution of honour and power not to be endured the said Acts extending as well to seditious sectaries as to popish recusants so as by the repeale thereof every man may seeme to be left to choose his owne Religion in that Kingdome which must needs beget great confusion and the abounding of the Roman Clergy there hath been one of the greatest occasions of this late rebellion Besides it is humbly desired that your Majesty will be pleased to take into your gracious consideration a clause in the Act of Parliament passed by your Majestis Royall assent in England in the seventeenth yeere of your Reigne touching punishment to be inflicted upon those that shall introduce the authority of the See of Rome in any case whatsoever 2. Proposition That your Majesty will be pleased to call a free Parliament in the said Kingdome to be held and continued as in the Remonstrance is expressed And the Statute of the tenth yeere of King H 7. called Poynings Act and all Acts explaining or enlarging the same be suspended during that Parliament for the speedy settlement of the present affaires and the repeale thereof to be there further considered of Answer Whereas they desire to have a free Parliament called reflecteth by secret and cunning implication upon your Majesties present Parliament in Ireland as if it were not a free Parliament we humbly beseech your Majesty to resent how dangerous it is to make such insinuation or intimation to your people of that Kingdome touching that Parliament wherein severall Acts of Parliament have already past the validity whereof may be endangered if the Parliament should not be approved as a free Parliament and it is a point of so high nature as we humbly conceive it not properly to be discussed but in Parliament and your Majesties said Parliament now sitting is a free Parliament in law holden before a person of honour and fortune in that Kingdome composed of good loyall and well affected subjects to your Majesty who doubtlesse will be ready to comply in all things that shall appeare to be pious and just for the good of the true Protestant religion and for your Majesties service and the good of that Church and State That if this present Parliament should be dissolved it would
some officers in the Country and some Courts might bring upon some perticulars those officers or their servants being for the most part some of the new Remonstrants which officers of whatsoever condition or profession were punished so often as they could be discovered neither did any of those burthens whatsoever they were fall other waies on the Remonstrants then on the Protestant Subjects and whatsoever they were the happy and rich peace setled amongst them by your Majesty and your blessed father which they never before enioyed did more then abundantly recompence them if they could have endured peace and the iust lawes of England And as to their vaunts of the great gifts they say they have bestowed on your Majesty first they did but their dutyes in whatsoever they gave as a part of retribution for the great and inestimable benefits they received by your Majesties gracious government and by your great bounties neither was your Majesty made the richer by any of those guifts for they were all disbursed amongst themselves partly to the old army placed among them for their own safety and quiet if they could have beene content with that happinesse which army would have been sufficient to represse any perticular disorder or insolence if the Remonstrants had not by generall conspiracy suddenly and at once cast of all obedience to your Majesty and the Lawes and surprised your Majesties stores and forts and almost all the armes of the Brittish and Protestants Those guifts were also bestowed in the other necessary occasions of the Kingdom and in truth the new army which consisted for the most part of themselves received the greatest part of those guifts And whereas they affirme that they were the most forward in granting those contributions and subsidies over and above your Majesties Rents and Reveneus which is an expression savouring of some repining at your Majesties receipts in rents which is your Majesties legall due and which they well know comes not to your Majesties privat purse and that they paid Nine parts of tenne of those Subsidies it is most untrue that those Remonstrants were either most forward in granting them or paid such large quantities thereof for first as to the contribution towards the maintenance of the Army your Majesties Protestant Officers and Subjects were the first movers thereof and when they came to be agreed on and paid those Remonstrants were the mayne opposers thereof both in Ireland and in England as doubtlesse your Majesty may remember and is well knowne to many yet living and when they were paid it was with great luctation and clamour amongst them and yet they rested not till they drew from your Majesty under the title of graces matters of more losse to your Majesty then those contributions were worth and as to the Subsidies it is most true that they were first moved by your Majesties Protestant Officers and Subjects not without some difference in alacritie at least in those Remonstrants neither would they have been so granted as there is iust cause to conceive had not these Remonstrants seene the unanimous propention of your Majesties Protestant Subjects and that by a tryall in the House of Commons before that motion made they found that your Majesties Protestants subjects then exceeded them in number would carry it by voices And this may with the more confidence be affirmed in certaine knowledge and upon a second probate which is that when afterwards by occasion of the Lord Straffords troubles in England and of the new Armies lying at Knockefergus and in those parts many Protestant members were absent most of whom upon severall pretences they discharged them and brought in Papist members whereby the Remonstrants partie were growne farre the greater in the Commons House then partly by complaining in England and partly by orders made in the house the Subsidies formerly granted were drawne downe from 41000 l. certaine each Subsidie to little above 12200 l. as appeare by the Subsidy Roll last returned which is farr below the subsidy granted in the tenth yeare of King Iames when the Kingdome was but in growth And as to the proportion paid by the Protestant Subjects it well appeares by the Rolles extant that they paid above a third part of the whole besies the Clergy though neither the quality or quantity of the Lands of Inheritance holden by them in the Kingdom do amount to more then to the fift part nor is the truth thus vouched which desire to arrogate any thing to your Majesties Protestant Subjects in prejudice of the others whom they would rejoyce to see as forward as themselves in all subject duties the rather to merrit in some measure your Majesties princely favours But to give your Majesty and all others a true view as neare as they can of both parties in their actions seeing the Remonstrants presume to stand before them so farre in professions howsoever it is most notorious how the said Protestant Subjects stand in sufferings and here it is desired that the affections and duty of the Protestant Subjects in Ireland may be measured by their actions which have beene and alwaies will be such towards your Majesty your Crowne and posterity as if those Remonstrants would really performe the like your Majesties Revenews and the bounties of your people might wholly come to your Majesties purse without any men of warre to maintayne peace there and then should your Majesty enioy competent benefit of a fruitfull Kingdome which hitherto hath beene made unprofitable to your Majesty and highly chargeable and mischeivous to your Royall Predecessors And lastly as to the distribution of the summs of money given which these Remonstrants would insinuate to have beene to your Majesties diservice and to the profit of their adversaries whom they seeme to designe to be your Majesties Protestant servants and officers the vanity and inconsideratnesse of this imputation will easily appeare upon veiw of your Majesties Officers accompts there extant which will sufficiently cleare that point and manifest the falshood of that scandall To the sixth Article 6. Article It is to be answered that what pressing Importunity was offered to your Majesty by any whom they call the Malignant party in England touching the disbanding of the new Army is best knowne to your Majesty But it is not true that the Lords Justices and Counsell there went about to disband that Army till they received your Majesties warrant so to doe and soone after for doing it received your Majesties gracious approbation and indeed it was of absolute necessity to disband them they having spent all the victualls provided for them and there being no money in your Majesties treasure in Ireland to pay them or the old Army then in charge thereupon and farre in arraere neither was that Kingdome able in a peaceable way to maintaine such an Army as those Remonstrants themselves amongst others openly professed in this Parliament being therein moved by your Majesties direction only to give some helpe thereunto for a