those about them will not speak a trueth that theire Masters will not willingly heare It is a great question with mee if any one of your numerous family or of all those that depend vpon you and gaine much by you or of all those that seem to be your frinds will say to your Grace the language and words of the Prophet Isai * Isai cap. 3. Our Lord shall com to Iudgment with the Antients of his people and his Princes for you have destroyed the vynyard and the spoyle of the poore is in your house Why doe you consume my people and gryn'd the faces of the poore saith our Lord the God of Hostes I doe not think any of them hath spooken to your Grace in this kinde though they know well the spoyle of the poore is in your house and that you and many more powerfull men have Grynded the faces of the poore and destroy'd and consum'd them wherfore you and they have reason to feare that God will soon com to Iudgment with you vnless you will tymly prevent it Wise men should chase away from them flatterers as wee doe swallowes for making nests of dung in our dwellings My Lord flatter not your selfe with the great contentments of this world you Enjoy vast revenues great pomp Copious Retenue the veneration and low bowing of the people vnto you Gorgious atyre magnificent feastings all your Iolitys and pleasures they will all pass a way like smook and that soon for they say you being to be old those that tells your Grace these things can make you happy doe but delude you and you can carry away of all noe more then a winding sheet it were therfore wisely don to forsake tymly those things that will forsake and vndoe vs. And I think truly it would be a great blessing to a person of your greatness and Imployments that God would stricke you with som great affliction and Cross for it is not easy for those to be wise and holy whoe see nothing round about them but prosperity delights the aplause of men and all sort of pleasures and sensualitys and that noe man tells them they are in danger Alexander the great in the height of his Glory and victorys suffered men to call him the sonne of Iupiter it was not Enough for his ambition to be the sonne of Phillip of Massedon a wise and great King but wounded with an Arrow in the siege of a Citty hee said to his courtiers and flatterers round about him * Senec. Epist 45. Ecce omnes jurant me esse â—lium Ioâ—s sed vulnus hoc me esse hoâ—â—num clamat Behold all sweare I am the sonne of Iupiter but this wound proclaimes mee to be a man Vexation makes vs know Gods greatness and our owne weakness When the people of Israel murmoured seditiously against Moyses and Aaron for want of water God commaunded them both to take the Rodd and stricke a Rock therwith and it should give them water All the tyme Moyses held the Rodd lifted over the Rock and did not stricke there came noe water but the Rock being twice strucken with the Rod water flow'd out aboundantly and the people and theire Cattle did drinck plentifully The hart of a man is a hâ—rd Rock and will yield noe water of compunction vntill strucken by the hand of God but when man is smartingly afflicted in his fortunes or health then hee can weep and know God and himselfe it were therfore wholsome and good for your Lordship to receive a great vexation cross and contradiction in this world and soe I confess it should be to mee that have nothing of contentations and worldly pleasures as you have Remember my good Lord in what a trembling was Ezeshiat when the Prophet said to him * Isat cap. 38. Take order with thy house for thou shalt dye and thou shlt not live Then Ezâ—thiâ—â— though a holy King in feare cry'd out Quiâ— est hic qui fic humiliat suâ—limes reges terre God hath allready given your grace a sensible and gratious a-larum when those desperate Ruffians set vpon you by night and wounded you haling and abusing you most Ignominiously God in his mercy brought you of from those bloudy men and would not permitt you to be murthered by them but gave you tyme to doe pennance and dispose your selfe well for the houre of death you can never thank his devine goodness enough for this deliverance make good vse my Lord of this great mercy in duly preparing your selfe for the next world Wee goe to bedd sound and well and yet wee are not certaine to live till the morning following many were found dead in theire bedd that parted the night before merrily and sound from theire frinds it may bee your case my Lord as well as theires and mine alsoe and to what Eternity wee shall com God alone knowes ô Eternity ô Eternity how little art thou in the harts of men ô fyre burning for all Eternity how little art thou feared My Lord I present to your Grace a short but horrible Meditation of Eternity as this If the damned soules could be perswaded that after a hunderd thousand millions of yeares theire torments should have an end that very perswation alone would be a great comfort to them for then theire suffrings albeit very longe at lenght would com to an end but otherwise they â—re perswaded and assured the revolutioâ— of theire paines and flames shall never have an end this makes them dispaire and blaspheme the goodness of God if this wee beleeve not where is our faith And if wee beleeve it where is our Iudgment and hart What madness is it to neglect soe Important a matter as the Eternall Salvation of our soule without this a thousand worlds are worth nothing this is the great matter of state on which wee ought to bestow day and night all care and deliberation what rest can wee take by night or by day when this wee sleight Harken as yet my Lord with this I make an end to the fearfull words afflicted Iobâ— spake to those came to visit him * Iob. 21. Why then quoth this holy man Doe the Impious live Are they advanced and strengt hened with riches theire seed continueth before them a multitud of kinsmen and Nephews in theire sight theire houses be secure and peaceable and the Rod of God is not vpon them But did Iob make an end hier noe but a little after hee says Where is the house of the Prince and where are the Tabernacles of the Impious Ask any of the way-faring men and you shall vnderstand that hee knoweth the selfsame things because the wicked man is kept vnto the day of perdition and hee shall be ledd to the day of fury My Lord I say ponder well in your minde these dreadfull speeches of holy and patient Iob and prepare your selfe in tyme I conjoure you against this day of Fury and perdition O Great and grarious God Grant to mee and
exspect from you in due time for my light in the triangle cannot be exstinguished But my lord may not innocent benjamen alone nor frindly Ruben onely but even Symeon and Levi and their complices against you heretofore have cause to blesse God for you here after may they all find in effect that you have the bowells of Ioseph to forgive and compassion at them and his power to deliver them and his faith to beleeve that God permitted their evil against you even in forâ—ing you twice away from them of purpose to preserve you for their good and that you might returne even this second time their great deliverer Propâ—tious heaven and your owne good Genius my lord sâ—cond my wisâ—es and may your faith-full beleever see with his owne eyes the full accomplishment that â— may employ all his dayes after and all his labours in consecratnig to posterity your name with this Flogium of Ioseph the saviour of his brethren and of his country and of all the People and these are the harty wishes of my lord your Excâ—llencies most humble and most devoted servant P. VV. Here is a glorious perciose of that famous letter good God what a faire flourish wee have here of magnificent woords and even nothing but woords vowes and dreaming wishes that will take effect at once with the Velleities of the damned soules of hell first he infinuats the great wisedom of Ormond in the house and counsells of the king and would make vs beleeve he will appeare like an other Ioseph and by the best of advises preserve the best of Princes our gratious king and all his people of soe many different nations of the Brittish monarchy soe as the very Brittish crowne is againe like to suffer an other fatal knock iâ— Ormond's divine counsells and adviles doe not prevent it what man can read these Magnalia without gearing at this fryar's folly he then say's may the catholicks of Irland in particular owe you a great diliverance as I can not but confidently exspect from you in good time for my light in the triangle can not be exstinguished Certainly the man have been in a pleasant humour and some jouiall exstasie when he wroâ—e these things but I see the spirit of prophesie forsooke this friar long agoe and nothing I am sory for it fell out according his proguostication for Ormond did quite deceave him in his hopes and astrean predictions and his false light in the triangle if ever it was in the triangle is shamefully put out for the people of Irland in stead of this hopefull deliverance owe to Ormond their downfall and vtter destruction He then speaks of beloved Benjamen of frindly Ruben as likewise of Symeon and Levi and their complices against Ioseph giving therby to vnderstand that the Catholicks sould Ormond as Ioseph'â— brethren sould him to the Egyptians which is as great a lye as could be framed by a diabolick mind wheras Ormond if he did not sell the nation as Clarendo the Chanchelour did he hath at leastwise betrayed them in trust pray good F name the marchand to whome wee sould your Ormond tell the price wee had for selling him name the country he was transported vnto Now he comes to the bowells of Ioseph in Ormond O the mercifull bowells of Ormond in compassionating his countrymen It is true he had great power to doe vs good but turned that power to destruction carryed away by a spirit of rancor and revenge whereas you say wee forced Ormond away out of the country it is a shamfull lye but he himselfe withdrew in as much as he could doe noe good to the countrie as above said next you tell us he will become the great deliverer of his countrie O the great deliverer Ormond of his countrie and countriemen of the Catholicks of Irland noble Ormond that brought them out of chaines and bondage that defended them faith-fully against Orery Montrath and the rest of that rabelment of rebells when they had a contest before king and counsel that consoled them in their extremities delivered them from hunger and famin that represented to the king their loyalty and affection and made good to them the Articles of 48. O wonderfull deliverer of the nation Ormond the lying friar perclosed his letter with this great elogium and prayer That Ormond may prove a Ioseph and saviour of his brethren and of his Countrie and of all the people Change your stile idle and vaine friar writ truth once in your life and tell â—he world that thy Ormond hath not been a Ioseph nor saviour but the ruine looser and destroyer of his brethren and countrie and of all the people You may as wel prove crueltie to be mercy Hehogahalus was a Cato â—ticensis or a Phoâ—ion of Athens and that Messalina wife to Claâ—dius was a vestal nun as that Ormond was a Ioseph to the Irish Let who please compare Ormond with Ioseph and then judge this friar apostatizing from all pietie and his order a lyar in calling Ormond a Ioseph Ioseph in Putiphar's house was faithfull to his maister contenent and vertuous Ioseph in prilon was patient obedient to Gods will and beloved of all Ioseph in the court and governement of Egypt was wise just humble and in noe way proud or arrogant if Ormond hath those vertues let those that know him tell vs. Ioseph was of soe great wisedom and providence as he prevented seaven yeares famin by gathering corne in time of plenty and selling it in time of scarsity and hunger to the people thereby preserving them all from starving wherefore Pharo called Ioseph the saviour of the world surely the friar cannot stile Ormond saviour of Irland or of the Irish in this sense he preserved none of them from famin but starved thousands of them by taking away their lands estates and bread this his crvel tyrannie and oppression of the poore makes them strick the gates of heaven with grones and â—ighes and cryes they all say aloud O Ormond cruel man thou hast taken away the pleadge of thy brethren without cause and thâ— naked thou hasâ— spoiled of cloathes widdowes thou haâ—â— sent away â—mpâ—ie and the armes of pupills thou hast broken in peeces Iob. â— 22. Those are flatering friar the workes of mercy Ormond thy Ioseph have done the Catholicks of Irland this is the tenderness of his mercifull bowells towards them those are the effects of his great affection and care of them and all this being soe speake fa VVailsh truth and shame the divel what hath thy Ormond to doe with Ioseph thy Ormond I say a man of whome it is generally spoken and beleeved could never forgiven any thing that looked like an offence or injurie done him wheras mercy was the greatest vertue in Ioseph and his remitting and forgiving the injuries done him by his brethren who sold him over to the Egyptians CHAPTER X. Evident proofes of Ormonds deserting the Catholicks cheefly drawen out of his owne letter to Orery FRom the
shall acquaint the Lord Lieutenant that wee and the Prince doe authoriz and apoint him to fill vp all the said blanks in such manner and to such purpose and with such contents as hee shall think most proper for the service of our dearest Lord the King in his Irish affaires and you shall assure him the said Lord Lieutenant that as wee and the Prince repose this trust and confidence in him that hee shall make vse of them as hee shall think fitt for the advancement of the peace in Ireland soe will both of vs at all tymes auow and Iustify those Instruments soe to be filled vp by him as our owne acts and as don by our owne particular directions and commaund you shall more particularly acquaint the Lord Lieutenant from vs and the Prince that if in the treaty of peace or in the conclusion therof hee desires to be assisted with any further Authority grounded vpon any letters sent to him from the King or otherwise in our power then wee desire him the said Lord Lieutenant to fill vp the blanks signed by vs or the Prince with such authority from vs or from vs and the Prince or from the Prince only in such manner as hee shall finde most proper and conducing to such a peace You shall likwise particularly acquaint him the Lord Lieutenant that if hee shall finde it proper for the advancement of the peace there that your selfe or your selfe with any others now in Ireland should in our name and authorised by vs repaire to the assembly Generall now held at Kilkennie or the supreme Counsel of the Irish or to any other body or persons with the overtures of a treaty or any particular in order to concerning or conducing to the same our desire is and wee hierby authorise him the said Lord Lieutenant accordingly that hee should fill vp one or more of the said blancks signed by vs in the nature of a commission letter or instructions with such authority from vs and in such manner as hee shall think fitt and that hee would accordingly insert the name of such person or persons as hee shall think fitt to be Ioyned with you in this Imployment from vs. These particulares you are to communicate to none but the Lord Digby and Lord Clanrikard vnless the Lord Luetenant shall think fitt to give you other orders concerning the same Then followeth the Princes approbation of all the instructions of both sortes with his commaund to put them in execution in these words Charles Prince VVEe have perused and doe fully approve of your instructions bearing date herwith and Signed by our Royal Mother and doe appoint and authorize you soe far as you shall finde vs named therin to put the same in execution Charles Prince VVEe have perused and doe fully approve of your private instructions bearing date herewith signed by our Royall Mother and hierby appoint and authorise you soe farre as you shall finde vs named therin to put the same in execution With these instructions and many letters not only to my Lord Lieutenant Lord Clanrikard and Lord Digby but alsoe from the Queen to the Nuncio and Cleargie to O Nelle and Preston with all the considerable persons then a mongst the Irish I parted from Paris a bout the 16. of march 1647. in Companic of my Lord Crafford c. From Nantes I landed at Waterford the 6'th or 7'th of Aprill and yet soe vnluckely as the assembly at Kilkennie had brooke vp that night at ten of the Clock which they would not have done had they first heard of my landing for soe Mr. Barron whoe hath been an Agent hier in France for the confederat Irish and to whome I sent a post soe soon as I was in waterford writt back to mee indeed I was very unfortunat for the Assembly had both power and meanes to doe or undoe what they had don in ordre to a treaty which the supreme Counsell limited within bounds by the Assembly afterwards had not Being comâ—to Kilkennie I was by Mr. Barron brought to the Counsell to whome after they had caused mee to sitt in a Chaire not farre from my Lord of Antrim theire President nor would they heare mee till I had don soe I delivered the cause of my coming thither which was the Queen and Prince his desire of peace in that Kingdom and for the Queen shee was not only moved unto it for the Kings intrest but alsoe by a zeal to the Catholick Religion and good of the People The day I came to Dublin I was that night brought to my Lord of Ormond to whome I delivered such letters as were for him and then said that hee was sure those letters expressed civilitys from the Queen and Prince much better then I could and that therfore I had nothing more now to say untill I had such instructions disiphered as I had which were many and would take vp som good tyme and by which his Lordship would finde the confidence her Majesty and the Prince had in him which was soe great as noe reports could shake though wee had weekly newes of his treaty with the Parlament for delivery of those places under his commaund to which his Lordship replyed that confidence shall never deceive them and that hee who had ventured himselfe his wife and all his Children in the Kings service would make noe sample of venturing or casting away one scruple when there shall be cause this hee spook because one of his sons was then hostage with the Parlament yet if there be necessity hee should give up those places under his commaund hee would rather give them to the English Rebells then to the Irish Rebells of which opinion hee thought every good Englishman was to this I replyed nothing Ormond having seen and perused these premises and now spooken of instructions I demaund in this place what his grace can aleage for himselfe that can excuse his backwardness in satisfying the resonable and Iust demaunds of the confederat Catholicks Hee cannot say hee wanted power and authority for concluding a peace with them seeing hee might insert in the papers of 14. blancks what conditions what Articles hee pleased for himselfe the Queen and Prince being resolued To owne and Iustify the same as theire Royall act and deed Further hee had from his Majâ—sty a great latitude of power to compass such a peace as the Queen and Prince then desired notwitstanding the rejection of the peace of 46. as is to be seen by the Kings Letter to Ormond Februarij 27'th 1647. in these words page 258. of Reliquiae Carolinae ORMOND THe Impossibility of preserving my Protestant subjects in Irland by a continuation of warr having moved mee to give you the powers and directions which I have formerly done for the concluding of a peace there and the same growing dayly much more Evident that alone were reason Enough for mee to enlarge your powes and to make my commands in the point more positive but besides these