all the Lords and Gentlemen in the Kingdom that were Papists were engaged in this Plot That what was that day to be done in other parts of the country was so far advanced by that time as it was impossible for the wit of man to prevent it and withall told them That it was true they had him in their power and might use him how they pleased but he was sure he should be revenged By this time the noise of this Conspiracie began to be confusedly spread abroad about the Town and advertisement was brought unto the Lords Justices then in councel that great numbers of strangers had been observed to come the last evening and in the morning early unto the Town and most of them to set up their horses in the suburbs whereupon the Lords having in the first place taken order for the apprehension of the Lord Mac-Guire The Lord Mac Guire with severall other of the Conspirators seised on removed themselves for their better security unto the castle where the body of the Councel then in town attended them at the ordinary place of their meeting there In the first place they caused a present search to be made for all such horses belonging to strangers as were brought into any Innes and by that meanes they discovered some of the owners who were presently seised upon and committed to the castle of Dublin having already delivered over to the custody of the Constable there the Lord Mac-Guire and Hugh Mac-Mahon Hugh Birn and Roger Moore chief of the conspirators escaped over the River in the night Colonel Plunket Captain Fox with severall others found means likewise to passe away undiscerned and of the great numbers which came up out of severall counties to be actors in taking of the castle and city of Dublin there were not through the slack pursuit and great negligence of the inhabitants above thirty seized upon most of them servants and inconsiderable persons those of quality having so many good friends within the town as they had very ill luck if apprehended The same day before the Lords rose from councel they took order for this Proclamation which here followeth to be made and published By the Lords Iustices and Councell W. Parsons John Borlase THese are to make known and publish to all His Majesties good Subjects in this Kingdom of Ireland that there is a discovery made by Us the Lords Justices and Councell of a most disloyall and detestable Conspiracy intended by some evill-affected Irish Papists against the lives of Us the Lords Justices and Councell and many others of his Majesties faithfull Subjects universally throughout this Kingdom and for the seizing not only of His Majesties Castle of Dublin His Majesties principall Fort here but also of the other Fortifications in the Kingdom And seeing by the great goodnesse and abundant mercy of Almighty God to His Majesty and this State and Kingdom those wicked Conspiracies are brought to light and some of the Conspirators committed to the Castle of Dublin by Us by His Majesties Authority so as those wicked and damnable Plots are now disappointed in the chief parts thereof We therefore have thought fit hereby not only to make it publiquely known for the comfort of His Majesties good and loyall Subjects in all parts of the Kingdom but also hereby to require them that they do with all confidence and cheerfulnesse betake themselves to their own defence and stand upon their guard so to render the more safety to themselves and all the Kingdom besides and that they advertise Us with all possible speed of all Occurrents which may concern the peace and safety of the Kingdom and now to shew fully that Faith and Loyalty which they have alwayes shown for the publike services of the Crown and Kingdome which We will value to His Majesty accordingly and a speciall memory thereof will be retained for their advantage in due time And We require that great care be taken that no levies of men be made for forreine service nor any men suffered to march upon any such pretence Given at His Majesties Castle of Dublin 23. Octob. 1641. R. Dillon Ro. Digby Ad. Loftus I. Temple Tho. Rotheram Fr. Willoughby Ia. Ware Ro. Meredith God save the King ¶ Imprinted at Dublin by the Society Of STATIONERS THis Proclamation was presently printed and severall copies sent down by expresse messengers unto the principall Noblemen and Gentlemen in severall parts of the country where they caused them to be divers wayes dispersed hoping that when the timely discovery of this conspiracie and the happy prevention in a great part should fully appeare abroad it would prove so great a discouragement to such of the conspirators as had not yet openly declared themselves as that they would thereby be contained within the bounds of their duty and obedience to His Majesty The same night the Lord Blaney arrived with the news of the surprisall of his house his wife and his children by the Rebels of the county of Monaghan The Irish rise first in the province of Vlster and there burn spoil and destroy the English Next day came advertisement from Sir Arthur Tyringham of the taking of the Newry and then the sad relations of burning spoiling and horrible murders committed within the Province of Vlster began to multiply and severall persons every day and almost every houre in every day for a good while after arrived like Jobs messengers telling the story of their own sufferings and the fearfull massacres of the poor English in those parts from whence they came These things wrought such a generall consternation and astonishment in the minds of all the English and other inhabitants well affected within the city as they were much affrighted therewith expecting every houre when the Irish already crept into the Town joyning with the Papists there should make the City a Theater whereon to act the second part of that Tragedy most bloodily begun in the Northern parts by them False rumours spread of the Rebels approach to the City of Dublin And it added most extremely to these present feares that severall unhappy rumours the great tormentors of the weaker sexe were vainly spread abroad of the sodain approach of great numbers of Rebels out of the adjacent Irish counties unto the city Some would make us believe that they were discerned at some distance already marching down from the mountain side within view of the Town a report so credibly delivered by those who pretended to be eye-witnesses that it drew some of the State up to the platform of the castle to behold those who were yet invisible though there were there that would not be perswaded but that they saw the very motions of the men as they marched down the mountains It was at the same time also generally noised abroad that there were 10000. of the Rebels gotten together in a body at the hill of Tarah a place not above sixteen miles distant from the Town and that they intended
Councell of the ill condition and most imminent danger he found the Town to be then in that it was not possible to preserve it out of the hands of the Rebels without further strength both of horse and foot That in case the enemy should make any sudden approaches or attempt to surprize the Town he found such poor preparatives for defence within such apparant signes of disloyalty in the Townsmen and all things in such a desperate confusion as they should not be able by the best endeavours they could use to give any good account of that place Hereupon their Lordships presently resolved A Regiment raised by the Lo. Iustices at Dublin sent down under the command of Sir Henry Tichborne for the defence of Tredagh Novemb. 3. to leavy in the City of Dublin a Regiment of foot and to place them under the command of Sir Henry Tichborne for the defence of Tredagh And for this purpose there was very oportunely in the hands of the Vice Treasurer 3000 li. in a readinesse to be at that time sent over into England for the satisfaction of a publick engagement there This the Lords thought fit to make use of for the leavying and setting out of those men which Sir Henry Tichborne got together in very few dayes and having a Commission of government for the Town with some other private instructions he marched away with great alacrity and diligence the 3 of November and happily arrived next day at Tredagh A Regiment raised by Sir Charles Coot The Lords granted another Commission to Sir Charles Coot to levy a thousand men more which he most carefully endeavoured and within a very short time made up his Regiment wherein very many of the English who came up stripped and despoiled out of the North listed themselves for most of the men which escaped from thence with their lives being better able to suffer then the women and children outlived the miseries of their journey and putting themselves into severall companies some of them had the contentment to revenge the barbarous cruelty used by the Rebels towards them The second dispatch made by the L. Iustices and Councel into England Nov. 5. VPon the 5. of November the Lords made their 2d. dispatch unto His Majesty still at Edenburgh in Scotland At the same time they sent severall Letters into England to the L. Keeper Speaker of the house of Peers to the Speaker of the house of Commons to the Lo of his M ties most hon Privy Councel to the L. Lieutenant of Ireland in all which they did with much earnestnesse declare their present dangers together with the necessity of sending sudden relief In their Letter to the Lords of the Councel they did more particularly set down the miserable estate of the whole kingdom and the large progresse that the Rebellion had in few dayes made since it broke out They represented unto their Lordships the great outrages the Rebels had committed upon the British inhabitants in Vlster that they had seized upon all their estates and houses in five Counties of that Province possessed their Arms detained many of the principall Gentlemen prisoners That they had already slain many most barbarously hewed some to peeces that they have exposed thousands to want and beggery who had good estates and lived plentifully That the Rebellion began then to diffuse it self into the counties of Longford and Letrim and to threaten the English plantations in the King and Queens county that the inhabitants of the counties of Meath and Lowth began to fall upon the English near about them that they conceived there could not be lesse then 30000. who had already openly declared themselves in this Rebellion and were assembled together in severall great parties that they understood their designe was having got Dondalke to take in Tredagh and so to come up immediately to besiege the city and castle of Dublin that they gave out publikely their purpose was to extirpate the English and Protestants and not to lay down Arms untill the Romish religion were established the Government setled in the hands of the Natives and the old Irish restored to the lands of their supposed ancestors That they held it their duty to acquaint their Lordships with the lamentable estate wherein the Kingdome stood that his Majesty and the Parliament might understand it and so speedily provide for sending over to their relief 10000 Foot 1000 Horse together with some able Commanders 100000. l. in money and further provisions of Arms That unlesse these were presently sent to them they craved leave to repeat it again and again the Kingdom would be utterly lost all the English and Protestants in Ireland destroyed the peace of the kingdome of England disturbed by the Irish from thence and so England enforced to make a new conquest of it for that a Politique reformation would then be impossible But now before I passe further The proceedings of the Parliament of England upon the first advertisements brought unto them of the Rebellion raised in Ireland I shall here give an accompt of the arrival of these and the former Letters of the 25. of October addressed by the Lords Justices and Councel to the L. Lieutenant of Ireland Owen O Conally the happy discoverer of the first Plot who carried the first Letters over arrived at London the last day of October and late in the evening delivered those Letters to his Lordship who having read them over and received from him full information of all other parriculars within his knowledge repaired the next morning to the Councel-board and having there acquainted the Lords of His Majesties Privy Councel with them he was required by their Lordships to communicate them unto the Lords of the upper house of Parliament which he did accordingly the very same morning And they considering the high importance of them as soon as they had perused them Ordered that they should be presently sent down to the house of Commons by the Lord Keeper the L. Privy Seal L. High Chamberlain L. Admiral L. Marshal L. Chamberlain Earl of Bath Earl of Dorset Earl of Leicester Earl of Holland Earl of Berks Earl of Bristol L. Vicount Say E. Mandevile L. Goring L. Wilmot all of them being of His Majesties most honorable Privy Councel There were Chairs provided for these Lords in the house of Commons and they sate down there till the Letters were read and then having informed the house of such other parciculars as they had received concerning the generall Rebellion in Ireland they departed without any further conference or other debate upon them leaving the house of Commons to consider further of them Who presently Ordered That the House forthwith should be resolved into a Committee to take into consideration the matter offered concerning the Rebellion in Ireland as likewise to provide for the safety of the Kingdom of England This being done they fell into a most serious debate of this great businesse then before them they fully
considered what means were fittest to be used at present for the prevention of the further spreading of that hideous Rebellion in Ireland as well as stopping of the ill influence it might make upon their affairs in England where great troubles even then began to appeare within view And after much time spent in this debate they came to these severall Conclusions which being put to the question were assented unto by the Committee and so resolved as followeth 1. That 50000. l. be forthwith provided 2. That a Conference be desired with the Lords to move them that a select Committee of the Members of both Houses may be appointed to go to the city of London and to make a Declaration unto them of the state of the businesse in Ireland and to acquaint them that the leading of monies at this time will be an acceptable service to the Commonwealth And that they propose unto them the Loan of 50000. l. and to assure them that they shall be secured both of the Principall and Interest by Act of Parliament 3. That a select Committee may be named of both Houses to consider of the affaires of Ireland 4. That Owen O Conally who discovered this great treason shall have 500. l. presently paid him and 200. l. per annum pension untill provision of land of inheritance of a greater value be made for him 5. That the persons of Papists of quality within this Kingdome may be secured within the severall Counties where they reside 6. That no person whatsoever except those who are Merchants shall be admitted to go over into Ireland without Certificate from the Committee of both Houses appointed to consider the affaires of Ireland These with severall other particulars concerning Ireland and tending in order to the safety of the kingdome of England were resolved upon the question and Master Whitlock appointed to report them to the House as heads of a conference desired with the Lords concerning the affaires of Ireland which was accordingly had with their Lordships the same day At which conference the L. Keeper did expresse the very great sense the Lords had of the exceeding great care taken by the house of Commons for the prevention of the further spreading of the Rebellion in Ireland And his Lordship by command of the Lords did further let them know that their Lordships did think fit to agree with them in all those particulars presented unto them by the house of Commons without any materiall alteration only adding such further things as they conceived might serve to further and expedite their desires in the more speedy putting them in execution The house of Commons having proceeded thus far in the affairs of Ireland upon the two first dayes after the discovery made unto them of the Rebellion there raised did notwithstanding their own present distractions set apart some portion almost of every day that they sate during the whole moneth of November for the considering of the affairs of Ireland and so upon the third and fourth of the same resolved upon the question and accordingly ordered these particulars following 1. That the House holds fit that 20000 li. be forthwith supplied for the present occasions of Ireland 2. That a convenient number of ships shall be provided for the guarding of the Sea-coasts of Ireland 3. That this house holds fit that 6000 foot and 2000 horse shall be raised with all convenient speed for the present expedition into Ireland 4. That the Lord Lieutenant shall present to both Houses of Parliament such Officers as he shall think fit to send into Ireland to command any forces to be transported thither 5. That Magazines of victuals shall be forthwith provided at Westchester to be sent over to Dublin as the occasions of that Kingdome shall require 6. That the Magazines of armes ammunition powder now in Carlile shall be forthwith sent over to Knockfergus in Ireland 7. That it be referred to the Kings Councell to consider of some fit way and to present it to the House for a publication to be made of rewards to be given to such as shall do service in this Expedition into Ireland and for a pardon of such of the Rebels in Ireland as as shall come in by a time limited and of a sum of money to be appointed for a reward to such as shall bring in the Heads of such principall Rebels as shall be nominated 8. That Letters shall be forthwith sent to the Justices in Ireland to acquaint them how sensible this House is of the affairs of Ireland 9. That the Committee of Irish affairs shall consider how and in what manner this Kingdome shall make use of the friendship and assistance of Scotland in the businesse of Ireland 10. That directions shall be given for the drawing of a Bill for the pressing of men for this particular service for Ireland These particulars together with severall others being resolved upon the question they passed an Ordinance of Parliament enabling the Earl of Leicester Lord Lieutenant of Ireland to raise 3500 foot and 600 horse for the present service there And they further expressed their resolution not to make use of the assistance offered unto them by their Brethren of Scotland further for the present then for the furnishing them with 1000 foot which they desired might be transported out of Scotland into the North of Ireland And on the same day they ordered that the Master of his Majesties Ordnance should deliver to the L. Lieutenant of Ireland the number of 1000 arms for horse and 8000 arms for foot and ten Last of powder to be presently sent into Ireland And that the Lord Admirall should suddenly provide shipping for the transporting of men arms and ammunition and other provisions according to the former resolutions of the House Now while both Houses of Parliament were taking Order for raising men money and sending provisions and other necessaries for Ireland there arrived those other Letters of the 5 of November formerly mentioned which being addressed to the Lords of his Majesties Privie Councell were communicated to both Houses of Parliament and after a conference upon them took further resolutions for the speedy sending away supplyes into Ireland And such were the forward affections and zeal of the House of Commons to promove what concerned the service of Ireland as they thereupon voted 200000 li. to be raised for the suppressing the Irish rebellion and for securing of the Kingdome of England and payment of the publick debts And that they might facilitate this great work of raising such a summe of money upon the credit of an Act of Parliament before the money could be collected throughout the Kingdome they thought fit for the better encouragement of the City of London and for the giving them full satisfaction in point of security for the monies formerly lent them to make this Order following THe Lords and Commons in this present Parliament assembled having a due regard to the good affections of the City of London expressed
upon sundry occasions by the advancing and lending of great sums of money for the service of this Common-wealth and particularly the sum of 50000 li. lent for the Irish affairs and the sum of 50000 li. more lent by the said City unto the Peers attending his Majesty in the Northern parts before the beginning of this present Parliament which are not yet paid or otherwayes secured shall be fully satisfied and repaid unto the said City of London with interest of 8 li. per cent for one year out of such monies as are or shall be raised by authority of Parliament And for that purpose an Act of Parliament to be passed with all expedition Provided alwayes that this present Ordinance shall not in any wayes be prejudiciall to any Members of the said House of Commons who have formerly lent any sums of money to this Parliament nor to the Northern Counties nor to any persons whatsoever to whom both Houses of Parliament or the said House of Commons have formerly ordered the payment of any summes of money nor to any security given to them before the making of this Ordinance BUt I shall now return to the affairs of this Kingdome and the serious consultations and means used here by the Justices and Councell for the securing of the City and Castle of Dublin which by reason of the present confusion weaknesse and wants were in very great and most apparent danger of a sudden surprize And first for the Castle Sir Francis Willoughby being made Governour had a Company of an 100 men well armed assigned for the constant guard of that place besides the ordinary Warders who gave their usuall attendance there And because the Lords conceived it might be dangerous in such desperate times to admit such a multitude of suitors of all sorts into the Castle as had daily occasion to attend the Councell-board they presently transferred the place of their meeting in Councell to Corke House where they continued to sit a good time after notwithstanding the great danger their persons were continually exposed unto by the confident resort in great numbers of severall Lords Gentlemen and orhers who within few dayes after declared themselves Rebels and so went out among them It was Gods immediate providence that preserved them and suffered not those persons who soon after became such bloody Rebels to lay hold on that opportunity For certainly they might with great ease have taken out of the way the Lords Justices and Councell and so have left all things in such confusion as would have brought on their long desired ends without any further contestation or trouble The next care was to provide victuals for the Castle in such proportions as might enable it to endure a siege in case the Town either through treachery within or by forces from without should come to be surprized by the Rebels who now carried all things so clearly before them in the North as they most confidently gave it out they would suddenly come down and make themselves masters of it How to compasse this seemed a matter of great difficulty in regard there was no money to be had for the performing this work so absolutely necessary in it self and at that time so highly importing the safety preservation even of the whol Kingdome Therefore the Master of the Rolles upon whom the Lords were pleased to impose this service of victualling the Castle took the advantage of the strange frights Order taken for victualling the Castle of Dublin fears and little safety all the English and Protestants conceived both themselves and their goods to remain in at that time He sent presently for some of the chief Merchants that were Protestants in the town and clearly represented unto them the high necessities of the State the great danger of the town the publick benefit and their own private security in laying into the Castle such of their provisions as they had lying by them even in unsafe places of the City These impressions took and they rightly apprehending the common danger that they could not outlive the ruines of the Castle partly out of their own good affections to the service partly out of a prudent care to secure their goods were content to bring in great quantities of Beef Herrings and Corn upon the Master of the Rolles undertaking to see them satisfied in case use were made of them or otherwise certain restitution in kinde to the severall owners So as there were presently laid in by the English and Dutch Merchants within the Verge of the Castle above 2000 barrels of Beef 2000 barrels of Herrings and a good proportion of Wheat provisions sufficient not only to victuall the Castle for many moneths but which did serve to maintain the whole Army billeted in the City a long time after and their money they received within few moneths after by certificate from hence upon the Chamber of London according to an Order made by both Houses of Parliament in England for present payment to be made to such as laid in any provisions for the army in Ireland There was then further Order taken to new dig and clear an old Well long since stopped up within the walls of the Castle and to provide all other necessaries fit for a siege This was the first step to the safety of this place and gave great comfort and security to all the English and Protestants The Castle being thus happily provided for The Lo. Iustices care to provide for the safety of the City of Dublin the Lords took it next into their care how to secure the City in some sort against any sudden attempts And this proved a work not easie to be effected not only in regard of the crazinesse of the walls the large Suburbs and weaknesse of the place but much more in respect of the corrupt ill affections of the popish inhabitants within the City So strangely were many of them deluded with the ill infusions of their Priests as they did certainly as we found afterwards by wofull experience do all that in them lay to promove the rebellious designes then set on foot as they believed only for the re-settlement of their religion and recovery of their liberties They were the instruments to conveigh away privately most of the chief Conspirators who would have surprized the Castle on the 23 of October They secretly entertained many of the Rebels that came out of the country they likewise sent them relief that were abroad by secret wayes conveighing as wel ammunition as intelligence of all passages from hence And such strong aversions had they against all contributions for the maintenance of his Majesties army as in the very beginning of the rebellion when the Lords sent for the Major Aldermen laying before them the high necessities of the State together with the apparent danger of the City whole Kingdom desired to borrow a considerable sum of money for the present which they undertook to repay out of the next treasure that
the affairs of great Brittain when Scotland lately in Arms had by their own power and wise managements drawn his Majesty to condiscend to their entire satisfaction as wel in their Church discipline as the liberties of that Kingdom And in England the distractions being grown up to some height through the great misunderstanding betwixt the King and his Parliament Ireland was at this time left naked and unregarded the Government in the hands of Justices the old Army dispersed in places of so great distance as it could be of little advantage the common Souldiers most of them Irish and all the old Commanders and Captains except some few worn out and gone This as the first plotters thought was the time to work out their own ends and masking their perfidious designs under the publike pretences of Religion and the defence of his Majesties Prerogative they let loose the reins of their own vindicative humour and irreconcilable hatred to their British Neighbours I will not presume to say they knew what would fall out in England or what miserable embroilments that Kingdom was ready to break out into for undoubtedly the first plot was laid and most exactly formed many moneths before the war brake out betwixt the King and his people But thus much I shall be bold to affirm that upon the very first breaking out of this Rebellion they did strangely conjecture and beyond all appearance of reason even somewhat positively divine of the dismal breach and fearfull distempers which afterwards followed to the disabling of the Kingdome of England from applying remedies towards the reducement of Ireland For the attestation of this truth I could produce the generall concurrence of severall circumstances many private discourses and advertisements as also a particular Letter which I had long by me written as it seems from a very intelligent Papist a great Zealot in the cause unto a Nephew of Sir Toby Matthew's then in Dublin who though lately converted retained yet a great friendship among them He tels him in the beginning of the Letter that he was desired from some well wishing friends to advise him as he tendered his safety and security upon the sight of those instantly to forsake and abandon that troublesom and most unfortunate Kingdom for God and man had speedily resolved to afflict and punish the overgrown impieties of these prophane times all hearts and hands happily conspiring to it and that he should be as speedy in his passage as was possible and rather as the case stood hazard all dangers by sea then the least at land to be sure not to stop in England especially at London that sink of sin as he cals it and center of disorders for by that time he arrived there he should be sure to find nothing but troubles factions and desperate distempers that he should dispatch therefore for Paris or rather Brussels where there should be order taken for the removall of all mistakes betwixt him and his Uncle This Letter was written about the beginning of Novem. 1641. which was some few dayes after the breaking out of this Rebellion and full six moneths before the taking up of Arms in England Now for the very time when this great Plot received its first forme The Plot for a Rebellion in Ireland first discovered to the Lord Mac Guire and others about the time of Master John Bellewes return out of England with commission to continue the Parliament in Ireland which was in Jan. 1640. though I conceive it of somewhat a more ancient date yet by all the examinations I have hitherto seen I can carry it up no higher then the moneth of January 1640. and that it was about that time communicated to some of the chief Gentlemen of Vlster the Lord Mac Guire doth sufficiently testifie as well in the relation written with his own hand in the Tower and delivered by him to Sir John Coniers then Lieutenant to be presented to the Lords in Parliament as also in his Examination taken before the Lord Lambart and Sir Robert Meredith Kinght in Ireland March 26. 1642. In both these he acknowledgeth that he being in Dublin in Candlemas Tearm about the time when Master John Bellew came out of England with the Commission for the continuance of the Parliament in Ireland Roger Moore acquainted him that if the Irish would rise they might make their own conditions for the regaining of their Lands and Freedome of their Religion and further saith that he had spoken with sundry of Lemster to that purpose who would be ready to joyn with them as likewise a good part of Conaught and that he found all of them willing thereto if so be they could draw to them the Gentlemen of Vlster Now for the manner of putting this Plot in execution the said Lord Mac Guire doth further testifie in his relation aforesaid that the said Roger Moore having the next day acquainted Philip O Rely Turlagh O Neale Brother to Sir Phelim O Neale Master Cosloe and Mac Mahone herewith did propose that first every one should endeavour to draw his own friends into that act at least those that did live in one Country with them and that when they had so done they should send to the Irish in the Low-Countries and in Spain to let them know of the day and resolution so that they might be over with them by that day or soon after with supply of Arms and Munition that there should be a set day appointed and every one in his own Quarters should rise out that day and seize upon all the Arms he could get in his own County and this day to be neer Winter so that England could not be able to send Forces into Ireland before May and by that time there was no doubt to be made but that they themselves would be supplied by the Irish from beyond the Seas Then he told them further that there was no doubt to be made of the Irish joyning with them and that all the doubt was in the Gentlemen of the Pale but he said for his own part he was really assured that when they had risen out the Pale Gentlemen would not stay long after at lest they would not oppose any thing and that in case they did that they had men enough in the Kingdom without them Moreover that he had spoken to a great man who then should be namelesse who would not fail at the day appointed to appear and to be seen in the act but that till then he was sworn not to reveal him but yet that upon their importunity he afterwards told them it was the Lord of Mayo who was very powerfull in the command of men in those parts of Conaught where he lived He further saith that in Lent following Master Moore according to his promise came into Vlster but that nothing was done there but all matters put off till May following where they met at Dublin it being both Parliament and Tearm time and that from thence they dispatched
this is a true Relation as neare as I could collect it from the mouthes of those that were present of that famous victory so much boasted of by the Irish whereunto the inexperience of the English Commanders and the disorders of the common souldiers who were then but newly taken up and had never seene any service contributed farre more then any skill or courage shewed by the Rebels which they had only opportunity at that time to expresse by a loud shout Besides they were treble their number and had for their leaders Roger Moore Hugh Birne and Philip O-Rely the two last persons who had been trained in the Warres abroad under the Spanish Discipline and were of greatest experience among them they brought down a great part of those Forces out of the Counties of Cavan and Monagham and as soone as they came within the River of Boyne great numbers of the ordinary churles of the Pale adjoyned themselves unto their men and so made up a body sufficient to performe that service The newes of this unhappy defeat was brought the very same day being munday the 29 of November at evening to the Lords Justices as they sate in Councell It troubled them very much and as it was a matter of great rejoycing among the Popish Inhabitants of the City so it bred a generall sorrow and consternation among the English and Protestants It hapned in a very ill season the late made Colonels were but then in raising of their men And such Companies as were compleated were by the Lords the same day of the marching of the 600 men to Tredagh Sir Charls Coots Expedition into the County of Wiclow commanded out under Sir Charles Coot into the County of Wiclow for the repressing the insolencies of the Birnes and the Tooles towards the poore Engl sh whom they began to fall upon most furiously stripping murdering and driving them all out of that Territory as soone as they had taken in the Kings Fort in that County called Carews Fort and possessed themselves of the chiefe places of strength belonging to the English Gentlemen there He marched to the Town of Wiclow where he caused some few men and one woman to be executed they being found upon Examination guilty of the late spoyles committed most brabarously upon the English there and the very cloaths of an English woman that was stripped being found upon the back of that Irish woman that was there hanged In his return Luke Toole with neare a 1000 Irish under his command encountred him but he quickly made them flie and take to the next Bogge with the losse of some few of their men And so he returned with all possible speed to Dublin the Lords having sent him notice of the late defeat given to the Forces sent to Tredagh As soone as he arrived he applyed himselfe very carefully to the securing of the Town which now began to be more desperately threatned then ever by the neare approaches of the Rebels And so great were the disorders then in the City so inconsiderable the Forces raised the English Inhabitants so strangly dismayed the Papists so highly raised in spirit and courage as had the Commanders of the Rebels drawn those Forces together as they had in readinesse on both sides the River of Boyne for the siege of Tredagh and so marching up to Dublin had taken the advantage of the present distractions and forward affections which they would have undoubtedly found there to assist them They had in all humane probability made themselves Masters of the City and might so straightly have begirt the Castle as would within a very short time have endangerd the surrender of it But it pleased God to infatuate their Counsells The strong opinion they had that they should presently carry Tredagh and so possesse themselves of all the Armes and Munition they had in that Town caused them to fix their resolutions there and to set up their rest upon the obtaining that place In this as in many other wonderfull acts of divine providence which I then observed with great admiration it pleased God to appeare even miraculously in the preservation of the City and Castle of Dublin with the poore remainders of English and Protestants who had there taken sanctuary And now the Lords and Gentlemen of the Pale thought it high time to discover themselves and their affections to the cause They certainly had not only long entertained a defection in their thoughts but were as the severall forementioned Examinations testifie The defection of the Lords and chiefe Gentlemen within the English Pale the first contrivers and bringers in of the Northern Rebels into this execrable Plot they had now likewise drawn them into rhe Pale and therefore they could not hope now much longer to walk under a maske and entertaine the state with further professions of their loyalty They had gotten a competent proportion of Armes and Munition out of his Majesties store into their own possession They saw now the Northern Rebels advanced within the River of Boyne with very considerable Forces to strengthen their Party and by the late encounter and successefull victory they had therein they pleased their fancies with confident conceits of certaine prevailing if they would now declare themselves by a publike conjunction in the common cause and raising such numbers of men and quantities of provision as the plentifull circuit of the Pale did afford would prosecute the warre so happily begun and so successefully managed hitherto These and severall other considerations working very powerfully among the Lords and cheife Gentlemen of the Pale they did within very few dayes after the late defeat solemnly proceede on to the actuall consummation of their long meditated revolt For the manner place The manner of the conjunction of the Lords and chief Gentlemen of the men of the English Pale with the Northern Rebels expressed in the Examination of Edward Dowdall Esquire time and all other circumstances I shall referre the Reader to this ensuing Relation given in upon Oath March 1641. before Sir Robert Meredith Knight Chancellour of the Exchequer in the Examination of Edward Dowdall Esquire a Gentleman of the Pale one very well esteemed among them one that was present at all their meetings and deeply engaged in all their councells and actions He deposeth that some foure or five dayes after the defeat of the English souldiers at the Bridge of Gellianstown there issued a Warrant from the Lord of Gormanston to the Sheriffe of the County for a generall meeting of all the Countie at Dulick But the place of meeting was afterwards changed to the Hill of Crofty where all the Lords and Gentry of the Country met viz. The Earle of Fingale the Lord Viscount Gormanston the Lord of Slaine the Lord of Lowth the Lord of Dunsany the Lord of Trimblestone the Lord Nettervile And of the Gentry Sir Patrick Barnwall Sir Christopher Bellew Patrick Barnwall of Kilbrew Nicholas Darcy of Plattin James Bath of Acharn
among ancient writers Scytenland or Scotland So the Southern and more Westerne parts thereof were peopled from the Maritine parts of Spaine being the next continent not by the now Spanish Nation who are strangely compounded of a different admixture of severall people But as I said peradventure by the Gaules who anciently inhabited all the Sea coasts of Spaine the Syrians or some other of those more Eastern Nations who intermixing with the naturall Inhabitants of that Country made a transmigration into Ireland and so setled some Colonies there Ireland anciently divided into divers petty principalities The whole Kingdome of Ireland was divided into divers petty principalities and of later times there were five principall Chieftains viz. Mac Morough of Lemster Mac Cartye of Munster O Neale of Vlster O Connor of Conaght and O Malaghlin of Meath For such were the Irish denominations Isti reges non fuerunt ordinati solemnitate alicuius ordinis nec unctionis sacramento nec iure hereditarto vel aliqua proprietatis successione sed vt armis quilibet regnum suum obtinuit The black book of Christ-church in Dublin it is an ancient Manuscript kept there and I do not finde they were called Kings till about the time of the comming over of the English Giraldus Cambrensis who came into Ireland in the time of Hen. 2. of England being the first writer that gives them that Title Besides as they came not in either by hereditary right or lawfull Election so their investiture was solemnized neither by Unctiō or Coronation they made their way by the Sword had certain kinds of barbarous ceremonies used at their Inauguration kept up their power with a high hand and held the people most monstrously enslaved to all the savage customes practised under their dominion And thus they continued untill the Raign of Hen. 2. King of England in whose time the undertakings for the Conquest of Ireland were successefully made by most powerfull though private adventurers upon this occasion Dermott Mac Morough King of Lemster being by the Kings of Conaght and Meath enforced to flie his country made his repaire directly to Hen. 2. King of England The first enterprise of the English upon Ireland made by private adventurers then personally attending his Wars in France and with much earnestnesse implored his aid for the recovery of his territories in Ireland most injuriously as he pretended wrested out of his hands The King refused to imbarque himself in this quarrell yet graciously recommended the justice of his cause to all his loving Subjects and by his Letters Patents assured them that whosoever would afford the said Mac-Morough assistance towards his resettlement should not only have free liberty to transport their Forces Se nostram ad hoc tam gratiam noverit quam licentiam obtinere Gir. Cambren expugnata Hib. cap. 1. but be held to do very acceptable service therein Hereupon Earle Strangebow first engaging himself determined as a private Adventurer to endeavour his restitution with the utmost forces he could raise he lying then very conveniently at Bristol where Mac-Morough came unto him in his passage back from the King into Ireland There were certain conditions agreed upon between them and a transaction made by Mac-Morough of his kingdome of Lemster unto the Earl upon his marriage with his only daughter Eva. And so he being desirous to return speedily into his own country passed to St. Davids in South-Wales from whence is the shortest passage out of England into Ireland and there he further engaged Fitz-Stephen and Fitz-Gerald private Gentlemen in this service These by their power among their country-men in those parts having gotten together a patty of 490 men Cambr. cap. 3. transported them in three ships into Ireland landing at the Banne a little Creek neer Featherd in the county of Wexford and there joyning with some Forces brought unto them by Mac-Morough made their first attempt upon the town of Wexford they were gallantly seconded by Earl Strangebow who followed presently after with no very considerable forces and yet by the power of their arms within a very short time prevailed so far in the country as they made themselves masters thereof and so gained the possession of all the maritime parts of Lemster King Henry upon the news of their prosperous successe in the sudden reducement of so large a territory by such inconsiderable forces as they carried with them desirous to share with his subjects in the rich fruits K. Henry the 2. his expedition into Ireland An. 1172. as well as in the glory of so great an action undertook an expedition in his own person into Ireland the year following And so strange an influence had the very presence of this great Prince into the minds of the rude savage Natives as partly by the power of his arms partly by his grace and favour in receiving of them in upon their fained submissions most humbly tendred unto him he easily subdued a barbarous divided people The first beginnings of the Conquest of this Kingdome were thus gloriously laid by this King in the year of our Lord 1172. Now for the Land it selfe he found it good and flourishing with many excellent commodities plentifull in all kinds of provision the Soile rich and fertile the Aire sweet and temperate the Havens very safe and commodious severall Towns and little Villages scattered up and down in the severall parts of the country Rog. Hoveden cals it Palatium regium miro artificio de virgis levigatis ad modum patriae illius constructum fol. 528. but the Buildings so poor and contemptible as when that King arrived at Dublin their chief city and finding there neither place fit for receipt or entertainment he set up a long house made of smoothed wattles after the manner of the country and therein kept his Christmas All their Forts Castles stately buildings and other edifices were afterwards erected by the English except some of their maritime towns which were built by the Ostmanni or Easterlings who anciently came and inhabited in Ireland Christian religion setled in Ireland Moreover He found likewise by severall monuments of piety and other remarkable testimonies that Christian religion had been long since introduced and planted among the inhabitants of the land It is not certainly without some good grounds affirmed by ancient writers That in the fourth age after the incarnation of our blessed Lord and Saviour some holy and learned men came over out of forraigne parts into Ireland out of their pious desires to propagate the blessed Gospel throughout the Kingdome By Sedulius Palladius Patricius in the fourth age after the birth of our Saviour as Sedulius Palladius and besides severall others Patricius the famous Irish Saint A Britain borne at a place now called Kirk-Patrick near Glascow in Scotland then the utmost boundary of the Britains dominion in those parts who out of meer devotion came and spent much of their time among the
the latter end of August and presently after their return they applied themselves to the Lords Justices and Councel desiring to have all those Acts and other Graces granted by His Majesty made known unto the people by proclamations to be sent down into severall parts of the country which while the Lords Justices took into their consideration and sate daily composing of Acts to be passed the next Session of Parliament for the benefit of His Majesty and the good of his Subjects They seemed with great contentment and satisfaction to retire into the country to their severall habitations that they might there refresh themselves in the mean season The discovery of the Conspiracie of the Irish to seize upon the Castle and City of Dublin and their generall Rising at the same time in all the Northern parts of this Kingdome The happy condition of Ireland at the time of the breaking out of the Rebellion Octo. 23 1641. SUch was now the state and present condition of the Kingdome of Ireland such the great serenity through the gentle and happy transaction of the publike affairs here As that the late Irish Army raised for the invasion of the kingdom of Scotland being peaceably disbanded their Arms and Munition by the singular care of the Lords Iustices and Councel brought into His Maiesties stores within the city of Dublin there was no manner of warlike preparations no reliques of any kind of disorders proceeding from the late levies nor indeed any noise of war remaining within these coasts Now while in this great calm the British continued in a most deep security under the assurance of the blessed peace of this land while all things were carried on with great temper and moderation in the present government and all men sate pleasantly enjoying the comfortable fruits of their own labours without the least thoughts or apprehension of either tumults or other troubles the differences between his Majesty and his Subjects of Scotland being about this time fairly composed and setled There brake out upon the 23. of October 1641. a most desperate and formidable Rebellion an universall defection and generall Revolt wherein not only all the meer Irish but almost all the old English that adhered to the church of Rome were totally involved And because it will be necessary to leave some monuments hereof to posterity I shall observe the beginnings and first motions as well as trace out the progresse of a rebellion so execrable in it self so odious to God and the whole world as no age no kingdome no people can parallel the horrid cruelties The first plot for the rebellion carried on with so great secresie as none of the English had notice of it before it was ready to be put in execution the abominable murders that have been without number as well as without mercy committed upon the British inhabitants throughout the land of what sexe or age of what quality or condition soever they were And first I must needs say howsoever I have observed in the nature of the Irish such a kind of dull and deep reservednesse as makes them with much silence and secresie to carry on their businesse yet I cannot but consider with great admiration how this mischievous plot which was to be so generally at the same time and at so many severall places acted and therefore necessarily known to so many severall persons should without any noise be brought to such maturity as to arrive at the very point of execution without any notice or intimation given to any two of that huge multitude of persons who were generally designed as most of them did to perish in it For besides the uncertain presumptions that Sir William Cole had of a commotion to be raised by the Irish in the Province of Vlster about a fortnight before this rebellion brake openly out and some certain intelligence which he received of the same two dayes before the Irish rise I could never hear that any English man received any certain notice of this conspiracy before the very evening that it was to be generally put in execution It is true Sir VVilliam Cole upon the very first apprehensions of something that he conceived to be hatching among the Irish did write a Letter to the Lords Justices and Councell dated the 11. of Octob. 1641. wherein he gave them notice of the great resort made to Sir Phelim O Neale in the county of Tyrone as also to the house of the Lord Mac Guiâ—e in the county of Fermanagh and that by severall suspected persons fit instruments for mischief As also that the said Lord Mac Guire had of late made severall journies into the Pale and other places and had spent his time much in writing Letters and sending dispatches abroad These Letters were received by the Lords Justices and Councell and they in answer to them required him to be very vigilant and industrious to finde out what should be the occasion of those severall meetings and speedily to advertise them thereof or of any other particular that he conceived might tend to the publique service of the State And for that which was revealed to Sir VVilliam Cole upon the 21. of Octob. the same moneth by John Cormacke and Flarty Mac Hugh from Brian Mac Cohanaght Mac Guire touching the resolution of the Irish to seize upon his Majesties castle and city of Dublin to murder the Lords Justices and councell of Ireland and the rest of the Protestants there and to seize upon all the castles Forts Sea-ports and holds that were in possession of the Protestants within the Kingdom of Ireland I finde by the examination of John Cormacke taken upon oath at Westminster Nov. 18. 1644. That the said Sir VVilliam Cole did dispatch Letters to the Lords Justices and councell the same day to give them notice thereof But I can also testifie that those Letters whether they were intercepted or that they otherwaies miscarried I cannot say came not unto their hands as also that they had not any certain notice of this generall conspiracy of the Irish untill the 22. of Octob. in the very evening before the day appointed for the surprize of the castle and city of Dublin Then the conspirators being many of them arrived within the city and having that day met at the Lion Tavern near Copper Alley and there turning the Drawer out of the room ordered their affairs together drunk healths upon their knees to the happy successe of their next mornings work Owen O Conally discovers the conspiracy of the Irish to the Lord Parsons the very evening before it was to be executed Owen O Conally a Gentleman of a meer Irish family but one that had long lived among the English and been trained up in the true Protestant religion came unto the Lord Justice Parsons about nine of the clock that evening and made him a broken relation of a great conspiracy for the seizing upon his Majesties castle of Dublin He gave him the names of some
of the chief conspirators assured him they were come up expresly to the Town for the same purpose and that next morning they would undoubtedly attempt and surely effect it if their designe were not speedily prevented and that he had understood all this from Hugh Mac Mahon one of the chief conspirators who was then in the town and came up but the very same afternoon for the execution of the plot and with whom indeed he had been drinking somewhat liberally and as the truth is did then make such a broken relation of a matter that seemed so incredible in it self as that his Lordship gave very little belief to it at first in regard it came from an obscure person and one as he conceived somewhat distempered at that time But howsoever the Lord Parsons gave him order to go again to Mac Mahon and to get out of him as much certainty of the plot with as many particular circumstances as he could straightly charging him to return back unto him the same evening And in the mean time having by strict commands given to the constable of the castle taken order to have the gates thereof well guarded as also with the Mayor and Sheriffes of the city to have strong watches set upon all the parts of the same and to make stay of all strangers hee went privately about ten of the clock that night to the Lord Borlacies house without the town and there acquainting him with what he understood from Conally they sent for such of the councell as they knew then to be in the town But there came only unto them that night Sir Thomas Rotheram and Sir Robert Meredith chancellour of the Exchequer with these they fell into consultation what was fit to be done attending the return of Conally And finding that he staid somewhat longer than the time prefixed they sent out in search after him and found him seized on by the watch and so he had been carryed away to prison and the discovery that night disappointed had not one of the Lord Parsons servants expresly sent amongst others to walk the streets and attend the motion of the said Conally come in and rescued him and brought him to the Lord Borlacies house Conally having somewhat recovered himself from his distemper occasioned partly as he said himself by the horror of the plot revealed to him partly by his too liberall drinking with Mac Mahon that he might the more easily get away from him he beginning much to suspect and fear his discovering of the plot confirmed what he had formerly related and added these farther particulars set down in his Examination as followeth The Examination of Owen O Conally Gentleman taken before us whose names ensue Oct. 22. 1641. VVHo being duly sworn and examined saith that he being at Monimore in the County of London-Derry on Tuesday last he received a Letter from Colonel Hugh Oge Mac Mahon desiring him to come to Conaght in the County of Monaghan and to be with him on Wednesday or Thursday last whereupon he this Examinate came to Conaght on Wednesday night last and finding the said Hugh come to Dublin followed him hither He came hither about six of the clock this evening and forthwith went to the lodging of the said Hugh to the house near the Boat in Oxman town and there he found the said Hugh and came with the said Hugh into the Town near the Pillory to the lodging of the Lord Mac Guire where they found not the Lord within and there they drank a cup of Beer and then went back again to the said Hugh his lodging He saith that at the Lord Mac Guire his lodging the said Hugh told him that there were and would be this night great numbers of Noblemen and Gentlemen of the Irish Papists from all the parts of the Kingdom in this town who with himself had determined to take the Castle of Dublin and possesse themselves of all his Majesties Ammunition there to morrow morning being Saturday and that they intended first to batter the Chimnies of the said town and if the City would not yield then to batter down the houses and so to cut off all the Protestants that would not joyn with them He further saith that the said Hugh then told him that the Irish had prepared men in all parts of the Kingdom to destroy all the English inhabiting there to morrow morning by ten of the clock and that in all the Sea Ports and other Towns in the Kingdom all the Protestants should be killed this night and that all the Posts that could be could not prevent it And further saith that he moved the said Hugh to forbear executing of that businesse and to discover it to the State for the saving of his own estate who said he could not help it But said that they did owe their Allegiance to the King and would pay him all his Rights but that they did this for the tyrannicall Government was over them and to imitate Scotland who got a priviledge by that course And he further saith that when he was with the said Hugh in his lodging the second time the said Hugh swore that he should not go out of his lodging that night but told him that he should go with him the next morning to the Castle and said if this matter were discovered some body should die for it whereupon this Examinate feigned some necessity for his easement went down out of the Chamber and left his sword in pawn and the said Hugh sent his man down with him and when this Examinate came down into the Yard and finding an opportunity he this Examinate leaped over a Wall and two Pales and so came to the Lord Justice Parsons William Parsons Tho. Rotheram Rob. Meredith Owen O Conally Octob. 22. 1641. HEreupon the Lords took present order to have a Watch privately set upon the lodging of Mac Mahon as also upon the L. Mac Guire and so they sate up all that night in consultation having far stronger presumptions upon this latter examination taken then any wayes at first they could entertain Mac Mahon taken The Lords Justices upon a further consideration there being come unto them early next morning severall other of the Privy councel sent before day and seized upon Mac-Mahon then with his servant in his own lodging they at first made some little resistance with their drawn swords but finding thewselves over-mastered presently yielded and so they were brought before the Lords Justices and Councel still sitting at the Lord Borlacy's house where upon examination he did without much difficulty confesse the Plot resolutely telling them His confession That on that very day all the Forts and strong places in Ireland would be taken That he with the L. Mac-Guire Hugh Birn Capt. Brian O Neale and severall other Irish Gentlemen were come up expresly to surprise the Castle of Dublin That twenty men out of each County in the Kingdom were to be here to joyn with them That
23 day of this moneth We conceiving that as soon as it should be known that the plot for seizing Dublin Castle was disappointed all the Conspirators in the remote parts might be somewhat disheartned as on the other side the good Subjects would be comforted and would then with the more confidence stand on their guard did prepare to send abroad to all parts of the Kingdome this Proclamation which we send you here inclosed and so having provided that the City and Castle should be so guarded as upon the sudden Wee could promise Wee concluded that long continued consultation On Saturday at 12 of the clock at night the Lord Blany came to town and brought Vs the ill news of the Rebels seising with two hundred men his house at Castle Blany in the County of Monaghan and his Wife Children and Servants as also a house of the Earle of Essex called Carrickmacrosse with two hundred men a house of Sir Henry Spotswood in the same County with two hundred men where there being a little Plantation of Brittish they plundred the Town and burnt divers houses and it since appears that they burnt divers other Villages and robbed and spoiler many English and none but Protestants leaving the English Papists untouched as well as the Irish On Sunday morning at three of the clock We had intelligence from Sir Arthur Terringham that the Irish in the town had that day also broken up the Kings store of arms and munition at the Newry and where the store of arms hath lyen ever since the peace and where they found fourscore and ten barrels of powder and armed themselves and put them under the command of Sir Con. Magennis Knight and one Creely a Monk and plundered the English there and disarmed the Garrison And this though too much is all that We yet hear is done by them However We shall stand on our guard the best We may to defend the Castle and City principally those being the pieces of most importance But if the Conspiracy be so universall as Mac Mahon saith in his Examination it is namely That all the Counties in the Kingdome have conspired in it which We admire should so fall out in this time of universall peace and carried with that secrecy that none of the English could have any friend amongst them to disclose it then indeed We shall be in high extremity and the Kingdome in the greatest danger that ever it underwent considering our want of men money and armes to enable Vs to encounter so great multitudes as they can make if all should joyn against Vs the rather because We have pregnant cause to doubt that the combination hath taken force by the incitement of Jesuits Priests and Fryars All the hope We have here is the old English of the Pale and some other parts will continue constant to the King in their fidelity as they did in former rebellions And now in these straits We must under God depend on ayd forth of England for our present supply with all speed especially money We having none and arms which we shall exceedingly want without which We are very doubtfull what account We shall give to the King of his Kingdome But if the Conspiracy be only of Mac Guire and some other Irish of the kindred and friends of the Rebell Tirone and other Irish in the Counties of Downe Monaghan Cavan Fermanagh and Armagh and no generall revolt following thereupon we hope then to make head against them in a reasonable measure if We be enabled with money from thence without which We can raise no forces so great is our want of money as we have formerly written and our debt so great to the Army nor is money to be borrowed here and if it were we would engage all our estates for it neither have we any hope to get in his Majesties rents and subsidies in these disturbances which adde extreamly to our necessities On Sunday morning 24. We met again in Councell and sent to all parts of the Kingdome the enclosed Proclamation and issued Potents to draw hither seven Horse troopes as a further strength to this place and to be with us in case the Rebels shall make head and march hitherward so as we may be necessitated to give them battell We also then sent away our Letters to the President of both the Provinces of Munster and Conaght And we likewise then sent Letters to the Sheriffes of the five Counties of the Pale to consult of the best way and means of their own preservation That day the Lord Vice Com. Gormanston the Lord Vice Co. Nettervile the Lord Vice Co. Fitz Williams and the Lord of Houth and since the Earles of Kildare and Fingall and the Lords of Dunsany and Slane all Noblemen of the English Pale came unto us declaring that they then and not before heard of the matter and professed loyalty to his Majesty and concurrence with the State but said they wanted armes whereof they desired to be supplyed by Vs which we told them we would willingly do as relying much on their faithfulnesse to the Crown but we were not yet certain whether or no we had enough to arme our strength for the guard of the City and Castle yet we supplyed such of them as lay in most danger with a small proportion of Arms and Munition for their houses lest they should conceive we apprehended any jealousie of them And we commanded them to be very diligent in sending out watches and making all the discoveries they could and thereof to advertise us which they readily promised to do And if it fall out that the Irish generally rise which we have cause to suspect then we must of necessity put Arms into the hands of the English Pale in present and to others as fast as we can to fight for defence of the State and themselves Your Lordship now sees the condition wherein we stand and how necessary it is first that we enjoy your presence speedily for the better guiding of those and other the publick affairs of the King Kingdom And secondly that the Parliament there be moved immediately to advance to Vs a good sum of money which being now speedily sent hither may prevent the expence of very much treasure blood in a long continued war And if your Lordship shall happen to stay on that side any longer time we must then desire your Lordship to appoint a Lieutenant Generall to discharge the great and weighty burthen of commanding the forces here Amidst these confusions and discords fallen upon Vs We bethought Vs of the Parliament which was formerly adjourned to November next the term now also at hand which will draw such a concourse of people hither give opportunity under that pretence assembling and taking new Councels seeing the former seems to be in some part disappointed and of contriving further danger to this State and People We have therefore found it of unavoidable necessity to prorogue it accordingly and to
whatsoever they had to cover their nakednesse taken from most of them as may appear by the examination of Adam Clover of Slonosy in the County of Cavan who being duly sworn deposeth inter alia That this deponent and his company that were robbed observed that 30 persons or thereabouts were then most barbarously murdered and slain outright and about 150 more persons cruelly wounded so that traces of blood issuing from their wounds lay upon the High way for 12 miles together and many very young children were left and perished by the way to the number of 60 or thereabouts because the cruell pursuit of the Rebels was such that their parents and friends could not carry them further And further saith that some of the Rebels vowed That if any digged graves wherein to bury the dead children they should be buried therein themselves So the poor people left the most of them unburied exposed to ravenous beasts and fowls and some few their Parents carried a great way to bury them And this deponent further saith that he saw upon the way a woman left by the Rebels stripped to her smock set upon by three women and some Irish children who miserably rent and tore the said poor English woman and stripped her of her smock in a bitter frost and snow so that she fell in labour under their hands and both she and her childe dyed there Thus did their mercy in sparing those miserable soules in this manner prove by much a far greater cruelty then if they had suddenly cut them off as they did afterwards many thousands of Brittish that fell into their hands For now they starved and perished in multitudes upon the wayes as they travelled along and to those that outlived the misery of their journey their limbes only served to drag up their bodies to christian buriall there denied unto them For many of the men and most of the women and children that thus escaped either to Dublin or other places of safety in the North not long outlived the bitternesse of their passage but either overwhelmed with grief or outwearied with travell contracted those diseases which furthered by hunger cold nakednesse ill lodgings and want of other necessaries struck deeply into bodies that had lived long at ease with much plenty and soon brought them with sorrow to their graves THese were the first fruits of this Rebellion which now began to dilate it self into the other Provinces having covered over the Northern Parts of the Kingdome with fearfull desolations The first Plotters were yet undiscovered but the great active instruments appointed for the execution of this horrid designe fully appeared and had already deeply imbrued their hands in the bloody massacres of the English Sir Phelim O Neale being the chief of that Sept Sir Phelim O Neales proceedings and now the person remaining of nearest alliance to the late Earl of Tyrone assumed to himself the chief power among the Rebels in Vlster and by his directions guided the rest of his complices on in the destruction of all the English there He was one of very mean parts without courage or conduct his education for a great part of his youth was in England he was admitted a Student of Lincolns Inne and there trained up in the Protestant religion which he soon changed after if not before his return into Ireland lived loosely and having no considerable estate by reason of the great engagement upon it became of very little esteem in all mens opinions Yet such were the over zealous affections of his Countreymen in this cause their secrecy in attempting their suddennesse in executing as by their forwardnesse to destroy the English and get their goods he quickly over-run that part of the Countrey He had prevailed so far within seven dayes after he first appeared in this Rebellion by seazing most treacherously at the very first upon Charlemont where the Lord Caufield lay with his Foot company the Forts of Dongannon and Montjoy as that in his Letter written to Father Patrick O Donnell his Confessor bearing date from Montjoy the 30 of Octob. he was able to brag of great and many victories And presently after he had gotten such a multitude of rude fellowes together though in very ill equipage as he marched down with great numbers of men towards Lisnagaruy near the chief Plantation of the Scots for that part of their plot to spare them as they did in the beginning they found now too grosse to take therefore they resolved to fall upon them without mercy and yet left sufficient forces to come up into the Pale to take in Dondalke in the County of Lowth Which was a Frontier Town in the last wars against Tyrone Dondalke taken by the Rebels about the beginning of Novemb 1641. and so well defended it self as with all the power he had he could never recover it into his hands There lay now a Foot company of the old Army but the Lieutenant who commanded it having neither his men in readinesse nor armes or munition made little or no resistance easily giving way to the forward affections of the inhabitants who delivered up the Town into the possession of the Rebels about the beginning of November 1641. The Rebels presently after their taking in of Dondalke marched on further into the County of Lowth and possessed themselves of Ardee The Rebels march up towards Tredagh a little Town within seven miles of Tredagh anciently called Drohedagh So as it was now high time to provide for the safety of that Town The Lord Moore had already retired thither from his house at Millifont and there remained with his troop of horse and two companies of foot One was under the command of Sir John Nettervile eldest sonne to the Lord Viscount Nettervile He discovered in the very beginning much virulency in his affections by giving false frights and raising false rumours and making all manner of ill infusions into the mindes of the Townsmen who as it afterwards appeared were but too forward to take part with the Rebels It is verily believed they had in the very beginning some plot to cut off the Lord Moore and seaze upon his Troop and that Sir John Netterviles part was to begin a mutiny which he attempted that night he was to be upon the watch by giving ill language and endeavouring to make a quarrell with his Lordship which he very discreetly passed over and so carefully looked to the guard of the Town as they could take no advantage to put on their designe Howsoever the Townsmen were extreamly frighted with the thoughts of their present danger and the greater part of them being Papists were ready to declare themselves for the Catholick cause only their desires were things might be so ordered The ill condition of Tredagh represented by the L. Moore to the L. Iustices as would administer unto them specious pretences of necessity for the same The L. Moore gave present advertisement unto the Lords Justices and
should arrive out of England The popish party among them was so prevalent as that after a most serious consultation and very solemn debate among themselves they returned this answer that they were not able to furnish above 40 l. and part of that was to be brought in in cattell There remained at this time imbarqued within the harbour of Dublin four hundred Irish souldiers ready as was pretended Severall Irish souldiers imbarqued under pretence of being carried into Spain at the very time of the first breaking out of the Rebellion to set sail for Spain under the command of Colonell Iohn Barry who with some other Irish Gentlemen had procured leave from his Majesty to leavie certain numbers of voluntiers to be transported over for the service of the King of Spain And those levied in other parts as well as at Dublin were brought together just at the very time designed for the execution of the great plot The pretence was specious but certainly their intentions how finely soever covered over were to have those men in a readinesse together at the very time appointed for the first breaking out of these unnaturall troubles And as for those men which lay within the Harbour of Dublin they were so great a terrour to all the Protestant inhabitants in the City as it exceedingly perplexed the Lords how to dispose so of them as might prevent the mischief justly feared in case of their landing Their Commanders had so handsomely ordered the matter as though they were designed for a long voyage yet stay on ship-board any longer they could not by reason they had no victuals not even enough to carry them out of the Harbour and no man had order in the absence of Colonell Barry who retired himself some few miles out of the town the very evening before the Castle should have been taken to provide for the further supplying of them To suffer them to land was to adde so many instruments of mischief to those already gathered within and about the City Therefore it was resolved that the Captain of the Kings Pinace then in the Harbour should by force keep them from landing which he did severall dayes together till it was apparent they would inevitably starve if a course were not suddenly taken to afford them some relief Whereupon the Lords having no means to victuall them aboard gave them leave to land having first taken order they should not come into the City The Lords Justices and Councell thought fit within very few dayes after the landing of these men the more to deter them and all other ill-affected persons from repairing to the City of Dublin Several Proclamations issued out by the Lo. Iustices and Councell to issue out a Proclamation for the discovery and present removall of all such as did or should come and continue there without just or necessary cause But so carefull were they in this and all other their actions not to give any distaste to the Irish or other inhabitants of the countrey as they forbear to inflict any punishment upon any that continued in the City contrary to their Proclamation sparing severall persons whom they had not only just cause to be jealous off but who were brought before them and convinced to have uttered speeches clearly discovering their ill affections And having by late Proclamations prorogued the Parliament and adjourned Michaelmas Term that under pretence of repair to either of them unnecessary concourse of strangers might not be brought unto the town they proceeded on to some other Acts which as they conceived would not only render great security to the City but lessen the distempers abroad bring safety to the Pale and keep the dangers at distance and far off from them And for this purpose they being informed that a multitude of the meaner sort of people were ignorantly involved in the guilt of this rebellion and by the wicked seducement of the first Conspirators had been drawn on to dispoile their English neighbours they issued out a Proclamation about the beginning of the moneth of November declaring unto all such as were not Freeholders within the County of Meath Westmeath Lowth and Longford that if they would come in and submit make restitution of the goods so taken they should be received to his Majesties mercy and no further prosecution held against them Much about the time of the sending forth of this Proclamation some of the chief of the Sept of the Relyes A Remonstrance sent up to the Lords Iustices and Councell from the Rebels in the county of Cavan and other prime Gentlemen in the County of Cavan sent up a kinde of Remonstrance to the Lords Justices and Councell Whereunto they returned them a very fair answer assuring them of their readinesse to give them all just redresse of their grievances expressed therein so they would in the mean time retire peaceably to their houses restore as they were able the English mens goods forbear all further acts of rapine and violence And they did presently send over their Remonstrance to the Lord Lieutenant to be presented to his Majestie according to their desires But these wayes of moderation and peaceable perswasions proved of very little effect they had no manner of influence into the resolved mindes of the Leaders or of operation upon the hardned hearts of the people they were too deeply engaged so sleightly to retire They had now drenched themselves in the blood of the English and were greatly enriched with their spoiles It was not possible for them to make restitution and they hoped to go through with the work and by the united power of the Kingdome to draw the whole management of the affairs into their own hands And now likewiise the Lords Justices and Councell that they might shew the great confidence they had in the Lords and chief Gentlemen of the Pale Commissions of martiall law granted unto severall persons by the Lords Iustices and give them both oportunity and means to expresse their loyalty and affections to his Majesties service resolved according as the constitution of their affairs then required to do some such acts as might clearly perswade them of the great trust they really reposed in them And therefore first they gave out severall Commissions of Martiall law for executing without attending a proceeding according to the ordinary course of the Common law of such Traitors and Rebels as should be apprehended doing mischief in any parts of the countrey about them And these they directed to the most active Gentlemen though all Papists inhabiting in the severall Counties As to Henry Talbot in the County of Dublin John Bellew Esq in the county of Lowth Richard Dalton and Iames Tuit Esq in the county of West-Meath Valerian Wesley in the county of Meath Iames Talbot in the County of Cavan Commissions of government of the severall counties within the Pale granted to severall Lords and Gentlemen without distinction of Religion Next they made choice of the
State here as to enable them by the assistance of those small Forces they confusedly gathered together to hold out till the arrivall of the Succours sent out of England I leave it to every one to consider with how much advantage they might have gone on at that time towards the accomplishment of so desperate a Project And for my selfe I must professe that I am cleerly resolved that had they at first overmastered the unexpected difficulties and fatall impediments they met withall at home and possessed themselves of the Arms and Munition within the Castle of Dublin and so flesht and blooded in the slaughter of many thousands of the English Nation had transported a numerous Army of Irish Rebels and sodainly landed them in some good Port within the Kingdome of England They would have prevailed very farre towards the miserable desolation and ruine thereof It must be remembred in what a most unhappy discomposure the affaires were at that time there what a diseased body the State then had and what high distempers then strongly working soone after brake out what a strong party they might have found within and with what great reputation they would have marched on under the glory of their late victories atchieved in Ireland signalizing the power of their armes with such horrid cruelties and bloody butcheries as would have wrought a strange terror among the people Thus we see what were the Causes and first Motives to this unnaturall Rebellion as likewise who were the chiefe Actors and the great instruments designed by the first Plotters to predispose the people to a readinesse to take Armes for the rooting out of the British Inhabitants from among them The Preparatives being all made the Plot in all points ripe for execution it was carried on to the very evening before the day appointed for the taking of the Castle of Dublin without discovery And though it pleased God to bring it then to light as hath been declared and so happily to disappoint it in the maine Peece yet it tooke in the Northerne parts being that very day fully executed in most of the chiefe places of strength within the Province of Vlster And whereas the Priests did long before in their publick Devotions at Masse pray for a blessing upon a great Designe they had then in hand so now as I have heard they did in many places the very day before the breaking out of this Rebellion give the people a dismisse at Masse with free liberty to goe out and take possession of all their Lands which they pretended unjustly detained from them by the English as also to strip rob and dispoyle them of all their Goods and Cattell They had without doubt by one meanes or other either private or publick instructions not to leave to the English any thing that might afford the least comfort or hope of longer subsistance among them This was the main bait used to draw on the common people The English goods presented to the Irish as a chiefe means to raise them up against them and this wrought farre more powerfully then all other perswasions fictions or wilde chimeraes that they infused into them It is most apparant that the prime Gentlemen in all parts as well as the Clergy pressed them on to despoyle the English of all their Goods and Cattell well knowing their avaricious humour and greedy desires to get them into their possession and that they could not possibly finde out any other thing that would engage them more readily to undertake or more desperately to execute all manner of villanies then the hopes of enjoying so rich a prey now presented unto them The people made beleeve by their priests that it was a Meritorious act to kill the English The people being now set at liberty and prepossessed by their Priests with a beleefe that it was lawfull for them to rise up and destroy all the Protestants who they told them were worse then Dogs that they were Devils and served the Devill assuring them the killing of such was a meritorious act John Parry of Dâ—uermosh in the County of Armagh deposeth that O Cullan a Priest told his Auditors at Masse that the bodies of such as died in this quarrell should not be cold before their soules should ascend up into heaven and that they should be free from the paines of Purgatory and a rare preservative against the paines of Purgatory gathered themselves together in great numbers assembling in severall companies through the severall parts of the Northerne Counties with staves Margaret Bromley in her Examination deposeth that some of the Rebels would say after their cruell butcheries that they knew if themselves should now dye their soules should goe to Heaven and that they were glad of the revenge they had taken of the English sithes and pitch-forks for at first they had not many better weapons And so in a most confused manner they began tumultuously to drive away at the first onely the Cattel belonging to the English The Irish rise and first drive away all the Cattel belonging to the English and then to break into their houses and seize upon their goods It is true there were some murders committed the very first day of their rising and some houses set on fire but these as I conceive were for the most part out of private spleen or where they had particular instructions so to doe as they had from the Lord Mac Guire to kill Master Arthur Champion a Justice of Peace in the County of Fermanagh who with severall other of his neighbours were murthered at his owne house upon the 23. of October in the morning But certainly that which they mainly intended at first and which they most busily employed themselves about was the driving away the Englishmens Cattell and possessing their goods The Irish Gentlemen possesse themselves of the Goods belonging to the English under pretence of securing them Wherein the common people were not the onely actors but even the chiefe Gentlemen of the Irish in many placrs most notoriously appeared and under plausible pretences of securing their goods from the rapine and spoile of the common sort got much peaceably into their hands And so confident were the English of their good dealing at first as many delivered their goods by retaile unto them gave them particular Inventories of all they had nay digged up such of their best things as they had hidden under ground to deposite in their custody Much likewise they got by faire promises and deep engagements to doe them no further mischief to suffer them their wives and children quietly to retire and leave the Country But others and especially the meaner sort of people fell more rudely to work at the very first breaking up of their houses and using all manner of force and violence to make themselves masters of their goods The next act was to strip the English man woman child stark naken and to turn them out of their
done those barbarous Rebels tyed wyths about their necks and drew them out of the refining Mill where indeed they slew them and threw them or most of them into a deep hole formerly made one upon another so that none of those 23. men women nor children did escape death Howbeit one Tho. Ladell a Scottish-man one George Kelsie who then and there endured and had many grievous wounds and being left on the ground for dead crawled up after the Rebels were gone away and with much difficulty escaped with their lives And further saith that such was Gods judgement upon the said Hugh Kenedy for that bloody fact that he presently fell into a most desperate madnesse and distraction and could not rest day nor night yet coveting to doe more mischiefe upon the English but being prevented and denied to doe it he about a week after drowned himselfe in the next River to the Silverworks but his barbarous and wicked Souldiers went on in their wickednesse and afterwards bragged how they had killed a Minister and his wife and four children neer the City of Limrick and this Deponent is too well assured that those and other Irish Rebels in that part of the Country exercised and committed great number of bloody murthers robberies and outrages upon the persons and goods of the Protestants so as very few escaped with their lives and none at all saved their goods And further saith that all the popish Gentry in the Country thereabouts especially all those of the Septs and names of the O Brians and the Coghluns the Kenedies were all actors in the present Rebellion against his Majesty and either acted assisted incited or consented to all the murders robberies cruelties and rebellious acts aforesaid And she further saith that by meanes of the said Rebellion her said husband and she were at Werinwood about Candlemas 1641. robbed and deprived of their Cattell Houshold-stuffe Corne Mault Provision ready money debts the benefit of their Lease and other their Goods and Chattels of the value and to their losse of one hundred and threescore pounds at the least and that the said John Kenedy Esquire their Land-lord was the man that so deprived and robbed them thereof and the other Rebels stript her stark naked jurat Feb. 10. 1643. Henry Jones Henry Brereton Anne Sherring The EXAMINATION of John Goldsmith Parson of Brashoule The Province of Conaght in the County of Mayo Sworne and Examined saith THat the Lord of Mayo being to convoy all those of Castle Burre to Galway viz. Sir Henry Bingham with all his company and the Bishop of Killallae with all his company with many of the neighbouring English being about threescore in number whereof there were some fifteen Ministers covenanted with one Edmund Bourk for the safe convoy of the same parties upon a certaine day and the said Lord of Mayo appointed them all to meet him at Belcharah having first separated this Deponent from them to attend his Lady in the work of the Ministery At which day the titulary Archbishop and the Lord of Mayo meeting with their whole number went on their journey to Shreul at which place the Lord of Mayo left them in the custody of the said last named Edmud Bourk But as one Master Bringhurst told the Deponent the Lord of Mayo was not gone farre from them but the said Edmund Bourk drew out his sword directing the rest what they should doe and began to massacre those Protestants and accordingly some were shot to death some stab'd with skeines some run through with pikes some cast into the water and drowned and the women that were stripped naked lying upon their husbands to save them were run through with pikes and very few of those English then and there escaped alive but the most part were murdered in the place Amongst the rest the Bishop of Killalla escaped with his life but was then and there wounded in his head and one Master Crowd a Minister was then and there so beaten with cudgels on his feet that he dyed shortly after And this Deponent further saith that in the Towne of Sligo forty persons of English and Scottish were by the Rebels stript and lockt up in a celler and about midnight a Butcher which was sent unto them on purpose with his Axe knocked them all on the heads and so then and there murthered them which Butcher comming afterwards to Castle Burre did there confesse his bloody fact In Tirawly within the County of _____ about thirty or forty English formerly turned Papists had their choice given them whether they would dye by the sword or drowne themselves They making choyce of drowning were brought to the Sea-side by the Rebels who had their skeines drawne in their hands and forced them to wade into the Sea The mothers with their children in their armes crying for drink having waded to the chin at length cast or dived themselves and children into the Sea yeelding themselves to the Mastery of the waves and so perished The torments the Rebels would use to the Protestants to make them confesse their moneys were these viz. some they would take and writh wyths about their heads untill the blood sprang out of the crowne of their heads others they would hang untill they were halfe dead then they would let them downe and doe the same so often over untill they confessed their monies And this Deponent further saith that a young youth of about fifteen yeers of age the sonne of Master Montgomery the Minister meeting with a bloody Rebell who had been his School-Master This Rebell drew his skeine and began furiously to slash and cut him therewith the Boy cryed unto him Good Master doe not kill me but whip me as much as you will neverthelesse the mercilesse and cruell Rebell then and there most barbarously murthered him A Scotchman travailing in the highway with his wife and children neer _____ were beset by the Rebels who wounded and stab'd him with their pikes put him alive upon a Carre brought him to a ditch and buried him alive as the poore wife afterwards with great griefe told him this Deponent The Vicar of Vrras turned Papist and became Drummer to Captaine Bourke and was after murthered for his paines by the Rebels Another Scotchman neer Ballehen was hanged by the Rebels Joh. Goldsmith Jurat 30. Decembris 1643. Henry Jones Henry Brereton The EXAMINATION of Jane the wife of Thomas Stewart The Province of Conaght late of the Town and County of Sligoe Merchant Sworn and Examined before his Majesties Commissioners in that behalfe Authorized Deposeth and saith THat after the present Rebellion was begun viz. about the beginning of December 1641. her said Husband living as a Merchant in the Towne aforesaid with her this Deponent as for twenty six yeers he had done in very good estate and condition And having continually furnished the Inhabitants of that part thereabouts with all sorts of Wares and Merchandize and by that course having acquired and gained to
soule circumstances which would make this Rebellion appeare farre more odious and detestable I shall now return to take up the publike affaires of the State where I left them in the hands of the Lords Justices and Councell who finding the City to grow daily more and more impestred with strangers by reason of the resort of great numbers of ill-affected persons that daily made repaire thereunto They issued out severall other Proclamations to prohibite the accesse of all strangers to the Town and to require such as remained in the City without calling or settled habitation to depart Sir Henry Tichborn being dispatched with his Regiment of foot to Tredagh as is formerly mentioned Some Troops of horse and Regiments of foot raised by the Lords Iustices and Councell the Lords Justices took further order for the present raising of other foot Companies as likewise some Troopes of horse which might serve for the defence of the City of Dublin now in most imminent danger by reason of the approaches made by the Forces of the Rebels Sir Charles Coot had a Commission for a Regiment which he quickly made up out of the poor stript English who had repaired from divers parts even naked to the Town and upon the engagements of the State procured cloaths for them The Lord Lambert to whom a Commission also was granted for the raising of an other Regiment began also to get some men together The Earle of Ormond was now arrived in Dublin and brought up with him his Troop consisting of 100 Curassiers compleatly armed Sir Thomas Lucas who had long commanded a Troop of horse in the Low-Countreys and Captaine Armestrong some time after yet very seasonably came thither Both of them had money imprested Sir Thomas Lucas to compleat his Troope already brought out of England Captaine Armestrong to raise a new Troop Captaine Yarner also arrived soon after at Dublin he was sent out of England by the Lord Lievtenant to raise and command his Troop which in a very short time he made up about 100 horse many persons then living in the Town being desirous to put themselves and their horses into that Troop Not long after Colonell Craford came over also and bringing with him Letters of Recommendations from the Prince Elector then attending his Majesty in Scotland under whom he had formerly the command of a Regiment of Dragoons in Germany Sir Charls Coot made Governnout of the City of Dublin The Lords Justices thought fit to give him a Regiment which they were then taking order to raise and arme out of such Townsmen as were fit to beare armes within the City of Dublin none were to be admitted into it but Protestants and out of them they made choyce not only of the Souldiers but of all the Officers belonging to the same And further for the repressing of the disorders daily appearing within the City and restraining the ill-affections of the Papists there inhabiting they made Sir Charles Coot Governour of the City and gave him an allowance of 40 s. per diem for the present Now while these Colonells and Captaines are bestirring themselves in getting their men together under their severall commands and in training them up to the use of their armes and the Governour of the Town taking strict order for constant Watches within and Guards without to restraine the repaire of all suspicious and ill-affected persons I shall in the meane time give an account of the adjournement of the Parliament according to the late Prorogation made by the Lords Justices which some of the ill-affected members of both Houses endeavoured to make use of for the raising of further troubles The adjournment of the Parliament In the Month of August before the Rebellion brake out the Parliament was adjourned to the 17 of November next ensuing Now upon the discovery of the late conspiracy for the surprise of his Majesties Castle of Dublin the ordinary place of meeting for both Houses of Parliament the Lords finding that the fire was begun in the North and fearing a generall revolt of all other parts of the Kingdome resolved as a matter highly tending to the safety and security of the City and Castle to prorogue the Parliament which they did by Proclamation then set out untill the 24. of February But two or three dayes before such of the Lords and Commons then in the Town were to meet of course in their severall House for declaring the said Prorogation it was generally noised abroad that the putting off the Parliament was extreamely ill taken by the Popish Members of both Houses Mr Burk who was one of the Committee lately employed into England came to the Lord Dillon of Kilkenny West and highly complaining of the injury which he said was done thereby to the whole Nation hindring them from expressing their loyall affections to his Majesty and shewing their desires to quell this dangerous Rebellion and that they had reason to resent it so farre as to complaine to the King thereof as a point of high injustice His Lordship having acquainted the Board herewith Mr Burk was presently sent for and he used the same language in effect there though with much modesty Hereupon the Lords fell into debate what was fit to be done and how farre it might be thought reasonable in them to condiscend to their desires The Popish party much discontented at it Some were of opinion that it was fit to disannull the Prorogation and to give them leave to continue the Parliament according to the first adjournment made the beginning of August They urged the very ill condition of the whole Kingdome in regard of the Northern Rebellion and that those of the Counties of Wiclow and Wexford as well as some other Counties in Conaght had already joyned themselves to them that this Prorogation might peradventure so irritate the Pale and have such an influence into Munster as might raise them into Armes and so put the whole Kingdome into a generall combustion Others of the Board Voted strongly for the holding of the Prorogation according to the time prefixed by the Proclamation grounding their opinion upon these reasons First that it would highly trench upon the gravity and wisdome of the Board to alter a resolution so solemnly taken up after a most serious debate and publikely made known thorough out the whole Kingdome by Proclamation that it would be of most dangerous consequence to bring so great a multitude of people to the City in such dangerous times that the Protestants and well-affected Members of both Houses were for the most part either destroyed dispersed or so shut up as they could not repaire to the present meeting and that therefore the Irish would be superiour in number and voyces and so wholly carry all things according to their own humour that considering the small Forces then in the City such great numbers as might take occasion under colour of comming to the Parliament to repaire thither could not be admitted without
apparent danger and disturbance and that peradventure they might there finde as ill affections as they brought and so both joyning together they might easily destroy the state with the poore remainders of the English Nation in these Parts Whereupon the Lords thought fit to hold to their Prorogation yet to endeavour so to attemper and sweeten it as those who were most averse might in some measure rest satisfied therewith And therefore after a long debate of all particular circumstances they came at length to this resolution that the Earle of Ormond the Master of the Rolls and Sir Pierce Crosby three Members of the Board should have a meeting with Mr Darcy Mr Burk and some others of the most active and powerfull Members of the House of Commons and that they should let them know from the Lords that they have understood of their good affections and desires to doe somewhat in the House that might tend towards the suppression of this present Rebellion that they approved extreame well thereof And that howsoever they could by no meanes remove absolutely the Prorogation yet that they would descend so far to their satisfaction as to limit it to a shorter time and that at present they would give them leave to sit one whole day in case they would immediatly fall upon the work of making a cleer Protestation against the Rebels As also that they should have liberty if they pleased to make choyce of some Members of their own House to send down to Treat with the Rebels about laying down of Arms And for their grievances that their Lordships would with all readinesse receive them and presently transmit them over to his Majesty for a speedy redresse All this was accordingly performed the meeting was in the Gallery at Cork House Those of the House of Commons seemed at first to be extreamly troubled when they found there was no possibility of altering the present Prorogation But upon a further debate when they came to understand how ready the Lords were to yeeld to their satisfaction and that the time of the Prorogation should be shortned they seemed to rest indifferently contented undertook to make the Protestation in such full and ample manner as was desired and that they would fall immediately upon it and make it the work of the whole day Upon the 17 of November the Lords and Commons met in Parliament which was held in the usuall place of his Majesties Castle of Dublin And for the better security of the place as well as of the persons of those that were to meet there was a Guard of Musketiers appointed to attend during the time of their meeting but such care taken that they should carry themselves so free from giving any offence as no manner of umbrage might be taken at their attendance there The Houses were both very thin there were only in the House of Peeres some few English Lords three or foure Lords of the Pale and some two or three Bishops In the House of Commons they took into their consideration upon their first meeting the framing of the Protestation against the Rebels But those of the Popish party spake so ambiguously and handled the matter so tenderly as they could not be drawn to stile them by the name of Rebels so as they sent up unto the Lords a very meager cold Protestation against them which being in their House taken into debate it was strongly contested by the Protestant Lords that they should be stiled Rebels but that as stiffely opposed by the others They therefore fell upon a meane betwixt both which gave a kinde of accommodation saying they had Rebelliously and Traiterously raised Armes and so both parties being reasonably satisfied the Protestation was drawn up and returned back to the House of Commons in this Tenour as followeth The Protestation and Declaration of the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and Commons in Parliament assembled WHereas the happy and peaceable Estate of this Realm hath been of late and is still interrupted by sundry persons ill-affected to the Peace and Tranquillity thereof who contrary to their Duty and Loyalty to His Majesty and against the Lawes of God and the fundamentall Lawes of the Realm have Trayterously and Rebelliously raised Armes have seized upon some of his Majesties Forts and Castles and dispossessed many of his Majesties faithfull Subjects of their Houses Lands and Goods and have slaine many of them and committed other cruell and inhumane Outrages and Acts of Hostility within this Realme The said Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled being justly moved with a right sense of the said disloyall Rebellious Proceedings and actions of the persons aforesaid doe hereby protest and declare that they the said Lords and Commons from their hearts doe detest and abhorre the said abhominable Actions and that they shall and will to their uttermost power maintaine the Rights of his Majesties Crown and Government of this Realm and Peace and Safety thereof aswell against the persons aforesaid their Abettors Adherents as also against all forreine Princes Potentates and other persons and Attemps whatsoever and in case the persons aforesaid doe not repent of their aforesaid Actions and lay down Armes and become humble Suitors to his Majesty for Grace and Mercy in such convenient time and in such manner and forme as by his Majestie or the chiefe Governour or Governours and Councell of this Realm shall be set down The said Lords and Commons doe further protest and declare that they will take up Armes and will with their Lives and Fortunes suppresse them and their Attempts in such a way as by the Authority of the Parliament of this Kingdome with the Approbation of his most Excellent Majesty or of his Majesties chiefe Governour or Governours of this Kingdome shall be thought most effectuall Copia vera Exam. per Phil. Percivall Cleric Parliament Both Houses of Parliament sate two dayes and the time of the Prorogation being shortned unto the 11. of Ian. The Lords made choyce of the Lord Viscount Costelo to goe into England to carry over their desires to his Majesty concerning the meanes they thought fit to be used for the quenching this present Rebellion And besides those instructions formerly mentioned he had as I heard from the Popish Lords some more private which were to negotiate the staying such Forces as were intended to be sent out of England for that end Both Houses joyned together to appoint certaine Lords and some Members of the House of Commons to goe down to the Northen Rebels The Houses of Parliament send to Treat with the Rebels to understand the cause of their rising in Armes and referred them to the Lords Iustices for their instructions which accordingly they received together with a Commission under the Great Seale But the Rebellion having a farre deeper root then was at that time discovered this Commission was of little operation and the intended Treaty soone vanished The Northern Rebels were then so puffed up with their late victories
over the poore surprized unresisting English in those Parts and had so deeply drenched their hands in the blood of those innocents as they thought to carry the whole Kingdome before them and therefore would yeeld to no Treaties but in a most barbarous manner tore the Order of Parliament together with the Letter sent unto them and returned a most scornfull Answer fully expressing thereby how farre they were from any thought of laying down Armes or entertaining any overtures towards an Accommodation Within few dayes after the adjournment of the Parliament the Lord Dillon of Costelo accompanied with the Lord Taffe imbarqued for England but by a most impetuous storme were driven into Scotland where they landed and went up to London At the Town of Ware their papers were seized upon by directions from the Parliament of England and their persons committed unto safe custody Mr Thomas Burk went over much about the same time and certainly upon the same errand When the unhappy breach began first betwixt the King and the Parliament of England and that his Majesty thought fit to retire to York those two Lords found meanes to make an escape and all three constantly followed the Court where in those high distempers that afterwards hapned in England they easily found meanes to ingratiate themselves at Court and had the opportunity to doe those good offices for their Country-men which brought on the Cessation of Armes with them in due time The Lords Iustices and Councell by their Letters bearing date about the 20 of November Letters written to the Lord Lievtenant gave unto the Lord Lievtenant a more certaine and full account of the state of the Kingdome then they could any wayes doe at the first breaking out of the Rebellion and thereby making known the very ill condition of their present affaires they moved that the supplies of men money Commanders and Armes mentioned in their former Letters might be with all speed sent over unto them and that his Lordship would presently repaire hither in his own person to undertake the management of the warre About the tenth of the Month of November their Lordships received an Answer from the Lord Lievtenant to their former Letters of the 25 of October whereby he gave them to understand that he had communicated their Letters to the Lords of his Majesties most Honourable Privie Councell and that by Order from their Lordships he had acquainted both Houses of Parliament with them that he had also sent to his Majesty still continuing at Edenborough in Scotland to represent the condition of their affaires and that he understood his Majesty had received some advertisements out of the North of Ireland of the present Rebellion there His Lordship also farther let them know that his Majesty had referred the whole businesse of Ireland to the Parliament of England that they had undertaken the charge and management of the warre that they had declared they should be speedily and vigorously assisted and had designed for their present supplies the summe of 50000 l. and had taken order for making of all further Provisions necessary for the Service as may appeare by the Order of Parliament made there at that time and trans-mitted over by the Lord Lievtenant together with his said Letters unto the Lords Iustices by whose command it was reprinted at Dublin November 12. 1641. as here followeth being intituled An Order of the Lords and Commons in this present Parliament in England concerning Ireland THe Lords and Commons in this present Parliament being advertised of the dangerous Conspiracie and Rebellion in Ireland by the Treacherous and wicked Instigation of Romish Priests and Jesuites for the Bloody Massacre and Destruction of all Protestants living there and other his Majesties Loyall Subjects of English blood though of the Romish Religion being ancient Inhabitants within severall Counties and Parts of that Realme who have alwayes in former Rebellions given Testimony of their fidelity to this Crown And for the utter depriving of his Royall Majestie and the Crown of England from the Government of that Kingdome under pretence of setting up the Popish Religion Have thereupon taken into their serious Consideration how those mischievous Attemps might be most speedily and effectually prevented wherein the Honour Safety and Interest of this Kingdom are most nearely and fully concerned Wherefore they doe hereby declare that they doe intend to serve his Majesty with their Lives and Fortunes for the suppressing of this wicked Rebellion in such a way as shall be thought most effectuall by the Wisdome and Authority of Parliament And thereupon have Ordered and Provided for a present Supply of Money and raysing the number of six thousand Foot and Two thousand Horse to be sent from England being the full proportion desired by the Lords Iustices and his Majesties Councell resident in that Kingdome with a Resolution to adde such further Succours as the necessity of those Affaires shall require They have also resolved of providing Armes and Munition not only for those Men but likewise for his Majesties faithfull Subjects in that Kingdome with Store of Victuals and other Necessaries as there shall be occasion and that these Provisions may more conveniently be transported thither they have appointed three severall Ports of this Kingdome that is to say Bristoll Westchester and one other in Cumberland where the Magazines and Store-houses shall be kept for the Supply of the severall parts of Ireland They have likewise resolved to be humble Mediators to His most Excellent Majesty for the encouragement of those English or Irish who shall upon their own charges raise any number of Horse or Foot for his Service against the Rebells that they shall be honourably rewarded with Lands of Inheritance in Ireland according to their Merits And for the better inducing the Rebels to repent of their wicked Attempts they doe hereby commend it to the Lord Lievtenant of Ireland or in his absence to the Lord Deputy or Lords Iustices there according to the power of the Commission granted them in that behalfe to bestow his Majesties gracious Pardon to all such as within a convenient time to be declared by the Lord Lievtenant Lord Deputy or Lords Iustices and Councell of that Kingdome shall return to their due obedience the greatest part whereof they conceive have been seduced upon false Grounds by the cunning and subtle practises of some of the most malignant Rebels Enemies to this State and to the Reformed Religion and likewise to bestow such Rewards as shall be thought fit and publisht by the said Lord Lievtenant Lord Deputy or Lords Iustices and Councell upon all those who shall arrest the Persons or bring in the Heads of such Traytors as shall be personally named in any Proclamation published by the State there And they doe hereby exhort and require all his Majesties loving Subjects both in this and in that Kingdome to remember their duty and conscience to God and his Religion and the great and eminent danger which will
men and munition for the re-inforcement of that Garrison There were already designed 600 Foot and a Troop of horse for that service and they were almost in a readinesse to March when an expresse from Sir Henry Tichbourn came up to the Earle of Ormond to let him know the Rebels had that day being the 21 of November appeared within sight of the Town He conceived they would presently have set down before it but they advanced no further that day only while their Forces made a stand there they sent down a Party of 1300 foot to Millifont the Lord Moores house which their design was suddenly to surprise but contrary to their expectation they found there 24 Musketiers and 15 horsemen who very stoutly defended the house as long as their powder lasted The horsemen when they saw themselves beset so as they could be no further serviceable to the place opened the gate issued out and made their passage thorow the midsts of the Rebels and so notwithstanding the opposition they made escaped safe to Tredagh The foot having refused to accept of the quarter at first offered resolved to make good the place to the last man they endured severall assaults slew 140 of the Rebels before their powder failed them and at last they gave up the place upon promise of quarter which was not kept for some of them were killed in cold blood all were stripped and two old decrepite men slaine the house ransaked and all the goods carried away Vpon the receit of Sir Henry Tichbourn's Letter the Lords presently took order for the marching away of the six hundred men Supplies both of horse and foot sent for the reliefe of Tredagh together with a Troop of horse towards Tredagh They left not the Town till the 27 of November and such was the negligence of the Captains and disorders of the Souldiers as notwithstanding they had been three dayes in readinesse to march they went no further that night then Swoords a Village six miles distant from Dublin The command of the foot was committed to Serjeant Major Roper and of the horse to Sir Patrick Weames who was appointed with 50 of the Earle of Ormonds Troop to march with those six Companies to Tredagh The very day of their departure from Dublin there was an advertizement brought unto the Lords that some Forces of the Rebels were drawn on this side the River of the Boine and attended with design to intercept their passage Whereupon the Earle of Ormond by direction from the Lords dispatched an expresse to give them now upon their March notice thereof and after to passe on to Sir Henry Tichbourn to let him know as much and that the Recruits designed for the re-inforcement of his Garrison being now upon their march it highly imported him to take speciall care for the securing of their passage And next day his Lordship received an Answer from him of that Letter with assurance that he would not faile to march out with competent Forces to meet them upon the way which he did that very day accordingly perform but they marching no further then Balrudry and so lying that night eight miles short of Tredagh he missed of them and so went not out by what accident or upon what reason I know not the day following till the news of the defeat met him at the very gate of the Town where he stood with his men in a readinesse to march towards them The men being altogether untrained and unaccustomed to travell and failing of provision by the way which for their money they could not by any meanes procure from the country people as they marched along were very much discontented and being somewhat tired with their journey went on next day but in much disorder so carelesse and so little apprehensive of any danger as some had Armes but no munition about them others for their owne ease committed the carriage of both to the Carts As they passed through Gormanston the Major went in to give a visit to the Lord of Gormanston who told him that there were some Numbers of men lay in the way with an intent to interrupt their Passage And this his Lordship knew very well for the very night before as Mr. Creeghton affirmes in his examination one of his groomes went to Slaine where the Rebells were then lodged and called them out of their Beds to be in a readinesse to come and incounter the English forces now upon their march The Major had likewise other advertisements to the same purpose which he neglected not so much as acquainting his Captaines therewith as some of them afterwards affirmed He onely caused three Scouts out of the Troop to be sent abroad to make discovery whether the passage were cleer two of them returned back a little before he came to the bridge of Julians Town assuring him all was cleer the other went on to a house within one quarter of a mile of the place where the Rebels lay and while he attended there for his breakfast a boy belonging to the house took his Horse and riding to the Rebels gave them notice of the neer approach of our forces The Horse passed the Bridge and the Foot following turned up into a field on the left hand of the Lane where by reason of a great mist that suddenly fell they discovered not the Rebels till they were almost within Musket-shot of them The defeat of the forces sent for the relief of Tredagh The Major drew his men presently into Battalia but the Horse as some of the foot that escaped affirme wheeled about without charging any part of the Rebells forces who now furiously approached with a great shout and a Lieutenant giving out the unhappy word of Countermarch all the men possessed as it were with a Pannick fear began somewhat confusedly to march back but were so much amazed with a second shout given by the Rebels who seeing them in disorder followed close on as notwithstanding they had gotten into a ground of great advantage they could not be perswaded to stand a charge but betook themselves to their heels and so the Rebels fell sharply on as their manner is upon the execution Sir Patrick Weames without the losse of one Horse passed on safely unto Tredagh The Major with two of the Captains more and about 100 of their men made an escape thither likewise The other three Captains with all the rest of the Souldiers that were English were there cut off they spared very few or none that fell into their hands but such as were Irish whose lives they preserved The Armes of the whole six hundred they possessed themselves of as likewise of all their Munition and Carriages and so highly were the Rebels encouraged with this defeat given to his Majesties Forces as the whole Pale began presently to waver they thought the Kingdome their own and that the English would in all parts fall before them as those poore ill conducted sheep had unhappily done And
Garret Ailmer the Lawyer Cusake of Gormanston William Malone of Lesmullin Sedgrave of Kileglan Linch of the Knos Lynam of Adamstown Laurence Doudall of Athlumney Nicholas Doudall of Brownstown this Examinates brother and him this Examinate with a multitude of others to the number of a 1000 persons at the least whose names he this Examinate cannot for the present call to minde And after about two or three houres spent upon the said Hill of Crofty by the Lords and Gentry aforesaid There came towards them Colonel Mahowne Philip O-Rely Hugh Boy-Rely Roger Moore Hugh Birne and Captaine Fox attended on with a gard of Musketiers These were some of the chiefe Leaders among the Northern Rebels And this Examinate saith That as soone as the parties drew neare unto the said Hill the Lords and Gentry of the Pale rode towards them and the Lord of Gormanstone being one of the first spake unto them and demanded of them Why and for what reason they came Armed into the Pale Vnto which Roger Moore made present Answer That the ground of their comming thither and taking up Armes was for the freedome and liberty of their consciences the maintenance of his Majesties Prerogative in which they understood he was abridged and the making the subjects in this Kingdome as free as those in England were whereupon the said Lord of Gormanston desired to understand from them truly and faithfully whether those were not pretences and not the true grounds indeed of their so doing and likewise whether they had not some other private ends of their own which being by all denied upon profession of their sincerity his Lordship the Lord of Gormanston then told them Seing these be your true ends we will likewise joyn with you therein unto which course all agreed And thereupon it was publikly and generally declared that whosoever should deny to joyn with them or refuse to assist them therein they would accompt him as an Enemy and to the utmost of their power labour his destruction And this Examinate saith That after the agreement so made as aforesaid There issued another Warrant to the Sheriffe of the County of Meath to summon all the Lords and Gentry of the County of Meath to be at the Hill of Taragh about a week after and accordingly there met at the same place the Earle of Fingale the Lord of Gormanston and the rest of the Lords and Gentlemen aforenamed together with Sir Thomas Nugent and Nicholas Plunket the Lawyer Birford the Lawyer and a multitude of others and the work of that day was first to make Answer to a Summons made by the State for the calling of the Lords unto Dublin which Answer was brought ready drawn by the Lord of Gormanston and presented by his Lordship and being perused by the said Councell at Law was signed by the Lords In this manner was this great transaction most solemnly consummated betwixt Lemster and Vlster Valence and Brabant as Sir Phelim O. Neale stiles them in his Characteristicall Letter before mentioned sent to Owen Roe O-Neale in Flanders were now publickly united together in that great Assembly The Lord Viscount Gormanston on the one side and Roger Moore on the other had both been long tampering about the drawing of this most important work to the forme it now received they had at length brought it unto perfection they two had the glory of it and appeared the great publike instruments of this powerfull union The Lords and chiefe Gentlemen of the Pale having thus farre declared themselves became so high and presuming The endeavours of those of the Pale to strengthen their party against the power of the State as they little valued what was done or commanded by the State at Dublin they now wholly applyed their endeavours to make such preparatives towards the warre as might strengthen their party which as it now stood in conjuncture with the Northern Rebels they beheld as invincible and their power not to be resisted by the inconsiderable Forces drawn together by the Lords Justices and Counsell at Dublin Severall Gentlemen who in the severall Counties of the Pale were made Captaines and had received Arms from the State for their Companies departed from their obedience and addressed themselves and their Companies wholly to the service of the Rebels Nicholas White Esquire Sonne and Heire to Sir Nicholas White of Lislip was the first that gave the example about the second of December but he carried the matter so handsomely as his Company ranne away to the Rebels as he pretended without his consent or even his knowledge any longer time before their departure then to give him opportunity to come and acquaint the State therewith and his own disability to hinder the same The reasons why the State Summond the grand Counsell of all the Lords of the Pale and others then in the City of Dublin But before it was possible to use any meanes of prevention the men were all gone with their Armes and Munition to the Rebels Many of the other Captaines desired no such fine cover for their intentions but delivered themselves and their Armes up to be disposed as they should direct without any further scruple or complement to the State Whereupon the Lords finding how notoriously they were abused by the very great confidence reposed in such Gentlemen of the Pale as being made Captaines had received Armes from them and perceiving what course they began now to stear and how they were resolved to imploy their own Armes against them they took such order and with such celerity and diligence made stay of severall of those Armes which were delivered out for the use of the Pale as of the 1700 Armes distributed among the severall Counties thereof they recovered againe into their hands 950. And now by reason the Northern Rebels had settled their Camp within the River of Boyne and so lay betwixt Tredagh and the City of Dublin all entercouse in the Pale was interrupted the passages stopt up and the Lords Iustices and Councell understood very little or nothing of any proceedings held there They therefore finding their dangers daily to encrease through the near approach of the Rebels unto the City of Dublin the continuall affronts and new scornes the State daily received from them their own want of strength to represse their bold attempts or to preserve the poore English round about them out of their bloody hands resolved now in these their high extremities to try the effects of those large protestations and great professions of loyalty the Lords of the Pale had lately made unto them and to give them a faire opportunity of rendring a most acceptable service to his Majesty and the state here For this end therefore they determined to call a grand Councell of all the Lords which resided within any convenient distance of the City of Dublin clearly and freely to represent unto them the ill condition of their affaires and how highly it imported them in respect of their own
them and so conclude with some professions of their Loyalty and readinesse to give their advices for the advancement of his Majesties service and the common peace of the Kingdome This was an Answer such as might justly be expected to come from persons so deeply now involved in the guilt of so high a Rebellion The great indulgence-used by the Lords Iustices and Councell towards the Lords of the Pale It is no wonder that they were thus put to their shifts and enforced to take up such fond excuses and imaginary pretences for their disloyalty For they could not in their own consciences but be most sensible of the very great indulgence used by the Lords towards them They had not failed in severall particulars to manifest the great confidence they had in their good affections They had refrained from giving them any manner of provocation or jealousie They had forborn the doing some acts of hostility for a time upon some Rebels among them because they would not give them any the least cause of complaint And however it appeared by the Examination of Mac Mahone and severall others that they were privie to the first plot yet the Lords proceeded with so much caution and tendernesse towards them hoping that now the Conspirators had failed in the maine part of their design which was the surprisall of the Castle of Dublin that they might yet reclaime them thereby and draw them into a just concurrence with them for the preservation of the Kingdome out of the hands of those bloody Northern Rebels who in the beginning were the only appearers in the cause But all was to no purpose they were too deeply engaged to recede therefore they ran now violently on and drew along all the cheife Gentlemen likewise of the Pale with them And now it shall be declared Luke Nettervile and others of the chief Gentlemen of the Pale gather Forces and quarter them within six miles of the City of Dublin how the cheife Gentlemen of the Pale began and proceeded on to act their parts About the beginning of December presently after the late defeat given to the English souldiers in their march to Tredagh Luke Nettervile second Sonne to the Lord Viscount Nettervile caused a Proclamation to be made in the Market place of Lusk requiring all the chiefe Gentlemen and other Inhabitants thereabouts not to faile upon paine of death presently to repaire unto Swoords a Town within six miles of the City of Dublin And within few dayes after did meet there the said Luke Nettervile George Blackney Esquire George King Iohn Talbot Richard Golding Thomas Russell Christopher Russell Patrick Caddell William Travers Richard Barnwell Laurence Bealing Holywood of Artaine and severall other Gentlemen who began to gather great numbers of men about them and putting such Armes into their hands as they had in readinesse at the present made their provisions to entertaine a settled Camp within that place The Lords understanding of this unlawfull tumultuous Assembly The Gentlemen of the Pale required by the Lords Iustices and Councell to repaire to Dublin and deeply apprehending the mischievous consequences that might ensue thereupon sent this Warrant following in a faire manner requiring thereby their present repaire unto them By the Lords Justices and Councell William Persons Io Burlace WHereas we have received information that Luke Nettervile Esquire Blackney of Rickenhore Esquire and George King of Clontarfe Gentleman and other Gentlemen of the County of Dublin with great numbers of men are assembled together in a body at Swoords and there abouts within six miles of this City for what intent we know not but apparently to the terror of his Majesties good Subjects and although considering the unseasonablenesse of this time chosen for such an act without our privity whatsoever their pretence is a construction might be made thereof to their disadvantage yet we being willing to make an indulgent interpretation of their actions in regard of the good opinion wee have of the Loyalty of those Gentlemen who it seemes are principalls amongst them in that Assembly and conceiving there may be some mistaking in that enterprise we have chosen the rather hereby to charge the said Luke Nettervile Blackney King and all the persons there Assembled with them upon their duties of Alleageance to his Majesty immediately upon sight hereof to separate and not to unite any more in that manner without direction from us and that the said Nettervill Blackney King and six others of the principall persons of those who are so assembled at Swoords or thereabouts as aforesaid doe appear before us to morrow morning at ten of the Clock to shew the cause of their assembling in that manner whereof they may not faile at their extreame perils Given at his Majesties Castle of Dublin 9. December 1641. Ormond Ossory Rob. Dillon Cha. Lambart Jo. Temple Charles Coot But they were so farre from rendring obedience to the commands they received from the Board as they kept the Messenger in restraint a day and a night threatning to hang him and after returned a scornfull peremptory Answer signifying unto their Lordships The Answer made by the Pale to the Lords Warrant That they were constrained to meet there together for the safety of their lives that they were put in so great a terror by the rising out of some horse Troops and foot Companies at Dublin who killed foure Catholikes for no other reason then that they bore the name of that Religion as they durst not as they pretended stay in their houses and therefore resolved to continue together till they were assured by their Lordships of the safety of their lives before they runne the hazard thereof by manifesting their obedience due unto their Lordships These were the very words and expressions used by those Gentlemen in their Answer And accordingly they still continued together encreasing their numbers of men and threatning to come down and encamp themselves at Clantarfe a little Village standing upon the very Harbour of Dublin where some of their followers had already at a low water seised upon a Bark lying there and carried away all the Commodities they found in her a great part whereof they had put into the then dwelling house of the said King to whom that Village did belong This was an act of so high a straine and so eminently tending to the present ruine of the City as it required a sudden remedy Delayes were dangerous in a matter of such perillous consequence and the Lords Justices and Councell plainely perceived that if the Rebels were suffered to come down and lodge there that they might without much difficulty make themselves masters of those few Barkes then in the Harbour the State having at that time no Ships of force to guard them and so put themselves in a faire way if they could bring the Wexford Ships about to joyn with them to block up the Harbour and stop the comming in to their reliefe all such succours as should
be designed in England to Land at that Port. Whereupon the Lords finding that the said King continued still with Luke Nettervile and those other Gentlemen at Swoords that they carried themselves with such high contumacy as that disdaining to render any obedience to their Warrant they neither made their departure from that place disbanded their men nor so much as pretended to repaire to them according to their commands at the time prefixed therein It was thought high time to take some other course with them And therefore about foure dayes after the day first set down by the Lords for their appearing before them and the very next day after another Proclamation published for their immediate separation the Lords Justices and Councell made this ensuing Order directed to the Earle of Ormond Lievtenant Generall of his Majesties forces in Ireland By the Lords Iustices and Councell William Parsons Io Burlace A Warrant from the Lords Iustices and Councell for the suppressing of the Rebels of the Pale FOrasmuch as divers of the Inhabitants of Clantarfe Raheny and Kilbarrock have declared themselves Rebells and having robbed and spoyled some of his Majesties good Subjects are now assembled thereabouts in Armes in great numbers mustering and training of their Rebellious multitudes to the terror and danger of his Majesties good subjects as well at Land as at Sea which their boldnesse is acted in such manner as to put scornes and affronts upon this State and Government they acting such depredations even before our faces and in our own view as it were in despight of us It is therefore ordered that our very good Lord the Earle of Ormond and Ossory Lievtenant Generall of the Army doe forthwith send out a party of Souldiers of horse and foot to fall upon those Rebels at Clantarfe and thereabouts who in such disdainfull manner stand to out-face and dare us and to endeavour to cut them off as well for punishment as terror to others and to burn and spoyle the Rebels houses and goods And to prevent their further anoying of the shipping going out and comming in and lying in harbour those Souldiers are to bring up or cause to be brought up to the new Crane at Dublin such of the Boats and Vessels now lying there as they can upon the sudden and to burn spoyle and sinke and make unserviceable the rest Given at his Majesties Castle of Dublin December 14. 1641. Ormond Ossory Rob Dillon Cha Lambart Ad Loftus Jo Temple Cha Coote Fran Willoughby According to their Lordships directions the Earle of Ormond gave present order to Sir Charles Coot to march out privately with some Forces unto Clantarfe which he did without any noise and meeting there with no opposition Sir Charls Coot Marches out with some Forces to Clantarfe he only suffered his men to pillage the Town whereof they burnt some part as also part of Mr Kings house in which much of the goods were found that had been taken out of the Bark before mentioned And this was the first expedition that the Forces newly raised in Dublin made after the defeat of the 600 men in their passage to Tredagh As for the Massacre at Santry mentioned in the Answer from the Lords of the Pale The true Relation of the pretended Massacre at Santry and obtruded to the World as a just pretence to deterre them from waiting on the Lords at Dublin it was no other then this Information was given to some of the Officers of the Army that there had been a robbery newly committed by certaine Rebels at the house of one Smith called the Buskin within five miles of the City And that if a Party of Souldiers might be sent forth the Informer offered to bring them upon those Rebels as also upon other Rebels who had lately murdered one Mr Derick Huberts a Dutch Merchant at the Skirries whereupon two Officers with 40 foot were sent out with direction to fall upon those Rebels They went directly to Santry and there finding some strangers with weapons lodged in suspicious places they slew foure of them who as was conceived were criminall Offendours and one of them after upon further enquiry found to be a Protestant But how fairely soever this matter was carried The proceedings held by the Lords and chiefe Gentlemen of the English Pale after they had joyned with the Northern Rebels yet they resolved to make use of it for the present by way of justification of their disloyalty And having so farre publickly declared themselves they held it not fit to sit idle any longer but began to put the whole Circuite of the Pale into a posture of Warre and to make all such preparatives as might enable them by the powerfull assistance they had out of the North presently to take in Tredagh and afterwards to march up to Dublin and there make themselves Masters of that City and Castle A work as now it stood represented unto them not likely to prove lesse glorious then successefull and easie to be atchieved They had for this end many publike meetings among themselves as also with the cheife Comanders of the Northern Rebels In the first place they declared the Lord Viscount Gormanstone Generall of the Forces to be raised in the Pale Hugh Birne Lievtenant Generall the Earle of Fingale Generall of the horse Then they gave power to those Lords to nominate Captaines in severall Baronies to be respectively appointed out of them and likewise to raise souldiers in every such Barony viz. eight souldiers out of a Plowland land which containes according to the ancient estimation 120 Acres and every Plowland to maintaine the Souldiers to be set out by them The Barony of Duleek was assigned to the Lord of Gormanston the Barony of Screene and Desse to the Earle of Fingale the Barony of Slaine to the Lord of Slaine the Barony of the Navan to the Lord of Trimblestone Kells to the Lord Dunsany Ratogh and Dunboine to Sir Richard Barnewall of Crickestown Baronite and Patrick Barnwell of Kilbrew and by these persons severall Captaines were appointed and numbers of Souldiers raised according to the orders set down at the general meeting There were also Warranrs issued out by the Lord Gormanston whereby those persons appointed to raise the men and to furnish them with provisions for their entertainment were required upon paine of death to send them out Other Warrants were likewise sent out to other persons who were appointed Overseers for the threshing out of all the Protestants corne which was assigned generally through the Pale to be applyed towards the maintenance of their Army The next work was to make a constant provision of all manner of necessaries for the entertainment of such Forces as were already brought down out of the North as well as those raised in the Pale and set down at the siege of Tredagh And for this service they sessed the whole Country thereabouts and ordered what proportions of corne and numbers of cattell should be
of English breed and declare openly that their reason is because they are English so great is their hatred not onely to the persons of the English but also to every species of that Nation and they destroy all improvements made by the English and lay waste their habitations Wee formerly signified to your Lordship that to take away all jealousie from the Papists of the English Pale we would furnish them with some Armes and the rather because wee well know that in the last great Rebellion in Ireland the English Pale stood firme to the Crowne of England and that the Rebell Tyrone in the heigth of his power and greatnesse was never able to get into the Pale with his Forces whilst hee was in Rebellion and upon this occasion the Noblemen and Gentlemen of the Pale making deep professions of their loyalty to his Majesty in imitation of their Ancestors and with expressions seeming to abhorre the Contrivers of this Rebellion here against whom they offered their power and strength so as they might have Armes and we being well assured that if wee could gaine their concurrence with us it would much facilitate our work wee did at their earnest suit issue for them Armes for one thousand seven hundred men wherewith divers Companies were armed by them and some of them selves were appointed Governours of the Forces of the Counties and Captaines of their Compaines but so many of those Companies revolted to the Rebels and carryed away their Armes with them as we have recovered back but nine hundred and fifty Armes so as those whose loyalty We had reason to expect would help us are now through their disloyalty turned against us and are strengthned with our own Armes and without all question if those of the English Pale had done their parts as became good subjects with their Armes they had from us and those they might gather amongst themselves they might with our help not only have defended the Pale against the Rebels but might also have prevented the ruine and destruction wrought by their Tenants and Neighbours on the poore English and Protestants amongst them for the Noblemen and Gentry sate still and looked on whilst the English and Protestants were ruined before their faces the Papist in the meane time remaining secure without the losse of goods or any thing else When wee saw the power and strength of the Rebels still growing upon us more and more and approaching by degrees more neare to us and the English and Protestants robbed and spoyled even within two miles of this City in disdaine and affront of this State which are scornes of so high a nature as we could not endure if we had strength sufficient to represse their insolencies and when we observed the retarding of our Succours of men and armes from England or Scotland neither of both Succours being yet come nor as we heard so much as in view there or in Scotland and when we found apparantly that for want of those supplies we became in a manner so contemptible as we were in danger to be set upon for taking from us this City and Castle before our aides should come wee be-thought us of all the meanes we could of gaining time being confident that wee cannot be so deserted by the State of England but that some supplies may yet come unto us And therefore on the third of December we directed our Letters to divers of the Nobility of the Kingdome who were nearest to us and most of them being of the English Pale to be with us here on the eight day of this Month that we might conferre with them concerning the present state of the Kingdome and we hoped by their help to handle the matter so as we might gaine a few dayes time before our supprisall here by which time in all likelihood our Succours might arrive although it be boldly given out by the Rebels that we shall have no Succours from thence which they divulge to enbolden their party and to strike terror and discouragement into the well-affected amongst whom there are many so weak as to apprehend from thence too much feare whereby many are fled the Kingdome On the eigth day of this Moneth the Earle of Kildare the Lord Viscount Fitz-Williams and the Lord Barron of Houth came unto us but the rest of the Noblemen not comming deferred our conference and on the eleventh day of this Month we received Letters from seven of them namely the Earle of Fingale the Lord Viscount Gormonston the Lord Viscount Nettervile and the Lords of Slaine Trimblestone Dunsany and Lowth dated the seventh day of this Month and signed by them pretending a feare of a Massacre on those of their Religion and that therefore they are deterred to wait on us but doe rather think it fit to stand upon their guard and how that resolution of theirs may stand with the loyalty they professe wee humbly submit to his Majestie 's excellent judgment for whose royall view wee send you here inclosed a Copy of their said Letters When we received those Letters we did admire whence their feares of comming to us should arise but afterwards we heard that they had been in consultation with the Rebels which also as to most of them is confirmed by the enclosed Examination of Christopher Hampton and indeed we know no cause of feare they have of us unlesse their own guilts begot in them the feare they pretend and they spare not though unjustly to charge us with a neglect of their advises whereas not one of them to this House offered to us any advice or reall assistance towards Pacification of these troubles It became then publike nor could wee keep secret that which they had published to others that those Noblemen so farre sided with the Rebels as they now stood on their guard wee therefore adjudged it fit for vindicating the State from the aspersion which we found so publikely endeavoured to be laid upon us to publish the enclosed Proclamation as well to satisfie to the world as those Noblemen who certainly are abundantly satisfied in their own secret thoughts that wee never intended to Massacre them or any other that being a thing which we and all good Protestants doe much abhorre what ever the practice of their Religion is and hath been found to be by wofull experience in other parts whereof we confesse we are now in great danger if our long expected Succours come not the sooner to us and it may be gathered from that unexampled tyranny which the Rebels have already exercised towards those of our Nation and Religion who fell into their hands what we for our parts may expect from them but the dishonour and shame which may reflect upon the English Nation by exposing this State and Kingdome to so apparent ruine and with it the extirpation of Gods true Religion afflicts us more then the losse of our own lives and fortunes when all might be saved by sending seasonably those Succors Wee lately received Letters
Parliament then sitting to endeavour the reasonable ease and contentment of the people freely assenting to all such Acts as really tended to a legall reformation They betook themselves wholly to the advice of the Councel and caused all matters as well of the Crown as Popular interest to be handled in His Majesties courts of Justice no wayes admitting the late exorbitancies so bitterly decried in Parliament of Paper-Petitions or Bils in Civil causes to be brought before them at the Councel-board or before any other by their authority They by His Majesties gracious directions gave way to the Parliament to abate the Subsidies there given in the E. of Straffords time and then in collection from 40000 li. each Subsidy to 12000. li. apeece so low did they think fit to reduce them And they were further content because they saw His Majesty most absolutely resolved to give the Irish Agents full satisfaction to draw up two Acts to be passed in the Parliament most impetuously desired by the Natives The one was the Act of Limitations which unquestionably setled all estates of land in the kingdome quietly enjoyed without claim or interruption for the space of sixty years immediately preceding The other was for the relinquishment of the right and title which His Majesty had to the four counties in Conaght legally found for him by severall inquisitions taken in them and ready to be disposed of upon a due survay to British undertakers as also to some territories of good extent in Munster and the county of Clare upon the same title Thus was the present Government most sweetly tempered and carried on with great lenity and modetation the Lords Iustices and Councel wholly departing from the rigour of former courses did gently unbend themselves into a happy and just compliance with the seasonable desires of the people And his Maiesty that he might further testifie his own setled resolution for the continuation thereof with the same tender hand over them having first given full satisfaction in all things to the said Committee of Parliament still attending their dispatch did about the latter end of May 1641. The Earl of Leicester declared Lord Lieutenant of Ireland May 1641. declare Robert Earl of Leicester Lord Lieutenant Generall of the Kingdom of Ireland He was heir to Sir Phillip Sidney his uncle as well as to Sir Hen. Sidney his grandfather who with great honour and much integrity long continued chief Governour of Ireland during the Raign of Queen Elizabeth and being a person of excellent abilities by nature great acquisitions from his own private industry and publique imployment abroad of exceeding great temper and moderation was never engaged in any publique pressures of the common-wealth and therefore most likely to prove a just and gentle Governour most pleasing and acceptable to the people The papists permitted privately to enjoy the free exercise of their religion Moreover the Romish Catholiques now privately enjoyed the free exercise of their religion throughout the whole Kingdom according to the doctrine of the Church of Rome They had by the over great indulgence of the late Governours their titular Archbishops Bishops Vicars generall Provinciall consistories Deans Abbots Priors Nunnes who all lived freely though somewhat covertly among them and without controll exercised a voluntary jurisdiction over them they had their Priests Jesuits and Fryars who were of late years exceedingly multiplyed and in great numbers returned out of Spain Italy and other forraign parts where the children of the natives of Ireland that way devoted were sent usually to receive their education And these without any manner of restraint had quietly setled themselves in all the chief Towns Villages Noblemen and private Gentlemens houses throughout the Kingdom So as the private exercise of all their religious rites and ceremonies was freely enioyed by them without any maner of disturbance and not any of the Laws put in execution whereby heavy penalties were to be inflicted upon transgressours in that kinde The good agreement betwixt the Irish and English in all parts of the Kingdome And for the ancient animosities and hatred which the Irish had been ever observed to bear unto the English Nation they seemed now to be quite deposited and buried in a firm conglutination of their affections and Nationall obligations passed between them The two Nations had now lived together 40 years in peace with great security and comfort which had in a manner consolidated them into one body knit and compacted together with all those bonds and ligatures of friendship alliance and consanguinity as might make up a constant and perpetuall union betwixt them Their intermarriages were frequent gossipred fostering relations of much dearnesse among the Irish together with all others of tenancy neighbourhood and service interchangeably passed among them Nay they had made as it were a kinde of mutuall transmigration into each others manners many English being strangely degenerated into Irish affections and customes and many Irish especially of the better sort having taken up the English language apparell and decent manner of living in their private houses And so great an advantage did they finde by the English commerce and cohabitation in the profits and high improvements of their lands and native commodities so incomparably beyond what they ever formerly enioyed or could expect to raise by their own proper industry as Sir Phelim O Neale and many others of the prime leaders in this rebellion had not long before turned their Irish tenants of their lands as some of them said to me when I enquired the reason of their so doing even to starve upon the mountains while they took on English who were able to give them much greater rents and more certainly pay the same A matter that was much taken notice of and esteemed by many as most highly conducing to the security of the English interests and plantation among them So as all these circumstances duly weighed together with the removall of the late obstructions the great increase of trade and many other evident Symptomes of a flourishing common-wealth it was believed even by the wisest and best experienced in the affairs of Ireland that the peace and tranquility of the Kingdom was now fully setled and most likely in all humane probability to continue without any considerable interuption in the present felicity and great prosperity it now enioyed under the government of his Maiesty that now raigneth In August 1641. The Parliament adjourned August 1641. the Lords Justices and Councel finding the Popish party in both Houses of Parliament to be grown to so great a heigth as was scarcely compatible with the present Government were very desireous to have an Adjournment made for three moneths which was readily assented unto and performed by the members of both Houses And this was done not many dayes before the return of the Committee formerly mentioned out of England The Irish Commissioners return out of England and land at Dublin They arrived at Dublin about