we at first desired we might well have had those Provisions arriv'd here by the 10th of March as we agreed However we now desire that that Money if it be not already paid may be yet paid to Mr. Anthony Tierens in London or Mr. Wibrants in Amsterdam that so those Provisions may arrive here speedily which considering that Summer is now near at hand will be very necessary that when our Supplies of Victuals Munition Cloaths Money and other Provisions shall arrive we may not in the publick Service here lose the benefit and advantage of that Season And so we remain From his Majesty's Castle of Dublin the 4th of April 1643. This Letter as you see was writ some weeks after the Battle of Ross however in brief it gives you a faithful Account Yet that a more particular one may also be committed to Posterity accept of the following from the Pen of a chief Officer in that Expedition March the 2d 1642. the English Army march'd forth from Dublin toward Kilkenny consisting of about 2500 Foot and 500 Horse together with two Pieces of Battery and four small brass Pieces the Marquess of Ormond being Lieutenant General of the Army and my Lord Lisle General of the Horse The 3d. the Army being come nigh Castlemartin the Rebels then possessing it gave it up to the Lieutenant General upon his promise of fair Quarter which they accordingly had to march away thence with the safety of their Lives they being in number above 400 Men and Women and the same day 3 Divisions of Foot were sent to Kildare and a Castle called Tully which the Rebels then quitted and left unto us The 4th the Army came to Tymolin where finding two Castles possest by some Rebels our Cannon compell'd them to submit to mercy very few of them escaping with their Lives there being about 100 of them slain and also of the English Army was slain Lieutenant Oliver and about 12 Souldiers The 11th my Lord Lisle march'd from the Army at temple-Temple-soul before day towards Ross having with him Sir Richard Greenvile Sir Thomas Lucas and about 400 Horse and also Sir Foulk Huncks with about 600 Foot Being come within two miles of Ross our Horse took 4 Horsemen of the Rebels Prisoners who inform'd us that the Army of the Rebels lay then about 3 miles distant thence being near 4000 Men. Shortly after my Lord Lisle came before the Town of Ross and by a Trumpeter he sent to the Town to have some one of Quality therein to come to treat with him concerning the surrender of the same to the King's use which they refused to do Then Sir Thomas Lucas fearing the safety of the Army by reason he understood that the Rebel's Army lay the last night within 2 miles of the English Army importuned my Lord Lisle to march back with all his Horse to secure the Army leaving Sir Foulk Hunks with his Division of Foot to guard a Pass in that way And then after a few miles riding further the English Army appear'd at hand which march'd on towards Ross nigh before which that night a great part of our Horse and Foot lodged And the next morning our Cannon were drawn and planted against the Town and continued battering with two Pieces on a part of the Town-Walls about two days together which made a fair breach therein which Sir Foulk Huncks undertook to assault with his Men and attempted it but were beaten back with some loss which so much dis-heartned the Souldiers that they would not be drawn on again and finding that the besieged had both daily and nightly very many Men and much Ammunition and other Recruits conveyed by Boats into the Town and understanding that the Rebel's Army was grown very strong within few miles of ours and our Lieutenant General finding Bread to be grown scarce in our Army resolv'd to leave Ross as it was and gain Honour by a Battle with the Irish. The 18th our Army being march'd away about 2 miles distant from Ross the Irish Army appear'd fairly in view who hastned their Forces into Battalia on a Ground of some advantage nigh the way our Army was to pass Whereupon our Commanders endeavour'd with all diligence to draw their Forces into Battalia to confront the Rebels within the distance of Cannon-shot our Cannon being plac'd at the Front of our Infantry which was winged by our Horse-Troops and advanc'd forwards before our Army within Musket-shot of the Enemy's fore-Troops Sir Richard Greenvile having that day the Vauntguard of the Horse had his Division for the right Wing of the Army likewise my Lord Lisle's Division having the Battle had the left Wing of the Army Sir Luca's Division having the Rearguard of the Horse had the one half of his Division appointed to stand for Reserves for both the Wings of Horse Both Armies being order'd against one another Sir Richard Greenvile sent forth towards the Rebels a forelorn Hope of 60 Horse commanded by Lieutenant White which advancing towards 2 Troops of the Rebels they seem'd to shrink from Then our Cannon beginning to play Captain Atkins commanding a forelorn Hope of about 100 Musketiers march'd forwards directly before our Foot-Army towards the Rebels who had mann'd a Ditch in a High-way lying right before their Army with a great number of Musketiers during which time certain other Divisions of the English Foot followed orderly their forelorn Hope Captain Atkins with his shot excellently performing his part by exchanging shot with the Rebels that lay in ambush Sir Richard Greenvile with his Division on the right Wing advanced to begin the Battle in the interim whereof Sir Thomas Lucas being Major General of the Horse came and took upon him the chief Command thereof and so leading those Troops on towards the Enemy being come past a deep High-way that lay between both Armies presently at hand advanc'd towards those Horse a Division of Horse and Foot of the Rebels Sir Richard Greenvile being then in the head of his own Troop which had the right hand of that Division commanded his Men to keep together and charge home without wheeling which was no sooner spoken but immediately Sir Thomas Lucas call'd aloud to our Troop to wheel to the left hand which they presently performing were gotten into a Lane in some disorder and before they could get out of the same and come into any good order again a Troop of above 100 of the Rebel's Horse all Gentlemen of Quality and Commanders led by Cullen their Lieutenant General charg'd our Horse on the left Flank Whereupon Sir Richard Greenvile encouraged several of his Troops by his example to charge the Enemy where meeting with Colonel Cullen in the head of his Troops divers blows pass'd betwixt them mean while my Lord Lisle with his Troops gallantly charg'd Cullen's Troop on his Flank and Rear whereby they were so routed that the Troops were all intermixed one with another and the execution of both Parties continued violent
those who shall hereafter joyn with them or commit the like acts on any of our good Subjects in that Kingdom to be Rebels and Traitors against our Royal Person and Enemies to our Royal Crown of England and Ireland And we do hereby strictly Charge and Command all those Persons who have so presumed to rise in Arms against us and our Royal Authority which we cannot otherwise interpret than acts of high Rebellion and detestable Disloyalty when therein they spoil and destroy our good and loyal Subjects of the British Nation and Protestants that they immediately lay down their Arms and forbear any further acts of Hostility Wherein if they fail we do let them know that we have authorised our Justices of Ireland and other our Chief Governour or Governours and General or Lieutenant-General of our Army there and do hereby accordingly require and authorise them and every of them to prosecute the said Rebels and Traitors with Fire and Sword as Persons who by their high Disloyalty against us their lawful and undoubted King and Soveraign have made themselves unworthy of any Mercy or Favour Wherein our said Justices or other chief Governour or Governours and General or Lieutenant-General of our said Army shall be countenanc'd and supported by us and by our powerful Succours of our good Subjects of England and Scotland that so they may reduce to obedience those wicked disturbers of that Peace which by the blessing of God that Kingdom hath so long and so happily enjoy'd under the Government of our Royal Father and us And this our Royal pleasure we do hereby require our Justices or other chief Governour or Governours of that our Kingdom of Ireland to cause to be published and proclaim'd in and throughout our said Kingdom of Ireland Given under our Signet at our Palace at Westminster the 1st of January in the 17th year of our Reign 1641. Which coming forth so late and but 40 of them onely ordered to be Printed was by the Parliament in their Declaration of the 19th of May 1642. interpreted as a countenance to that Rebellion in answer whereunto his Majesty in his reply to that Declaration shews That the Proclamation not issuing out sooner was because the Lords Justices of that Kingdom desired them no sooner and when they did the number they desired was but twenty which they advised might be Signed by us which we for the expedition of that service commanded to be Printed a Circumstance not required by them thereupon we Sign'd more of them then our Justices desired And that it might further appear how deep a sense his Majesty had of the Rebellion which called upon Him and his People of England for a general Humiliation of all Estates before Almighty God in Prayer and Fasting for drawing down his Mercy and Blessing upon Ireland His Majesty was pleased by a Proclamation dated at Whitehall the 8th of January 1641. Straightly to Charge and Command That the last Wednesday of every Month during the troubles in Ireland a Solemn Fast should be observ'd through his Kingdom of England and Dominion of Wales shewing in his own Person and the Court and example thereof which accordingly for some years was observ'd and considerable Collections were gathered at most Churches that day for the miserable People of Ireland Several but especially Sir Benjamin Rudyard excellently speaking on that Subject which being much in a little accept of in his own Words Mr. Speaker THis Day is appointed for a charitable Work a Work of Bowels and Compassion I pray God we may never have the like occasion to move to stir up our Charity These miserable People are made so because of their Religion He that will not suffer for his Religion is unworthy to be saved by it and he is unworthy to enjoy it that will not relieve those that suffer for it I did know but the last year here in England some and they no Papists who were resolv'd to make Ireland their Retreat as the safer Kingdom of the two We do now see a great a dismal Change God knows whose Turn shall be next it is wrapp'd up in his Providence that which happens to one Country may happen to any Time and Chance comes upon all though guided by a certain Hand The right way to make a Man truely sensible of another's Calamity is to think himself in the same case and condition and then to do as he would be done unto Wherefore Mr. Speaker let our Gift be a matter of Bounty not of Covetousness that it may abound to our Account in the Day of Reckoning He that sowes plentifully shall reap plentifully I am sure he that lends to the Lord hath the best Security and cannot be a loser The first President of the Fast before-mention'd which usher'd in the Charity that succeeded was before it came to be Monthly by the Lords House kept in the Abbey of Westminster where the Archbishop of York and the Lord Primate of Ireland preach'd to the Lords as in St. Margrets Westminster Mr. Calamy and Mr. Marshall to the House of Commons Though when his Majesty afterwards found by the ill use made thereof that the Lecturers in their Sermons and Prayers stir'd up and continued the War rais'd against Him in England the great Promoters too thereof deserting the Care of Ireland He the 6th of October 1643. forbad it to be kept and instead thereof expresly commanded a solemn Fast to be observ'd every second Friday of the Month through England and Wales But to return to the King's Proclamation against the Rebels which the bleeding Iphigenia and others of that lying Spirit would have to be grounded on the information of a malignant Part of the Council informing his Majesty that the Catholicks of Ireland without discrimination had enter'd into a Rebellion whereas there was never any such general Information Nay in all the Accounts they gave to his Majesty they still intimated that they hoped the Pale and other Parts would continue their Loyalty affording the Lords of the Pale as other Towns which afterwards shamefully revolted Arms Ammunition Commands informing his Majesty only of what they had discovered in the North with the suspicions that they had learnt on Examinations from others which would have been Treachery in them to have conceal'd and grand Disloyalty Nor doth his Majesty take notice in his Proclamation of any other than that divers lewd and wicked Persons had of late risen in Rebellion in his Kingdom of Ireland not so much therein as naming Papists or Catholicks that thence any of that profession should take Umbrage Nay so circumspect were the Lords Justices and Council at that time that they avoided all expressions which might any ways encourage the Irish to apprehend the English intended to make it a War of Religion However the Rebels were so far from paying obedience to his Majesty's Proclamation afore-mention'd saying it was counterfeit or done by Coertion as they acted now not as before apart but united in
and Cruelty unmeasurably sinful and detestable But I fear I have been too long and too troublesome both to you and my self I will conclude It is well known how the loud cry of innocent Blood of many thousands of Christians ascending up to Heaven and the devout and fervent prayers of many of Gods dear Saints and Servants have solicited the Throne of Justice that this happy and blessed day might come wherein Justice might impartially be executed against those Murderers whose cruelties have made this Land a Field of Blood And now since the high and righteous Providence of God by those many and signal Victories given to the Arms and Forces of Ireland hath sent down from Heaven this day of Justice unto us in this Land we ought to return him all praise and thankfulness for this unspeakable mercy And since the trust of this great work by the same Providence is committed unto us let us stir up his Grace within us and faithfulness of our minds and Souls to the faithful discharge and execution of this great trust Sedes Judicanda est quasi Thronus Dei saith old Bracton that learned Chief Justice in Henry the Thirds time I well remember and have often thought upon the counsel of Jethro to Moses Exod. 18. 2. Thou shalt provide thee out of all thy people able men such as fear God men of truth hating covetousness and set them to judge the people Whereupon Moses having constituted Judges over the People gave them this charge viz. Hear the causes between your brethren and judge righteously between every man and his brother and the stranger that is with him Ye shall not respect persons in judgment but ye shall hear the small as well as the great Ye shall not be afraid of the face of man for the judgment is Gods Deut. 16. 17. Give me leave likewise to mind you of Jehosaphat's charge to the Judges 2 Chron. 19. 6 7 9 11. Take heed what you do for you judge not for man but for the Lord who is with you in judgment Wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you take heed and do it for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God nor respect of persons nor taking of gifts This shall ye do in the fear of the Lord faithfully with a perfect heart and shall judge the cause that shall come before you between blood and blood c. Deal couragiously and the Lord shall be with you There is also an excellent Rule for Judicature put in the case of the Gibeonites abuse of the Levites Wife Judg. 19. 30. the Crime was horrid the Case extraordinary There was never such a deed done or seen before in Israel the Tribes were moved at it and upon the Assembly the Rule is given viz. Consider of it take advice and speak your minds This certainly is an excellent Rule of Judicature viz. first 1. Consider of it consider well the Case and consider all the Circumstances of it beware that no guilty person escape nor innocent person be condemned For he that justifieth the wicked and condemneth the just even they both are an abomination to the Lord Prov. 17. 15. 2. Take advice and consult with others Lean not to thine own understanding saith the wise Solomon Prov. 4. 5. In the multitude of Counsellors there is safety Be not rash nor sudden or hasty to give judgment Qui festinat ad judicium proper at ad poenitentiam Prov. 11. 14. And therefore right grave and ponderous are the Entries of the Judgments in the Common Law scil Quibus lectis auditis per justiciarios his plenius intellectis matura deliberatione me praehabita c. adjudicatur c. When we have patiently heard and fully understood the Parties and Proofs the Witness and whole Case and have search'd into all the Parts and Circumstances of it and when we have advisedly considered debated and consulted of it and taken mature deliberation thereupon then according to the charge of Jehosaphat Let us deal couragiously give Sentence and fear not the face of man for God is with us It is no less impiety to absolve the Guilty than to condemn the Innocent Thus Sir Gerrard Lowther Chief Justice of the Common Pleas one principally imployed in the weightiest Affairs at Oxford and Westminster by the Marquess of Ormond with his Majesties Approbation that it cannot be said we have here presented you with the froth of a Fanatick or one less interressed in the State then one to whom the greatest Concerns thereof had been frequently communicated Yet because his Speech being spoke at the opening of the High Court of Justice may be thought Apocryphal and so not to be admitted for Doctrine yet may be read for instruction of Manners we shall soon present you with some thing Orthodox Many at Kilkenny Waterford Cork Dublin and other Places underwent the Censure of the High Court of Justice though the number of those that suffered exceeded not 200. for that the Sword Plague Famine and Banishment had swept away vast numbers amongst whom one Tool a notable Incendiary of Wicklow was one against whom Edmund Reily the Irish Priest and Vicar-General afterwards Archbishop of Ardmagh appearing in 1653. as a Witness was there accused for the chief Author of surprizing and burning in Cessation time the black Castle of Wicklow and consequently too of murthering of all those were in it upon which he was seized and committed Yet for his service in betraying the Royal Camp at Rathmines suffered no further punishment In distributing of Lands a course was thought of how the English might enjoy them freely without disturbance of the Irish for the future ever ready to fall upon them and therefore many of the Natives were transplanted into Connaght and according to the Extenuation of their Crimes had more or less Land allotted them which they enjoyed freely and in several respects was a great conveniency to them and not less security to the English They being now in a Body might be better watched then several where they would have been sure on every opportunity to have disturb'd the Peace One of the last Commanders amongst the Irish which bore up against the Parliament was Moitogh O Brian who being at last forced into his Fastnesses obtain'd in March 1653. the usual Articles of Transportation By the favour of which not less then 27000 Men had that year been sent away so as through the numbers that had been killed died of the Plague Famine and had been Transported the scarcity of People was very considerable To supply which Fleetwood writ that several Colonies might be sent over offering very good Conditions to such Families that would Transport themselves whereupon great numbers of all sorts of Sex flocked into Ireland which Fleetwood much indulging Cromwel thought requisite for the greater strengthening of his own Party to make his Son Harry Lord Deputy which he did in 1655. and soon after Lord Lieutenant a