several Kings transmitting great numbers of them to assist in the warrs of France Scotland and Wales in several times In the former part of the reign of King Henrie the sixth Ireland continued In the same posture the English beeing now put to their defence in all parts but the greatest and most remarkable decaie and ruine of the prosperitie and possession of the English in Ireland began in the later end of the reign of King Henrie the sixt and in the beginning of King Edward the fourth For after the middle of the reign of King Henrie the sixt Richard Duke of York beginning to whisper his right to the Crown more audibly then before hee was soon after sent into Ireland Lievtenant which was somtimes usual as a removal of such as were dangerous or pretended trouble There hee had given him much regal autoritie more then might bee consonant to right reason had they well considered the place or the consequences hee was continued there nine or ten years by himself and his Deputies himself making starts into England which as it was handled amplified his power in Ireland hee had power to dispose the King's revenues as hee thought fit hee had power to grant and let the King's Lands in Ireland to place and displace officers and to wage what men hee thought good This Lord esteemed there a person of high blood having an eie more upon events in England then the reducement of Ireland applied himself for the most part towards his own pretentions hee entertained both parties English and Irish in a plausible waie travelling in his secret thoughts to fasten parties to him against the time hee might have use of them Hee tolerated the Irish to hold what they had formerly intruded unto not sparing favors where hee observed reason to oblige and they regarding somwhat his high birth a thing they seem most to adore were by those means held more quiet then in former times hee conteined the English by courtesie and fair entreatie and by bestowing of imploiments so as hee found great adherence by waie of personal affection hee made som journies into England always accompanied with som of the Gentrie of Ireland to propagate and ripen confederacie In England hee endured the changes of war At last hee was forced into Ireland where hee gather's more strength and hearing that Warwick and Salisburie had taken the King hee com's over attended with good numbers of the English Lords and others and som of the Irish Hee obtein's his ends in Parlament The Queen flie's into Scotland and coming back the Duke of York meet 's her at Wakefield where hee was slain and manie of those of Ireland with him the Earl of Ormond on the other side beeing a professor to the hous of Lancaster passed into England about the same time with manie of the English and som Irish the Earl of March encounter 's him and others at Mortimer's Cross in Wales there is Ormond and the rest defeated and manie of Ireland slain So as what by the companies which at times passed over with the Duke of York and what by such as voluntarily led themselvs into England on both sides during those combustions great consumptions of those of Ireland could not but bee the consequent especially the Gentrie and best men Hereupon did the Irish on all sides exspatiate and fasten upon the English possessions where they could reach and indeed in short time so dilated themselvs as they for the time forced the English into their strengths and into narrow rooms they confirmed themselvs in their formerly erected and usurped Captainships which before the reign of King Henrie the eight were far to manie and most of them so continued till the end of the reign of Queen Elizabeth therein exercising an absolute tyrannical power over all inferiors aswell all such English as hazarded to continue amongst them as the Irish And here may the Querist and all others take full view of the progress foot-steps and means of the Irish incroachments upon the English possessions though it is true that in after times manie of the English became repossessed of much of their antient Lands except in Vlster and Connaght in which Provinces manie of the old English are now as barbarous as the meer Irish hardly to bee distinguished yet by what is above written it grow's more lucid and cleer that the Inhabitants of that Island who now stand in arms against England who in several successions setled them there are not such an entire nation fixed there by God and Nature free from anie other power and challenge as the Querist propound's them and where the entiretie of such a Nation footed there as is pretended is to bee found as things are before discovered will require a verie wearisom scrutinie and at last satisfie no understanding man Nay it is avouched by several good writers and may bee truly asserted in the experience of such as well understand Ireland that setting aside the first Inhabitants from Britain and other Nations inserted there by the permission of the Britains and such as had power in Britain and such as of themselvs intruded before the entrance of King Henrie the second promiscuously laced amongst them who all now pass under the Notion and style of the old Irish the verie English sent in thither by King Henrie the second and other Kings succeeding him before King James and who at the beginning of this Rebellion were really stated and vested in Lands in that Island though not in numbers and bodies of men becaus most of the Churls and laborers as aforesaid were Irish nor perhaps in quantities and extents of Lands yet in true value and command over others did far exceed and were far more estimable and powerful in that Island then those denominated the old Irish besides the the great towns which as is above said are wholly in a manner English for consider their present composure of persons and affairs even after this late horrid and inhumane eradication of the new English and protestants First Their Nobilitie now in rebellion are all old English except a verie few which were and yet are both weak in power and strength Their supream Council as they call it and other Provincial and Countie Councils and their general Assemblie are for the most part old English most of the best Commanders in the war are of the same most of their hors and manie of their foot who have been most daring in the Rebellion are of the same the whole frame of their new-Modelled-Government was at first digested and is ever since countenanced and enlivened by the old English they seem in their constitutions to put themselvs for the most part in waie of policie at present into the frame of the English Laws becaus they well know how uncertain and barbarous their supposed Irish Laws were though verie manie of them rather desire the old Irish Tyrannie and rude exorbitancie And were it not that the old English were and still are
uncertainely and falsly grounded are worthie of no answer at all having all along the plain marks of insoliditie and sedition upon them yet to satisfie the doubts of such judicious and upright men as onely desire to know the truth and com not with a minde pre-occupate and suborned by injurious principles I shall indeavor to lay open the Querist's errors and delirements resolve the Queres hee makes and discover the truth in the things hee most harp's upon for his advantage and becaus I conceiv the Jesuit's first Quere though not in plain words yet implicitely by insinuation intend's principally Ireland and the pretended interest of the Irish as hee in som of them after expresseth And although also my short and weak wings are farr deficient to soar so high a pitch as to cite all or neer the sum of all authentick Authors and Records manifesting the proprietie right and interest of the Land of Ireland to be originally in the British yet becaus those of the Nation of England already led away with the aërie and vain pretenses of the Irish and who never yet scrutinized the English interest may bee undeceived made sensible of their former errors possessed with the English right bee acquainted with the iterated rebellions of the Irish in manie ages the often reducing and bringing them to subjection by the British or English and with other things by these Queres made disputable I shall freely contribute my Talent to this so necessarie work and first set down the Queres in order and then answer them severally AN ANSWER TO THE Irish Queres The first Quere WHether the Land or inheritance that a Nation hath for som hundreds or thousands of yeers enjoyed and possessed without any others laying claim to have a more special right to the same bee not their special right which God and nature hath given them The first Answer IN this first Quere the Querist desire 's to have it inferred and also granted that the Irish Inhabitants as they now stand in opposition to England are an entire Nation and that they were the first and sole Proprietors of Ireland as given unto them by God and nature whereas in truth they are a people composed partly of the old Britains the first Inhabitants thereof partly of Scythians and Gothes sent thither out of Biscaie in Spain partly of Danes and other Easterlings som sent in by the Kings of Britain and others intruding themselvs and principallly of English sent thither by the Kings of England in several ages as in the ensuing discours shall appear so as the fraud and fallacie of this first Quere being cleerly laid open strike's farr to the answering of all the rest And first to say somthing of the soil and Island now called Ireland which by several ancient writers hath been rendred by several other names signifying for the most part that it is a Western part of Britain which the very name now given unto it by the Irish viz. Eirin signifying a western Countrie doth much demonstrate and besides at this day a part of Mounster in Ireland is called Hiermoun in English West-Mounster which shew the name Eirin to bee derived from Hier which is west as appear's plainly by Mr Cambden a faithful relater of the best antiquities extant the ancient Geographer writeth in these words of Islands for greatness the Indian Taprobane is prime and principal next after it Britain and in third degree another British Island called Hibernia that is Ireland whereupon Ptolomie in his writings of Geographie call's it in plain words Britannia parva the old Geographers called it the Britains Island Strabo called the Inhabitants Britains Diodorus Siculus termed Irin a part of Britain and Aristotle in his book de mundo Cap. 3. hath these words as they stand translated viz. Ibi sunt Insulae quae quantitate maximae habentur numero verò duae sunt Britanicae dicuntur Albion Hibernia By all which it fall's cleer that by the most ancient and authentick writers the Island of Ireland was ever taken and accounted a British Island only belonging to great Britain neither is it found in any approved Writer or Record that ever any King or Potentate claimed right or interest in the soil or Land of that Island save only the Kings of great Britain in right of their Kingdom now called England which in several ages they have not failed to doe by reducing and subduing the unjust rebellion and usurpation of those unrulie Inhabitants and if you look into Monuments or Records of later time you shall never finde it called a Kingdom or a Realm till in the reign of Henrie the 8. when by Act of Parlament it was made and styled a Kingdom and that King declared and confessed King thereof unanimously agreed by all the Inhabitants of that Island But that by all Acts of Parlament in that Land and other Records it was alwaies till then for 400 yeers or thereabouts called the King's land of Ireland and by several Acts of Parlament viz. one Act in the twentie eighth yeer of that King Henry the 8 reign Cap. 2. That Land is declared to be appending and belonging to England And by another Act there made in that King's reign the said Island is declared to be a Member appending and rightfully belonging to England and united to the same and in severall other Acts there the same in substance is asserted and ordained and all this agreed and assented unto by the very Ancestors of those now in Arms there against England and the Governors thereof and yet by this Querist it is esteemed to bee an Original entire Nation distinct from any Conqueror yea such as hee scruple 's to have them call'd Rebels Thus having given you the opinion and report of the ancient and som modern proofs of the denomination and full relation of that Island to Great Britain it will bee requisite that by the like ancient and modern evidence the just right and proprietie of the English to that Land and to the dominion thereof and to the naturall subjection of all the Inhabitants thereof to England bee also manifested and avowed the better to let the world see the Querist's fraud and subtiltie in this general vast Quere and indeed throughout all the rest of his abusive Queres and insinuations Mr Cambden that faithfull searcher into Antiquities affirmeth that most of the best approved and knowing Writers out of Antiquities do determin that the first known Inhabitants of Ireland were Britains sent thither by the Kings of Great Britain of which opinion he conclude's himself to bee but that they could not send sufficient Inhabitants to replenish such a Continent and that by a great mortalitie happening among them they were much diminished and you may perceiv by a Statute made in Ireland in the 11. yeer of Queen Elizabeth that Gormond by som Writers called Gorgund Son to Belin King of Great Britain was Lord of Biscaie in Spain as his posteritie long after him
vigilance of that King to reliev them did stoutly beat them off and frustrated their unchristian intention Then that King finding them so embarked in their former rudeness and barbarisme as there was no faith or dutie to bee exspected from them and that they could not sit down in anie civil societie Hee by advice of his Council confiscated all their Estates and adjudged and declared the Irish generally to bee enemies and aliens in which condition they continued long after as is manifest by the Records and Statute-Laws of those times And then hee set his Subjects of England and Wales at full Libertie to win what they could in that Land towards the reducement thereof to his just Subjection for better accomplishment whereof hee made chois of ten special persons of qualitie and power in his other Dominions to whom by grant of inheritance hee divided the Lands of that whole Island who drawing together their several Alies friends and other adventurers they by that King's countenance and assistance so bestirred themselvs as within few years they became Masters and possessors of the whole Island and so continued quietly possessed for almost one hundred years without anie offence to England forcing the perfidious Irish who were then few in number after manie conflicts with them into Mountains Bogs and boggie woods there to wander up and down with the remain of their Cattel not daring to bee seen or to graze in anie of the more habitable parts where the English had footing special Statute-Laws prohibiting the same Laws also were made that upon pain of fellonie no Merchant or other liege person should trade with the Irish in market or otherwise It was also made fellonie to succor anie of the Irish enemies from the time of the foresaid division forward was that Island onely called the King's Land of Ireland till the reign of King Henrie the eighth as appear's by Acts of Parlament and all Records mentioning the same The division hee made was as followeth viz. To Richard Earl of Pembroke of Strigil called Strongbow he regranted the Kingdom or Territories of Leimster surrendred to him by the said Earl Richard whose it was pretended to bee in right of his wife sole daughter and heir of the last nominal or tributarie King thereof except Dublin and som lands thereunto lying part whereof is yet called the King's Land and beeing divided into Mannors the Free-holders paie chief rents into the Exchequer to this daie and except som maritim Towns Castles and som lands about them which hee reserved to himself To Bobert Fitz-Stephens and Myles Cogan hee granted the Territories called the Kingdom of Cork the Citie of Cork and som lands thereunto lying reserved as aforesaid excepted the heir of Cogan is yet possessor of som of those lands To Phillip le Bruce the Territories called the Kingdom of Limerick with donation of Bishopricks and Abbeies except the Citie of Limerick and a Cantred of Land adjoining reserved as aforesaid To Sr Hugh de Lacie Justice or as som write Custos of Ireland the territories called the Kingdom of Meath then of far greater extent then the name Meath now import's To Sr John de Coursie all Vlster which beeing a large continent was quietly possessed by him and his English tenements manie years After his death without heirs it was granted to Hugh Lacie who held it till forfeited then was it granted by King Edward the first to Walter de Burgo from whom it descended to William de Burgo And after those Lands and Signories were by Edward the fourth adjoined to the Demesne and Crown-Lands of England To William Fitz-Adelme de Burgo all Connaght except a small part for life given to Rotherick formerly nominal King thereof after whose death that Land also was by King Henrie the third granted to Richard de Burgo heir to William except the Cantreds of Roscomon Randon and two or three other Cantreds neer Athlon All which were after granted by succeeding Kings to other English onely Roscomon remained in the Crown till Queen Elizabeth granted the same to one Mr Malby This whole Countrie came after to the Crown by the marriage of Lionel Duke of Clarence son to King Edward the third with the Daughter and heir of de Burgo To Sr Thomas Clare of the stock of the Earl of Glocester all Ghomond now the Countie of Clare which was confirmed to the same Familie by grant from King Edward the first to Robert le Poer all the Countie of Waterford except the Citie and cantred about it the chief of the Familie of which Poers is now a Baron to Otho de Grandison all Tipperarie Afterwards King John having intelligence that the English began to bee at variance amongst themselvs by reason that the Laws were not so spread and administred as they should bee made a voiage in person thither with a competent force for his honor and safetie and then did hee divide the whole Land into Counties as they for the most part stand at this daie though Connaght and Vlster since are much subdivided hee carried over with him divers learned men for civil and ecclesiastical Notion hee ordered and established the Courts of Justice as in England viz. the Chancerie the Kings Bench Common Pleas and Exchequer and other Ecclesiastical Judicatures and setled competent Judges in them hee appointed Justices Itinerant and all other Officers for Law and execution of Justice and four tearms in the year to bee kept as in England by which the people became subject to Law the Irish beeing still held as enemies and Aliens were better governed lived in peace and great prosperitie manie years save what ruptures it endured by their own dissentions as hereafter appeareth So as by what is above specified it appear's the English were made lawfully inheritable and became possessed of the whole continent wheresoever they could finde places anie waie fit for habitation And to prove their possessions as well as their grants besides that in all the ancient Records taking cognizance of all the habitable parts of that Land in which those English are named you shall finde no Juries upon Inquiries or trial of anie causes whatsoever Capital Criminal or common where is mentioned anie Irish name but all English All their Officers and Ministers of Justice beeing the same and beside several Statute-Laws do assert their universal possession It is undeniably evident that generally all the now Freeholders of several great continents in that Island are English either descendents or deriving from those first adventurers or by ancient grants from the Crown upon their forfeitures though the truth is manie of their laborers underfarmers and tennants which they call Churls are and still were Irish the territories and Countries which those English and som of late settlement did and do possess are viz. in the Countie of Down the Countries of little Ards the Duffrey Lecale Mourn the Newrie and several other places of lesser note all the Countie of Lowth the whole Countie of Dublin
that the bodie of their order and connexion even apparently managing their whole partie as to war and Government the rest would soon dissolv into their old Kearnish habit both in fight and onely confidence in bogs and woods And which seem's most of amazement in this business the old English shewing themselvs of late years in manie things much more swelling and envious against the Protestant Religion and the English Government and conversation then the meer Irish were the principal contrivers and ripeners of this destable Rebellion and Assassination without whose incitement and flexible concurrence as Ireland at the begining of the Rebellion stood furnished with multitudes of new English in all parts except Connaght where they were fewest and strengthned with the old English if they had stood loial to their own Nation or really sensible of their own happiness as in nature and all prudence they should have don the Irish no waie durst have entered upon such an attempt against the English and Protestants especially a Parlament then sitting in England who they might well believ would so far distaste such high and unparaleld Ravages and horrible effusion of bloud without caus or provocation committed upon som of their own flesh and bloud and also such savage indignities offered to the English Nation as that they would speedily bend their power to redress and revenge the same And yet it may bee considered that the opportunitie of the attempt of the Irish will not appear so strange when wee consider their animation and incouragement to have its rise from manie of the Native Inhabitants of England of the same Religion with the Irish Rebels who made it their work to feel the puls and finde the distempers of England to that end And the Commissioners procured for the Irish to secure the persons and Estates of the English Protestants of Ireland was to speak effectively to command them to destroie both which if not speedily executed might have exspired or been rewaked upon discoverie which is most obvious it wee reflect upon the several journies of the popish partie of those Agents imploied by the Parlament in Ireland to the eminent Popish Families in England as Brown and Plunket have often with oftentation acknowledged besides the constant Negotiation of Mr Brent an English Papist and expert manager of such a business to manie of the active Papists of England at the same time doth fully manifest the same with suits with the constant expressions of the Rebels in all parts of Ireland affirming there could bee no exspectation of anie considerable or seasonable relief out of England It is also too well known that when the Cavalier interest had life in it the English Romanists would often boast of this their Master-piece their managing the Irish insurrection as they termed it at that season wherein it should finde least opposition from England and so most successful for the improvement of the Catholick caus The names of the old English now stated and planted in Ireland as can at present bee remembred of many hundreds there resident at the beginning of this Rebellion and for the most part yet being there with the mention what Noble men are of those Families without mentioning what greater and further Members are of each or any of their Names or Families are as follloweth Archbalds Ashes aliàs de fraxineto Almers Allens Arthurs Archers Ailworth or Ailward Audleys Archdecons Arundels Butlers 6 Noble men of the name Bourks 5 Noble men Barries 1 Noble man Breminghams 1 Noble man Barnwels 2 Noblemen Brownes Bagnals Burnels Baathes Bellow alias Bedlows Blakes Belins Bagot 's Blackneys Brandons Blanchfeilds Bensons Balfe Boise Brewer Bale Brian Busher Burford Brereton Barret Benfeild Baron Birt alias Britt Barington Basgravile Beard Courcies 1 Noble man Cheevers Cusacks Cogan Cadels Colleys Cosby Cods Cruces Chamberlain Chaceys or Caseys Clintons Clinches Comerfords Cosgraves Colbies Cosbies Condon Cossen Conron Cashell Cardiff Colclogh Crolie Carey Coffie Coppinger Comins Clundake Dillons 2 Noble men Dowdales Dungans Darcies Devereuxes Daltons Drilands Dormers Donnels or M c Donnels 1 Noble man Downes Denn Dixon Dromgool Daniel Dobbin Deering Delamares Deece Davels Draicot Dardes Drakes Dexeters Elliots Evers alias Ewre Eustacks Esmond Everard English Fitz-Garalds 1 Noble man Fitz-Morris 1 Noble man Fitz-VVilliams 1 Noble man Fitz-Simons Fitz-Harries Frends Fians Fennels Fitz Stephens French Font or Fawnt Fitz Zery Fitz-Leones Flemings 1 Noble man Flatsburie Foxes Forestal Forlongs Fitz Nichols Forsters Finglasses Fottrels Fanings Faies Frenches Garnons Grants Garvies Grahams Gerons Graces Goldings Goghes Galtrims Galwaies Hores Harpenies Hussies Hassans Hides or de la Hides Hardins Holliwoods Hetheringtons Howlins Harpools Handcock Hays Hadsors Hurleys Hopps Harries Harrisons Herberts Horis Harold Jordans Jans Joices Jacobs Itchingham Kings Keatings Kents Laulis Lenard Luttrels Lanfant Lacies Lanes Linches Lovels Leicesters Ledwiches Longs Locks Lamports Moores Missets Mastersons Morris Martins Mandevils Meilers Moilers Malpas Masons Mellins Netervils 1 Noble man Nugents 1 Noble man Nangles Nottinghams Nevils Ovingtons Plunkets 3 Noble men Prestons 1 Noble man Powers 1 Noble man Purcels Peirce Pigot Pendergafts Philips Peppards Penteins Petits Prowdfoots Roches 1 Noble man Rogers Rices Reinolds Rochforths Roceter Russels Rooths Remond Reinolds Stantons Sentlawrences 1 Noble man Sarsfields 1 Noble man Skelton Strong Sedgraves Sinnots Shortels Sempes Sankies Sigen Samonds aliàs St Amonds Scurlock St John Sherlock Stanleys Stapletons Soars Stephens St Michael Silvester Suttons Stritch Staffords Swords Scallann Skiddies aliàs Scudamore Sermons Smiths Sentlegers Savages Talbots Tints Taffs 1 Noble man Turnors Tirrels Trawnt Travers Tallon Ushers Verdons Verden Veal Walshes Wolverstons Wogans Wottons Whits Waddings Walters Wises Westons Wellesley Workley Whitties Wickens THere are 29 Families more not there named of later discent which have every one a Noble man thereof whose Estates are in Ireland And there are but eight noble men in Ireland of meer Irish So that the Nobilitie of English descent not reckoning those that live in England who onely have honors and no estates there are seven to one of the Irish And there are in all about ninetie two Nobilitie of Ireland I had almost forgotten one thing of considerable value which is this admitting that the pretended antient title of the meer Irish were as it is not good to the Lands of Ireland yet nothing is more true then that great parts thereof have been bought at dear rates by the English from the Irish and more would have been had the Irish frequent proffers a little before their last Rebellion been accepted of by the English to whom the Querist must need 's allow a cleer interest in the Lands so purchased as also to their personal estates and those that deprive them of such their Civil Right can bee no other then thievs and robbers and at once root out God's Law man's propertie and National Equitie so just is this Querist to God