Remarques, or Observations upon the fore-going DECLARATION.

THat Truth is the Daughter of time hath been said of old, and is made manifest by e­verie daies experience. What hath been contrived and transacted heretofore in Closets, come's now to bee published by the Actors themselvs to the view of the world. It hath been long believed by those who took the boldness to exa­mine those Acts of darkness (and by those things that did appear, and were in motion, to judg the things unseen, and the Principles of those proceedings) that there was a verie good understanding between the late King and the Irish Assassines. And though at first they were to bear the Odium of their horrid and ever to bee detested Murthers, and endeavor of the exstirpa­tion of the English Name and Interest there: And for that pur­pose were direfully devoted to destruction, and marked out and distinguished for it by Proclamation; of which yet a special care was taken, by the late Tyrants express Order, that onely fourtie Copies, and no more, should bee printed, and none of them de­livered out, without his like special Order, lest too manie should know hee had called them Enemies, whom hee intended to make use of, as of his good Catholick Sub­jects of Ireland, for special service; when the work, a­greed on between them, had once been finished there. And accordingly soon after they had acted their Butcherie, and made that miserable destruction of the poor unarmed English, whom the rare government and policie of that place, managed by the Basha's of his Tyrannie, had kept unarmed; (for their better securitie no doubt among inveterate Enemies) And that sufficient forces were sent hence by the Parlament of England to [Page 6] chastize with a just retribution those bloodie Murtherers, where­by they were like to receiv another reward for their good ser­vice to his sacred Majestie, then they had agreed for, and bee like enough to give eye for eye, tooth for tooth, and life for life, They were then presently taken into his Protection, and a Cessation made with them, that they might bee reserved for the future sevice they were designed unto, namely the Conquest of Scotland: To which service som of them were dispatched, so soon as by the drawing over of those apostatizing English who beeing sent thither by the Parlament, to whom by special Act the managing of that War was committed, for reducing that Kingdom to the obedience of this, the rest of these good Irish could be left in a condition of securitie against those few English that remained faithful to their Trust and Interest. And how fairly they attempted, and how neerly effected that conquest under the leading of Montross joined with his Northern and Western Mountaineers, is very well known: when, after seve­ral bloodie skirmishes beyond the Forth, at last, by the total rout of all their forces at Kilsyth, there was no place of safetie left for any persons of qualitie that were Covenanteers, but they were forced to seek it in England. But all this is now dissembled and must bee forgotten; And their good souls beeing now as full of Love and Candor, as they were once of Blood and Murther, are extremely afflicted with a pang of Ingenuitie, to think there should bee some ill-affected Members, (they say not of what bo­die) that should goe about to sow sedition and discord, they mean sure (for their Declaration is not guiltie of proper expression everie where) to beget some mis-understanding between them who have but one End, Namely, the Scots-Kings sacred Majesties In­terest; And they think it a foul Calumnie, that they should bee said to have any particular ends or private aim, but onely are carri­ed with a single intention to the preservation of the said In­terest. Wee should not much dispute what they affirm, if they would tell us what this Interest is, whether the true Interest of the late King, or an assumed one; for of the present Interests, Wee shall say nothing. The true one all rationall men, that are ac­quainted with affairs of State, can judg as well as hee could, or as they can; and do believe that it was not for that Interest [Page 7] that so many people of the English Nation were Murthered and destroied, and that the Popish Religion should bee onely per­mitted there. But 'tis very probable the Interest that Tyrant pro­pounded was a perfectly-Arbitrarie and Despotical rule, which hee could finde none, but they, so base as to bee subservient to set­tle. The reward of their service should therefore bee to settle the Popish Religion in Ireland, and to tolerate the practice of that worship in England. And to com certainly to the End, viz. Tyrannie, hee would balk no way; War, Murther, Poperie, all acceptable, all lawfull; onely the nearest was best, and ruled his election.

But that they should bee such true and loyal Subjects, as they thus publickly pretend, is a little hard to beleev; Wee must therefore examine upon what grounds they became so; Old quarrels and inveterate feu'ds are not usually exstinct, but upon verie evident advantages and signal obligations. 'Tis well known, when King James had a design to make a nova Scotia in Ireland, hee was not verie daintie of oppressing the Irish, to make way to gratifie his unblushing begging Nation; whose deep sens of their beggerie made them insensible of what ever they received; and the obversation of the dreadful and hated Images of their former state of life kept them in continual fear, that nothing could bee sufficient to assure them they should not again bee as they were: And therefore with a wilde profusenes, which onely the Scots call liberalitie, hee introduced multitudes of them into the Province of Ʋlster, into those lands which the Irish then beleeved they might have deserved as well, if an Act of grace had restored them to the possession of that which 'twas their ill hap, their Ancestor's former Rebellion had forfeited. And indeed, by reason of his known weakness and impotencie in giving, that whole Province was alreadie possessed in their hopes, and a design was laid in time to have in realitie, by find­ing some or other to forfeit also the English Plantations there; and accordingly they began with that belonging to London, that the strong Town of Derrie, and also that of Coleraine coming into the dispose of the Royal bountie, bestowed for the re­wards of an unknown virtue, might also bee made Scottish, for the better securitie of all the rest: during all the time the Irish, [Page 8] were full of Complaints, and there was no such affection in them to the Royal Interest, which was then to enrich his own flesh and bloud with the donations and distributions of the large Patrimonie of their Predecessors. And after the late Ty­rant came to rule, while his covetousness was yet chiefly in his eie, the whole Province of Connaght must bee planted for satisfy­ing of it, That is, it must bee taken from the Irish and old Eng­lish (now becom also Irish) upon the account of som forsei­tures by former Rebellions, and in order thereto a survey was made of the whole Province, and there wanted nothing but di­stribution. But upon the coming hither of the Commissioners from the Parlament of Ireland in the year whereof the most part were Papists, and who by the Queens mediation were received with special favor, that whole business was laid aside, and there was no more speech of the Plantation of Connaght; but after manie secret conferences with the Popish part of those Commissioners, with the effect whereof their fellows were ne­ver acquainted, they were received into the Tyrants special fa­vor, and went home with great satisfaction of him. And it must bee beleeved that it was som special service they were to do, for which hee would give a whole Province, which hee al­readie accounted his own. And the first apparent Act of their gratitude for giving over the prosecution of that plantation, and receiving them into such special intimacie was their Barba­rous Murther and Assassination of the English, and their endea­vor to exstirpate all Monuments not onely of the English name, but of every thing of civilitie, that was brought thither by them; and yet, after this, the same favors continued to them by that King, and all endeavors used by him, to keep them from just punishment for their perpetrated nameless, matchless wicked­ness; in Comparison whereof, the Sicilian Vespers, the Parisian Nuptials, and the Mattens of the Valtoline have lost much of their fame, and must give place in all thoughts of abhorrencie to the infernal actions of these Monsters. And the grants after made them in favor of Poperie by Ormond in his first Treatie with them, and those additional secret ones by Glamorgan, which his own Instructions take notice of, as such as were not fit for him publickly to grant by Ormond, his Lieutenant, as hee called him, [Page 9] or as the condition of his affairs then stood openly to own all these things (which to open largely, were the subject of a Vo­lume, and can bee here but touched) do evidence beyond con­tradiction that the Interest, to which those loyall souls do with so great candor and integritie adhere, is the Interest of Poperie, as agreed to bee made subservient to the ultimate Roiall Inte­rest of absolute Tyranny.

And yet these poor Scots must bee bored through the nose with a bulrush, and made believ that this Interest and their Kirk-Interest are verie reconciliable in that Communi tertio of the King's sacred Majestie. And that they might well enough agree, if it were not for Ill-affected Members that would caus som mis­understanding between them. They would make them believ that at the breaking out of the Rebellion in Ireland (which they will needs call a War) they had no quarrel against the Scottish Nation, but 'twas brought on and occasioned by this partie working division. Indeed 'tis true that for a few of the first daies after the beginning of that horrid Butcherie, they did forbear the Scotch Nation, knowing their good natures such, as they would bee content to sit still, and see the English destroied, so they might escape, there would bee the more room for Co­lonies of their Nation; And it would bee much more easie to deal with one Nation then with both. And also for that they knew the Scots had then in Scotland som formed forces stand­ing, that might in few hours have been transported, beeing once at the water's side, that might have much distracted their proceeding, till they had made som good progress in their exe­crable work. But when they had destroied the most of the Eng­lish, save those in strong Towns, and found that the Scots were onely upon Treatie for sending of forces, which were not like to arrive so soon but that they might without danger deal also with them, They then let Them, as well as the English, taste of their humanitie, as to all their gudes and gear. And that they did not so generally fall upon their lives is not to bee imputed to their Mercie, becaus they knew they should die often, or bee long a dying (and feel themselvs to bee so) by beeing compelled to return into Scoland, believing that transmigration to bee wors then that into the other world. And yet now th [...]se Scots [Page 10] can bee all one with these Irish, against the English, for carrying on the Interest of their King, according to the Covenant, against the Common-wealth of England, and present Government of it; upon whom they bestow the free expressions of their natu­ral dialect, dignifying them with the honorable Epithets of Ʋpstarts, and basest abortive Scum of this Kingdom. This dirt of theirs wee shall cast aside, and not trouble our selvs to answer, onely tell them, there are none in the Government of England but are descended from Adam, and have no ambition to derive themselvs higher. And our envie shall never carrie us (against so evident demonstration, as their natural disposition and con­stant manner of life hold's out in all their convers, both among themselvs and towards others) to denie that they bee deri­ved from a stem of som hours greater antiquitie, unless anie could believ (notwithstanding their bodies) that they are the Children of that Father, who according to the opinion of som good Antiquaries, was creäted before this visible world. Abor­tive and Scum are fit flowers for their invective; notwithstand­ing the Abortion (for the Scum wee shal not touch, beeing pro­perly their own) there hath been strength enough to chastize them, through the assistance of God, to whom the crie of blood is asscended, and from whose most just and irresistable hand more judgments then one pursue's both them and the whole familie that they pretend to advance. They seem to bee sorrie the Scots have no strong holds in their hands in Ʋlster, but that they are deprived thereof by the subtiltie of the English. Indeed when they began to unite with them by the setting on of their Priests at Belfast, under that ridiculous stalking hors of the King's Interest, it was time to unkennel that vermin. And hee should bee verie credulous that could believ that the Irish would have left them in perpetual quiet possession; especially if they shall but consider how George Monroe, who had contracted a better understood agreement with them, and came with his forces from among them, used the rest of the Scot's partie. But this is too much for opening of their eies who will bee blinde; let them go together till they fall together under the ruines which they pretend to support.

But their next peng of good nature is verie remarkable, by [Page 11] the violent working whereof they cannot choos but wondrous tenderly take it sadly to heart, and are full of fear, that ere long none of the Scottish either Gentrie or Commonaltie will bee suffered to inhabit in that Province, bordering upon their native Kingdom of Scot­land. Poor Scots! can yee swallow these Gudgeons? do yee think the Irish do so perfectly love your companie for Presbyte­rie and Covenants sake? or for what other good qualitie is it that they would never yet take notice of, that yee are becom so dear to them? Is there never an one remaining of all their an­cients Clan's or Septs, that can derive a title to the land in that Province? They were wont to keep their pedigree well enough without an Herault's-office; And took a cours their families might not bee extinct for want of Progenie, which were never used to bee differenced among them by that nice distinction of Natural and Legitimate children: 'tis hard to bee believed but som of their spawn would at one time or other pretend a Title, and (notwithstanding this same new dearness upon your Kings ac­count) had rather have your room, than your companie there; and that they will make you believ too, had they none els to fear or defend themselvs against, but the Scots in Ʋlster, or their assistance from Scotland.

But how come's Emerus Cloughensis their Bishop-General (if at least the Declaration bee his work, the weakness whereof agree's not with such parts, as report hath given him) to bee in this humor of prophesying? Perhaps his furie hath transpor­ted him into an exstasie; or hath heated him to a temper of va­ticination; or rather, perhaps it is for that hee see's in policie and prudence it ought to bee so; and therefore beleeving that it will, hee habit's his expression with the mantle of sear and sor­row, to serv a turn withall for once upon those wretched Scots. But however it were no shame to bee taught of an Ene­mie; at least wee may well let them bee our Remembrancers, and as soon as may bee make good those Irish fears, and remove those Scots, if not out of the Land, yet at least so far from the Sea as they may keep no correspondence with the rest of their Nation, which yet, in spight of all, will have this of favor, that it they live within Land, they will bee out of the view of those shores that must needs awaken their memories to unpleasant sug­gestions.

[Page 12] At last they com to speak out without any implication for the removal of all mis-construction of their past or future acti­ons, Declaring in the sight of God and the world, their intentions and resolutions to the last man, with their lives, estates and fortunes, to endeavor the advancement and preservation of his Majesties service and interest in that Kingdom, and of all those whoever that prosecute his quarrell upon the condition of the free exercise of their Religion; Be­hold the ground of their former and future service to this King of Scotland, and to his Father: And the price of the Massacre and Assassination of the English, and of the present union and good understanding between the Scots in Ʋlster and them. They will bee equal too, they will give, as well as take a libertie 10 anie person of what Nation or qualitie soever (so hee adhere to their King) to exercise and imbrace his or their own profession or Religion. They that know them will not bee much taken with their Concessions, they have here provided for an evasion without comming to their sheat Ancor of fides non est haereticis servanda. They will have free exercise of their own Religion, but allow onely to exercise and imbrace that of others; what mean's the emission of that Modification [free] if their intention were fair, and the addition of [embrace] which, applied to Religion, can onely signifie an internal Act, and may bee, when they pleas, interpreted exclusive of outward or publick and free exercise: But if they mean fair, twere good they would tell how long they have been of this minde; or how long'tis since they received a facultie to make such a promiss. Wee did not exspect this holie year would have given anie thing of Indulgence to the Hereticks. And for fact, wee certainly know they would hardly suf­fer Ormond (though their adored Kings Lievtenant, and General of all his Forces, and therefore also of their Forces, if they were then the Kings Forces) have a Preach made him in Kilkennie by his own Chaplain (though privately) when hee was lately there among them, although perhaps there would have been but little difference between one of their Preachments and his. And t'will bee verie hard for them to give an assurance that will binde that they shall not do the like hereafter by the Scots, or anie els who trust them. They conclude they will make no distinction nor difference between themselvs, and as manie of [Page 13] the Scots Nation, or anie other that shall now, upon their invi­tation (which they do with heart and hand) join in their Kings ser­vice, or anie waie contribute to, or countenance the same. And wee believ there will bee no difference put between them, by this Commonwealth, and the Governors and Forces of it. But as they together have espoused the Interest, and carrie on the de­signs of the declared Enemie of this Common-wealth; so they must exspect to bee used as Enemies; and therefore let them no longer impose upon the world, with the dissimulation of a Re­ligious Interest, and complain of a persecution for conscience sake. This Declaration of theirs having taken off that mask, And taken away from them the pretence of urging their consci­ence for a moderation of punishment, or impetration of par­don, they having barefaced owned another Interest, the fate of which they must now bee content to suffer; which if it prove happie, it is more than it hath been hitherto. And it is not like to thrive much the better for their assistance, upon whom their black guilt of so much innocent blood is like to draw an heavie vengeance from the just hand of that God who hath given it for a Law to these times, when hee had rested from punishing the cruelties of the first, That hee that sheddeth mans blood, by man shall his blood bee shed. And 'tis neither their pretences can blinde his All-seeing Eyes, nor any of their combinations or conjunctions avoid the powerful executions of his irrefistible Arm, by the mightie goings out whereof hee will abate every Pride and Ty­rannie that think's to exalt it self against the providential dis­pensations of his infinite wisdom carrying on his work, his strange work in this last period, verging towards the end, and consummation of all things.