WHereas ſince the 22. of October 1641. (at which time brake forth in Ireland that fearfull fire of a generall Rebellion, long blowne by the Prieſts, Fryers and Jeſuites, theſe great Incendiaries of Chriſtendome) there hath been divers barbarous and inhumane cruelties, by robbing, burning, pillaging, ſtripping, torturing, wounding, and maſſacring, exerciſed upon the poore Engliſh, and diſtreſſed Proteſtants of the greateſt part of this Kingdome, and in none more, then in the Counties of Mayo and Galloway (within the Province of Connaught) amongſt many witneſſes that one at Shrowle (which unmatchable Maſſacre was committed Feb. 13. 1641.) wherein without reſpect of dayes (it being upon the Lords day, which might have put them in minde of better things) the bloudy executioners having undertaken the ſafe conduct of a great number of poore diſtreſſed Engliſh to Galloway, contrary to the rights both of hoſpitalitie and honeſtie, fell upon them, no age, no ſexe, no profeſſion finding the leaſt favour with them, but promiſcuouſly they ſlaughtered, or dangerouſly wounded, moſt of the men and women, old and young, Church-men, and Lay-men, and that in ſuch a barbarous manner, that the Sicilian Evenſong, and the Pariſian Maſſacre (though formerly much ſpoken of) will be ſilenced, when this ſhall come in place; this though coming ſhort of them, in the number of thoſe that ſuffered, yet far exceeding them in the cruell manner of their ſufferings; from which Maſſacre, as alſo from divers other parts of thoſe Counties, many with their wives and children (who had formerly been able in a plentifull manner to entertaine others) like Sheepe eſcaped out of the jawes of the Wolfe, came ſtarved, ſtript, and naked for ſuccour to the Towne of Galloway, where ſuch as were able to ſerve his Majeſtie, were entertained by Captain Anthony Willoughby the Governour of the Fort, and by him ever ſince accordingly in a good manner maintained, the remainder repairing to the Towne of Galloway, where for the time they received a faire outſide of courteſie, in a devilliſh policie to draw them to aſſigne to a Declaration of their humane and courteous entertainment amongſt them, whereby the State might divert from theſe parts the ſupplyes of men and munition entended for their reliefe; which was no ſooner aſſigned (but as Maſters of what they deſired) they preſently changed their countenances unto them, they denyed them the benefit of their Markets, they inhibited them (by an Inſtrument in writing affixed upon their Church dore) going into the Church upon paine of life and death they durſt not appeare abroad to buy neceſſaries, they were inforced for their ſafety to keep their houſes, not daring to be ſeene abroad; the uſuall ſalutations they had, were Engliſh-Dogges, and Engliſh-Rogues; they were kept in thoſe perpetuall feares, that when they went to bed over-night, they knew not where to finde their heads in the morning; they were diſarmed of thoſe poore weapons they had for their defence, in the aſſimulation of the proceeding of the State (as the Major himſelfe avouched under his owne hand) againſt the Iriſh in Dublin, Corke, and Yough Hall, where the Engliſh Proteſtants had for ſafetie diſarmed the Recuſant Iriſh: therefore the Recuſant Iriſh for the ſame reaſon would diſarme the Engliſh Proteſtants, and (to make full expreſſions of their bloody purpoſes to the Engliſh Nation and Religion) they did entertain into the Towne, and out of the ruder parts of the Countrey of Erconnaught, great number of the ſons of Beliall, barbarous inhumane Kernes men who were never acquainted with civilitie or humanitie, who were borne to do ſlaughter and execution) onely to rob, pillage, and ſpoil, ſtrip, and murther the poore Engliſh Proteſtants, which they did under the Towne walls, and in the open ſtreets in the day time, and in the ſight and preſence of the beſt of the Townſmen, who oftentimes did not onely animate them thereunto, but accompanied them in the doing thereof; All which they did, and much more, and that in ſuch a bloodie and inhumane manner, that no Hiſtorie, ancient or modern, can exceed; few equall the ſame for crueltie. And to adde further unto it, becauſe Hamans implacable rage againſt the Nation of the Jews, could receive no ſatisfaction ſo long as poore Mordecai ſate at the Kings gate, ſo long as his Majeſties Fort ſtood as an offence to their eyes, therefore finding their wicked plots for the ſurpriſall thereof to fail them, they ſhut up the Town gates leading to the Fort, they took away the benefit of commerce with them, they made ſtay of what proviſion we in the Fort had in the Town, they kept within the walls divers of the Fort Souldiers imployed thither for neceſſaries; they denied us Wine for the Communion at Eaſter, though earneſtly deſired, they treacherouſly poſſeſſed themſelves of a fall ſhip of London, lying then in the Harbour (whereof Robert Clark was Maſter) for no other reaſon but becauſe it was a defence to the Fort, they cruelly murthered his men, they carried his Ordinance into the Towne to batter the Fort, they raiſed Mounts in the Town to annoy the Fort, they ſhot many ſhot at the Kings Pinace then being in the River, becauſe aſſiſtant to the Fort, their whole reſolution was to ſurpriſe us or to famiſh us; and knowing our ſcarſitie both of victuals and Ammunition, to drive us to the greater ſtraights, as they blocked us up in the Harbour, whereby we might not be relieved by water, ſo upon their own charges they drew ſeverall Companies out of the Countrey to beſiege us by Land, which they did for divers weeks, they advancing the King of Spaines Colours, in their Camps, as the Town did a Flag of defiance upon their Gates; Into which ſtraights having drawn us of the Fort, they were ſo confident of us, as if we had been alreadie in their net, it being their daily glory and report, that the Fort was at their pleaſures, and they could have it when they pleaſed. And the truth is, if our gracious God had not put extraordinarie wiſdome and ſtrength into our provident Captain for the defence thereof, it could not in probabilitie have held out ſo long.

But it pleaſed God in his good time (when humane means began to fail us) to ſpeake much comfort to our diſtreſſed ſouls, by ſending Captain Tho. Aſhley with one of his Majeſties ſhips (called the Imployment) into this Harbour, with a good proportion of victuall and Ammunition, whereby on a ſudden the ſtreame turned: The Fort was relieved, the Rebels were daunted, the poore Engliſh were revived, the Towne made meanes for pacification; the Camp was diſſoleed, their hopes were fruſtrated, the Sea became ours, we were Maſters of the Harbour, and we will ever with thankfulneſſe to God remember the happie deliverie which upon a May morning we received by him, whoſe firſt coming to us was ſo auſpitious, and whoſe ſtay with us hath been ſo prevalent to the heartning of the Subject, and terrour of the Rebels, that our humble requeſt is he (of whom we have had ſuch plentifull experience, who hath brought ſuch comfort to us, ſuch fear to the Rebels, who underſtandeth the Nation, and knoweth the Rocks and Creeks of the Harbour (which to a ſtranger may be dangerous) who hath alreadie ſince his coming poſſeſt himſelf of two of their ſhips (which brought great Ordnance, Corn, and Ammunition to the Town from forraigne parts) that he may be continued amongſt us as a ſecond to the Fort for the preſervation of us from thoſe miſeries which this ill affected people (notwithſtanding their pretended Pacification) upon the firſt advantage offered them (except ſeaſonably prevented) are likely to bring upon us. Which our humble requeſt, with this our knowledge and true remonſtrance we do in all humilitie preſent under our hands.