THE COPPY OF A LETTER SENT BY THE REBELLS IN JREland to the Lord Dillon, to declare to his Maiestie the cause of their taking up of Armes.
Together with the Coppy of the Oath or Covenant which the Rebells have taken and made, which they sent to the Lord DILLON: whereunto is added a true Relation how some of the Rebells by Treachery have got possession of the City of Dublin. December. 18th. 1641.
London Printed for Io: Thomas. 1641.
A Coppy of the Rebells Leter sent to Lord Dillon from Sept of Ferrars.
YOur Lordship is in intreated to imparte to his Majesty the cause of our trouble and the redresse.
The Papists in neighbouring Counties are severely punisht: and there misery might serve as a Beacon to us to look to our selves where our neighbours houses are thus set on sire, and wee and other Papists here in Ireland in former troubles have beene as Loyall subjects as any in his Majesties dominions, for manifestation wherof we send here inclosed an oath solemny taken by us which as it received impression in our hearts shall bee signed with our hand and sealed with our blood.
2. The Statutes of 2. Eliz. against us and others of our Religion doth not a little disanimate us and the Pale.
3. The avoydance of grants of our Lands and Liberties by quirkes and quidities of law without reflecting upon the Kings regall and reall intention for confirming our estate, his broade seale being the pawne betweene him and his people.
And we conceive and humbly present unto your Lordships consideration, that in the beginning of this commotion as it is hereditary you will bee a bridge to purge those diseases in us, & by our examples, doubtlesse it will begeet like successe in all other parts of this Kingdome, and it will bee recorded that you are well affected to God, King, and Countrey, and a salver of all the forementioned sores.
Your Lordship is to be an humble suitor on our behaltes and of the rest of the Papists, that out of the abundance of his Majesties clemency there may bee an act of oblivion, and a generall pardon without appeale of Statutes formerly made to the Countrey, and not by Proclamation, but Parliamentary Charter in ample manner, and this being granted, althings else will follow all which wee leave to your honours care, and we will as ever we did, and doe remaine
The Coppy of the oath of the Rebells in in Jreland sent to the Lord Dillon.
I A.B. Doe with firme faith beleeve all and singular the Articles which the Catholique, and Apstlique Roman Church, beleeveth and confesseth and to my dying day will by Gods grace maintaine, and defend the same faith against all Sectaries, Iews, Atheists, and enemies whatsoever with the losse of life, goods, and estate.
Secondly, I doe promise and in my Conscience sinceerly beleeve, and acknowledge King Charles to be my soveragine Lord and to be King of England Scotland France and Ireland whose previledges prerogatives and attributes regall dye to his Imperiall Crown and Royall dignity I promise and vow unto God to maintaine and defend by Gods grace against all evill affected persons what soever be they of what Country or sect soever with the losse of life goods and estate.
I promise and vow to be trve to my poore oppressed Country the kingdome of Ireland with losse of life goods and estate and will endevouer to free it from the bondage and greveious government vnder which it groaneth by the meanes of evill officers and Ministers contrary to his Majesties intention.
4. I promise and vow to God to wrong no Catholick nor Challenge any estate or Lands if so they be posessed of it before the Plantation begunne 1610 nor any Lands possessed by aney of them since then so he or they purchased it for money or otherwise.
5. I Promise and vow to make noe difference of or disparity betwene the meere Irish and them of the Pale, or betwene the old Irish, and the new, be they of what standing calling or quallity soever, so they be professours of the holy Church, & maintainers of the countryes liberty.
6. All these and every of the Precedent Articles I the said A.B. doe promise, vow, and sweare, to maintaine and cause all others, over whom I shall have power to maintaine, and defend the same by Gods grace: So help me God and all the contents of this holy Gospell.
A true and exact Relation, how the Rebells by Treachery, got possession of Dublin.
THe procedings of the Rebells in Ireland against the Protestants, have been so cruell and so bloody, that they have neither spared place, nor person, but have overrun almost the whole Kingdome, whereupon the clamour and cryes of the oppressed, & the audacious attempts of the Papists being insufferable, It was decreed upon by the Parliament held in Ireland, that present forces, and ayde should be provided, for the defence of Dublin, which were accordingly furnished, and placed in that City, to the number of 70. Horse, and 200. Foot, all which were planted within the City, and were alwayes ready if occasion should have been offered to resist any Rebellious power, or attempts made against the City, upon the 18. Of this Moneth, the Progresse and strength of the Papists being considered, It was thought convenient and agreed upon, that the forces should be doubled, for the ayd and defence of the City of Dublin; and from this supply of strength began their misery, for when these last forces was planted in Dublin, & had gotten sure possession of the City, they every man most treacherously revolted, and sided with the Rebells and Papists, of which there were great store within those walles, now were the poore Protestants more deeply plunged then before, & to submit were worse then death, for the dayly Tyrannies expressed to their brethren, were very faire instructions unto them, telling them what they must expect at the hands of such Mercylesse enemies, they had as small hopes if they gave them battell, for the number of Papists do Treble the number of the Protestants within that City. The Rebels are hungry for their prey, and will admit no longer delay, & having now gathered a strong head & power together, they expell first of all those armed forces out of the City, disarming and slaying all who would not side, and turne to their [...].
They have gotten possession, and footing of the ptime & hiefe Citie of the Land, but as yet they doe not excercise their accustomed cruelty to the Inhabitants within the walles, but onely to those who live in the subburds, they are very exquisite in their Torments unto the poore Protestants, and one unparaleld peece of cruelty, I cannot omit, the like of which, was never read of in all those bloody persecutions, under which the protestants did groane, in all former Ages. The Relation was made by one Master Georg Iackson, a spectator of this inhumane and barbarous cruelty, they use divers and strange tortures against them, but this is most remarkeable because it wants an example, It was after this manner. Having conquered these (as they call them) Heretiques, and now taken them captives, they most cruelly makes holes in their bellies, cutting away the skine, so that their entrailes may be seene, and laid hold of, then they fasten a Lute or Violl string unto the umbelick or Navill gut, letting them remaine thus a while, without any further Torture, after some small space, they with whipps, and goades, force them forward, one holding by the string which is fastned to the Navill, in this bloody manner they compell them forward, untill they have drawen forth all their entralls. And by this meanes have forced them to a most wretched and miserable end, nor doth their mallice stay heere, but even triumphs over their dead bodyes, and after a most Impious manner Lacerate and dismember their Butchered Trunkes, endeavouring (if-it were posible) to to make their bodyes as Infamous as their Crvelties, these are those persecutions which the professors of the True Gospell of Christ, suffer for the testimony of a good conscience, and a good cause, which the Lord in his good time, turne to his glory, their eternall comfort, and to the confusion of their blood-thirsty enemies.