A perfect Relation of the Rebel­lion in Ireland, from the beginning thereof, till this present Ianuary.

SInce the Irish Army in May last was disbanded, (which was done with much reluctation of the multitude, being very unwilling to lay down their Arms,) and the Romish plot for civill Warres (and bloody battell practised by the lurking Jesuits, and their adherents, the Romanists in generall) between our gracious Soveraign, and his Subjects of Scot­land tooke none effect; and the opportunity and means of taking away root and branch of the Protestants, both Eng­lish and Scotish in Ireland was avoided. It is clear and ma­nifest, that this new way of Treason and Rebellion, was by the disloyall and perfidious Romanists, the Incendiaries of all Christendome, at some frequent Conventicles and meetings, principally at a Friary called Multifornam in the County of Westmeath, where many hundreds of them met and consulted for many daies together this last Sum­mer (provision being brought in unto them by the Coun­trey) where they thus plotted, contrived, and put in exe­cution as followeth, videlicet. That on the 23. day of Oc­tober last, most of the Kings Forts and Castles throughout the Realm, should be by select men set out and allotted to every particular Fort and Castle to be by them surprized; [Page 6] and the Governours and Keepers thereof slain, or kept prisoners.

Accordingly many Castles and Forts were then surpri­zes; the Surprizers under colour of neighbourhood and friendship, inviting themselves to breakfast or dinners to the Governors and keepers thereof, where themselves, their Wives, Children, and Servants were robbed, spoiled, and stripped of all their monies, plate, jewells, goods, corn, Cattell, Housholdstuffe, and Apparell, and some slain or hanged, and some kept prisoners, and barbarously handled.

For surprisall of his Highnesse principall Castle and City of Dublin; where the residence of this Princely go­vernment is, was allotted and assigned the Lord Macguire Baron of Eneskelim, the two Macmoghans, and others. The Lord Macguire to that purpose repaired to Dublin some few daies before; and the Macmoghans, and the rest, the two and twentieth of October, with intent to surprise the Castle on the morrow at the opening of the Gates, and let­ting downe the Draw-bridge, and to act their intended tragicall massacre of the Protestants, on the twenty fourth day of October being Sunday.

To that purpose had they gathered together a multitude of desperate savage barbarous fellowes out of their remote Countries into Dublin: of whom (upon the discouery of the conspiracie) the Lord Macguire, the Macmoghans, and many others were apprehended and tooke the Castle the same day; but not so early in the morning as they in­tended, and are yet there in durance. And many hundreds more were neere approaching to the City of Dublin on the three and twentieth day of October; but upon the noise of the discovery, Retreated.

And moreover about foure hundred men having divers Moneths lien on Shipboord in the Port of Dublin in two of the best Ships furnished with Guns, frequenting that Port, hired under pretence of transporting those foure hundred men, being levied and Shipped by his Highnesse Letters of Licence for Spain were upon the discovery neglected, and [Page 7] no further care taken for their transportation, or victual­ling. But the Friar, one Mallun, that had been the chiefe agent in victualling, and for the pretended transportation of those foure hundred men, hid himselfe from further exa­mination and inquiry; and the men were thereupon set on shore.

What the secret intended intended Plot was, as well touching those foure hundred men, as also touching those two armed Ships, the occurrences and consequence being compared, I leave to the judicious to discern; many de­layes being made against Articles of Charter-party, to hin­der the Masters and Navigators of the sayd Ships from hoi­sing saile when the winde served. Notwithstanding, it pleased that Almighty and omniscient God, that hath been alwayes propitious, benigne, and gracious to our gracious King, in rescuing and delivering him; as also his gracious Father of famous memory, and famous Queene Elizabeth their predecessor, from many malicious, wicked, and bloody Romish designes; As the Queen from pistolls, poisons, and poniards, and the Armado of Spain, in the year 1588. King James, and our gracious King Charles from the Gun­powder-Treason, and since, in bringing back our gracious Soveraigne Lord, and King, out of the jawes of Spain, and Rome; by defeating, and preventing the massacre of his Majesties Royall Sister, and her Royall issue in Holland; from the Spanish Armado, in the year 1639. overthrown by the Hollanders, without his losse or costs. From intestine and civill wars between him and his Subjects of Scotland, laboured by that Arch-devill, Arch-juggler. So now by his secret and mighty power and providence (as the manner of discovery will make appeare) to prevent the imminent ruine, and utter destruction and losse of the whole Realme of Ireland, and his Highnesse people the Protestants, which must have followed; if the Castle or Dublin, whereby all his Highnesse stores and provisions of all manner of Arms, Ammunition, and instruments for War, being then no small quantity had been surprised. Yet the rest of the Conspi­rators [Page 8] in most of the Counties throughout the Realme be­ing confident of the good successe of the Lord Macguire in surprising the Castle, and City of Dublin. (And well they might be confident thereof, for the good successe of the Catholike cause was prayed for at their Masses;) went on with th [...]ir traiterous and bloudy resolutions; and the neighbouring Irish in most Counties, slew the neighbou­ring English; Debtors their Creditors Tenants their Landlords, some Lords of lands their Tenants, Mortgagers their Mortgagees, Servants their Masters, and severally possessed themselves of their severall lands and goods, Money, plate, jewels, apparell, housholdstuffe, corn, and cattell, and thrust them, that they let live, out of doores naked. Many great mens servants being Irish, ran away from their Masters with their best Horses to the Rebels. The Rebels further prosecuting their traiterous and rebel­lious designes; surprised every day more and more of his Highnesse Forts, Castles, and Towns, partly by fraudulent and treacherous insinuation, partly by force, partly by pro­mises of faire quarter to those his Highnesse Subjects, who had upon the noise of the Rebellion betaken themselves thereunto for safegard of themselves and their goods, that upon rendition they should carry away bag and baggage. Behold, all ye that passe by, and read this relation, how these promises of quarter were performed!

No sooner came his Majesties subjects out of those Holds, but they were all, by the Rebells, stripped naked; some bloodily wounded, even to death, but left alive languishing; their bellies being ripped, and guts issuing, cast upon dung-hils; some butchered and cut into gob­bets; some men, some women hanged, yea many hanged, or otherwise put to death by them, when they returned from some skirmishes with lesse.

No degree of Laity, or of, or belonging to the Clergy spared; but Ladies, Gentlewomen, women great with childe, yea, children, very infants and sucklings, as well as men, all robb'd, and stripped naked, and exposed to extre­mity [Page 9] of winde and weather, in a cold winter season, and forced to lie on the cold earth in the fields, in their travell towards Dublin; over whom, being driven together in Herds and Flocks, the Salvages insulted, and upbraided them, saying, Now are ye wilde Irish as well as we, and ye may go to Dublin, if ye will; but ye will finde little suc­cour there, for we are sure the Castle and City are taken. Whither thousands of them repairing from farre, being sore smitten with hunger and cold before they came thi­ther; many of them, after severall reliefs upon the high way, having been thrice stripped by the unmercifull Salva­ges (it is true) found but slender succour; for indeed it is not there to be had, howsoever some particular men have been very bountifull in their Alms and contribution.

For the one halfe of the City and Suburbs are Papists, and will not, or dare not relieve a Protestant for fear of Romes curse, which is denounced against them, if they do relieve. Of the other halfe two parts of three, are poore, and not able to give; and halfe a third part are departed with their estates into England for safety; insomuch as the distressed poore robbed people dye there on heaps, as before they did in the fields upon their travell.

It is now little more than two moneths since this Rebel­lion burst out, during within, and since which time the Traitors and Rebels have so bestirred themselves, that they have not left an Englishman subfisting in any part of the Realm, except in the Province of Conhaught; where they are beholding the goodnesse, loyalty, [...]nd fidelity of the noble Earle of Clenricard, and the care and vigilancie of the Right Honourable the President of the same Province, for their being: And in some parts of the Provinces of Mun­ster and Ʋlster; the first whereof is in part planted with English, being the portion of the noble Earle of Corke, and the last with Scots, being the portion of divers noble and generous Scots (who have behaved themselves bravely, and stoutly against the Rebels; as also some of the English Chiefe [...]ains have, who (I doubt not) shall reape the due [Page 10] merit of their courage and valour;) and in some other few fortified Towns, Castles, and Forts, able for a while to defend themselves from the rage and fury of the multitude, who have dared to stop up all the high-wayes and passages from Dublin to remote parts, thereby to prevent all postage of Letters, and messages from the State to any Town, City, or County, Governour, Lievetenant, or Commander, to lay ambushes for his Highn [...]sse Forces, Men, Arms, and Ammunition, and to surprise the Arms, and slay the men, to rob and spoile all the English within two myles of the City of Dublin, and to bring up their forces so neere, and to skirmish with his Highnesse Forces, they having gotten at least 3000, or 4000 Arms of his Majesties by force, or fraud, but most by treachery.

They have dared above a whole moneth to besiege his Majesties Towne of Drogheda, both by Sea and Land, the same being but twenty miles remote from Dublin; inso­much as both Towns are already straightned for victuals: Drogheda having had for all that time no market at all, and Dublin a very slender and thin market; therein appeering now scarcely either pound of fresh butter, or cheese, Tur­key, Goose, Hen, Capon, Chick, Egge, or Pigge, or any manner of Sea-foul [...]; and little Fish; all which were wont to be very plentifull, and at cheape rates. It is supposed that most of the Fisher-men are become Rebels. The pri­ces of Corn, Beife, Mutton, Veale, and Porke are already doubled to that they were at the begining of the Rebellion. For in very deed, the Rebels have surprised, or do detaine from market, or are possessed of all the Corn and Cattle almost in the whole Realm.

At the first, and for one moneths space after the Treason and Rebellion brake out; it seemed to be none other, but such as was plotted, stirred, and enterprized only by some Male-contented old Irish, against the English; whose An­cestors and themselves▪ had poss [...]ssed their Ancestors lands, and Revenues, and the cause not Romish, and universall; but it had been possible to have been conceived, that if the [Page 11] Castle of Dublin had been surprised; the cause would have proved not onely discontent for dis-inheritance, but the Catholike Romish cause a Kingdome, and a new Cath [...] ­like King.

As soon as those of the vicinity of Dublin, Lords, knights and Gentlemen of the Pale, the old English, had by their cautelous insinuations, and protestations of loyalty and fi­delity to the King, and Crowne, severally obtained from the Right Honourable, the Lords, Justices, severall Arms and Ammunition out of his Highnesse Store-house, in his Castle of Dublin, for their pretended private defence a­gainst the Rebels: and had afterwards declared themselves, by laying aside those severall Arms and Ammunition toge­ther, for a publike offence against our Soveraigne Lord the King, his Crowne and dignity, to be their confederates, Then it apperred manifestly that the cause was not only private discontent of some particular men, but Universall, Romish, and devillish, even for a Kingdom. For what did, or could the last Committee of Parliament crave of his Highnesse for enlargement of their jurisdictions, immuni­ties, and liberties, which was not liberally of his free Grace granted. Let the whole World behold, and see the free Grace, and bounty, of a Royall, Virtuous, and pious King; and the disloyall ingratitude, and heathenish immanity, of a perfidious, and Rebellious people, who have so Traite­rously requited his King-like clemency and benignity. For they have not only destroyed, and made desolate his King­dome in two moneths, which hath been fourty years im­planting since the last civill Wars; but they have also rob­bed him of his Rents, Revenues, and Customes, and part of those Subsidies which themselves had helped to confirm by Act of Parliament, and robbed, spoiled, and murthered many of his Liege-people, which should, and would have cheerfully payed those Subsidies. For they have destroyed all Merchandize and Trade throughout the Realm, wherby even many of themselves, and their impions faction, must of necessity suffer infinitely; millions of gold will not [Page 12] countervail the dammage on all sides. One thing more in particular, touching those of the Pale neer the City of Dublin, and the confines is worthy to be related, videlicet, that when some of them had obtained Arms, and Ammu­nition for 500. men, with pretence to resist the Rebels: besides those a forementioned for their private defence, they returned answer, that they could not levy so many men, who would fight against the Rebels: and therefore they would return the Arms, and Ammunition, and so did, but not to the Castle of Dublin, whence they received them, but to the Town Droghedath, which is now besieged, between which and Dublin, the s [...]me men nowly with an Arm [...], expecting doubtlesse, shortly to have all those Arms again.

For the best of them, who appeared most in getting forth those Armes, have since refused to come in upon Pro­clamation, th [...]y have joyned themselves with the Rebels, they have taken the Kings Subjects prisoners, they have again r [...]leased them, and given them passes from th [...] Irish Army, coloured with pretended authority in the Kings Name, with their own names, and a Romish Priests, or Fry [...]rs subscribed. Was not this a neat Romish trick? Let all these conveyances, and occurrences be laid together, and then let all the Princes, and Nations of Europe judge, and censure, whether Religion can warrant such fraud, and treachery, treason, and rebellion, robbery, spoil, rapine, bloudy cruelty, and murders.

The primitive persecutions were exquisite torments of divers kindes full of tyranny, and cruelty; but they were short, and made a speedy end of life; but this new found way of persecution by cold, and hunger, much more terri­ble, and exceedeth them all, because it is a long lingring, and languishing torment, and so much the more cruell, because exercised on women, yea women great with childe, Infants, and Sucklings.

These tyrants, and bloudy minded men, certainly are not Kings, nor Governours; by what authority then ex­ercise [Page 13] they such cruelty upon their fellow Subjects? What can they say for themselves, if they should answer before their King? If they pretend religion, though there be a mulct of ninepence, each Sabbath upon every person of com­petent age absenting himself from Divine Service by a Sta­tute Law enacted in the Realm, they cannot alledge that it was put in execution, or that they had not freedom for their Romish superstitions, which to endeavor to convince them of by argument is but folly. For their pretended Catholike cause, which already appeareth to be the mother of treason, and rebellion, the sin of witchcraft, murder, and all other abominations, and will shortly appear, even to themselves to be the daughter of Antichrist, and Antichristianisme, must by an inevitable divine decree, be convinced by fire, and sword. Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give the glory, for thy loving mercy; and for thy truths sake.

For if the Lord himself had not been on our side, now may we, that survive since the day of discovery of their abominable treason, and rebellion, say, when they rose up against us; they had swallowed us up quick, th [...]y were so wrathfully displeased at us. Praised be the Lord, which hath not given us over as a prey unto their teeth. The snare is broken, and we are delivered. It may be collected that King David, in these precedent words of his, prophecied of these later times, and the Romish persecution. For how were the snares broken, and we delivered, when there was but tenne houres left unrun out from catching us in their snare? Meerly by the providence of God, as the many formerly mentioned deliverances were. It appeareth mani­festly, that the conspiracy had been long in hatching, and contriving with true Romish secrecy. For the honest man Owen O-Connely, the discoverer being an Irish man, but a Protestant (as he hath declared to divers of his familiar friends) having observed by discourse among the Irish, that there was some enterprize in hand prayed for, at their Masses, in furtherance, and good successe of the Catholike [Page 14] cause, Although he had dissembled his Religion, and fre­quented their Masses in places remote from his habitation, where he was not known, could never obtain a true dis­covery of the particular, untill the very evening of the two and twentieth day of October, when Hugh Mac-Moghan, one of the conspirators, intending to expresse his love to Owen O Connely, and to rescue him out of the approaching danger, and to that end having invited him by Letters, and an expresse Messenger to ride with him a long journey to Dublin, upon earnest affairs, they with the rest being thi­ther come; opening his minde to Owen, told him what the enterprise was, videlicet, the surprizall of the Castle of Dublin, and Massacre of the Protestants, and enjoyned him secrecy, and fidelity.

Owen could do no lesse for his own safeties sake, then give consent, and promise fidelity, and secrecy. But with­all he diswaded Hugh Mac-Moghan from the enterprize, but did not prevail. For Hugh Mac-Moghan answered, that it was too farre gone, he was so deepely engaged, that he had vowed perseverance, or to that effect. If it be so, replied Owen, let us go on, I will do my best, or to that effect.

Notwithstanding his verball consent, the good man moved with the fear of God, love of his King and Country, and commiseration of his fellow Subjects, Christians, and Protestants, whom he well saw, and knew were sure to be lost, and ruined if the plot succeeded, wisely reserving to himself his compunction of heart, and loyall affection, kept company with the Traytors, ahd revelled with them in Taverns, untill he had drunk too much; but in the end watching his opportunity, slipt away, from them, into one of the Lords Justices houses, and discovered unto the Lord Justice the conspiracy; to which the Lord Justice gave little credence at first, because he perceived that Owen had drunk too much. But the vehemency, and importunity of Owen, moved him to embrace, and take the information to heart, and immediately it being then late in the night to [Page 15] go to councell with his Peers, and to take course for pre­vention of that wicked, and damnable Treason, and for apprehension of the conspirators, who were eight or nine of them attached, within eight or nine houres after; a little before the prefixed hour of their intended mischief, and the Lord Macguire about the midst of the same day.

For every particular of the manner of discovery, it is not materiall to set out; Owen O-Conney best can, and hath already told his own tale.

Herein is given only a brief touch of it, whereout may be gathered, that the finger of God was in it, in framing the heart of Hugh Mac-Moghan towards Owen O-Connely, and to discover that to him in the very point of time, which he had so busily, and industriously long sought after. Therefore let glory be given to God the principall disco­verer.

Dated at Dublin the fourth of January. 1641.