THE Irish Rebellion: OR, AN HISTORY Of the Beginnings and first Pro­gresse of the Generall Rebellion raised within the Kingdom of IRELAND, upon the three and twentieth day of October, in the Year, 1641.

TOGETHER VVith the Barbarous Cruelties and Bloody Massacres which ensued thereupon.

By Sir IOHN TEMPLE Knight. Master of the Rolles, and one of his Majesties most honourable Privie Councell within the Kingdom of IRELAND.

LONDON, Printed by R. White for SAMUEL GELLIBRAND, at the Brasen Serpent in Pauls Church-yard. 1646.

THE PREFACE TO THE READER.

I Have here adventured to present unto publick view, the beginnings and first progresse of the Rebellion lately rai­sed within this Kingdome of Ireland. And although I cannot but take no­tice of such a multitude of imperfe­ctions in my self, as render me very unfit for the performance of this ser­vice: As also, that I shall thereby raise up much malice, and private displeasure, as well a­gainst my person, as my undertakings herein: Yet such is my zeal and most earnest desire to appear in this cause, as being now laid aside, and for the present dis-abled in any other way to be further usefull to this unhappy Kingdome, I resolved to deny my self, and wholly departing from my own inte­rests, to imploy my weak endeavours, in setting down the sad Story of our miseries. I might peradventure with much more advantage to my own particular have looked back (as far wiser men have done in their troubles) and passed my time in forein Collections, or penning some story of times long since past, where the chief Actors are at rest, and their [Page] unquiet spirits so surely laid, as they are not to be moved with the sharpest charge that can be laid on their memories: Nulli gravis est percussus Achilles. Most men are great lovers of themselves, and such constant admirers of their own acti­ons, as they think they do well to be angry at any thing that shall (though never so truly) be reported to their disad­vantage. They consider not their own naturall imbecilli­ties, their passions, distempers, or ill affections which leade them on to advize or act things of an ill fame; but are ready to flye in the faces of those who shall even in the fairest cha­racters represent or leave any impressions of them. Hence it is that the truth of things comes quite to be overshadowed with false colours, and so to remain as it were buried alive, or otherwaies to appear extreamly disfigured through grosse errours, base flattery, or wilfull mistakes. For most men that are present adventurers in this kinde, are wise enough to apprehend their own danger, and thereupon departing from the common interest that every other man hath in their story, reflect only upon their own particular, and suf­fer themselves to be overawed with the humour of the present times; or so far transported, either with the benefits or private injuries received from particular persons, as they transmit very imperfect and weaker relations, or otherwise fill them up with such counterfeit stuffe, as posterity will owe little to their information.

Monsieur du Plessis, a person of extraordinary abilities and learning, a great Minister of State under that glorious King Henry the 4th of France, undertook as it appears by a Letter of his, to Monsieur Languet, to write a Story of those times wherein he lived. But I cannot find that he ever suffered that work to come to the Presse; whether by just apprehensions discouraged frō publication, or whether it otherwise miscar­ried, I cannot say. But sure I am, in the same Letter he bitter­ly declaims against the humour of the times, and there plain­ly tels us, that after one hath writ an History, he dares not [Page] adventure the publishing of it.Memoires de Monsieur du Plessie, fol. 45. Si non qu'il allege pour cause d'un effect ce que n'a pas este, comme une cause genereuse, au lieu de l'amour d'une femme, & d'une querelle de bordeau. Such was then the iniquity of those times, so abominable and shame­full, the true causes of the imbrollments in that Kingdome, that those wars (as the Court was then governed) had for the most part their first beginnings from some ill placed affe­ction, or a private quarrell in an infamous place. And fur­ther speaking on this subject, he intimates how dangerous it is to set forth the actions of men in their true colours; and how bitter and corroding to the conscience of an Historian to disguise or make them appear otherwise to the world, then they were in their first originall.

To speak truth exactly is highly commendable in any man, especially in one that takes upon him to be a publick infor­mer: to raze, to corrupt a Record is a crime of a very high nature, and by the laws of the Land most severely punish­able. Histories are called Testes temporum, lux veritatis, Cicero de Orat. vita memoriae: and certainly he doth offend in an high degree, who shall either negligently suffer, or wilfully procure them to bring in false evidence; that shall make them dark Lanthorns to give light but on the one side, or as Ignes fatui, to cause the Reader to wander from the truth, and vainly to follow false shadows, or the factious humour of the writers brain. To be false, to deceive, to lye, even in ordinary discourse, are vices commonly branded with much infamy, and held in great detestation by all good men. And therefore cer­tainly those that arrive at such a height of impudency, as magisterially to take upon them, not only to abuse the pre­sent, but future ages, must needs render themselves justly odious. They stand responsable for other mens errours, and whereas in all other notorious offenders, their sin and their life determines at farthest together: the sin of these men is perpetuated after their decease, they speak when they are dead, make false infusions into every Age, and court every [Page] new person that shall many years after cast his eyes upon their story to give belief to their lyes. Therefore for my own part when I first undertook this task, I took up with it a resolution most clearly to declare the truth. I have cast up my accounts, I have set up my rest, and determine rather to displease any other man then offend my own conscience. I have neither private reflections, nor foreign ends; I am now as it were reduced into my first principles, and have taken this work upon me, meerly out of publick considerations. All that I aime at is, that there may remain for the benefit of this present age, as well as of posterity, some certain Re­cords and monuments of the first beginnings and fatall pro­gresse of this rebellion, together with the horrid cruelties most unmercifully exercised by the Irish Rebels upon the British, and Protestants within this Kingdome of Ireland. That when Gods time is come of returning it into the bo­somes of those who have been the first plotters or present actors therein, and that Kingdome comes to be re-planted with British, and setled in peace again, (which I have even in our lowest condition, with great confidence attended, and do now most undoubtedly believe will ere long be brought to passe) there may be such a course taken, such provisions made, and such a wall of separation set up betwixt the Irish and the British, as it shall not be in their power to rise up (as now and in all former Ages they have done) to destroy and root them out in a moment, before they be able to put themselves into a posture of defence, or to gather together to make any consi­derable resistance against their bloody attempts.

I shall not pretend to entertain the Reader with politicall Maxims, grave Sentences, or flourishing Orations: That which I hope will cover over a multitude of imperfections, is the unquestionable truth of what I shal set down in a plain and brief narration of all the causes and proceedings held in the raising, as also in the first counsels and undertakings for the suppression of this hideous Rebellion.

And that I might in some measure compasse my designe [Page] herein, and give satisfaction even to the most curious inqui­sitors after truth, I did with great care and diligence turn over the very Originals or authenticall copies of the volumi­nous examinations remaining with the publick Register, and taken upon oath, by vertue of two severall Commissions is­sued out under the Great Seal of this Kingdom, to examine the losses of the British, the cruelties and horrid murders committed by the Irish in the destruction of them. I have perused the publick dispatches, acts, and relations, as like­wise the private Letters and particular discourses sent by the chief Gentlemen out of severall parts of the Kingdom, to present unto the Lords Justices & Counsell the sad condition of their affairs. And having been made acquainted with all the most secret passages and counsels of the State, I have, as far as I could, without breach of trust, and as the duty of a Privie Councellour would admit, communicated so much of them as I conceived necessary and proper for publick in­formation. And setting aside the particulars contained with­in the first Pages, leading on by way of introduction to the insuing troubles, which I have taken up on trust out of the most approved Authors both ancient and modern, who have written the story of Ireland, I may confidently avow, that I have been so curious in gathering up my materials, and so carefull in putting them together, as very few passa­ges will be found here inserted which have not either fallen within the compasse of my own knowledge, or that I have not received from those who were chiefly intrusted in mat­ter of action abroad; or that came not to my hands attested under the oaths of credible witnesses, or clearly asserted in the voluntary confessions of the Rebels themselves.

Every man I believe will easily assent unto me, that out of these Fountains we may presume with most certainty to draw truth, and that if we bound our inquiries within this circuit, we may well hope to arrive at the true knowledge of the main particular passages of this late Rebellion. And [Page] therefore though I shall not obtrude every thing as infalli­ble, which by a strict and most severe inquisition I have ta­ken up on the grounds before mentioned (considering how subject men are through forgetfulnesse and humane imbecil­lity, to erre in the ordinary course of their relations): yet thus much I suppose I may confidently say, that no man could imagine how to make collections with greater certain­ty, and more clear unquestionable probabilities of truth then I have here set down.

Now as for the examinations here mentioned, howsoever they were taken with all the care and circumspection that could possibly be used in so great a work, yet are they most commonly decried, and held by the Irish as very injurious to their countrey men. Thus much I shall be bold to averre, and shall here speak it for the better authority and credit of the evidence brought in by them.

First, that as the Commissions for taking those examina­tions were after mature deliberation issued out by speciall order from the Lords Justices and Councell; so they were in great wisdome designed by them for no other ends then to have some generall account of the losses suffered by the British, and the cruelties exercised by the Irish upon them in the severall parts of the Kingdome. And this course was first set on foot in the very height of our troubles, when the fury of the Rebels so desperately raged, as they were in no condition to think of the attainting of their persons, and therefore only aimed at the discovery of their treason. Out of which respect chiefly the Commissioners made choice of for the performance of this service, were six of the Clergie, all persons of known integrity; and such as by reason of their profession, would in all probabili­ty gently proceed on in their inquisitions, and truly set down the bloody Relations given in unto them. The persons examined were of severall conditions, most of them Bri­tish, some of Irish birth and extraction, very many of [Page] good quality, and such as were of inferiour rank were not rejected if they were known sufferers, and came free­ly in to declare what they could speak of their owne knowledge. Few came but such as had been in the hands of the Rebels, and could with sorrowfull hearts make the sad relation of their own miseries. And so they having been eye-witnesses, their depositions are for the most part out of their own knowledge; and what is gi­ven in by them upon hear-say, they for the most part depose, that they received it out of the Rebels own mouthes while they were in restraint among them. Last­ly, many of these miserable persons thus examined, came up wounded, others even almost famished; or so worn out with their sufferings, as they did not long out-live the date of their examinations: So as these testimonies being delivered in their last agonies, we are in charity to believe that they would leave behinde them with all due circumstances, a clear attestation of such cruelties as they then bequeathed unto us with their last breath.

But it is not much to be wonde­dered,Mr. Creighton in his Examina­tion deposeth, That he heard many bitter words cast out against the Ci­ty of Dublin, That they would burn and ruine it, destroy all Records, and Monuments of the English govern­ment; Make lawes against speaking English, and that all names given by English to places, should be abo­lished, and the ancient names re­stored. if they who had it in designe to destroy all the publick Records and ancient Monuments in the King­dome, to banish both the English Law and Government, do so bit­terly declaim against these eviden­ces of their cruelty, and lively atte­stations given in to perpetuate the memory of them to their eternall infamy.

If they could imagine which way to silence, or by what means to blast the credit of these examinations thus so­lemnly taken, and prevaile according to their most im­petuous desires upon the late Treaty of Peace, to have all the indictments legally put in against the principall Re­bels [Page] and their adherents, taken off the file and cancelled, they would not be out of hope, as these times now are to palliate their Rebellion with such specious pretences, as that their barbarous cruelties, acted beyond all paralell being forgotten, it should with great applause passe down to posterity, under the name of a holy and just war for the defence of the Catholick Cause.

And now in order to this designe, they have taken all oc­casions to proclaime the huge pressures which they pretend to have suffered under the late government in this King­dome, and spare not to tearm it tyrannicall: they speak as if their oppressions might be paralelled with the Is­raelitish envassalage in the Land of Egypt, and their per­secutions for Religion equalled to those of the Primitive times. And then they further say, That thereupon only some Catholicks, considering the deplorable and desperate condition they were in, and apprehending the plots laid to extinguish their Religion and Nation, did take armes in the North in maintenance of their Religion, and for the preservation of life, liberty, and estate, together with his Majesties rights. And that the Lords and Gentlemen dwelling within the Eng­lish Pale, were likewise by the great rigour and severity used by the State towards them, enforced to take up armes for their own defence.

A Remon­strance of grievances presented to his Majesty in behalf of the Catholicks of Ireland, and given in to his Majesties Commissio­ners at Trime, March 17. 1642.These are the expressions and the language used in the late Remonstrance given in to his Majesties Commissio­ners at Trime, to be presented to his Majestie in behalf of his Catholick Subjects in Ireland. Wherein there are pieced together so many vain inconsiderable fancies, many subsequent passages acted in the prosecution of the war, and such bold, notorious, false assertions, without any the least ground or colour of truth: as without all doubt they absolutely resolved, first, to raise this Rebellion, and then to set their Lawyers and Clergie on work, to frame such reasons and motives as might with some colour of justi­fication [Page] serve for arguments to defend it. And it is in­deed, to speak plainly, a most infamous Pamphlet, full fraught with scandalous aspersions cast upon the present government, and his Majesties principall Officers of State within this Kingdome. It was certainly framed with most virulent intentions, not to present their condition and pre­sent sufferings to his Majestie, but that it might be dispersed to gain belief among foreign States abroad, as well as dis­contented persons at home; and so draw assistance and aide, to foment and strengthen their rebellious party in Ireland.

But I do not much wonder they should take thus upon them to abuse the world with such scurrilous discourses, and there­by endeavour to raise some ground or belief that they had just cause to enter into so desperate a Rebellion. This hath been an ordinary course ever held in all designes of this na­ture. And it is well observed by Polybius, that there are com­monly to be found in all such great undertakings, Causae sua­soriae, and causae justificae. The first, such as are the true naturall causes and really first in the intention; the other, such as are most commonly obtruded to the world by way of cover and justification. Now as the nature of water is most clearly seen in the first Fountain, where it remains pure and unmixed, without any drosse or soil that it afterwards contracts, as it passeth along in the streams derived from it. So certainly the quality of all humane actions is best understood, and most clearly discerned, when we look upon them as they appear in their first originall, before the inconveniencies and fatall miscarriages which afterwards come to be discovered, awake the first Projectors, and teach them new artifices wherewith to disguise and colour over their abortive, or otherwise un­fortunate counsels. Now as for the true Suasorian causes (if I may so tearm them) which enduced the Irish to lay the plot of this Rebellion, & were indeed really first in their thoughts, they will sufficiently appear in this ensuing Story. And for [Page] the justificall reasons of their rising in armes, if any one hath a minde to take them up on trust from themselves, let him seek no further then the Remonstrance before mentioned; whereof much more is to be said then I shall give my self li­berty to speak in this place: well knowing that those noto­rious untruths and wicked impostures contained in it when they come to the test will be quickly discovered, and the varnish they have put upon them soon fall away of it self.

If any one hath been ignorantly deluded hereby, and de­sires to be rectified in his own judgement, let him be pleased to turn over this ensuing Story, ‘Verum est index sui & obliqui:’

There needs certainly no other confutation of their false and virulent suggestions, then a true impartiall relation of the first beginnings and progresse of this Rebellion: which for what was acted within the space of the first two moneths after the breaking out of it, I presume I may say without vanity, he shall certainly finde here. It is true, I have principally ap­plyed my self to give an account of what was done about Dublin, the chief City of this Kingdom, and the place where the Lords Justices and Councell continued using their ut­most power and endeavours to oppose the fury of the Re­bels. Yet as all other parts of the Kingdom were under their government, and their care and counsels (as far as their generall distractions would admit) extended to the whole, what was acted in all other places of the countrey, comes properly to be touched upon, and the miserable condition of them to be represented in this following Story.

I shall not here trouble the Reader with any further Apo­logy for my self, or with excuses for the multitude of my own imperfections, which will here appear in large Chara­cters; and will be peradventure looked upon with a Multi­plying Glasse by those who are not pleased with what I have here exposed to publick view. I do not at all pretend to si­lence the bitter expressions of malevolent spirits: As I shall [Page] with great patience compose my self to bear the utmost that their malice can put upon me: So I shall be alwayes ready with much meeknesse to submit to be reformed by any per­son whatsoever, who can make it appear, that I have either through ignorance or negligence (for I am sure wilfull mi­stakes they will finde none) miscarried in the relation of any particular here set down: Sinnes of ignorance found a very easie expiation under the Old Law, I will not say they had a pardon of course. But if I have so carried my self, as that no greater transgressions can be laid to my charge, I shall be much satisfied, and may peradventure be further encouraged to proceed on to a continuation of this Story, and therein to transmit down to posterity the noble atchievements and great victories already obtained by small numbers of the English forces over huge multitudes of these Irish Rebels.

THE TABLE.

  • THe Oiginall of the Irish, fol. 1.
  • The first enterprize of the English for the conquest of Ire­land, made by private adventurers during the reign of King Henry the 2d. King of England. fol. 3.
  • Christian Religion setled in Ireland, in the fourth Age, after the birth of our Saviour. fol. 4.
  • The numbers of British and Protestants murthered, or otherwise destroyed since the beginning of the Rebellion, unto the time of the making of the first Cessation of armes with the Irish Rebels. fol. 6.
  • The ancient malice born by the Irish towards the English. fol. 7.
  • The royall endeavours of Queen Elizabeth for the reducing of Ireland. fol. 8.
  • The miserable condition of Ireland when King James came to the Crown of England. fol. 11.
  • The Irish Commissioners present their grievances to King Charles: His great readinesse to redresse them. fol. 12.
  • The Earl of Leicester declared L. Lieutenant of Ireland. fol. 14.
  • The happy condition of Ireland, at the time of the breaking out of the Rebellion. fol. 16.
  • The manner of the discovery of the Conspiracy of the Irish, for the seazing upon the Castle and City of Dublin. fol. 18.
  • [Page]The rising of the Irish within the Province of Ulster. fol. 24.
  • A Letter from the Lords Justices and Councell to the Lord Lieutenant. fol. 28.
  • A Proclamation issued out for the satisfaction of the Lords and chief Gentlemen of the English Pale. fol. 37.
  • The names of the chief Rebels in Ulster; severall Forts and places of strength suddenly surprized by them. fol. 39
  • Severall policies used by the Irish to prevent the rising of the English against them. fol. 41.
  • Sir Phelim O Neals proceedings in Ulster. fol. 44.
  • The second dispatch of the Lords Justices and Councell into England. fol. 46.
  • The Proceedings of the Parliament in England upon the first advertisements brought unto them of the Rebellion raised in Ire­land. fol. 48.
  • Order taken for victualling the Castle of Dublin, and for the safety of the City. fol. 53.
  • The sad condition of the City of Dublin. fol. 61.
  • The particulars of the first plot of the Rebellion. fol. 65.
  • The plot for a generall Rebellion in Ireland of an ancient date. fol. 66.
  • The Plot for this late Rebellion first discovered to the Lord Mac-Guire, upon Mr. John Bellewes return out of England, with Commission to continue the Parliament in Ireland. fol. 69
  • That the Lords of the English Pale were engaged in the first Plot, is very probable. fol. 73.
  • The Romish Clergy, and the Irish Lawyers, great instruments in raising the Rebellion. fol. 76.
  • The means used by them to stir up the people. fol. 78.
  • The resolution of the Irish to root out the British out of Ireland. fol. 84.
  • Vpon their first rising they seize upon all the English mens goods and cattell, next strip them naked, and so turn them out of their doors. fol. 88.
  • A particular enumeration of severall bloody massacres and horrid [Page] cruelties exercised upon the British; all testified upon oath, and taken out of severall examinations, inserted in the margine. fol. 90.
  • The Remonstrance of the Protestants of Munster. fol. 110.
  • The examinations of severall persons inhabiting within the se­verall Provinces of this Kingdom taken upon Oath: wherein are deposed severall particulars concerning the murders and cruelties used by the Rebels to the British in all parts of the countrey. fol. 116.
  • Severall examinations concerning the Apparitions at Portne­down Bridge. fol. 133.
  • The cruelties acted by the Irish upon the British, were before any provocation given them. fol. 1.
  • Concerning the adjournment of the Parliament in Ireland. fol. 4.
  • The approach of the Rebels to Tredagh, and the defeat of the English forces sent for the relief of that Town. fol. 16.
  • The defection of the Lords and chief Gentlemen of the English Pale. fol. 18.
  • The manner of their conjunction with the Northern Rebels. fol. 19.
  • Their refusall to repair to the Lords Justices and Councell. fol. 24.
  • Their proceedings after they had joyned with the Northern Re­bels. fol. 29.
  • The Kingdome of Scotland sends Commissioners to treat with the Parliament of England concerning the relief of Ireland. fol. 32.
  • Their Propositions debated in the House of Peers. fol. 34.
  • The revolt of the Province of Munster. fol. 35.
  • A Letter from the Lords Justices and Councell to the Lord Lieu­tenant. fol. 39

The Irish Rebellion: OR, An History of the beginnings, and first progresse of the generall Rebellion raised within the Kingdom of Ireland, in the Year. 1641.

THE Kingdome of Ireland (which hath for almost five hundred yeares continued under the Sove­raignty of the Crown of England) was presently after the first conquest of it, planted with English Colonies, long since worn out, or for the most part become Irish. And therefore it hath again in this last Age been supplyed with great numbers of peo­ple drawn out of England and Scotland, to settle their habitations in that Country. Now the most execrable plot laid by the Irish, for the univer­sall extirpation of all these British and Protestants, the bloody progresse of their Rebellion within the compasse of the first two moneths, their horrid cruelties, in most barbarously murdering, or otherwaies destroy­ing [Page 2] many thousands of men, women and children, peaceably setled, and securely intermixed among them, and that without any provocation, or considerable resistance at first made, I intend shall be the present subject of the first Part of this ensuing Story.

The originall of the Irish.The Irish want not many fabulous inventions to magnifie the very first beginnings of their Nation. Whether the Scythians, Gaules, Afri­cans, Gothes, or some other more Eastern Nation that anciently inhabited Spaine, came and sate down first in Ireland, I shall not much trouble my selfe here to enquire. If wee should give credit to the Irish Chronicles, or their Bards (who deliver no certain truths) we might finde stuffe enough for an ancient pedegree, made up out of a most various strange composure of the Irish Nation. But to let them passe, there are certain­ly a concurrence of divers manners and customes, such affinity of severall of their words and names, and so great resemblance of many long used rites, and still retained ceremonies as do give us some ground to believe that they do not improbably deduce their first originall from some of those people. It may very well be conjectured (for infallible Records I finde none) that as the Eastern parts of Ireland, bordering upon England, were first planted by the old Brittaines:Toole of the old Britein word Toll a hil-country. Birne of Brin, woods. Cauvenagh of Cauve strong. The view of Ireland by Spencer. fol. 33. Toole, Birne, and Cauvenagh the ancient Septs, and still inhabitants of that part of the country, be­ing old British words. And as the Northern parts of Ireland were first inhabited by the Scythians, from whom it was calledIreland is of­ten called Sco­tia maior a­mong ancient writers. Scytenland, or Scotland: So the Southern and more Westerne parts thereof were peo­pled from the Maritine parts of Spaine, being the next continent, not by the now Spanish Nation, who are strangely compounded of a diffe­rent admixture of severall people: But as I said, peradventure by the Gaules, who anciently inhabited all the Sea coasts of Spaine, the Syri­ans, or some other of those more Eastern Nations, who intermixing with the naturall Inhabitants of that Country, made a transmigration in­to Ireland, and so setled some Colonies there.

Ireland ancient­ly divided into divers petty principalities.The whole Kingdome of Ireland was divided into divers petty prin­cipalities, and of later times there were five principall Chieftains, viz. Mac Morough of Lemster, Mac Cartye of Munster, O Neale of Ʋlster, O Connor of Conaght, and O Malaghlin of Meath. For such were the Irish denominations,Isti reges non fuerunt ordinati solemnitate ali­cuius ordinis, nec unctionis sacra­mento, nec iure hereditarto, vel aliqua proprie­tatis successione, sed vt & armis quilibet regnum suum obtinuit. The black book of Christ-church in Dub­lin it is an an­cient Manu­script kept there. and I do not finde they were called Kings till about the time of the comming over of the English, Giraldus Cambrensis who came into Ireland in the time of Hen. 2. of England, being the first wri­ter that gives them that Title. Besides, as they came not in either by he­reditary right or lawfull Election, so their investiture was solemnized nei­ther by Unctiō, or Coronation, they made their way by the Sword, had certain kinds of barbarous ceremonies used at their Inauguration, kept up [Page 3] their power with a high hand, and held the people most monstrously enslaved to all the savage customes practised under their dominion. And thus they continued untill the Raign of Hen. 2. King of England in whose time the undertakings for the Conquest of Ireland were successefully made by most powerfull, though private adventurers upon this occasion.

Dermott Mac Morough, King of Lemster (being by the Kings of Conaght and Meath enforced to flie his country) made his repaire di­rectly to Hen. 2. King of England, The first enter­prise of the Eng­lish upon Ire­land made by private adven­turers. then personally attending his Wars in France, and with much earnestnesse implored his aid for the recovery of his territories in Ireland, most injuriously, as he pretended, wrested out of his hands. The King refused to imbarque himself in this quarrell: yet graciously recommended the justice of his cause to all his loving Subjects, and by his Letters Patents assured them that whosoever would afford the said Mac-Morough assistance towards his resettlement should not only have free liberty to transport their Forces,Se nostram ad hoc tam gratiam noverit quam li­centiam obtinere Gir. Cambren. expugnata Hib. cap. 1. but be held to do very acceptable service therein. Hereupon Earle Strangebow first engaging himself, determined as a private Adventurer to endeavour his restituti­on with the utmost forces he could raise, he lying then very conveniently at Bristol, where Mac-Morough came unto him, in his passage back from the King into Ireland; There were certain conditions agreed upon between them, and a transaction made by Mac-Morough of his king­dome of Lemster unto the Earl, upon his marriage with his only daugh­ter Eva. And so he being desirous to return speedily into his own coun­try, passed to St. Davids in South-Wales, from whence is the shortest passage out of England into Ireland, and there he further engaged Fitz-Stephen and Fitz-Gerald, private Gentlemen, in this service: These, by their power among their country-men in those parts, having gotten together a patty of 490 men,Cambr. cap. 3. transported them in three ships into Ireland, landing at the Banne, a little Creek neer Featherd in the county of Wexford, and there joyning with some Forces brought unto them by Mac-Morough, made their first attempt upon the town of Wex­ford, they were gallantly seconded by Earl Strangebow, who followed presently after with no very considerable forces: and yet by the power of their arms, within a very short time prevailed so far in the country, as they made themselves masters thereof, and so gained the possession of all the maritime parts of Lemster.

King Henry upon the news of their prosperous successe in the sudden reducement of so large a territory by such inconsiderable forces as they carried with them; desirous to share with his subjects in the rich fruits,K. Henry the 2. his expedition into Ireland. An. 1172. as well as in the glory of so great an action, undertook an expedition in his own person into Ireland the year following. And so strange an influence [Page 4] had the very presence of this great Prince into the minds of the rude sa­vage Natives, as partly by the power of his arms, partly by his grace and favour in receiving of them in upon their fained submissions most humbly tendred unto him, he easily subdued a barbarous divided people.

The first beginnings of the Conquest of this Kingdome were thus glo­riously laid by this King, in the year of our Lord 1172. Now for the Land it selfe, he found it good and flourishing with many excellent commo­dities, plentifull in all kinds of provision, the Soile rich and fertile, the Aire sweet and temperate, the Havens very safe and commodious severall Towns and little Villages scattered up and down in the severall parts of the country;Rog. Hoveden cals it Palati­um regium miro artificio de vir­gis levigatis ad modum patriae illius constru­ctum. fol. 528. but the Buildings so poor and contemptible, as when that King arrived at Dublin their chief city, and finding there neither place fit for receipt or entertainment, he set up a long house made of smoothed wattles after the manner of the country, and therein kept his Christmas. All their Forts, Castles, stately buildings and other edifices were after­wards erected by the English, except some of their maritime towns which were built by the Ostmanni or Easterlings who anciently came and inhabited in Ireland.

Christian reli­gion setled in Ireland.Moreover, He found likewise by severall monuments of piety, and other remarkable testimonies that Christian religion had been long since introduced and planted among the inhabitants of the land. It is not certainly without some good grounds affirmed by ancient writers, That in the fourth age after the incarnation of our blessed Lord and Saviour, some holy and learned men came over out of forraigne parts into Ire­land, out of their pious desires to propagate the blessed Gospel through­out the Kingdome,By Sedulius Palladius Pa­tricius, in the fourth age after the birth of our Saviour. as Sedulius, Palladius, and besides severall others Patricius the famous Irish Saint, (A Britain borne at a place now called Kirk-Patrick near Glascow in Scotland, then the utmost boundary of the Britains dominion in those parts) who out of meer devotion came and spent much of their time among the Irish, and out of their zealous affectiōs for the conversion of a barbarous people, applied thēselves with great care and industry to the instructing of them in the true grounds and principles of Christian religion. And with so great successe, and such unwearied endeavours did S. Patrick travail in this work, as (if we will give credit to some writers) we must believe that the Church of Armagh was by him erected into an Archiepiscopal See, three hundred and fifty Bishops consecrated, great numbers of Clergy-men instituted, who (notwithstanding the notorious impiety and continued prophanesse of the common sort of people) being most of them Monks by vow and pro­fession, of great learning very austere and strict in their discipline were so much taken notice of in those rude ignorant times, by other Nations, [Page 5] as in respect of them some gave unto the Island the denomination of In­sula Sanctorum. But so quickly did the power of holinesse decay in the land, as the name was soon lost, and even the very prints and characters thereof among the very Clergie themselves obliterated; the life of the people so beastly, their manners so depraved and barbarous, as that King Henry, when he entertained the first thoughts of transferring his Arms over into Ireland, made suit unto the Pope, that he would give him leave to go and conquer Ireland, and reduce those beastly men unto the way of truth:Rex Anglorum. Hen. nuncios so­lennes Romam mittens rega [...]it Papam Adria­num ut sibi lice­ret Hibernia In­sulam intrare, et terram subiugare atquehomines illos bestiales ad fidem, et viam reducere verita­tis. Mat Paris an. 1156. Answerable whereunto was the tenor of Pope Adri­ans Bull, as appears at large in Parisiensis, whereby he gave him liberty to go over and subdue the Irish nation, A sufficient demonstration of the condition of that people, and what opinion was held of them, as well by their holy father the Pope, as other Princes. And the King at his arrivall found them no other than a beastly people indeed. For the Inhabitants were generally devoid of all manner of civility, governed by no setled lawes, living like beasts, biting and devouring one another, without all rules, customes, or reasonable constitutions either for regulation of Pro­perty, or against open force and violence, most notorious murthers, rapes, robberies, and all other acts of inhumanity and barbarisme, raging with­out controll or due course of punishment, Whereupon, He, without any manner of scruple or farther inquisition into particular titles, re­solving as it seems to make good by the sword the Popes donation, made a generall seizure of all the lands of the whole kingdom, and so without other ceremony took them all into his own hands.

And that he might the more speedily introduce Religion and civility,Rex antequam ab Hibernia re­dibat consilium congregavit apud Lismore, ubi leges Angliae ab omnibus gra­tantur sunt ac­cepta et iurato­ria cautione pre­stita confirmata. Mat. Paris, an. 1172. and so draw on towards the accomplishment of that great work which he had so gloriously begun, he first, in a great Counsell held at Lissemore, caused the Laws of England to be received and setled in Ireland, then he afterwards united it to the Imperiall Crown of England, making large distributions to his followers by particular grants, allotting out in great proportions the whole Land of Ireland among the English Commanders, who made estates, and gave severall shares to their friends and com­militants that came over private adventurers with them. But before I passe further, I shall take the liberty here to insert one observation out of Giraldus Cambrensis concerning the causes and reasons of the prospe­rity of the English undertakings in Ireland. He saith that a Synod,Ireland divided by K. Hen. 2. among his fol­lowers, and other adventu­rers. or Counsell of the Clergy, being there assembled at Armagh, and that point fully debated, it was unanimously agreed by them all, that the sins of the people were the occasion of that heavy judgement then fallen up­on their Nation, and that especially their buying of English men from Merchants and Pirates, and detaining them under a most miserable hard [Page 6] bondage,Decretum est itaque praedicto concilio, et cum universitatis conscensu publice Statutum: ut Angli ubique per insulam servitutis vincu­lo mancipati in pristinam revo­centur liberta­tem. Gir. Camb. expug. Hib. c. 18 had caused the Lord by way of just retalliation, to leave them to be reduced by the English to the same slavery. Whereupon they made a publique act in that counsell, that all the English held in captivity throughout the whole Land, should be presently restored to their for­mer liberty. If so heavy a Judgement fell then upon the Irish for their hard usage of some few English, what are they now to expect? or what expiation can they now pretend to make for the late effusion of so much innocent English blood, after so horrid, despitefull and execrable a man­ner? There being since the Rebellion first brake out, unto the time of the Cessation made Sept. 15. 1643. which was not full two years after, above 300000 Brittish and Protestants cruelly murthered in cold blood,The numbers of British and pro­testants destroy­ed since the Rebellion. de­stroyed some otherway, or expelled out of their habitations, according to the strictest conjecture and computation, of those who seemed best to understand the numbers of English planted in Ireland, besides those few which perished in the heat of Fight, during the war.

King John came into Ireland during his minority, though to little purpose,The fruitlesse expeditions of K. Iohn, and K. Richard 2. into Ireland. but after, about the twelfth year of his Raign, upon the gene­rall defection of the Irish, he made a second expedition, and during his stay there, built severall Forts and strong Castles, many of which remain unto this day, he erected all the Courts of Judicature, and contributed very much towards the settlement of the English Colonies, as also of the civill Government. King Richard the second made likewise in the time of his Raign, upon the same occasion two other expeditions into Ireland in his owne person. But both those Princes out of a desire to spare the effusion of English blood, as also the expence of treasure, being likewise hastened back by the distempers of their own Subjects in England, were both content to suffer themselves to be again abused by the fained sub­missions of the Irish, who finding their own weaknesse, and utter disa­bility to resist the power of those two mighty Monarchs, came with all humility even from the farthest parts of the kingdom, to submit to their mercy: And yet it is well observed by some that say, they returned back, not leaving one true subject more behind them, than they found at their first arrivall. Howsoever by the very presence of these Princes, and by the carefull endeavours of the Governours sent over by other of the Kings of England, those that were Adventurers in the first Conquest, and such other of the English nation as came over afterwards, took possession by vertue of the former grants, of the whole kingdome, drove the Irish in a manner out of all the habitable parts of it, and setled themselves in all the plaines and fertile places of the country, especially in the chief Towns, Ports, and upon the Sea coasts. And to such a heighth of pow­er and greatnesse had some of those first Adventuring Commanders rai­sed [Page 7] themselves here by reason of the addition of new titles of honour, the unlimited jurisdictions and priviledges enjoyed by them, the great rents they received, the numerous dependance they had; As that they began to look upon their own possessions as circumscribed within too narrow limits, to entertain private animosities against each other, to draw in the Irish (whom they had driven up into the mountains, and ever esteemed as their most deadly enemies) to take part in their quarrels, being not ashamed to use their assistance for the enlargement of their own pri­vate territories, as also to curb the too exorbitant power, as they thought, of their opposites, though their own compatriots and joint­tenants in the possession of that good land.The ancient malice of the Irish to the English. The Irish were very glad to en­tertain this occasion & did ever foment by their utmost power and arti­fice these unnaturall broiles and dissentions among the English, whom they most mortally hated: For they living in a manner out of the reach, as well as out of the protection of all the English laws and government, were alwayes accounted not only as aliens, but meer enemies; And be­sides those Septs of Irish which were termed the Quinque familiae, Quin (que) familia. O Neale de Vl­tonia. O Malahglin de Medin. O Conor de Co­nacia. o Brien de Tho­mondia. Mac Morough de Lagenia. (who notwithstanding the great priviledges they enjoyed by the protection of the English lawes, ever shewed much aversenesse both to the English, and their lawes) No other persons of any Irish families, from the very first conquest of Ireland in the time of Hen. 2. untill the raign of K. Hen. 8. were admitted into the condition of Subjects, or received any benefit by the English lawes, but such as purchased Charters of Denization. It was no capital offence to kill any of them, the Law did neither protect their life, nor revenge their death. And so they living upon the mountains in the boggs and woods, though at first after some sort divided from the English, did take all occasions to declare their malice and hatred against the English colonies planted neer unto them.

But howsoever the English were in all ages infested with their Irish enemies, yet were they certainly in point of interest and universall pos­session, owners, and proprietors of the whole Kingdome of Ireland. They kept themselves in entire bodies almost for the first hundred years after their arrivall, not suffering the Irish to live promiscuously among them, by which means they failed not to make good their footing, and by a high hand to keep them under in due obedience and subjection to the Crown of England. And when afterwards they began to be more care­lesse of their habitation, and to suffer the Irish to intermingle with them,By the Statutes made at Kilken­ny by Lionel Duke of Cla­rence, L. Lieu­tenant of Ire­land in the time of Edw. 3. Alli­ance by marri­age, nurture of Infants, and gossipred with the Irish are high treason. And if any Eng­lish man should use the Irish language, Irish name, or Irish apparell, his lands should be seised on, and if he had no lands, he was to suffer imprison­ment, Archiu in castro Dublin Statutes of Kil­kenny. and their English followers to familiarize themselves into their beastly manners and customes (for prevention of which mischief, many severe Laws were enacted in after ages) yet for some time they made good the rights and possessions they had gotten by conquest, and went on, endea­vouring [Page 8] to civilize the people, introducing the English Laws, language, habit, and customes long used among them. Now although these, and all other courses were taken by them, which might reclaim such as seem­ed any wayes inclinable to civility, or would take out Charters of Deni­zation: yet such ever was, and still is the rough rebellious disposition of the people, their hatred so implacable, their malice so unappeaseable to all the English nation, as no Lawes or gentle Constitutions would work, no publike benefits attemper, or any tract of time reconcile and draw them to any tolerable patience of cohabitation; But they have in all times continued to take all advantages, as well since they were admit­ted into the condition of Subjects, as while they were esteemed and trea­ted as enemies, most perfidiously to rise up and imbrue their hands in the blood of their English neighbours: So as Ireland hath long remained a true Aceldama, a field of blood, an unsatiated sepulchre of the English nation.In that space of time which was between the 10. year of Edw. 2. and the 30. year of Edw. 3. all the old English co­lonies in Mun­ster, Conaght & Vlster, and more then a third part of Lemster became dege­nerate, and fell away from the Crown of Eng­land, so as the English Pale remained only under the obe­dience of the Law. For what by reason of their own intestine broiles, after they had (as soon they did, when they began to admit the intermixture of the Irish) most barbarously degenerate into all their manners and customes; and what by reason of the cruell hatred and mischievous attempts of the I­rish upon them: We shall not find that the English, from their first ac­cesse into Ireland, unto the beginning of the raigne of Queen Elizabeth, (a tract of time containing above 380 yeares) had any setled peace or comfortable subsistence but were in most perpetuall combustions and troubles, so extremely harassed and overworne with misery, as they were not long likely to survive the universall calamity that had over­spread the face of the whole Kingdome.

Whereupon that blessed Queen, out of her pious intentions, and good affections to her people, applyed her selfe with great care to redresse the disorders of her Subjects in Ireland. And in the very beginning of her Raign, sending over prudent and religious Governours, the work of Reformation was much advanced, by many wholesome Laws enacted against the barbarous customes of the Irish;The royall en­deavours of queen Eliz. for the reducing of Ireland. and the execution of Justice (which a long time continued within the limits of the Pale) began now to be extended into Conaght, Ʋlster and other remote parts of the Land at some intervals of quiet times. The Irish countries were reduced into Shires, and Sheriffs with some other Ministers of Justice placed in them: The pretended Captainships, and those high powers usurped by the Irish, together with all the extortions, and other fearfull exorbitancies inci­dent to them, were now put into such a way of declination, as they could not long continue. Seignories and Possessions were setled in a due course of inheritance; those most destructive customes of* Tanestry and Gavel­kind [Page 9] began to be depressed; The two Presidentiall Courts of Munster and Conaght were then instituted, and speciall order taken that Free­schooles might be erected in the severall Diocesses throughout the King­dom, for the better training up of Youth. But these acts, and other courses tending to the advancement of true Religion, and Civility, were highly displeasing, and most incompatible with the loose humours of the Natives, who apprehended even the most gentle means of reformation, as sharp corroding medicines; And thereupon pretending the burthen of the English government most insupportable, began desperately to struggle for their liberty. Severall plots were laid,Nonnulli ex claris in Lagenia familijs et pleri­ (que) Anglicae origi­nis partim ex romana religio­nis studio, par­tim ex odio re­centium Anglo­rum, conspirare co [...]perant ad pro regem, cum fa­milia opprimen­dum, castrum Dublinense in­tercipi [...]ndum, et A [...]glos in Hi­b [...] ad unum [...]edio tol [...]ndos Cambden Eliz. an. 22. some even by those who were themselves of the old English by extraction: divers Rebelli­ons and petty Revolts raised during Her Majesties most happy reigne: That of Shane O Neale, the Earl of Desmond, Viscount Baltinglas, O Rurke, and severall others at other times, were all set on foot for this very end, and all timely suppressed, partly by the power of the Queens forces, partly by her gracious favour in receiving the Chieftains to mercy. And she, as most unwearied with their never ceasing provocations, still went on with all gentle applications and lenitives, for the withdrawing of the people from their barbarous customes: As, severall of the great Lords who had been out in rebellion, were restored to their lands and possessions, others she suffered to enjoy their Commands in the country, upon others she bestowed new titles of Honour. And being very unwilling to put the Kingdome of England to such an excessive charge, as the full conquest of Ireland would most necessarily require; no faire meanes were left untryed, that could minister any hopes of civilizing the people, or setling the present distractions of the Kingdome.

But all was in vain;The Irish not to be reclaimed by gentle meanes. the matter then wrought upon was not susceptible of any such noble forms, those wayes were heterogeneall, and had no manner of influence upon the perverse dispositions of the Irish: the ma­lignant [Page 10] impressions of irreligion and barbarisme, transmitted down, whether by infusion from their ancestors, or naturall generation, had irre­fragably stiffned their necks, and hardned their hearts against all the most powerfull endeavours of Reformation: They continued one and the same in all their wicked customes and inclinations, without change in their affections or manners, having their eyes inflamed, their hearts en­raged with malice and hatred against all of the English nation, breathing forth nothing but their ruine, destruction, and utter extirpation.

And that they might at once dis-impester themselves of their un­pleasing company,Tyrones rebel­lion. and disburthen the whole Kingdome of them and their posterity, they still entertained new thoughts, and had now brought unto perfection a designe long meditated in their breasts, whereby they resolved at once clearly to rescue & deliver themselves from their subjecti­on to the Crown of England. And this was that desperate Rebellion raised almost through the whole Kingdome, by Hugh Earl of Tyrone, who after titles of Honour, received a Command given by the Queen unto him both of Horse and Foot in her Pay, great proportions of Land, and other Princely favours conferred upon him; Resolving at once to cancell all those Royall obligations of gratitude and fidelity, broke out and drew along with him most of all the Irish Septs and famlies, together with many degenerate English throughout the Kingdome, into rebellion against his most gracious undoubted Soveraign. And these all, as being universally actuated with the venemous infusions of his malevolent spirit, uniting their whole interests and forces into a firm conjuncture with him, raised all their dependants, and moved in severall places according to the severall orders and directions they received from him: And to fill up the full measure of his iniquity, he drew in a foraigne Nation at the same time with considerable Forces to invade the Land.

The ill effects of the submissi­ons of the Irish.So as the Queen now found by wofull experience, that Ireland was no longer to be dallied with, one Rebellion still begot another, and this last was more dangerous then any of the former, it being more deeply rooted, more generally spread within the Kingdome, more powerfully fomented from without. She well discerned how much her great clemency had been abused in suffering former rebellions to be smothered over and loosely peeced up with protections and pardons; that the receiving of the Irish upon their submissions, to avoid the charge of a war, did in­evitably redouble the charge, and perpetuate the miseries of war: there­fore she now resolved no longer to trifle with them, but vigorously to set to the work, and making choice of some of her most renowned English Commanders, committed to their charge the conduct of an Army royal, compleatly armed, and well paid, wherewith they began the prosecution [Page 11] of that Arch-traitour Tyrone, and with great successe in a short time, though not without the expence of much English blood, and above a million of mony, brought him upon his knees: And howsoever before this glorious work was fully accomplished, it pleased God to put a peri­od to her dayes, yet lived she long enough to see just vengeance brought down upon the head of that unnaturall disturber of the peace of the king­dome, himself in a manner wholly deserted, his country most miserably wasted, and a generall desolation and famine brought in, mightily con­suming what was left undevoured by the sword.

It is very easie to conjecture in what a most miserable condition Ireland then was,The miserable condition of Ireland when K. Iames came to the Crown of England. the English colonies being for the most part barbarously rooted out, the remainders degenerated into Irish manners and names, the very Irish themlelves most mightily wasted and destroyed by the late wars, and thereby much of the kingdome depopulated, in every place large monuments of calamity and undiscontinued troubles. King James of blessed memory found it, at his first accession to the Crown of England, in this deplorable estate; whereupon he presently took into his care the peaceable settlement of Ireland and civilizing of the people: And con­ceiving that the powerfull conjunction of England and Scotland would now overawe the Irish, and contain them in their due obedience,His lenity to­wards the Irish rebels, and his endeavours for a civill refor­mation. He resolved not to take any advantage of those forfeitures and great con­fiscations which he was most justly intitled unto by Tyrone's rebellion; but out of his Royall bounty and Princely magnificence, restored all the Natives to the entire possession of their own lands. A work most muni­ficent in it self, and such as he had reason to believe would for the time to come perpetually oblige their obedience to the Crown of England. And in this state the Kingdom continued under some indifferent terms of peace and tranquility, untill the sixth year of his raigne: Then did the Earl of Tyrone take up new thoughts of rising in arms, and into his re­bellious designe he easily drew the whole province of Ʋlster, then entirely at his devotion; But his plot failed, and he finding himself not able to get together any considerable forces, he with the principall of his adhe­rents, quitting the kingdom, fled into Spain, leaving some busie incendi­aries to foment those beginnings he had laid for a new rebellion in Ire­land, and promising speedily to return well attended with forraigne succours to their aid: But by the great blessing of Almighty God upon the wise Councels of that King, and the carefull endeavours of his vigi­lant Ministers the distempers occasioned by the noise of that commotion were soon allayed, and Tyrone never returning, the peace of the king­dome much confirmed and setled. King James hereupon being now so justly provoked by the high ingratitude of those rebellious traitours, [Page 12] caused their persons to be attainted, their lands to be seized, and those six Counties within the Province of Ʋlster which belonged unto them, to be surveyed, and all (except some small parts of them reserved to gratifie the well-affected natives) to be distributed in certain proportions among British undertakers, who came over and setled themselves and many other British families in those parts: By this meanes the foundations of some good Towns, soon after encompassed with stone wals, were presently laid, severall castles and houses of strength built in severall parts of the country, great numbers of British inhabitants there setled, to the great comfort and security of the whole kingdome. And the same course was taken likewise for the better assurance of the peace of the country, in the plantation of severall parts of Lemster, where the Irish had made incursi­ons, and violently expelled the old English out of their possessions. But howsoever the King was by due course of law justly intitled to all their whole estates there; yet he was graciously pleased to take but one fourth part of their lands, which was delivered over likewise into the hands of British undertakers who with great cost and much industry planted them­selves so firmly, as they became of great security to the country, and were a most especiall means to introduce civility in those parts: so as now the whole kingdome began exceedingly to flourish in costly buildings,K. Charles great readinesse to re­dresse the grievances present­ed unto him by the Irish Com­missioners 1640 The Lords L. Vicount Gor­manstone, L. Vi­count Kilmaloc, L. Vicount Co­steloe, L Vicount Baltinglas. Commons. Lemster. Nic. Plunket, Digbie, Richard Fitz-garret, Nic Barnewall, Esq Munster. Sir Hardresse Waller, Io. Welsh Sir Donnogh Mac Cartie. Conaght. Robert Linch, Geffrie Browne, Thomas Burke Vlster. Sir William Cole Sir Iames Mon­gomerie. and all manner of improvements, the people to multiply and increase, and the very Irish seemed to be much satisfied with the benefits of that peaceable government, and generell tranquility which they so happily enjoyed.

ANd now of late such was the great indulgence of K. Charles our So­veraign that now reigneth, to his Subjects of Ireland, as that in the year 1640. upon their complaints, and a generall Remonstrance sent over unto him from both Houses of Parliament then sitting at Dublin, by a Committee of foure temporall Lords of the upper house, and twelve Members of the house of Commons, with instructions to represent the heavy pressures they had for some time suffered under the government of the Earl of Strafford, He took their grievances into his royall considera­tion, descended so far to their satisfaction, as that he heard them himself, and made present provisions for their redresse: And upon the decease of Mr. Wandsford, Master of the Rols in Ireland, and then Lord Deputy here under the said Earl of Strafford, who still continued Lord Lieutenant of this kingdome (though then accused of high treason, and imprisoned in the Tower of London, by the Parliament of England) His Majesty sent a Commission of Government to the Lord Dillon of Kilkenny west, and Sir William Parsons Knight and Baronet, Master of the Wards in Ireland, Yet soon after finding the choice of the Lord Dillon to be much disgusted by the Committee, he did at their motion cause the said commission to [Page 13] be cancelled, and with their consent and approbation placed the govern­ment upon Sir William Parsons, and Sir Iohn Borlace Knight,Sir Will. Parsons and Sir Iohn Borlace made L. Iustices. Master of the Ordnance, both esteemed persons of great integrity; and the Master of the Wards, by reason of his very long continued imployment in the State, his particular knowledge of the kingdome, much valued and well beloved among the people. They took the sword upon the 9. of Febr. 1640. And in the first place they applied themselves with all manner of gentle lenitives to mollifie the sharp humours raised by the rigid passages in the former government,They apply themselves to give content­ment to the people. They declared themselves against all such pro­ceedings lately used, as they found any wayes varying from the Common Law; They gave all due encouragement to the Parliament then sitting, to endeavour the reasonable ease and contentment of the people, freely assenting to all such Acts as really tended to a legall reformation: They betook themselves wholly to the advice of the Councel, and caused all matters as well of the Crown, as Popular interest, to be handled in His Majesties courts of Justice, no wayes admitting the late exorbitancies (so bitterly decried in Parliament) of Paper-Petitions or Bils, in Civil causes, to be brought before them at the Councel-board, or before any other by their authority: They, by His Majesties gracious directions, gave way to the Parliament to abate the Subsidies (there given in the E. of Straffords time, and then in collection) from 40000 li. each Subsidy, to 12000. li. apeece, so low did they think fit to reduce them: And they were further content (because they saw His Majesty most absolutely re­solved to give the Irish Agents full satisfaction) to draw up two Acts to be passed in the Parliament, most impetuously desired by the Natives; The one was the Act of Limitations, which unquestionably setled all e­states of land in the kingdome, quietly enjoyed without claim or inter­ruption for the space of sixty years immediately preceding; The other was for the relinquishment of the right and title which His Majesty had to the four counties in Conaght, legally found for him by severall inqui­sitions taken in them, and ready to be disposed of, upon a due survay, to British undertakers; as also to some territories of good extent in Mun­ster, and the county of Clare, upon the same title.

Thus was the present Government most sweetly tempered, and carried on with great lenity and modetation; the Lords Iustices and Councel wholly departing from the rigour of former courses, did gently unbend themselves into a happy and just compliance with the seasonable desires of the people. And his Maiesty, that he might further testifie his own set­led resolution for the continuation thereof with the same tender hand over them, having first given full satisfaction in all things to the said Com­mittee of Parliament still attending their dispatch, did about the [Page 14] latter end of May 1641.The Earl of Leicester de­clared Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, May, 1641. declare Robert Earl of Leicester, Lord Lieute­nant Generall of the Kingdom of Ireland. He was heir to Sir Phillip Sidney his uncle, as well as to Sir Hen. Sidney his grandfather, who with great honour and much integrity long continued chief Governour of Ire­land during the Raign of Queen Elizabeth; and being a person of ex­cellent abilities by nature, great acquisitions from his own private indu­stry and publique imployment abroad, of exceeding great temper and moderation, was never engaged in any publique pressures of the com­mon-wealth, and therefore most likely to prove a just and gentle Go­vernour, most pleasing and acceptable to the people.

The papists permitted pri­vately to enjoy the free exercise of their religionMoreover, the Romish Catholiques now privately enjoyed the free exercise of their religion throughout the whole Kingdom, according to the doctrine of the Church of Rome. They had by the over great indul­gence of the late Governours, their titular Archbishops, Bishops, Vicars generall, Provinciall consistories, Deans, Abbots, Priors, Nunnes, who all lived freely, though somewhat covertly among them, and without con­troll exercised a voluntary jurisdiction over them, they had their Priests, Jesuits, and Fryars, who were of late years exceedingly multiplyed, and in great numbers returned out of Spain, Italy and other forraign parts, where the children of the natives of Ireland that way devoted, were sent usually to receive their education. And these without any manner of restraint, had quietly setled themselves in all the chief Towns, Villages, Noblemen and private Gentlemens houses throughout the Kingdom. So as the pri­vate exercise of all their religious rites, and ceremonies was freely enioyed by them without any maner of disturbance, and not any of the Laws put in execution, whereby heavy penalties were to be inflicted upon trans­gressours in that kinde.

The good a­greement be­twixt the Irish and English in all parts of the Kingdome.And for the ancient animosities and hatred which the Irish had been ever observed to bear unto the English Nation, they seemed now to be quite deposited and buried in a firm conglutination of their affections and Nationall obligations passed between them. The two Nations had now lived together 40 years in peace, with great security and comfort, which had in a manner consolidated them into one body, knit and compacted together with all those bonds and ligatures of friendship, alliance, and consanguinity as might make up a constant and perpetuall union betwixt them. Their intermarriages were frequent, gossipred, fostering (relati­ons of much dearnesse among the Irish) together with all others of te­nancy, neighbourhood, and service interchangeably passed among them. Nay, they had made as it were a kinde of mutuall transmigration into each others manners, many English being strangely degenerated into Irish affections and customes, and many Irish, especially of the better sort, [Page 15] having taken up the English language, apparell, and decent manner of living in their private houses. And so great an advantage did they finde by the English commerce and cohabitation in the profits and high im­provements of their lands and native commodities, so incomparably be­yond what they ever formerly enioyed, or could expect to raise by their own proper industry, as Sir Phelim O Neale, and many others of the prime leaders in this rebellion, had not long before turned their Irish te­nants of their lands, as some of them said to me (when I enquired the reason of their so doing) even to starve upon the mountains, while they took on English, who were able to give them much greater rents, and more certainly pay the same. A matter that was much taken notice of, and esteemed by many, as most highly conducing to the security of the English interests, and plantation among them. So as all these circumstances duly weighed, together with the removall of the late obstructions, the great increase of trade, and many other evident Symptomes of a flou­rishing common-wealth, it was believed even by the wisest and best ex­perienced in the affairs of Ireland, that the peace and tranquility of the Kingdom was now fully setled, and most likely in all humane probability to continue, without any considerable interuption, in the present felicity and great prosperity it now enioyed under the government of his Maie­sty that now raigneth.

In August, 1641.The Parlia­ment adjourned August 1641. the Lords Justices and Councel finding the Popish party in both Houses of Parliament to be grown to so great a heigth, as was scarcely compatible with the present Government, were very desire­ous to have an Adjournment made for three moneths, which was readily assented unto and performed by the members of both Houses. And this was done not many dayes before the return of the Committee formerly mentioned, out of England: The Irish Com­missioners re­turn out of Eng­land, and land at Dublin. They arrived at Dublin about the latter end of August, and presently after their return they applied themselves to the Lords Justices and Councel, desiring to have all those Acts and o­ther Graces granted by His Majesty, made known unto the people by proclamations to be sent down into severall parts of the coun­try; which while the Lords Justices took into their consideration, and sate daily composing of Acts to be passed the next Session of Parlia­ment, for the benefit of His Majesty, and the good of his Subjects, They seemed with great contentment and satisfaction to retire into the country to their severall habitations, that they might there refresh themselves in the mean season.

The discovery of the Conspiracie of the Irish, to seize upon the Castle and City of Dublin; and their generall Rising at the same time, in all the Northern parts of this Kingdome.

The happy con­dition of Ire­land at the time of the breaking out of the Re­bellion Octo. 23 1641.SUch was now the state and present condition of the Kingdome of Ire­land, such the great serenity through the gentle and happy transaction of the publike affairs here, As that the late Irish Army raised for the inva­sion of the kingdom of Scotland, being peaceably disbanded, their Arms and Munition, by the singular care of the Lords Iustices and Councel brought into His Maiesties stores within the city of Dublin; there was no manner of warlike preparations, no reliques of any kind of disorders proceeding from the late levies, nor indeed any noise of war remaining within these coasts. Now while in this great calm the British continued in a most deep security, under the assurance of the blessed peace of this land; while all things were carried on with great temper and mode­ration in the present government, and all men sate pleasantly enjoying the comfortable fruits of their own labours, without the least thoughts or apprehension of either tumults or other troubles, the differences between his Majesty, and his Subjects of Scotland being about this time fairly com­posed and setled: There brake out upon the 23. of October, 1641. a most desperate and formidable Rebellion, an universall defection and generall Revolt, wherein not only all the meer Irish, but almost all the old Eng­lish that adhered to the church of Rome, were totally involved. And be­cause it will be necessary to leave some monuments hereof to posterity, I shall observe the beginnings and first motions, as well as trace out the progresse, of a rebellion so execrable in it self, so odious to God and the whole world, as no age, no kingdome, no people can parallel the horrid cruelties,The first plot for the rebelli­on carried on with so great secresie, as none of the English had notice of it before it was ready to be put in execution. the abominable murders, that have been without number, as well as without mercy committed upon the British inhabitants through­out the land, of what sexe or age, of what quality or condition soever they were.

And first I must needs say, howsoever I have observed in the nature of the Irish such a kind of dull and deep reservednesse, as makes them with much silence and secresie to carry on their businesse: yet I cannot but [Page 17] consider with great admiration how this mischievous plot which was to be so generally at the same time, and at so many severall places acted, and therefore necessarily known to so many severall persons, should without any noise be brought to such maturity, as to arrive at the very point of execution without any notice or intimation given to any two of that huge multitude of persons who were generally designed (as most of them did) to perish in it. For besides the uncertain presumptions that Sir Wil­liam Cole had of a commotion to be raised by the Irish in the Province of Ʋlster about a fortnight before this rebellion brake openly out, and some certain intelligence which he received of the same two dayes be­fore the Irish rise, I could never hear that any English man received any certain notice of this conspiracy, before the very evening that it was to be generally put in execution. It is true, Sir VVilliam Cole upon the ve­ry first apprehensions of something that he conceived to be hatching a­mong the Irish, did write a Letter to the Lords Justices and Councell, dated the 11. of Octob. 1641. wherein he gave them notice of the great resort made to Sir Phelim O Neale, in the county of Tyrone, as also to the house of the Lord Mac Gui [...]e, in the county of Fermanagh and that by severall suspected persons, fit instruments for mischief. As also that the said Lord Mac Guire had of late made severall journies into the Pale, and other places and had spent his time much in writing Letters, and sending dispatches abroad. These Letters were received by the Lords Justices and Councell, and they in answer to them required him to be ve­ry vigilant and industrious to finde out what should be the occasion of those severall meetings, and speedily to advertise them thereof, or of any other particular that he conceived might tend to the publique service of the State. And for that which was revealed to Sir VVilliam Cole upon the 21. of Octob. the same moneth by John Cormacke, and Flarty Mac Hugh, from Brian Mac Cohanaght, Mac Guire, touching the resolution of the Irish, to seize upon his Majesties castle and city of Dublin, to mur­der the Lords Justices and councell of Ireland, and the rest of the Prote­stants there, and to seize upon all the castles, Forts, Sea-ports, and holds that were in possession of the Protestants within the Kingdom of Ireland, I finde by the examination of John Cormacke, taken upon oath at West­minster Nov. 18. 1644. That the said Sir VVilliam Cole did dispatch Letters to the Lords Justices and councell the same day, to give them no­tice thereof. But I can also testifie that those Letters (whether they were intercepted, or that they otherwaies miscarried, I cannot say) came not unto their hands, as also that they had not any certain notice of this ge­nerall conspiracy of the Irish, untill the 22. of Octob. in the very evening before the day appointed for the surprize of the castle and city of Dublin. [Page 18] Then the conspirators being many of them arrived within the city, and having that day met at the Lion Tavern near Copper Alley, and there turning the Drawer out of the room, ordered their affairs together, drunk healths upon their knees to the happy successe of their next morn­ings work:Owen O Conally discovers the conspiracy of the Irish to the Lord Parsons the very even­ing before it was to be executed. Owen O Conally a Gentleman of a meer Irish family, but one that had long lived among the English, and been trained up in the true Protestant religion, came unto the Lord Justice Parsons about nine of the clock that evening, and made him a broken relation of a great conspi­racy for the seizing upon his Majesties castle of Dublin: He gave him the names of some of the chief conspirators, assured him they were come up expresly to the Town for the same purpose, and that next morning they would undoubtedly attempt, and surely effect it, if their designe were not speedily prevented, and that he had understood all this from Hugh Mac Mahon, one of the chief conspirators, who was then in the town, and came up but the very same afternoon for the execution of the plot; and with whom indeed he had been drinking somewhat liberally, and as the truth is, did then make such a broken relation of a matter that seemed so incredible in it self, as that his Lordship gave very little be­lief to it at first, in regard it came from an obscure person, and one as he conceived somewhat distempered at that time. But howsoever the Lord Parsons gave him order to go again to Mac Mahon, and to get out of him as much certainty of the plot, with as many particular circumstances as he could, straightly charging him to return back unto him the same evening. And in the mean time, having by strict commands given to the constable of the castle, taken order to have the gates thereof well guarded, as also with the Mayor and Sheriffes of the city to have strong watches set upon all the parts of the same, and to make stay of all strangers, hee went privately about ten of the clock that night to the Lord Borlacies house without the town, and there acquainting him with what he under­stood from Conally, they sent for such of the councell as they knew then to be in the town. But there came only unto them that night, Sir Thomas Rotheram, and Sir Robert Meredith, chancellour of the Exchequer, with these they fell into consultation what was fit to be done, attending the return of Conally. And finding that he staid somewhat longer than the time prefixed, they sent out in search after him, and found him seized on by the watch, and so he had been carryed away to prison, and the disco­very that night disappointed, had not one of the Lord Parsons servants expresly sent amongst others to walk the streets, and attend the motion of the said Conally, come in and rescued him, and brought him to the Lord Borlacies house. Conally having somewhat recovered himself from his distemper, occasioned partly, as he said himself, by the horror of the plot [Page 19] revealed to him, partly by his too liberall drinking with Mac Mahon, that he might the more easily get away from him (he beginning much to suspect and fear his discovering of the plot) confirmed what he had for­merly related, and added these farther particulars set down in his Exa­mination, as followeth.

The Examination of Owen O Conally Gentleman, ta­ken before us whose names ensue, Oct. 22. 1641.

VVHo being duly sworn, and examined, saith, that he be­ing at Monimore, in the County of London-Derry on Tuesday last, he received a Letter from Colonel Hugh Oge Mac Mahon, desiring him to come to Conaght in the Coun­ty of Monaghan, and to be with him on Wednesday or Thurs­day last, whereupon he, this Examinate came to Conaght on Wednesday night last, and finding the said Hugh come to Dub­lin, followed him hither: He came hither about six of the clock this evening, and forthwith went to the lodging of the said Hugh, to the house near the Boat in Oxman town, and there he found the said Hugh, and came with the said Hugh into the Town, near the Pillory, to the lodging of the Lord Mac Guire, where they found not the Lord within, and there they drank a cup of Beer, and then went back again to the said Hugh his lodging. He saith, that at the Lord Mac Guire his lodging, the said Hugh told him that there were, and would be this night great numbers of Noblemen, and Gentlemen of the Irish Papists from all the parts of the King­dom in this town, who with himself had determined to take the Ca­stle of Dublin, and possesse themselves of all his Majesties Ammu­nition there to morrow morning, being Saturday, and that they in­tended first to batter the Chimnies of the said town, and if the Ci­ty would not yield, then to batter down the houses, and so to cut off all the Protestants that would not joyn with them. He further saith, that the said Hugh then told him, that the Irish had prepared men [Page 20] in all parts of the Kingdom, to destroy all the English inhabiting there to morrow morning by ten of the clock, and that in all the Sea Ports, and other Towns in the Kingdom, all the Protestants should be killed this night, and that all the Posts that could be, could not prevent it: And further saith, that he moved the said Hugh to forbear executing of that businesse, and to discover it to the State, for the saving of his own estate, who said he could not help it. But said, that they did owe their Allegiance to the King, and would pay him all his Rights, but that they did this for the tyrannicall Go­vernment was over them, and to imitate Scotland, who got a pri­viledge by that course. And he further saith, that when he was with the said Hugh in his lodging the second time, the said Hugh swore that he should not go out of his lodging that night, but told him that he should go with him the next morning to the Castle, and said, if this matter were discovered, some body should die for it, whereupon this Examinate feigned some necessity for his easement, went down out of the Chamber, and left his sword in pawn, and the said Hugh sent his man down with him, and when this Examinate came down into the Yard, and finding an opportunity, he, this Ex­aminate leaped over a Wall, and two Pales, and so came to the Lord Justice Parsons.

  • William Parsons.
  • Tho. Rotheram.
  • Rob. Meredith.
  • Owen O Conally.
Octob. 22. 1641.

HEreupon the Lords took present order to have a Watch privately set upon the lodging of Mac Mahon, as also upon the L. Mac Guire, and so they sate up all that night in consultation, having far stronger pre­sumptions upon this latter examination taken, then any wayes at first they could entertain.Mac Mahon taken. The Lords Justices upon a further consideration (there being come unto them early next morning severall other of the Privy councel) sent before day, and seized upon Mac-Mahon, then with his servant in his own lodging; they at first made some little resistance with their drawn swords, but finding thewselves over-mastered, presently [Page 21] yielded, and so they were brought before the Lords Justices and Councel still sitting at the Lord Borlacy's house: where upon examination he did without much difficulty confesse the Plot resolutely, telling them,His confession. That on that very day all the Forts and strong places in Ireland would be ta­ken, That he with the L. Mac-Guire, Hugh Birn, Capt. Brian O Neale, and severall other Irish Gentlemen, were come up expresly to surprise the Castle of Dublin, That twenty men out of each County in the Kingdom were to be here to joyn with them, That all the Lords and Gentlemen in the Kingdom that were Papists were engaged in this Plot, That what was that day to be done in other parts of the country, was so far advan­ced by that time, as it was impossible for the wit of man to prevent it; and withall told them, That it was true, they had him in their power, and might use him how they pleased, but he was sure he should be re­venged.

By this time the noise of this Conspiracie began to be confusedly spread abroad about the Town, and advertisement was brought unto the Lords Justices then in councel, that great numbers of strangers had been observed to come the last evening, and in the morning early unto the Town, and most of them to set up their horses in the suburbs: where­upon the Lords having in the first place taken order for the apprehension of the Lord Mac-Guire, The Lord Mac Guire with se­verall other of the Conspira­tors seised on. removed themselves for their better security unto the castle, where the body of the Councel then in town attended them at the ordinary place of their meeting there. In the first place they caused a present search to be made for all such horses belonging to stran­gers as were brought into any Innes, and by that meanes they discovered some of the owners, who were presently seised upon and committed to the castle of Dublin, having already delivered over to the custody of the Constable there the Lord Mac-Guire, and Hugh Mac-Mahon; Hugh Birn, and Roger Moore, chief of the conspirators, escaped over the River in the night, Colonel Plunket, Captain Fox, with severall others found means likewise to passe away undiscerned; and of the great numbers which came up out of severall counties to be actors in taking of the castle and city of Dublin, there were not, through the slack pursuit and great negligence of the inhabitants, above thirty seized upon, most of them ser­vants and inconsiderable persons, those of quality having so many good friends within the town, as they had very ill luck if apprehended. The same day before the Lords rose from councel, they took order for this Proclamation which here followeth to be made and published.

By the Lords Iustices and Councell.

W. Parsons. John Borlase.

THese are to make known and pub­lish to all His Majesties good Sub­jects in this Kingdom of Ireland, that there is a discovery made by Us the Lords Justices and Councell, of a most disloyall and detestable Conspiracy intended by some evill-affected Irish Papists, against the lives of Us the Lords Justices and Councell, and many others of his Majesties faithfull Subjects, universally throughout this Kingdom, and for the seizing not only of His Majesties Castle of Dublin, His Maje­sties principall Fort here, but also of the other Forti­fications in the Kingdom: And seeing by the great goodnesse and abundant mercy of Almighty God to His Majesty, and this State and Kingdom, those wicked Conspiracies are brought to light, and some of the Conspirators committed to the Castle of Dublin, by Us, by His Majesties Authority, so as those wicked and damnable Plots are now disap­pointed in the chief parts thereof, We therefore have thought fit hereby not only to make it publiquely known, for the comfort of His Majesties good and [Page 23] loyall Subjects in all parts of the Kingdom, but al­so hereby to require them, that they do with all confidence and cheerfulnesse betake themselves to their own defence, and stand upon their guard, so to render the more safety to themselves, and all the Kingdom besides, and that they advertise Us with all possible speed of all Occurrents, which may con­cern the peace and safety of the Kingdom, and now to shew fully that Faith and Loyalty, which they have alwayes shown for the publike services of the Crown and Kingdome, which We will value to His Majesty accordingly, and a speciall memory thereof will be retained for their advantage in due time. And We require that great care be taken that no levies of men be made for forreine service, nor any men suffered to march upon any such pretence. Given at His Majesties Castle of Dublin, 23. Octob. 1641.

R. Dillon. Ro. Digby. Ad. Loftus. I. Temple. Tho. Rotheram. Fr. Willoughby. Ia. Ware. Ro. Meredith.

God save the King.

¶ Imprinted at Dublin, by the Society Of STATIONERS.

THis Proclamation was presently printed, and severall copies sent down by expresse messengers unto the principall Noblemen and Gentlemen in severall parts of the country, where they caused them to be divers wayes dispersed, hoping that when the timely discovery of this conspiracie, and the happy prevention in a great part, should fully appeare abroad, it would prove so great a discouragement to such of the conspirators as had not yet openly declared themselves, as that they would thereby be contained within the bounds of their duty and obe­dience to His Majesty. The same night the Lord Blaney arrived with the news of the surprisall of his house, his wife and his children, by the Re­bels of the county of Monaghan: The Irish rise first in the pro­vince of Vlster, and there burn, spoil, and de­stroy the Eng­lish. Next day came advertisement from Sir Arthur Tyringham, of the taking of the Newry; and then the sad relations of burning, spoiling, and horrible murders committed within the Province of Vlster, began to multiply, and severall persons every day and almost every houre in every day for a good while after, arrived like Jobs messengers, telling the story of their own sufferings, and the fearfull massacres of the poor English in those parts from whence they came. These things wrought such a generall consternation and astonishment in the minds of all the English and other inhabitants well affected within the city, as they were much affrighted therewith, expecting every houre when the Irish already crept into the Town, joyning with the Papists there, should make the City a Theater whereon to act the second part of that Tragedy most bloodily begun in the Northern parts by them.

False rumours spread of the Rebels ap­proach to the City of Dublin.And it added most extremely to these present feares, that severall un­happy rumours (the great tormentors of the weaker sexe) were vainly spread abroad of the sodain approach of great numbers of Rebels out of the adjacent Irish counties unto the city: Some would make us believe that they were discerned at some distance already marching down from the mountain side within view of the Town; a report so credibly deliver­ed by those who pretended to be eye-witnesses, that it drew some of the State up to the platform of the castle to behold those who were yet in­visible, though there were there that would not be perswaded but that they saw the very motions of the men as they marched down the moun­tains. It was at the same time also generally noised abroad, that there were 10000. of the Rebels gotten together in a body at the hill of Tarah, a place not above sixteen miles distant from the Town, and that they in­tended without any further delay to march on and presently surprise the same. These false rumours being unluckily spread, and by some fomented out of evill ends, exceedingly increased the present distractions of the people, and raised such a panick fear among them, as about seven of the clock at night, the Lords Iustices and some of the Councel being then in [Page 25] the councel-chamber within the castle, there came in to them a Gentle­man of good quality, who having not without much difficulty, as he pre­tended, recovered the gate of the castle, caused the Warders then at­tending to draw up the bridge, assuring them that the Rebels gathered together in great numbers, had already possessed themselves of a good part of the Town, and came now with great fury marching down the street that leads directly towards the castle gate. But this feare was quickly removed by Sir Francis Willoughby, who being that day made gover­nour of the castle, caused the draw-bridge to be let down, and so found this to be a false alarum occasioned by some mistake fallen among the peo­ple, who continued waving up and down the streets, prepossessed with strange feares, and some of them upon some slender accident drawing their swords, others that knew not the cause thought fit to follow the example, and so came to appeare to this Gentleman who was none of their company, as so many Rebels comming up to enter the castle.

These were the first beginnings of our sorrows, ill symptomes,The Lords Iu­stices and Councell con­sult what course to take for the suppressing this rebellion. and sad preparatives to the ensuing evils: Therefore the Lords finding by several intelligences, though some purposely framed, that the power of the Re­bels was suddenly swollen up to so great a bulk, and likely so fast to mul­tiply and increase upon them, thought it high time to consider of the re­medies, and in what condition they were to oppose, since they could not prevent so imminent a danger. The rebellion now appeared without all manner of question to be generally raised in all parts of the North, and like a torrent to come down most impetuously upon them: besides, it was no wayes improbable that all other parts of the kingdome would take fire and follow their example, they had the testimony of Mac-Mahon positive therein. The first thing therefore which they took into consideration, was, how they were provided of Mony, Arms, and Muni­tion; Then, what Companies of Foot, and Troops of Horse of the old Army they were able to draw presently together,No money in the Exchequer. as also what numbers of new men they could suddenly raise. For the first, they had this short accompt from the Vice-treasurer, That there was no mony in the Exche­quer. And certainly it was a main policie in the first contrivers of this Rebellion, to plot the breaking of it out at such a time when the Ex­chequer should be empty, and all the Kings revenues both certain and ca­suall, due for that half year, as well as the rents of all the British through­out the kingdome, should be found ready either in the tenants or col­lectors hands in the country, and so necessarily fall under their power, as they did to their great advantage. For Arms and Munition, the Stores were indifferently well furnished at this time: Besides severall Peeces of [Page 26] Artillery of divers sorts, most of them fitted for present service, there were Arms for near 10000. men, 1500 barrels of Powder, with Match and Lead proportionable, laid in by the Earle of Strafford late L. Lieu­tenant, not long before, and designed another way, but so op­portunely reserved for this service, as the good providence of God did exceedingly appeare therein, but principally in the miraculous preserva­tion of them out of the hands of the Rebels, who made the surprisall of these provisions, then all within the castle of Dublin (the common store­house of them) a main part of their designe. The old standing Army, as appeares by this List, consisted only of 41 Companies of Foot, and 14 Troops of Horse.

A List of His Majesties Army in Ireland, 1641. Before the Rebellion began.

Foot-Companies consisting of six Officers, viz. Captain, Lieutenant, Ensign, Chirurgion, Serjeant and Drum, and fourty four Souldiers each Company.

  • LORD Lieutenants Guard 45
  • Sir Robert Farrar 44
  • Sir Thomas Wharton 44
  • Sir George Saint-George 44
  • Cap. Francis Butler 44
  • Sir Wil. Saint Leguer 44
  • Lord Docwra 44
  • Lord Blaney 44
  • Sir Robert Steward 44
  • Lord Viscount Rannelagh 44
  • Lord Viscount Baltinglas 44
  • Sir John Vaughan 44
  • Cap. George Blount 44
  • Sir Hen. Tichbourne 44
  • Sir Frederick Hamilton 44
  • Lord Castle-Stewart 44
  • Sir Lorenzo Cary 44
  • Cap Chichester Fortescue 44
  • Sir John Gifford 44
  • Cap. John Barry 44
  • Sir John Neutervile 44
  • Cap. Thomas Rockley 44
  • Sir Arthur Tyringham 44
  • Cap. Philip Wenman 44
  • Cap. Charles Price 44
  • Sir Charles Coote 44
  • Cap. Thomas Games 44
  • Sir Francis Willoughby 44
  • Sir John Borlase 44
  • Cap. Robert Bailey 44
  • Sir Arthur Loftus 44
  • Cap. Wil. Billingsley 44
  • The Lord Esmond 44
  • The Lord Lambert 44
  • Sir George Hamilton 44
  • Lord Folliot 44
  • Sir Wil. Stewart 44
  • Cap. Robert Biron 44
  • Sir John Sherlock 44
  • The Earl of Clanricard 44
  • Cap. John Ogle 44
  • These Companies contain Officers 246 In all 2297
  • Souldiers 2051 In all 2297
Horse-Troopes.
  • [Page 27]THE Earl of Leicester, Lord Lieute­nant generall, his Troop consisting of Captain, Lieutenant, Cornet, and Horsemen 108
  • The Earl of Ormonds Troop, like Offi­cers, and Horsemen 107
  • The Earl of Straffords Troop, like Of­ficers and Horsemen 58
  • Lord Dillons Troop, like Officers and Horsemen 58
  • Lord Wilmots Troop, like Officers and Horsemen 58
  • Sir Wil. Saint-Leguer, Lord President of Munster, the like 58
  • Lord Viscount Moore the like 58
  • Lo. Viscount Grandison the like 58
  • Lo. Visc. Cromwell of Lecale, the like 58
  • Cap. Arthur Chichester, the like 58
  • Sir George Wentworth, the like 58
  • Sir John Borlase, the like 58
  • Lo. Viscount Conway, the like 58
  • Sir Adam Loftus, the like 58
  • These Troopes contain Officers 42 In all 943
  • Horsemen 901 In all 943

These were so strangely dispersed most of them into the remote parts of the kingdome, for the guard of severall Forts and other places, as it fell out to be in a maner most impossible to draw a considerable number of them together in any time, either for the defence of the City, or the making head against the Rebels in the North: and besides it was much to be suspected, the companies lying severally so remote, and ill furnish­ed with munition, could with little safety march to Dublin. Yet the Lords sent Potents presently away to require severall companies of Foot, and some troops of Horse presently to rise and march up from their se­verall garrisons towards the city of Dublin. And now it was held high time to give an accompt unto His Majesty, then at Edenburgh in his king­dome of Scotland, and to the Lord Lieutenant continuing still at London (the Parliament still sitting there) of the breaking out of this Rebellion,Letters from the Lords Iusti­ces and Coun­cell to the Lord Lieutenant. the ill condition of the Kingdome, the wants of the State, and the Sup­plies absolutely necessary for their present defence and preservation. And because the Letter to the Lord Lieutenant doth most clearly repre­sent severall particulars which may much conduce to the knowledge of the affaires, I have thought fit to insert a true copy of it, which here followeth.

May it please your Lordship,

ON Friday the two and twentieth of this moneth, after nine of the clock at night, this bearer Owen Conally, servant to Sir John Clotworthy Knight, came to me the Lord Iustice Parsons, to my house, and in great secresie (as indeed the cause did require) discovered unto me a most wicked and damnable conspiracy, plotted, contrived, and intended to be also acted by some evill-affected Irish Papists here. The plot was on the then next morning, Saturday the 23 of October, being Saint Igna­tius day, about nine of the clock to surprize His Majesties Castle of Dublin, His Majesties chief strength of this Kingdome, wherein also is the principall Magazine of His Majesties Arms and Mu­nition, and it was agreed it seems amongst them, that at the same houre all other His Majesties Forts and Magazines of Arms and Munition in this Kingdome, should be surprized by others of those Conspirators, and further, that all the Protestants and English throughout the whole Kingdome, that would not joyn with them, should be cut off, and so those Papists should then become possessed of the Government and Kingdom at the same instant.

Assoon as I had that intelligence, I then immediatly repaired to the Lord Iustice Borlace, and thereupon We instantly assembled the Councell, and having sate all that night, as also all the next day, the 23 of October, in regard of the short time left us for the con­sultation of so great and weighty a matter, although it was not pos­sible for us upon so few houres warning to prevent those other great mischiefes which were to be acted, even at that same hour, and at so great a distance as in all the other parts of the Kingdome. Yet such was our industry therein, having caused the Castle to be that night strengthened with armed men, and the City guarded, as the wicked Councels of those evill persons, by the great mercy of God to us, became defeated, so as they were not able to Act that part of their Treachery, which indeed was principall, and which, if they could have effected, would have rendred the rest of their purposes the more easie.

Having so secured the Castle, We forthwith laid about for the apprehension of as many of the Offenders as We could, many of them having come to this City but that night, intending it seems the next morning to act their parts in those treacherous and bloody crimes.

The first man apprehended was one Hugh Mac Mahon Esquire (Grandson to the Traitour Tyrone a Gentleman of a good fortune in the County of Monaghan, who with others, was taken that mor­ning in Dublin, having at the time of their apprehension offered a little resistance with their swords drawn, but finding those We im­ployed against them more in number, and better armed, yielded. He upon his Examination before us at first denyed all, but in the end, when he saw we laid it home to him, he confessed enough to destroy himself, and impeach some others, as by a Copy of his Exa­mination herewith sent, may appear to your Lordship, We then com­mitted him untill We might have further time to examine him a­gain, our time being become more needfull to be imployed in action for securing this place, then in examining. This Mac Mahon had been abroad, and served the King of Spain as a Lieu. Colonel.

Vpon conference with him and others, and calling to minde a Letter We received the week before from Sir William Cole, a Co­py whereof We send your Lordship here inclosed, We gathered that the Lord Mac Guire was to be an actor in surprizing the Castle of Dublin, wherefore We held it necessary to secure him immediatly, thereby also to startle and deter the rest, when they found him laid fast. His Lordship observing what we had done, and the City in Arms, fled from his lodging early before day, it seems disguised, for we had laid a watch about his lodging, so as we think he could not passe without disguising himself, yet he could not get forth of the City, so surely guarded were all the Gates.

There were found at his lodging hidden some Hatchets, with the Helves newly cut off close to the Hatchets, and many Skeanes, and some Hammers.

In the end the Sheriffes of the City, whom we imployed in strict search of his Lordship, found him hidden in a Cockloft, in an ob­scure [Page 30] house far from his lodging, where they apprehended him, and brought him before Vs.

He denyed all, yet so, as he could not deny but he heard of it in the countrey, though he would not tell us when, or from whom; and confessed that he had not advertised Vs thereof, as in duty he ought to have done. But We were so well satisfied of his guiltines by all circumstances, as We doubted not upon further examination when We could be able to spare time for it to finde it apparant: wherefore We held it of absolute necessity to commit him Close-pri­soner, as We had formerly done Mac Mahon, and others: where We left him on the three and twentieth of this moneth in the morn­ing, about the same hour they intended to have been Masters of that place, and this City.

That morning also We laid wait for all those strangers that came the night before to town, and so many were apprehended whom We finde reason to believe to have hands in this Conspiracy, as We were forced to disperse them into severall Gaols: and We since found that there came many Horsemen into the Suburbs that night, who finding the plot discovered, dispersed themselves immediately.

When the hour approached, which was designed for surprising the Castle, great numbers of strangers were observed to come to town in great parties severall wayes; who not finding admittance at the Gates, staid in the Suburbs, and there grew numerous, to the terrour of the Inhabitants. We therefore to help that, drew up in­stantly and signed a Proclamation, commanding all men, not dwel­lers in the City or Suburbs, to depart within an hour, upon pain of death, and made it alike penall to those that should harbour them; which Proclamation the Sheriffs immediately proclaimed in all the Suburbs by Our commandement: which being accompanied with the example and terror of the committall of those two eminent men, and others, occasioned the departure of those multitudes: and in this case, all our lives and fortunes, and above all, his Majesties power and regall authority being still at the stake, We must vary from ordinary proceedings, not only in executing martiall law as We see cause, but also in putting some to the Rack to finde out the [Page 31] bottome of this treason, and all the contrivers thereof, which we foresee will not otherwise be done.

On that 23 day of this moneth, We conceiving that as soon as it should be known that the plot for seizing Dublin Castle was disap­pointed, all the Conspirators in the remote parts might be some­what disheartned, as on the other side the good Subjects would be comforted, and would then with the more confidence stand on their guard, did prepare to send abroad to all parts of the Kingdome this Proclamation which we send you here inclosed: and so having pro­vided that the City and Castle should be so guarded as upon the sudden Wee could promise, Wee concluded that long continued consultation.

On Saturday at 12 of the clock at night the Lord Blany came to town and brought Vs the ill news of the Rebels seising with two hundred men his house at Castle Blany in the County of Monagh­an, and his Wife, Children, and Servants, as also a house of the Earle of Essex called Carrickmacrosse with two hundred men, & a house of Sir Henry Spotswood in the same County, with two hundred men; where there being a little Plantation of Brittish, they plundred the Town and burnt divers houses, and it since ap­pears that they burnt divers other Villages, and robbed and spoi­ler many English, and none but Protestants; leaving the English Papists untouched as well as the Irish.

On Sunday morning at three of the clock We had intelligence from Sir Arthur Terringham, that the Irish in the town had that day also broken up the Kings store of arms and munition at the Newry, and where the store of arms hath lyen ever since the peace, and where they found fourscore and ten barrels of powder, and armed themselves, and put them under the command of Sir Con. Ma­gennis Knight, and one Creely a Monk, and plundered the Eng­lish there and disarmed the Garrison. And this, though too much, is all that We yet hear is done by them.

However We shall stand on our guard the best We may to defend the Castle and City principally, those being the pieces of most im­portance. But if the Conspiracy be so universall as Mac Mahon [Page 32] saith in his Examination it is, namely, That all the Counties in the Kingdome have conspired in it, which We admire should so fall out in this time of universall peace, and carried with that secrecy that none of the English could have any friend amongst them to disclose it, then indeed We shall be in high extremity, and the King­dome in the greatest danger that ever it underwent, considering our want of men, money, and armes, to enable Vs to encounter so great multitudes as they can make, if all should joyn against Vs, the rather, because We have pregnant cause to doubt that the com­bination hath taken force by the incitement of Jesuits, Priests and Fryars.

All the hope We have here, is, the old English of the Pale, and some other parts, will continue constant to the King in their fidelity, as they did in former rebellions.

And now in these straits, We must under God depend on ayd forth of England for our present supply with all speed, especially money, We having none, and arms which we shall exceedingly want; without which, We are very doubtfull what account We shall give to the King of his Kingdome.

But if the Conspiracy be only of Mac Guire and some other Irish of the kindred and friends of the Rebell Tirone and other Irish in the Counties of Downe, Monaghan, Cavan, Fermanagh and Armagh, and no generall revolt following thereupon, we hope then to make head against them in a reasonable measure if We be enabled with money from thence, without which We can raise no forces, so great is our want of money as we have formerly written, and our debt so great to the Army: nor is money to be borrowed here, and if it were, we would engage all our estates for it: nei­ther have we any hope to get in his Majesties rents and subsidies in these disturbances, which adde extreamly to our necessities.

On Sunday morning 24. We met again in Councell, and sent to all parts of the Kingdome the enclosed Proclamation, and issued Potents to draw hither seven Horse troopes as a further strength to this place, and to be with us in case the Rebels shall make head and march hitherward, so as we may be necessitated to give them bat­tell. [Page 33] We also then sent away our Letters to the President of both the Provinces of Munster and Conaght: And we likewise then sent Letters to the Sheriffes of the five Counties of the Pale to con­sult of the best way and means of their own preservation. That day the Lord Vice Com. Gormanston, the Lord Vice Co. Netter­vile, the Lord Vice Co. Fitz Williams, and the Lord of Houth, and since the Earles of Kildare, and Fingall, and the Lords of Dunsany and Slane, all Noblemen of the English Pale came un­to us, declaring that they then and not before heard of the matter, and professed loyalty to his Majesty, and concurrence with the State, but said they wanted armes, whereof they desired to be supplyed by Vs, which we told them we would willingly do, as rely­ing much on their faithfulnesse to the Crown: but we were not yet certain whether or no we had enough to arme our strength for the guard of the City and Castle; yet we supplyed such of them as lay in most danger with a small proportion of Arms and Munition for their houses, lest they should conceive we apprehended any jealousie of them. And we commanded them to be very diligent in sending out watches, and making all the discoveries they could, and there­of to advertise us, which they readily promised to do.

And if it fall out that the Irish generally rise, which we have cause to suspect, then we must of necessity put Arms into the hands of the English Pale in present, and to others as fast as we can, to fight for defence of the State and themselves.

Your Lordship now sees the condition wherein we stand, and how necessary it is first that we enjoy your presence speedily for the better guiding of those and other the publick affairs of the King & King­dom. And secondly, that the Parliament there be moved immediate­ly to advance to Vs a good sum of money, which being now speedily sent hither, may prevent the expence of very much treasure & blood in a long continued war. And if your Lordship shall happen to stay on that side any longer time; we must then desire your Lordship to appoint a Lieutenant Generall to discharge the great and weighty burthen of commanding the forces here.

Amidst these confusions and discords fallen upon Vs, We be­thought [Page 34] Vs of the Parliament, which was formerly adjourned to No­vember next, & the term now also at hand, which will draw such a concourse of people hither & give opportunity under that pretence, assembling and taking new Councels, seeing the former seems to be in some part disappointed, and of contriving further danger to this State and People: We have therefore found it of unavoidable necessity to prorogue it accordingly, and to direct the Term to be adjourned to the first of Hillary Term, excepting only the Court of Exchequer for hastning in the Kings money if it be possible. We desire upon this occasion your Lordship will be pleased to view our Letters concerning the plantation of Conaght, dated the 24 of April last, directed to Mr. Secretary Vane in that part thereof, which concerns the County of Monaghan, where now these fires do first break out.

In the last place we must make known to your Lordship, that the Army we have, consisting but of 2000 Foot and 1000 Horse, are so dispersed in Garrisons in severall parts, as continually they have been since they were so reduced, as if they be all sent for to be drawn together, not only the places whence they are to be drawn, (and for whose safety they lye there) must be by absence distressed; but also the Companies themselves comming in so small numbers may be in danger to be cut off in their march; nor indeed have we any money to pay the Souldiers to enable them to march. And so we take leave and remain from his Majesties Castle of Dublin 25 of October 1641.

Your Lordships to be commanded
  • William Parsons. John Borlase.
  • Richard Bolton. Can. R. Dillon. Anthony Midensis. John Raphoe. R. Digbie. Ad. Loftus. Ger. Lowther. John Temple. Tho. Rotheram. Fran. Willoughbie. Ja. Ware. G. Wentworth. Robert Meredith.
[Page 35]POSTSCRIPT.

THe said Owen Conally, who revealed the Conspiracy is wor­thy of very great consideration, to recompence that faith and loyalty which he hath so extreamly to his own danger expressed in this businesse; whereby under God there is yet hope left us of deli­verance of this State and Kingdome, from the wicked purposes of those Conspirators. And therefore we beseech your Lordship that it be taken into consideration there, so as he may have a mark of his Majesties most royall bounty which may largely extend to him and his posterity, we not being now able here to do it for him.

W. PARSONS.
To the Right Honourable our very good Lord ROBERT Earle of Leicester, Lo. Lieutenant Gen. and Generall Governour of the Kingdome of Ireland.

THe dispatch sent to his Majesty was addressed to Sir Henry Vane, Principall Secretary, and carried by Sir Henry Spotswood, who went by sea directly into Scotland: And the Letters to the L. Lieutenant were sent to London by Owen O Conally, the first discoverer of the Plot.

The Lords now with all care and diligence applyed their further en­deavours towards the preventing as much as was possible, the destruction intended against all the Brittish inhabitants of the Kingdome,The Lords Iu­stices cause the Proclamations to be dispersed, Letters to be written and o­ther means to be used for the prevention of the rising of the Irish in the North, but all to no purpose. as well as the security of the City and the places round about it. A work of large extent, and wherein they met with many difficulties, by reason of their own wants both of men and money. They having formerly sent away and dispersed the Proclamations into severall parts of the Countrey, now sent Letters by expresse Messengers unto the Presidents of Munster and Conaght, and to severall principall Gentlemen in those two Provinces; as also to others within the Province of Lemster, giving them notice of the discovery of the Plot, and advising them to stand upon their guard, and [Page 36] to make the best provision they could for the defence of the Countrey a­bout them. They sent another expresse to the Earl of Ormond, then at his house at Caricke, with Letters to the same effect; and withall desired his Lordship presently to repair unto them at Dublin with his Troop of horse. They sent likewise Commissions to the Lords Viscounts of Clan­deboys, and of the Ardes, for raising of the Scots in the Northern parts, and putting them into arms, as they did also soon after to Sir William Stewart, and Sir Robert Stewart, and severall other Gentlemen of qua­lity in the North. And as they gave them order for prosecution of the Rebels with fire and sword, so they gave them power to receive such of them in as should submit to his Majesties grace and mercy. But these di­spatches they were enforced to send all by sea, the Rebels having stopped up the passages, and hindred all manner of entercourse with that Province by land.

The Lords of the English Pale repair to the Councell Board, & there declare their loyall affections to his Majestie. The English Pale is a large circuit of land possessed at the time of the first conquest of Ire­land by the Eng­lish, and ever since inhabited by them; it con­tains severall Counties, viz. the Counties of Dublin, Meth, Lowth, Kildare, &c.The Lords of the Pale having been at the Councell Board, and there declared to the Lords Justices, with great protestations, their loyall affections unto his Majestie; together with their readinesse and forward concurrence with their Lordships in this service, came unto them again within two or three dayes after with a Petition; wherein they offered unto their Lordships, the deep sense they had of an expression in the late Proclamation set out upon the discovery of this great Conspiracy inten­ded, as is there set down, by some evill affected Irish papists, which words they feared might be by some mis-interpreted, and such a construction put upon them, as might reflect upon their persons, as comprehended un­der them. Whereupon the Lords Justices and Councell thought fit, to descend so far to their satisfaction, as not only to remonstrate the clear­nesse of their intentions towards them, but that it might appear unto the world, they entertained not the least jealous thoughts of them, they cau­sed a new Proclamation to be set out by way of explanation of the for­mer, which I have thought fit here to insert, that it may appear how far they were from giving any of those Lords and Gentlemen occasion to break out into those rebellious courses, they soon afterwards took to their own destruction.

By the Lords Iustices and Councell.

W. Parsons. John Borlase.

WHereas a Petition hath been preferred unto Us by divers Lords and Gen­tlemen of the English Pale, in behalf of themselvs and the rest of the Pale, and other the old English of this Kingdome,A Procla­mation is­sued for the satisfaction of the Lords and Gen­tlemen of the English Pale. shewing that whereas a late Conspiracy of Treason is discovered of ill-affected persons of the old Irish, & that there­upon a Proclamation was published by Us; where­in among other things, it is declared that the said Conspiracy was perpetrated by Irish papists with­out distinction of any; and they doubting that by those generall words of Irish Papists, they might seem to be involved, though they declare themselves confident that We did not intend to conclude them therein, in regard they are none of the old Irish, nor of their faction, or confederacy; but are altogether averse and opposite to all their designes, and all o­thers of like condition; We doe therefore to give them full satisfaction, hereby declare and publish to to all His Majesties good Subjects in this Kingdom, That by the words, Irish Papists, VVe intended on­ly such of the old meer Irish in the Province of Ul­ster, [Page 38] as have plotted, contrived, and been actors in this Treason, and others who adhere to them; and that VVe did not any way intend, or mean thereby any of the old English of the Pale, nor of any other parts of this Kingdome, VVe being well assured of their fidelities to the Crown, and having experi­ence of the good affections and services of their An­cestors in former times of danger and Rebellion. And VVe further require all His Majesties loving Subjects, whether Protestants or Papists to forbear upbraiding matter of Religion, one against the o­ther, and that upon pain of his Majesties indignati­on. Given at His Majesties Castle of Dublin, 29 Octob. 1641.

R. Ranelagh. R. Dillon. Ant. Midensis. Ad. Loftus. Geo. Shurley. Gerrard Lowther. I. Temple. Fr. Willoughby. Ia. Ware.

God save the King.

¶ Imprinted at Dublin, by the Society Of STATIONERS.

BUt to return now to the Northern Rebels, who so closely pursued on their first plot, as they beginning to put it in execution in most of the chief places of strength there, upon the 23 of Octob. the day appointed for the surprizall of the Castle of Dublin, had by the latter end of the same moneth gotten into their possession all the Towns, Forts, Castles, and Gentlemens houses within the Counties of Tyrone, Donegall, The greater part of Vlster possessed by the Northern Re­bels. Fer­managh, Armagh, Cavan, London Derry, Monaghan, and half the County of Down, excepted the Cities of London Derry and Coleraigne, the Town and Castle of Encikillin, and some other places and Castles which were for the present gallantly defended by the British undertakers, though afterwards for want of relief surrendred into their hands. The chief of the Northern Rebels that first appeared in the execution of this Plot within the Province of Vlster were, Sir Phelim O Neale, The names of the chief Re­bels in Vlster. Turlogh O Neale, his brother, Roury Mac Guire, brother to the Lord Mac Guire, Philip O Rely, Mulmore O Rely, Sir Conne Mac Gennis, Col. Mac Brian, Mac Mahon; these having closely combined together, with severall other of their accomplices, the chief of the severall Septs in the severall Counties, divided their forces into severall parties; and according to a generall assignation made among themselves at one and the same time, surprized by treachery the Town and Castle of the Newry, Severall Forts and other pla­ces suddenly surprized by the Rebels. the Fort of Dongannon, Fort Montjoy, Carlemont, Tonrages, Caricke Mac Rosse, Cloughouter, Castle Blaney, Castle of Monaghan, being all of them pla­ces of considerable strength, and in severall of them companies of foot, or troops of Horse belonging to the standing army. Besides these they took a multitude of other Castles, Houses of strength, Towns, and Vil­lages, all abundantly peopled with Brittish in habitants, who had exceed­ingly enriched the Countrey as well as themselves by their painfull la­bours. They had made for their more comfortable subsistance, handsome and pleasant habitations, abounding with corn, cattell, and all other commodities that an industrious people could draw out of a good inland soile. They lived in great plenty, and some of them very well stored with plate and ready money. They lived likewise in as great security, being quiet and carelesse, as the people of Laish, little suspecting any treache­ry from their Irish neighbours. The English well knew they had given them no manner of provocation; they had entertained them with great demonstrations of love and affection. No story can ever shew that in any Age since their intermixed cohabitation, they rise up secretly to do them mischief. And now of late they lived so peaceably and lovingly together as they had just reason most confidently to believe, that the Irish would never upon any occasion generally rise up again to their destruction. This I take to be one main and principall reason that the English were so [Page 40] easily over-run within the Northern Counties,The great secu­rity and confi­dence of the English in the Irish, a great cause of their sudden destru­ction. and so suddenly swallow­ed up, before they could make any manner of resistance in the very first begnnings of this Rebellion. For most of the English having either Irish Tenants, Servants, or Landlords, and all of them Irish neighbours their familiar friends: as soon as the fire brake out, and the whole Countrey began to rise about them, some made their recourse presently to their Friends for protection, some relying upon their Neighbours, others up­on their Landlords, others upon their Tenants and Servants for preserva­tion,The English be­trayed & mur­dered by their Irish friends, servants, and tenants. or at least, present safety; and with great confidence put their lives, their Wives, their Children, and all they had, into their power. But these generally either betrayed them into the hands of other Rebels, or most perfidiously destroyed them with their own hands. The Priests had now charmed the Irish, and laid such bloody impressions in them, as it was held, according to the maxims they had received, a mortall sin to give any manner of relief or protection to any of the English. All bonds and tyes of faith and friendship were now broken; the Irish Landlords made a prey of their English tenants, Irish tenants and servants a Sacri­fice of their English Landlords and Masters, one neighbour cruelly murdered by another; the very Irish children in the very beginning fell to strip and kill English children: all other relations were quite cancel­led and laid aside, and it was now esteemed a most meritorious work in any of them that could by any means or wayes whatsoever, bring an En­lish man to the slaughter. A work not very difficult to be compassed as things then stood.The intermix­ture of the Eng­lish among the Irish, a main cause of their sudden de­struction. For they living promiscuously among the British, in all parts having from their Priests received the Watchword both for time and place, rose up, as it were actuated by one and the same spirit, in all places of those Counties before mentioned at one and the same point of time; and so in a moment fell upon them, murdering some, stripping only, or expelling others out of their habitations. This bred such a ge­nerall terror and astonishment among the English as they knew not what to think, much lesse what to do, or which way to turn themselves. Their servants were killed as they were ploughing in the fields, Husbands cut to pieces in the presence of their Wives, their Childrens brains dashed out before their faces, others had all their goods and cattell seazed and carried away, their houses burnt, their habitations laid waste, and all as it were at an instant before they could suspect the Irish for their enemies, or any wayes imagine that they had it in their hearts, or in their power, to offer so great violence, or do such mischief unto them.

Now for such of the English as stood upon their guard, and had gathe­red together, though but in small numbers, the Irish had recourse to their ancient stratagem; which as they have formerly, so they still continued [Page 41] to make frequent use of in this present Rebellion.The Irish falsi­fie their oaths and protestati­ons to the Eng­lish, and after quarter given them in severall places, murder and destroy them. And that was fairly to offer unto them good conditions of quarter, to assure them their lives, their goods, and free passage, with a safe conduct into what place soever they pleased, and to confirme these covenants sometimes under their Hands and Seals, sometimes with deep Oaths and Protestations; and then as soon as they had them in their power, to hold themselves dis-ob­liged from their promises, and to leave their Souldiers at liberty to de­spoil, strip, and murder them at their pleasure. Thus were the poor Eng­lish treated, who had shut themselves up in the great Cathedrall Church at Armagh by Sir Phelim O Neale, and his brother Turlogh. Thus were such of the English used by Philip O Reley, who had retired themselves to Belterbert, the best planted Town in the County of Cavan. And af­ter the same barbarous manner were such of the English drawn out to the slaughter, as had gotten into the Castles of Longford, the Castle of Tul­logh in the County of Fermanagh, or the Church of Newtowne in the same County, and severall other places; as appears by severall examina­tions taken upon oath, from persons that hardly escaped thence with their lives. And besides these other pollicies they used,Severall poli­cyes used by the Irish to prevent the English from rising a­gainst, or the Scots to ioyn in their defence. some to distract and discourage them, others to dis-inable them to stand out to make any defence. As in severall places the Irish came under divers pretences, and borrowed such weapons and armes as the English had in their houses; and no sooner got them into their hands, but they turned them out of their own doors, as they did at Glaslough in the County of Monaghan: And by the same means they very gently and fairly got into their posses­sion all the English arms in the County of Cavan: The High Sheriffe there being an Irishman and a Papist, pretending that he took their arms to secure them only against the violence of such of the Irish as he under­stood to be in arms in the next County. And that they might the more easily effect the destruction of the English, and keep off the Scots from giving them any assistance, they openly professed to spare, as really they did at the first, all of the Scottish Nation; and pretended they would suffer them, as likewise all English Papists, to live quietly among them; hoping thereby to contain all of that Nation from taking up arms, till they had mastered all the English, and that then they should be well e­nough enabled to deal with them. Thus were the poor English prepa­red for the slaughter, and so exceedingly distracted with the tumultuous rising of the Irish on all sides about them, as they could never put them­selves into any posture of defence. And although in many places they made small parties, and betook themselves into severall Churches and Castles, some of which were most gallantly long defended by them, yet did they not draw together in any such considerable body, as would en­able [Page 42] them to make good their party in the field,The English stand upon the defence of their private houses without joyning together in one body, wher­by they gave great advantage to the Rebels. against the numerous forces of the Rebels. The truth is, they did not very readily endeavour, or dexterously attempt it in any part of that Province, as I could hear of; every man betaking himself the best he could to the care of his own house, and seeking how to save his own family, his goods within, and his cattell without. And so while they kept singly apart, and singly stood up for their own private preservation, not joyning their forces together for the common safety, they gave the Rebels a fair opportunity, and a singular advantage, to work out with great facility their common de­struction. Whereas, if they had deserted their houses upon the first no­tice of the rising up of the Irish, and in the severall Counties put them­selves into severall bodies, under the commands of the chief English Gentlemen round about them, they had undoubtedly (how ill soever they were provided of arms and munition) been able to have encountred the Irish, and to have beat them out of many parts of the countrey, or at least, to have put them to some stand in their enterprize. Whereas, by the course they took, they most readily, without almost any resistance, exposed themselves to the mercilesse cruelty of the Irish, who at the ve­ry first (for some few dayes after their breaking out) did not in most pla­ces murder many of them: but the course they took, was to seaze upon all their goods and cattell, to strip them, their wives, and children na­ked; and in that miserable plight, the weather being most bitter cold and frosty, to turn them out of their houses, to drive them to the Moun­tains, to wander through the Woods and Bogs; and if they by any means procured any other clothes, or but even ordinary rags to cover their nakednesse, they were presently taken from them again, and none suffe­red to give them any kinde of shelter by the way, relief, or entertain­ment, without incurring the heavie displeasure of their Priests and chief Commanders. And so they drove such of the English, whose lives they thought fit at that time to spare, clear out of the countrey. Some of them took their journey towards Carigfergus, others towards Colraine, Derry, and other of the Northern Ports. Many who had gotten together and stood upon their guards, came to composition with their bloody assai­lants, and gave them their goods, plate and money, for leave to come up to the City of Dublin. And having bought their license at so dear a rate, had Passes and Convoyes assigned them by the chief Captains of the Rebels, and so came on of their way in great Troops of Men, Women, and Children. Out of the County of Cavan, as M. Creighton, (who by his charitable relief of great numbers of them, preserved them from perish­ing) testifies in his examination, there passed by his house in one compa­ny 1400 persons, in another 500. from Newtowne in the County of [Page 43] Fermanagh, in others lesser numbers, all without any weapons,Adam Clovers examination. or any thing else but the very clothes on their backs, which they suffered them not to carry away with them; but many were most barbarously stripped of them, by those who undertook to give them safe conduct, or perfidi­ously betrayed by them into the hands of other Rebels, by whom some were killed, others wounded: and all in a manner whatsoever they had to cover their nakednesse, taken from most of them; as may appear by the examination of Adam Clover of Slonosy in the County of Cavan, who being duly sworn, deposeth inter alia, That this deponent and his company that were robbed, observed, that 30 persons or thereabouts, were then most barbarously murdered and slain outright, and about 150 more persons cruelly wounded; so that traces of blood issuing from their wounds, lay upon the High way for 12 miles together, and many very young children were left and perished by the way, to the number of 60 or thereabouts; because the cruell pursuit of the Rebels was such, that their parents and friends could not carry them further. And fur­ther saith, that some of the Rebels vowed, That if any digged graves wherein to bury the dead children, they should be buried therein them­selves: So the poor people left the most of them unburied, exposed to ravenous beasts and fowls, and some few their Parents carried a great way to bury them. And this deponent further saith, that he saw upon the way a woman left by the Rebels stripped to her smock, set upon by three women and some Irish children, who miserably rent and tore the said poor English woman, and stripped her of her smock in a bitter frost and snow, so that she fell in labour under their hands, and both she and her childe dyed there. Thus did their mercy in sparing those miserable soules in this manner prove by much a far greater cruelty then if they had suddenly cut them off, as they did afterwards many thousands of Brittish that fell into their hands. For now they starved and perished in multitudes upon the wayes as they travelled along; and to those that outlived the misery of their journey, their limbes only served to drag up their bodies to christian buriall there denied unto them. For many of the men, and most of the women and children that thus escaped, either to Dublin or other places of safety in the North, not long outlived the bitternesse of their passage; but either overwhelmed with grief, or out­wearied with travell, contracted those diseases which furthered by hun­ger, cold, nakednesse, ill lodgings, and want of other necessaries, struck deeply into bodies that had lived long at ease with much plenty, and soon brought them with sorrow to their graves.

THese were the first fruits of this Rebellion which now began to di­late it self into the other Provinces, having covered over the Nor­thern Parts of the Kingdome with fearfull desolations. The first Plot­ters were yet undiscovered, but the great active instruments appointed for the execution of this horrid designe fully appeared, and had already deeply imbrued their hands in the bloody massacres of the English. Sir Phelim O Neale being the chief of that Sept,Sir Phelim O Neales proceed­ings. and now the person re­maining of nearest alliance to the late Earl of Tyrone, assumed to him­self the chief power among the Rebels in Ʋlster; and by his directions guided the rest of his complices on, in the destruction of all the English there. He was one of very mean parts without courage or conduct; his education for a great part of his youth was in England; he was admit­ted a Student of Lincolns Inne, and there trained up in the Protestant religion, which he soon changed after, if not before his return into Ire­land, lived loosely, and having no considerable estate, by reason of the great engagement upon it, became of very little esteem in all mens opi­nions. Yet such were the over zealous affections of his Countreymen in this cause, their secrecy in attempting, their suddennesse in executing, as by their forwardnesse to destroy the English and get their goods, he quickly over-run that part of the Countrey. He had prevailed so far within seven dayes after he first appeared in this Rebellion, by seazing most treacherously at the very first upon Charlemont, where the Lord Caufield lay with his Foot company, the Forts of Dongannon and Mont­joy, as that in his Letter written to Father Patrick O Donnell his Con­fessor, bearing date from Montjoy, the 30 of Octob. he was able to brag of great and many victories. And presently after he had gotten such a multitude of rude fellowes together, though in very ill equipage, as he marched down with great numbers of men towards Lisnagaruy, near the chief Plantation of the Scots; (for that part of their plot to spare them, as they did in the beginning, they found now too grosse to take, therefore they resolved to fall upon them without mercy) and yet left sufficient forces to come up into the Pale, to take in Dondalke in the County of Lowth. Which was a Frontier Town in the last wars against Tyrone, Dondalke taken by the Rebels about the be­ginning of No­vemb. 1641. and so well defended it self, as with all the power he had, he could never recover it into his hands. There lay now a Foot company of the old Army, but the Lieutenant who commanded it, having neither his men in readinesse, nor armes or munition, made little or no resist­ance, easily giving way to the forward affections of the inhabitants who delivered up the Town into the possession of the Rebels about the be­ginning of November 1641.

The Rebels presently after their taking in of Dondalke marched on [Page 45] further into the County of Lowth, and possessed themselves of Ardee, The Rebels march up to­wards Tredagh. a little Town within seven miles of Tredagh, anciently called Drohedagh. So as it was now high time to provide for the safety of that Town. The Lord Moore had already retired thither from his house at Millifont, and there remained with his troop of horse and two companies of foot. One was under the command of Sir John Nettervile, eldest sonne to the Lord Viscount Nettervile. He discovered in the very beginning much viru­lency in his affections, by giving false frights and raising false rumours, and making all manner of ill infusions into the mindes of the Townsmen, who as it afterwards appeared, were but too forward to take part with the Rebels. It is verily believed they had in the very beginning some plot to cut off the Lord Moore and seaze upon his Troop; and that Sir John Netterviles part was to begin a mutiny, which he attempted that night he was to be upon the watch, by giving ill language, and endeavouring to make a quarrell with his Lordship, which he very discreetly passed o­ver, and so carefully looked to the guard of the Town, as they could take no advantage to put on their designe. Howsoever the Townsmen were extreamly frighted with the thoughts of their present danger, and the greater part of them being Papists, were ready to declare themselves for the Catholick cause; only their desires were, things might be so orde­red,The ill conditi­on of Tredagh, represented by the L. Moore to the L. Iustices. as would administer unto them specious pretences of necessity for the same. The L. Moore gave present advertisement unto the Lords Justices and Councell, of the ill condition and most imminent danger he found the Town to be then in, that it was not possible to preserve it out of the hands of the Rebels without further strength both of horse and foot. That in case the enemy should make any sudden approaches, or attempt to surprize the Town, he found such poor preparatives for defence with­in, such apparant signes of disloyalty in the Townsmen, and all things in such a desperate confusion, as they should not be able by the best en­deavours they could use to give any good account of that place. Here­upon their Lordships presently resolved,A Regiment raised by the Lo. Iustices at Dublin, & sent down under the command of Sir Henry Tichborne for the defence of Tredagh. Novemb. 3. to leavy in the City of Dublin a Regiment of foot, and to place them under the command of Sir Henry Tichborne for the defence of Tredagh. And for this purpose there was very oportunely in the hands of the Vice Treasurer 3000 li. in a readi­nesse to be at that time sent over into England, for the satisfaction of a publick engagement there. This the Lords thought fit to make use of, for the leavying and setting out of those men which Sir Henry Tichborne got together in very few dayes, and having a Commission of govern­ment for the Town, with some other private instructions, he marched away with great alacrity and diligence the 3 of November, and happily arrived next day at Tredagh.

A Regiment raised by Sir Charles Coot.The Lords granted another Commission to Sir Charles Coot to levy a thousand men more, which he most carefully endeavoured, and within a very short time made up his Regiment, wherein very many of the Eng­lish, who came up stripped and despoiled out of the North, listed them­selves; for most of the men which escaped from thence with their lives, being better able to suffer then the women and children, outlived the mi­series of their journey, and putting themselves into severall companies, some of them had the contentment to revenge the barbarous cruelty used by the Rebels towards them.

The second di­spatch made by the L. Iustices and Councel into England, Nov. 5.VPon the 5. of November, the Lords made their 2d. dispatch unto His Majesty, still at Edenburgh in Scotland: At the same time they sent severall Letters into England, to the L. Keeper, Speaker of the house of Peers, to the Speaker of the house of Commons, to the Lo: of his Mties most hon: Privy Councel, & to the L. Lieutenant of Ireland; in all which they did with much earnestnesse declare their present dangers, together with the necessity of sending sudden relief. In their Letter to the Lords of the Councel they did more particularly set down the miserable estate of the whole kingdom, and the large progresse that the Rebellion had in few dayes made since it broke out. They represented unto their Lordships the great outrages the Rebels had committed upon the British inhabi­tants in Vlster, that they had seized upon all their estates and houses in five Counties of that Province, possessed their Arms, detained many of the principall Gentlemen prisoners; That they had already slain many, most barbarously hewed some to peeces, that they have exposed thou­sands to want and beggery, who had good estates and lived plentifully: That the Rebellion began then to diffuse it self into the counties of Long­ford and Letrim, and to threaten the English plantations in the King and Queens county: that the inhabitants of the counties of Meath and Lowth began to fall upon the English near about them: that they con­ceived there could not be lesse then 30000. who had already openly de­clared themselves in this Rebellion, and were assembled together in se­verall great parties; that they understood their designe was, having got Dondalke, to take in Tredagh, and so to come up immediately to besiege the city and castle of Dublin: that they gave out publikely, their purpose was to extirpate the English and Protestants, and not to lay down Arms untill the Romish religion were established, the Government setled in the hands of the Natives, and the old Irish restored to the lands of their supposed ancestors. That they held it their duty to acquaint their Lord­ships with the lamentable estate wherein the Kingdome stood, that his Majesty and the Parliament might understand it, and so speedily provide [Page 47] for sending over to their relief 10000 Foot, 1000 Horse, together with some able Commanders, 100000. l. in money, and further provisions of Arms: That unlesse these were presently sent to them (they craved leave to repeat it again and again) the Kingdom would be utterly lost, all the English and Protestants in Ireland destroyed, the peace of the kingdome of England disturbed by the Irish from thence, and so England enforced to make a new conquest of it, for that a Politique reformation would then be impossible.

But now before I passe further,The proceedings of the Parlia­ment of England upon the first advertisements brought unto them of the Re­bellion raised in Ireland. I shall here give an accompt of the ar­rival of these and the former Letters of the 25. of October, addressed by the Lords Justices and Councel to the L. Lieutenant of Ireland. Owen O Conally, the happy discoverer of the first Plot (who carried the first Letters over) arrived at London the last day of October, and late in the evening delivered those Letters to his Lordship, who having read them over, and received from him full information of all other parriculars within his knowledge, repaired the next morning to the Councel-board, and having there acquainted the Lords of His Majesties Privy Councel with them he was required by their Lordships to communicate them unto the Lords of the upper house of Parliament, which he did accordingly the very same morning: And they considering the high importance of them, as soon as they had perused them, Ordered that they should be presently sent down to the house of Commons, by the Lord Keeper, the L. Privy Seal, L. High Chamberlain, L. Admiral, L. Marshal, L. Chamber­lain, Earl of Bath, Earl of Dorset, Earl of Leicester, Earl of Holland, Earl of Berks, Earl of Bristol, L. Vicount Say, E. Mandevile, L. Goring, L. Wilmot, all of them being of His Majesties most honorable Privy Councel. There were Chairs provided for these Lords in the house of Commons, and they sate down there till the Letters were read, and then having informed the house of such other parciculars as they had received concerning the generall Rebellion in Ireland, they departed without any further conference or other debate upon them, leaving the house of Commons to consider further of them: Who presently Ordered,

That the House forthwith should be resolved into a Committee, to take into consideration the matter offered concerning the Rebelli­on in Ireland, as likewise to provide for the safety of the Kingdom of England.

This being done, they fell into a most serious debate of this great bu­sinesse then before them, they fully considered what means were fittest to be used at present for the prevention of the further spreading of that hideous Rebellion in Ireland, as well as stopping of the ill influence it [Page 48] might make upon their affairs in England, where great troubles even then began to appeare within view. And after much time spent in this debate, they came to these severall Conclusions, which being put to the question, were assented unto by the Committee, and so resolved as followeth:

1. That 50000.l. be forthwith provided.

2. That a Conference be desired with the Lords, to move them that a select Committee of the Members of both Houses may be appointed to go to the city of London, and to make a Declaration unto them of the state of the businesse in Ireland, and to acquaint them that the leading of monies at this time will be an acceptable service to the Commonwealth. And that they propose unto them the Loan of 50000.l. and to assure them that they shall be secured both of the Principall and Interest, by Act of Parliament.

3. That a select Committee may be named of both Houses to consider of the affaires of Ireland.

4. That Owen O Conally, who discovered this great treason, shall have 500.l. presently paid him, and 200.l. per annum pension, untill pro­vision of land of inheritance of a greater value be made for him.

5. That the persons of Papists of quality within this Kingdome, may be secured within the severall Counties where they reside.

6. That no person whatsoever, except those who are Merchants, shall be admitted to go over into Ireland, without Certificate from the Com­mittee of both Houses appointed to consider the affaires of Ireland.

These with severall other particulars concerning Ireland, and tending in order to the safety of the kingdome of England, were resolved upon the question, and Master Whitlock appointed to report them to the House as heads of a conference desired with the Lords concerning the affaires of Ireland, which was accordingly had with their Lord­ships the same day; At which conference the L. Keeper did expresse the very great sense the Lords had of the exceeding great care taken by the house of Commons for the prevention of the further spreading of the Rebellion in Ireland, And his Lordship by command of the Lords did further let them know, that their Lordships did think fit to agree with them in all those particulars presented unto them by the house of Commons without any materiall alteration, only adding such further things as they conceived might serve to further and expedite their desires in the more speedy putting them in execution.

The house of Commons having proceeded thus far in the affairs of Ire­land, upon the two first dayes after the discovery made unto them of the Rebellion there raised, did notwithstanding their own present distracti­ons, [Page 49] set apart some portion almost of every day that they sate, du­ring the whole moneth of November, for the considering of the af­fairs of Ireland; and so upon the third and fourth of the same, re­solved upon the question, and accordingly ordered these particulars following:

1. That the House holds fit that 20000 li. be forthwith supplied for the present occasions of Ireland.

2. That a convenient number of ships shall be provided for the guard­ing of the Sea-coasts of Ireland.

3. That this house holds fit that 6000 foot and 2000 horse shall be rai­sed with all convenient speed, for the present expedition into Ireland.

4. That the Lord Lieutenant shall present to both Houses of Parlia­ment, such Officers as he shall think fit to send into Ireland, to command any forces to be transported thither.

5. That Magazines of victuals shall be forthwith provided at Westche­ster to be sent over to Dublin, as the occasions of that Kingdome shall require.

6. That the Magazines of armes, ammunition, powder, now in Car­lile, shall be forthwith sent over to Knockfergus in Ireland.

7. That it be referred to the Kings Councell, to consider of some fit way, and to present it to the House, for a publication to be made of re­wards to be given to such as shall do service in this Expedition into Ire­land; and for a pardon of such of the Rebels in Ireland as as shall come in by a time limited, and of a sum of money to be appointed for a reward to such as shall bring in the Heads of such principall Rebels as shall be nominated.

8. That Letters shall be forthwith sent to the Justices in Ireland to acquaint them how sensible this House is of the affairs of Ireland.

9. That the Committee of Irish affairs shall consider how, and in what manner this Kingdome shall make use of the friendship and assi­stance of Scotland in the businesse of Ireland.

[Page 50]10. That directions shall be given for the drawing of a Bill for the pressing of men for this particular service for Ireland.

These particulars, together with severall others, being resolved upon the question, they passed an Ordinance of Parliament, enabling the Earl of Leicester Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, to raise 3500 foot, and 600 horse, for the present service there. And they further expressed their re­solution, not to make use of the assistance offered unto them by their Brethren of Scotland further for the present, then for the furnishing them with 1000 foot, which they desired might be transported out of Scotland into the North of Ireland. And on the same day they ordered, that the Master of his Majesties Ordnance should deliver to the L. Lieutenant of Ireland the number of 1000 arms for horse, and 8000 arms for foot, and ten Last of powder, to be presently sent into Ireland. And that the Lord Admirall should suddenly provide shipping for the transporting of men, arms, and ammunition, and other provisions according to the former re­solutions of the House.

Now while both Houses of Parliament were taking Order for rai­sing men, money, and sending provisions and other necessaries for Ire­land, there arrived those other Letters of the 5 of November, formerly mentioned, which being addressed to the Lords of his Majesties Privie Councell, were communicated to both Houses of Parliament, and after a conference upon them, took further resolutions for the speedy sending away supplyes into Ireland. And such were the forward affections and zeal of the House of Commons, to promove what concerned the service of Ireland, as they thereupon voted 200000 li. to be raised for the sup­pressing the Irish rebellion, and for securing of the Kingdome of Eng­land, and payment of the publick debts.

And that they might facilitate this great work of raising such a summe of money, upon the credit of an Act of Parliament, before the money could be collected throughout the Kingdome; they thought fit, for the better encouragement of the City of London, and for the giving them full satisfaction in point of security for the monies formerly lent them, to make this Order following.

THe Lords and Commons in this present Parliament assem­bled, having a due regard to the good affections of the City of London, expressed upon sundry occasions, by the advan­cing and lending of great sums of money, for the service of this [Page 51] Common-wealth: and particularly the sum of 50000 li. lent for the Irish affairs; and the sum of 50000 li. more lent by the said City unto the Peers attending his Majesty in the Northern parts before the beginning of this present Parliament, which are not yet paid, or otherwayes secured, shall be fully satisfied and repaid unto the said City of London, with interest of 8 li. per cent. for one year, out of such monies as are or shall be raised by authority of Par­liament. And for that purpose an Act of Parliament to be passed with all expedition. Provided alwayes that this present Ordinance shall not in any wayes be prejudiciall to any Members of the said House of Commons, who have formerly lent any sums of money to this Parliament, nor to the Northern Counties, nor to any persons whatsoever, to whom both Houses of Parliament, or the said House of Commons have formerly ordered the payment of any summes of money, nor to any security given to them, before the making of this Ordinance.

BUt I shall now return to the affairs of this Kingdome, and the seri­ous consultations and means used here by the Justices and Councell for the securing of the City and Castle of Dublin, which by reason of the present confusion, weaknesse, and wants, were in very great, and most apparent danger of a sudden surprize.

And first for the Castle, Sir Francis Willoughby being made Gover­nour, had a Company of an 100 men well armed, assigned for the con­stant guard of that place, besides the ordinary Warders, who gave their usuall attendance there. And because the Lords conceived it might be dangerous in such desperate times to admit such a multitude of suitors of all sorts into the Castle, as had daily occasion to attend the Councell-board, they presently transferred the place of their meeting in Coun­cell to Corke House, where they continued to sit a good time after, not­withstanding the great danger their persons were continually exposed unto, by the confident resort in great numbers of severall Lords, Gentle­men and orhers who within few dayes after declared themselves Rebels, and so went out among them. It was Gods immediate providence that preserved them, and suffered not those persons, who soon after became such bloody Rebels, to lay hold on that opportunity. For certainly, they might with great ease have taken out of the way the Lords Justices and Councell; and so have left all things in such confusion as would have [Page 52] brought on their long desired ends without any further contestation or trouble.

The next care was to provide victuals for the Castle in such proporti­ons as might enable it to endure a siege, in case the Town, either through treachery within, or by forces from without, should come to be surpri­zed by the Rebels, who now carried all things so clearly before them in the North, as they most confidently gave it out they would suddenly come down and make themselves masters of it. How to compasse this, seemed a matter of great difficulty, in regard there was no money to be had for the performing this work so absolutely necessary in it self, and at that time so highly importing the safety & preservation, even of the whol Kingdome. Therefore the Master of the Rolles, upon whom the Lords were pleased to impose this service of victualling the Castle; took the advantage of the strange frights,Order taken for victualling the Castle of Du­blin. fears, and little safety, all the English and Protestants, conceived both themselves and their goods to remain in at that time. He sent presently for some of the chief Mer­chants that were Protestants in the town, and clearly represented unto them, the high necessities of the State, the great danger of the town, the publick benefit, and their own private security, in laying into the Castle such of their provisions as they had lying by them, even in unsafe places of the City. These impressions took, and they rightly apprehending the common danger, that they could not outlive the ruines of the Castle; partly out of their own good affections to the service, partly out of a prudent care to secure their goods, were content to bring in great quan­tities of Beef, Herrings, and Corn upon the Master of the Rolles under­taking to see them satisfied, in case use were made of them, or otherwise certain restitution in kinde to the severall owners. So as there were pre­sently laid in by the English and Dutch Merchants, within the Verge of the Castle, above 2000 barrels of Beef, 2000 barrels of Herrings, and a good proportion of Wheat; provisions sufficient, not only to victuall the Castle for many moneths, but which did serve to maintain the whole Ar­my billeted in the City a long time after, and their money they received within few moneths after, by certificate from hence upon the Chamber of London; according to an Order made by both Houses of Parliament in England; for present payment to be made to such as laid in any pro­visions for the army in Ireland. There was then further Order taken to new dig and clear an old Well long since stopped up within the walls of the Castle; and to provide all other necessaries fit for a siege. This was the first step to the safety of this place, and gave great comfort and secu­rity to all the English, and Protestants.

The Castle being thus happily provided for,The Lo. Iustices care to provide for the safety of the City of Du­blin. the Lords took it next in­to their care how to secure the City in some sort, against any sudden at­tempts. And this proved a work not easie to be effected, not only in regard of the crazinesse of the walls, the large Suburbs, and weaknesse of the place; but much more in respect of the corrupt ill affections of the popish inhabitants within the City: So strangely were many of them de­luded with the ill infusions of their Priests, as they did certainly (as we found afterwards by wofull experience) do all that in them lay, to pro­move the rebellious designes then set on foot (as they believed) only for the re-settlement of their religion, and recovery of their liberties. They were the instruments to conveigh away privately most of the chief Con­spirators, who would have surprized the Castle on the 23 of October. They secretly entertained many of the Rebels that came out of the country, they likewise sent them relief that were abroad, by secret wayes, conveighing as wel ammunition, as intelligence of all passages from hence. And such strong aversions had they against all contributions for the main­tenance of his Majesties army; as in the very beginning of the rebellion, when the Lords sent for the Major & Aldermen, & laying before them the high necessities of the State, together with the apparent danger of the City & whole Kingdom, desired to borrow a considerable sum of money for the present, which they undertook to repay out of the next treasure that should arrive out of England. The popish party among them was so prevalent, as that after a most serious consultation and very solemn de­bate among themselves, they returned this answer, that they were not a­ble to furnish above 40 l. and part of that was to be brought in in cattell.

There remained at this time imbarqued within the harbour of Du­blin four hundred Irish souldiers, ready, as was pretended,Severall Irish souldiers imbar­qued under pre­tence of being carried into Spain, at the very time of the first breaking out of the Re­bellion. to set sail for Spain, under the command of Colonell Iohn Barry, who with some other Irish Gentlemen had procured leave from his Majesty to leavie certain numbers of voluntiers to be transported over for the service of the King of Spain. And those levied in other parts, as well as at Dublin, were brought together just at the very time designed for the execution of the great plot. The pretence was specious, but certain­ly their intentions how finely soever covered over, were to have those men in a readinesse together, at the very time appointed for the first breaking out of these unnaturall troubles. And as for those men which lay within the Harbour of Dublin, they were so great a terrour to all the Protestant inhabitants in the City, as it exceedingly perplexed the Lords how to dispose so of them as might prevent the mischief justly feared, in case of their landing. Their Commanders had so handsomely [Page 54] ordered the matter, as though they were designed for a long voyage, yet stay on ship-board any longer they could not, by reason they had no vi­ctuals, not even enough to carry them out of the Harbour; and no man had order in the absence of Colonell Barry (who retired himself some few miles out of the town, the very evening before the Castle should have been taken) to provide for the further supplying of them. To suf­fer them to land, was to adde so many instruments of mischief to those already gathered within and about the City. Therefore it was resolved that the Captain of the Kings Pinace then in the Harbour should by force keep them from landing, which he did severall dayes together, till it was apparent they would inevitably starve, if a course were not sud­denly taken to afford them some relief. Whereupon the Lords having no means to victuall them aboard, gave them leave to land, having first ta­ken order they should not come into the City.

The Lords Justices and Councell thought fit within very few dayes af­ter the landing of these men, the more to deter them, and all other ill-affected persons from repairing to the City of Dublin, Several Procla­mations issued out by the Lo. Iustices and Councell. to issue out a Proclamation for the discovery and present removall of all such as did or should come and continue there without just or necessary cause. But so carefull were they in this, and all other their actions, not to give any distaste to the Irish or other inhabitants of the countrey, as they forbear to inflict any punishment upon any that continued in the City contrary to their Proclamation, sparing severall persons whom they had not on­ly just cause to be jealous off, but who were brought before them, and convinced to have uttered speeches clearly discovering their ill affecti­ons. And having by late Proclamations prorogued the Parliament, and adjourned Michaelmas Term, that under pretence of repair to either of them, unnecessary concourse of strangers might not be brought unto the town, they proceeded on to some other Acts, which as they conceived would not only render great security to the City, but lessen the distem­pers abroad, bring safety to the Pale, and keep the dangers at distance, and far off from them. And for this purpose they being informed, that a multitude of the meaner sort of people were ignorantly involved in the guilt of this rebellion, and by the wicked seducement of the first Conspirators had been drawn on to dispoile their English neighbours, they issued out a Proclamation about the beginning of the moneth of November, declaring unto all such as were not Freeholders within the County of Meath, Westmeath, Lowth, and Longford; that if they would come in and submit, make restitution of the goods so taken, they should be received to his Majesties mercy, and no further prosecution held a­gainst them.

Much about the time of the sending forth of this Proclamation, some of the chief of the Sept of the Relyes, A Remonstrance sent up to the Lords Iustices and Councell, from the Rebels in the county of Cavan. and other prime Gentlemen in the County of Cavan sent up a kinde of Remonstrance to the Lords Justices and Councell. Whereunto they returned them a very fair answer, assu­ring them of their readinesse to give them all just redresse of their grie­vances expressed therein, so they would in the mean time retire peace­ably to their houses, restore as they were able the English mens goods, & forbear all further acts of rapine and violence. And they did present­ly send over their Remonstrance to the Lord Lieutenant, to be presen­ted to his Majestie, according to their desires. But these wayes of moderation and peaceable perswasions, proved of very little effect, they had no manner of influence into the resolved mindes of the Leaders, or of operation upon the hardned hearts of the people; they were too deeply engaged, so sleightly to retire. They had now drenched them­selves in the blood of the English, and were greatly enriched with their spoiles. It was not possible for them to make restitution, and they hoped to go through with the work, and by the united power of the Kingdome to draw the whole management of the affairs into their own hands.

And now likewiise the Lords Justices and Councell, that they might shew the great confidence they had in the Lords and chief Gentlemen of the Pale, Commissions of martiall law granted unto se­verall persons by the Lords Iustices. and give them both oportunity and means to expresse their loyalty and affections to his Majesties service, resolved (according as the constitution of their affairs then required) to do some such acts as might clearly perswade them of the great trust they really reposed in them▪ And therefore first they gave out severall Commissions of Martiall law, for executing (without attending a proceeding according to the ordinary course of the Common law) of such Traitors and Rebels as should be apprehended doing mischief in any parts of the countrey about them. And these they directed to the most active Gentlemen, though all Papists, inhabiting in the severall Counties, As, to Henry Talbot in the County of Dublin, John Bellew Esq in the county of Lowth, Richard Dalton and Iames Tuit Esq in the county of West-Meath, Ʋalerian Wesley in the county of Meath, Iames Talbot in the County of Cavan. Commissions of government of the severall counties within the Pale, gran­ted to severall Lords and Gen­tlemen, with­out distinction of Religion.

Next they made choice of the chief persons of quality residing in the said Counties of the Pale, and others adjacent to them, to govern and command such forces as should be raised by them, and armed by the state for the defence of the Countrey, and issued out from the Councel-board severall Commissions of government unto them. As, one to the [Page 56] Earl of Ormond and the L. Viscount Montgarret, for the county of Kil­kenny, to Walter Bagnall Esq for the county of Cat [...]rlagh, Sir Iam. Dil­lon the elder, and Sir Iames Billon the yonger for the county of Longford, L. Viscount Costeloe for the county of Maio, Sir Robert Talbot and Garrat Birne for the county of Wiclow, Sir Christopher Bellew for the county of Lowth, Earl of Kildare for the county of Kildare, Sir Thomas Nugent for the county of Westmeath, Nicholas Barnewall for the county of Dublin, L. Viscount Gormanston for the county of Meath. All these were made choice of without distinction of religion; the Lords holding it fit at that time to put the chief persons of power in the countrey into those places of trust; hoping they might prove good instruments to op­pose the threatning incursions of the Northern Rebels, which they knew them well enabled to perform if they would really joyn in the service, or at least be kept by this their great confidence in them, from giving any entertainment or assistance to their rebellious designes.

The Commission directed to the L. of Gormanston, I have thought fit here to insert. It was found afterwards in his study by some of his Maje­sties army, when he and all the rest of the Governours that were of the Romish religion, thus chosen, deserted their houses, and openly declared themselves in actuall rebellion. The other Commissions were all of the same tenour.

By the Lords Iustices and Councell.

W. Parsons. John Borlase.

RIght trusty and well beloved, We greet you well. Whereas divers most disloyall and ma­lignant persons within this Kingdome have traiterously conspired against His Majesty, His Peace, Crown, and dignity; and many of them in execution of their Conspiracy, are traiterously as­sembled together in a warlike manner, and have most inhumanely made destruction and devastati­on of the persons and estates of divers of his Maje­sties good and loyall subjects of this Kingdom, and taken, slain, and imprisoned great numbers of them. We out of our care and zeal for the common good, being desirous by al means to suppresse the said trea­sons and traitors, and to conserve the persons and fortunes of His Majesties loving Subjects here in safety; and to prevent the further spoil and devasta­tion of His Majesties good people here, do therfore hereby require and authorize you, to levie, raise and assemble, all, every, or any the forces, as well Foot­men as Horsemen within the county of Meath, gi­ving you hereby the command in chief of all the said forces, and hereby further requiring and au­thorizing [Page 58] you as Commander of them in chief, to arme, array, divide, distribute, dispose, conduct, leade, and govern in chief the said forces, according to your best discretion; and with the said forces to resist, pursue, follow, apprehend, and put to death, slay, and kill, as well by battell as other wayes, all and singular the said Conspirators, Traytors, and their adherents, according to your discretion; and according to your conscience and discretion to pro­ceed against them, or any of them, by martiall law, by hanging them or any of them till they be dead, according as it hath been accustomed in time of o­pen rebellion; and also to take, waste, and spoil their, or any of their Castles, Holds, Forts, Houses, Goods, and Territories, or otherwise to preserve the lives of them, or any of them, and to receive them into His Majesties favour and mercy, and to forbear the devastation of their, or any of their Castles, Forts, Houses, Holds, Goods, and Territories afore men­tioned, according to your discretion: Further here­by requiring and authorizing you to do, execute, and perform all and singular such other things for examination of persons suspected, discovery of Trai­tors and their adherents, parlying with, and grant­ing Protections to them or any of them, taking up of Carts, Carriages, and other conveniences, send­ing and retaining espials, victualling the said forces, and other things whatsoever conducing to the pur­pose [Page 59] aforementioned, as you in your discretion shall think fit, and the necessity of the service re­quire, further hereby requiring and authorizing you, as Commander in chief, to constitute and ap­point such Officers and Ministers, respectively for the better performance and execution of all and sin­gular the premises, as you in your discretion shall think fit. And We do hereby require and command, all and singular His Majesties Sheriffs, Officers, and Ministers, and loving Subjects, of and within the county of Meath, and the borders thereof, upon their faith and allegiance to his Majestie, and to his Crown, to be aiding, helping, and assisting to you, in the doing, and executing of all and singular the premises; This our Commission to continue during Our pleasure only; and for the so doing, this shall be your sufficient VVarrant. Given at His Maje­sties Castle of DUBLIN, Novemb. 1641.

  • R. Dillon. Io. Temple.
  • Ia. Ware. Rob. Meredith.
To Our very good Lo. NICHOLAS Vic. Com. Gormanstowne.

IN these Commissions it is very observable, that there was power given to these Lords and Gentlemen to whom they were directed, not only to use fire and sword, for the destruction of the Rebels and their adherents, but also to preserve the lives of any of them, to receive them or any of them, into his Majesties favour or mercy. This plainly shewes the very great confidence the Lords were pleased to repose in them; as also their desires to make them instruments, to deliver those multitudes of people that engaged themselves in this rebellion, from the power, either of his Majesties arms, or civill justice, They intended no­thing but the reducing of a rebellious Nation; and they at the first ap­plyed lenitives, which failing in the cure, they were afterwards then en­forced to have recourse to more violent medicines.

Arms and mu­nition delivered out to the Lords and chief Gen­tlemen of the Pale, by the Lo. Iustices and Councel.That these Governours thus constituted, might be the better enabled according to the authority and power given unto them by their severall Commissions, to undertake the defence of the Countrey in this high ex­tremity of the neare approaching dangers; The Lords took order to have delivered unto them a certain proportion of arms, to be imployed for the arming of some men to be raised in each county for the common safety, besides the armes they gave them, and other Gentlemen, for the defence of their own private houses. As to the Lord of Gormanstone there were delivered armes for five hundred men, for the county of Meath. There were also delivered armes for three hundred men for the county of Kildare. Armes for three hundred men for the county of Lowth. Armes for three hundred men for the county of West-Meath. Armes for three hundred men for the county of Dublin. And about the same time there were sent down four hundred Muskets, to the Lords of the Ardes and Clandeboys, for the arming of the Scots in the county of Downe. All of these had powder, lead, and match, proportionable to their armes, at the same time delivered unto them.

Severall Coun­ties within the Province of Lemster declare themselves for the Rebels.But now the poyson of this rebellion which had hitherto contained it self within the Northern counties, and the confines of them, began to be diffused into other parts of the Kingdome. It had already infected the counties of Letrim, Longford, West-Meath, and Lowth, lying contiguous unto them. And upon the 12 of Novemb. the Irish in the County of Wiclow brake out most furiously, despoiling, robbing, and murthering all the English inhabitants within that territory. They burnt all their fair well-built houses, drove away their cattell, and laid siege to Fort Carew, wherein was a foot company of the old army. The newes being brought to the Lords Justices thereof, they well considered the impor­tance of the place, and that if it were in the hands of the Rebels, and [Page 61] that whole county in their possession, they could expect little quietnesse, or even safety in the Citie, by reason of their near neighbourhood. Whereupon they were most desirous to have sent down forces for the re­lief of it. But when they came on the other side to consider their want of means for the performance of that service, that they had no money, but few men, and many of them not to be trusted. That it would be ve­ry dangerous to divide their small forces, and so to leave the Citie in a manner unguarded, they were enforced to lay aside that resolution, and with great grief to sit still and suffer the poor English in those parts to be exposed to the mercilesse cruelties of those barbarous Rebels who went on furiously with the work, and quickly cleared all that county of the English inhabitants. Within few dayes after, the Irish in the Coun­ties of Wexford and Caterlagh began to rise likewise, and to follow the bloody examples of their neighbours. There were now also great appa­rencies of the disloyalty of the County of Kildare, who with large prote­stations under the pretence of doing service had gotten into their hands the arms and munition designed for them by the State. And so mysteri­ous and doubtfull was the carriage of the Lords and chief Gentlemen of the English Pale, giving no manner of intelligence to the State of the proceedings of the Rebels, nor making any kinde of preparatives against them, as their affections began even then to be justly suspected.

So as the City of Dublin being the receptacle of the whole State,The sad condi­tion of the City of Dublin. the Magazine of all the arms, munition and other provisions for the army, and the chief sanctuary of all the English and despoiled Protestants, was now reduced to a very sad condition, desperately encompassed on every side, the Northern Rebels being come down in two severall parties with great forces, within 20 miles of it on the one side, and the Rebels of the County of VViclow infesting it on the other side: which with the great resort of strangers, and the continuall rumours of new plots and devices to surprize the town, possessed the Protestants with extraordinary fears of their present danger. But that wch made their condition appear much more formidable unto them, was the daily repair of multitudes of Eng­lish that came up in troops, stripped, and miserably despoiled, out of the North. Many persons of good rank and quality, covered over with old rags, and some without any other covering then a little twisted straw to hide their nakednesse. Some reverend Ministers and others that had esca­ped with their lives, sorely wounded. Wives came bitterly lamenting the murders of their Husbands, mothers of their children barbarously destroy­ed before their faces, poor infants ready to perish & poure out their souls in their mothers bosome: some over-wearied with long travell, and so surbated, as they came creeping on their knees; others frozen up with [Page 62] cold,The resort of multitudes of men, women and children to the City of Du­blin, in a most miserable po­sture. ready to give up the ghost in the streets: others overwhelmed with grief, distracted with their losses, lost also their senses. Thus was the town within the compasse of a few dayes after the breaking out of this rebellion filled with these most lamentable spectacles of sorrow, wch in great num­bers wandred up and down in all parts of the City, desolate, forsaken, ha­ving no place to lay their heads on, no clothing to cover their nakednesse, no food to fill their hungry bellies. And to adde to their miseries, they found all manner of relief very disproportionable to their wants, the Po­pish inhabitants refusing to minister the least comfort unto them: so as those sad creatures appeared like living ghosts in every street. Many emp­ty houses in the city, were by speciall direction taken up for them: Barns, Stables, and out-houses, filled with them, yet many lay in the open streets, and others under stals & there most miserably perished. The Churches were the common receptacles of the meaner sort of thē, who stood there in a most dolefull posture, as objects of charity, in so great multitudes, as there was scarce any passage into them. But those of better quality, who could not frame themselves to be common beggars, crept into private places; & some of them that had not private friends to relieve them, even wasted silently away, and so died without noise. And so bitter was the re­membrance of their former condition, and so insupportable the burthen of their present calamity to many of them, as they even refused to be comforted. I have known of some that lay almost naked, & having clothes sent, laid them by, refusing to put them on. Others that would not stir to fetch themselves food, though they knew where it stood ready for them. But they continued to lie nastily in their filthy rags, and even their own dung, not taking care to have any thing clean, handsome or comfortable about them. And so even worn out with the misery of their journey and cruell usage, having their spirits spent, their bodies wasted, and their sen­ses failing, lay here pitifully languishing; and soon after they had reco­vered this town, very many of them dyed, leaving their bodies as monu­ments of the most inhumane cruelties used towards them. The greatest part of the women and children thus barbarously expelled out of their habitations, perished in the city of Dublin: and so great numbers of them were brought to their graves, as all the Churchyards within the whole Town were of too narrow a compasse to contain them. So as the Lords took order to have two large pieces of new ground, one on each side the River, taken in upon the out-Greens, and set apart for burying places. These were the memorable spectacles of mercy, and of the great commiseration the Rebels used to those English, to whom they gave their lives for a prey. But what their sufferings were, before they could get out of the hands of those bloody Villaines, what strange horrid [Page 63] inventions they used towards them, torturing and massacring those they there murthered, is reserved to be more fully related in its proper place. They are left upon record to posterity, under the oathes of many that escaped, & mentioned here to no other purpose, then to shew the strange horror and amazement the beholding of them bred in all the English and Protestant inhabitants of the City. They seeing the Rebels prevaile so mightily, expected if they continued here to be undoubtedly exposed to the same cruelties. And they now understood by those who were come up from among them, that their designe was; As soon as they had taken in Tredagh, to come and seaze upon the City and Castle of Dublin, and so to make a generall extirpation of all the English, root and branch; not to leave them name or posterity throughout the whole Kingdome.

It is easie to conjecture what a sad confused countenance the City then had: what fears, terror, and astonishment, the miserable spectacles with­in, and the approaches of the Rebels without, raised in the mindes of an affrighted, distracted people. The English inhabitants looked upon all the horrid cruelties exercised abroad, all the calamities and desolations fallen upon their countreymen in other parts of the Kingdome, as arri­ved at these gates, and now ready to enter: the Avenues all open,The fears and distractions within the City of Dublin. neither hope nor means, neither Rampires nor Trenches to keep them out. Not­withstanding the carefull travels and endeavours used by the Lords Justi­ces and Councell to make provision for the common safety, no money could be raised, few men gotten together: the Papists well furnished with arms closely concealed, and desperately animated by their Priests to [...] manner of mischief: no fortifications about the Suburbs, nor any manner of defence for the City, but an old ruinous Wall, part whereof fe [...] down in the very height of these distractions. And so carelesse were the Citizens, and so slowly went they about the making up that breach, and under pretence of want of money, they let it lye open till the Lords sent unto them 40 li. toward the reparation. All things tended to a sudden confusion; the very face of the City was now changed, and had such ghastly aspect, as seemed to portend her near approaching ruine: the means of safety appearing very slender and inconsiderable: the applica­tions by reason of the strange aversions of the Popish party of a very slow and weak operation. Every man began to consider himself and his own private preservation. Those that lived in the Suburbs removed, with their families into the City. The Privie Councellours and persons of quality into the Castle, which became a common repository of all things of va­lue. The Rolles were by speciall order removed thither: the Records of severall other Offices were likewise brought in. But upon the Rebels advance somewhat nearer, and their frequent alarms, many of those who [Page 64] had there taken sanctuary, began to suspect the strength of those old crazy walls, and therefore to make sure, resolved to quit the Kingdome, im­barquing themselves and their goods with all possible speed. Some who were detained with contrary winds in the Harbour chose rather to en­dure all extremities on shipboard, then to hazard themselves ashoar a­gain. The Scotish Fishermen, who lay with their Boats in great numbers within the Bay, fishing for Herrings, having with much forwardnesse made an offer to the State to bring 500 of their men ashoar to be put in arms and do present service (a proposition at that season most accepta­ble) were so strangely affrighted one evening with a false alarm, as that in the night, on a sudden, they put to sea, and quite disappeared on these Coasts till the year following. The Papists on the other side being most confident that the City would be taken and sack'd by the Rebels, and fea­ring, lest happily they might be mistaken in the tumult and fierce execu­tion, removed themselves and their goods with the same speed into the countrey. And that which heightned the calamity of the poor English was their flight in the Winter, in such a dismall stormy, tempestuous season, as in the memory of man had never been observed formerly to continue so long together. Yet the terror of the Rebels incomparably prevailing beyond the rage of the sea; most of those who could pro­vide themselves of shipping, though at never so excessive rates, deserted the City: and such was the violence of the windes, such continuing im­petuous storms, as severall Barques were cast away, some in three moneths after their going from hence could recover no Port in England: and al­most all that then put to sea, were in great danger of perishing. The ini­quities of the English Nation, which were very great in this Kingdome, were now full: Heaven and Earth seemed to conspire together for the punishment of them. God certainly declared his high indignation against them for their great sins wherewith they had long continued to provoke him in this land, and suffered these barbarous Rebels to be the instru­ments of mischief and cruell executioners of his fierce wrath upon them. But because they have taken vengeance with a despightfull heart to destroy them, Ezek. 25.15.17. for the old hatred, He will certainly in His own time execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes, as he threatned the Philistims in the like case.

The Particulars of the first PLOT of the IRISH Rebellion: Together with a briefe Narration of the most notorious Cruelties and bloody Massacres which ensued in severall parts of this KINGDOM.

THUS we see what a great hight this Rebellion was grown up unto, within the space of lesse then one moneth, after the very first appearance of it: What horrid murthers, cruell outrages and fearfull desolations it had already wrought in one Province,Concerning the first plot of the Rebel­lion. and what a powerful operation the cruelties there acted had upon other parts. But before I passe further, or come to declare the universal dilatation of it throughout the whole Kingdom, and how it pleased God even miraculously to blesse the painfull endea­vours of the State, in the preservation of the City and Castle of Dub­lin, till the arrivall of their long expected succours out of England: I hold it not amisse to look back, and (as far as the late discoveries and dark glimmerings we have into the first plot will admit) to trace it up to the first beginnings we find of it within this Kingdom of Ireland.

Concerning the first Originall of this great Conspiracy, as like­wise the first plotters and contrivers of it, I must ingenuously con­fesse, that I am my self much unsatisfied in the first conceptions of this monstrous birth,Who were the plotters of it not yet cleer­ly discovered. and therefore shall not not now be able cleer­ly to resolve others therein: I cannot yet determine who were the very first Contrivers, where the first debates were entertained, or who first sate in Counsell about it. This, as all other works of this [Page 66] nature, had its foundation laid in the dark, and sealed up no doubt with many execrable Oaths, the great engines of these times, to bind up the consciences as well as the tongues of men from discovery: Besides, they knew well enough, that the Plot being most abomina­ble in it self, to be carried on with such detestable cruelty, should it take and be fully executed (which commonly gives to all other trea­sons applause and highest commendation) would certainly render the first authors, as well as the bloody actors, most odious and exe­crable to all Posterity: Therefore it is not much to be wondred, that the first beginnings so mysterious and obscurely laid, remain as yet concealed with so great Obstinacy: But yet I am very confident, that upon view of severall examinations, any reasonable man will conclude with me, that the very first principles of this inhumane Conspiracy, were roughly drawn and hammered out at the Romish Forge, powerfully fomented by the trechery and virulent animosi­ties of some of the chief Irish natives, and so by degrees, by them moulded into that ugly shape wherein it first appeared: There cer­tainly it received the first life and motion, whether at Rome, whether in Ireland, or in any other place, I cannot yet determine; But my meaning is, it was first hatched and set on foot by those most vigi­lant and industrious Emissaries, who are sent continually abroad by the power of that See with full commission, per fas & nefas, to make way for the re-establishment of the Romish Religion in all parts where it hath been suppressed. Great numbers of these wicked In­struments (the Laws against all of the Romish Clergy, being of late laid aside, and tacitely suspended execution) came over into Ireland: The main ground-work, and first predispositions to a Rebellion in generall, were most undoubtedly with great dexterity and artifice laid by them; their venimous infusions taking such deep roots in the minds of a blind, ignorant, supersticious people, as made them ready for a change, the great ones mischievously to plot and con­trive, the inferiour sort tumultuously to rise up and execute whatso­ever they should command.

And if we will give credit to severall examinations taken, many of them from those of their own, we must beleeve the plot for a Rebellion in Ireland, The general Plot for a Re­bellion in Ire­land of an an­cient date. of a very ancient date, as well as of a large ex­tent: It had been long in contriving, and howsoever, peradventure first thought on in Ireland, yet received large contributions towards consummation out of England and other Forraign parts.

I have seen an Examination of one, who affirms he heard it confi­dently [Page 67] averred by Malone a Priest, one that stiled himself Chaplain Major within the Pale, that he himselfe had been seven yeeres im­ployed in bringing on this plot to perfection, and that he had tra­vailed into severall parts about it.

Master Goldsmith a Minister in Conaught told me, that he did, a full yeer before the Rebellion brake out, receive a Letter from a Brother of his residing at Brussels, wherein he gave him notice there­of, though so obscurely, as he well understood it not till after­wards.

Patrick O Bryan, of the Parish of Galloom, in the County of Ferma­nagh, Patrick O Bei­ans Examina­tion. affirmeth upon Oath, that all the Nobles in the Kingdom that were Papists, had a hand in this Plot, as well as the Lord Mac Guire and Hugh Oge, Mac Mahowne; that they expected ayd out of Spain by Owen Roe O Neale, and that Colonel Plunket, one of those that was to be an actor in the surprize of the Castle of Dublin, told him, that he knew of this Plot eight yeers since, and that within these three yeers he hath been more fully acquainted with it. Francis Sacheverel Esq.Francis Sa­cheverel Esqu. his Examina­tion. hath deposed, that at several times shortly after the beginning of this Rebellion, he hath heard four severall popish Priests, viz. Hugh Rely of the County of Down, Edmund O Tunnah, of the County of Armagh, Morice Mac Credan of the County of Tyrone, and James Hallegan of the County of Armagh, say, that the Priests, Jesuits and Fryars of Eng­land, Ireland, Spain, and other Countries beyond the Seas, were the plotters, projectors and contrivers of this Rebellion and Insurre­ction, and that they have been these six yeers in agitation and pre­paration of the same, and that the said Priests did then expresse a kind of joy that the same was brought to so good effect: He also further deposeth, that at severall times Ever Boy Mac Gennis in the County of Down Gentleman, and Hugh O Hagan in the County of Armagh Gent. did brag and say, that they doubted not but that they should shortly conquer the English in the Kingdom, and enjoy the same quietly to themselves, and that they would not rest so content, but they would raise strong Armies to invade and conquer England. Roger Moore, one of the prime Conspirators, told Master Colely, then prisoner with him, that the Plot had been in framing severall yeers, and should have been executed severall times, but they were still hin­dered. By Letters sent from Rome to Sir Phelim O Neale and the Lord Mac Guire, which were intercepted and brought to the Lord Parsons, though the Fryar that writ them doth not expresse any certain knowledge of this very Plot, yet thus much appears by them, that they had long desired to hear of the rising of the Irish, that the news [Page 68] of Sir Phelim O Neal's taking arms was very acceptable to the Pope and his two Cardinal Nephews, assuring him of all assistance from thence, and further desiring him to send over an Agent to Rome, and to imploy several persons of his own Nation, whom he there named, then residing at Madrid, Paris, and with the Emperour, they being fit Instruments, and such as he might make use of for the procuring suc­cours from those Princes, whom he assured him would joyn to give him all assistance in this action.

Besides these, we have very many other presumptions that the Irish since they found their own strength,The Irish have had it long in de­sign to shake off the En­glish govern­ment. and that they were able to draw together so great numbers of men, as their severall Septs so strangely multiplied during the late peace can now afford, have long had it in design to shake off the English government, to settle the whole pow­er of the State in the hands of the Natives, and to re-possesse them of all the Lands now enjoyed by the British throughout the King­dom: And that in this plot they did but goe about to actuate those confused general notions, & to put them in a way of execution. Now they supposed there could never be offered unto them a fairer oppor­tunity then this most unhappy conjuncture of the affairs of great Brittain, when Scotland lately in Arms, had by their own power and wise managements, drawn his Majesty to condiscend to their entire satisfaction, as wel in their Church discipline, as the liberties of that Kingdom. And in England, the distractions being grown up to some height, through the great misunderstanding betwixt the King and his Parliament, Ireland was at this time left naked and unregarded, the Government in the hands of Justices, the old Army dispersed in places of so great distance, as it could be of little advantage, the com­mon Souldiers most of them Irish, and all the old Commanders and Captains, except some few worn out and gone: This, as the first plotters thought, was the time to work out their own ends, and masking their perfidious designs under the publike pretences of Re­ligion, and the defence of his Majesties Prerogative, they let loose the reins of their own vindicative humour and irreconcilable hatred to their British Neighbours.

I will not presume to say, they knew what would fall out in Eng­land, or what miserable embroilments that Kingdom was ready to break out into; for undoubtedly the first plot was laid, and most exactly formed many moneths before the war brake out betwixt the King and his people. But thus much I shall be bold to affirm, that upon the very first breaking out of this Rebellion, they did strange­ly conjecture, and beyond all appearance of reason, even somewhat [Page 69] positively divine, of the dismal breach and fearfull distempers which afterwards followed to the disabling of the Kingdome of England from applying remedies towards the reducement of Ireland. For the attestation of this truth, I could produce the generall concurrence of severall circumstances, many private discourses and advertise­ments, as also a particular Letter which I had long by me, written as it seems, from a very intelligent Papist, a great Zealot in the cause, unto a Nephew of Sir Toby Matthew's, then in Dublin, who, though lately converted, retained yet a great friendship among them. He tels him in the beginning of the Letter, that he was desired from some well wishing friends, to advise him, as he tendered his safety and security, upon the sight of those instantly to forsake and aban­don that troublesom and most unfortunate Kingdom, for God and man had speedily resolved to afflict and punish the overgrown im­pieties of these prophane times, all hearts and hands happily conspi­ring to it; and that he should be as speedy in his passage as was possi­ble, and rather, as the case stood, hazard all dangers by sea, then the least at land, to be sure not to stop in England, especially at Lon­don, that sink of sin (as he cals it) and center of disorders, for by that time he arrived there, he should be sure to find nothing but troubles, factions and desperate distempers; that he should dispatch therefore for Paris, or rather Brussels, where there should be order ta­ken for the removall of all mistakes betwixt him and his Uncle. This Letter was written about the beginning of Novem. 1641. which was some few dayes after the breaking out of this Rebellion, and full six moneths before the taking up of Arms in England.

Now for the very time when this great Plot received its first forme,The Plot for a Rebellion in Ireland first discovered to the Lord Mac Guire and o­thers, about the time of Master John Bellewes re­turn out of England, with commission to continue the Parliament in Ireland, which was in Jan. 1640. though I conceive it of somewhat a more ancient date, yet by all the examinations I have hitherto seen, I can carry it up no higher then the moneth of January 1640. and that it was about that time com­municated to some of the chief Gentlemen of Ʋlster, the Lord Mac Guire doth sufficiently testifie as well in the relation written with his own hand in the Tower, and delivered by him to Sir John Coni­ers, then Lieutenant, to be presented to the Lords in Parliament, as also in his Examination taken before the Lord Lambart and Sir Ro­bert Meredith Kinght, in Ireland, March 26. 1642. In both these he ac­knowledgeth, that he being in Dublin in Candlemas Tearm, about the time when Master John Bellew came out of England with the Com­mission for the continuance of the Parliament in Ireland; Roger Moore acquainted him, that if the Irish would rise, they might make their own conditions for the regaining of their Lands, and Freedome of [Page 70] their Religion; and further saith, that he had spoken with sundry of Lemster to that purpose, who would be ready to joyn with them, as likewise a good part of Conaught, and that he found all of them willing thereto, if so be they could draw to them the Gentlemen of Ʋlster.

Now for the manner of putting this Plot in execution, the said Lord Mac Guire doth further testifie in his relation aforesaid, that the said Roger Moore having the next day acquainted Philip O Rely, Turlagh O Neale, Brother to Sir Phelim O Neale, Master Cosloe, and Mac Mahone herewith, did propose, that first every one should endeavour to draw his own friends into that act, at least those that did live in one Coun­try with them, and that when they had so done, they should send to the Irish in the Low-Countries and in Spain, to let them know of the day and resolution, so that they might be over with them by that day, or soon after with supply of Arms and Munition, that there should be a set day appointed, and every one in his own Quarters should rise out that day and seize upon all the Arms he could get in his own County, and this day to be neer Winter, so that England could not be able to send Forces into Ireland before May, and by that time there was no doubt to be made, but that they themselves would be supplied by the Irish from beyond the Seas. Then he told them further, that there was no doubt to be made of the Irish joyning with them, and that all the doubt was in the Gentlemen of the Pale; but he said, for his own part, he was really assured, that when they had risen out, the Pale Gentlemen would not stay long after, at lest they would not oppose any thing; and that in case they did, that they had men enough in the Kingdom without them: Moreover, that he had spoken to a great man (who then should be namelesse) who would not fail at the day appointed, to appear and to be seen in the act, but that till then he was sworn not to reveal him, but yet that upon their importunity, he afterwards told them, it was the Lord of Mayo, who was very powerfull in the command of men in those parts of Co­naught, where he lived: He further saith, that in Lent following, Master Moore, according to his promise, came into Ʋlster, but that nothing was done there, but all matters put off till May following, where they met at Dublin, it being both Parliament and Tearm time, and that from thence they dispatched one Tooly Conley, parish Priest to Master Moore, to Colonel O Neale, in the Low-Countries, who within few moneths after arrived with this answer from the said Co­lonel, desiring them not to delay any time in rising out, but to let him know of the day when they intended it, and that he would not [Page 71] faile to be with them within fourteen dayes of that day, with good ayd; also desiring them by any means to seize on the Castle of Dublin if they could. And further he saith, that during the time of these their private meetings, there landed at Dublin, Colonel Birne, Colo­nel Plunket, Captain Brien O Neale, and others, who came with dire­ctions to carry men away, and that these were acquainted with the Plot, and did offer their service to bring it on, and that they would raise their men under colour to carry them into Spain, and then seize on the Castle of Dublin, and with the arms found there, arme their Souldiers, and have them ready for any action that should be com­manded them. He further also saith, that they had divers private consultations about the carrying on of this conspiracy, not onely at Dublin, but in severall other places in the Province of Ʋlster, and that they had set down severall days for the putting of it in execu­tion, but meeting with some obstacles, did not come to conclude of the certain time till about the beginning of September, and that then they peremptorily resolved on the 23. of October for the day to exe­cute this long designed plot in; and that they had respect unto the day of the week, which did fall on Saturday, being the Market-day, on which there would be the lesse notice taken of people up and down the streets; that they then setled what numbers of men should be brought up out of the severall Provinces for the surprize of the Castle, and what Commanders should lead them on, that seeing the Castle had two Gates, that the Lemster men should undertake to seize upon the little Gate, which lay neerest to the place where the arms and munition was placed; and that the great gate should be underta­ken by those of Ʋlster, and that Sir Phelim O Neale should be there in person; but that he excused himself, because he resolved at the same time to seize upon London Derry, and that thereupon by the impottu­nity of the undertakers, it was imposed upon him the said Lord Mac Guire, to be there in person at the taking of the Castle of Dublin. That it was further resolved what number of Forces should be brought up out of the other Provinces, to make good those places if possessed by them, and that Sir James Dillon did undertake to be there with 1000. men within four dayes after the taking of the Castle; as also that it was resolved that every one privy to that matter in every part of the Kingdome, should rise out that day and seize on all the Forts and Arms in the severall Counties; as likewise on all the Gentry, and make them prisoners, the more to assure themselves a­gainst any adverse fortune, and not to kill any but where of necessity they should be forced thereunto by opposition. These particulars, [Page 72] together with many other circumstances very considerable, are set down in the relation given in by the Lord Mac Guire, while he remai­ned prisoner in the Tower of London; but I have thought fit to for­bear to relate them at large, because I find that relation published by authority, and so presented to the common view. We shall find al­so, that Mac Mahone in his examination taken when he was first ap­prehended by the Lords Justices and Counsel here, doth testifie that all the chief of the Nobility and Gentry in this Kingdom were ac­quainted with the first plot, and particularly, that all the popish par­ty in the Committee sent into England, as likewise in both houses of Parliament knew of it: In the Examnation of William Fitz Gerald, it is there affirmed, that Sir Phelim O Neale sending for him five days after his rising in Arms, told him, what he did was by directions and consent of the prime Nobility and Gentry of the whole King­dom; and that what he had done in the Northern parts, the same was executed at Dublin, and in all other Forts and Towns through­out Ireland: As being a course resolved upon among the Lords and Gentry, for the preservation of his Majesties Prerogative, their own Religion and Liberties, against the Puritan faction in England, Scot­land and Ireland; and that the Lord of Gormanstone knew of this plot while he was in England, is testified by Lieutenant Colonel Read in his Examination, as also by the Lord Mac Guire in his relation; who saith, that Colonel Plunket told him, that he being at London, had acquainted some of the Irish Committee, and particularly the Lord of Gormanstone, with this plot, and that they approved it well: Co­lonel Plunket in his Letter to Father Patrick Barnwal, Lord Abbot of Mellifont (as he stiles him) doth seem much to glory in the means he had used to incite the Lords and Gentry of the Pale to ap­pear in that blessed cause (as he tearms it) and assures him that the Lord of Gormanstone, whom he there cals Lord General, will goe bravely on.

And now it will be no difficult matter to resolve what were the secondary steps and motions of this great plot, as well as by what persons it was wrought out in Ireland, and carried on to the very point of execution. And first it is to be observed, that howsoever Sir Phelim O Neale, the Lord Mac Guire, Philip O Rely, Colonel Mac Brian, The first con­trivers of the Rebellion did not first open­ly appear in it Hugh Mac Mahone, and their adherents, chief of the Irish Septs in Ʋlster, and other counties neer adjacent, did first appeare upon the stage, and by their bloody execution notoriously declare them­selves chief actors in this horrid tragedy: Yet this Rebellion was either altogether nor originally plotted by them, most of them had [Page 73] but subordinate notions of it, and they as other of the chief Nobili­ty and Gentry throughout the Kingdom, had severall parts assigned them to act at severall times in severall places, and did but move ac­cording to the first resolutions taken, and such directions as they had received from the first Conspirators: I take it to be most probable, after the generall plot came to be reduced into form, that as the Lord of Gormanstone was one of the first and chief movers in it, so he and the chief of the Pale joyned together to draw in (as they had done in all former Rebellions) the principall septs of the old Irish, to engage themselves, and to appear first in the businesse:That the Lord of Gormanston and some o­thers of the Engl. Pale were engaged in the first Plot is very probable. And after they had joyned together, and so finely ordered the matter, as they had made it a generall rising, as Sir Phelim O Neale tearms it, of all the Catholicks throughout the Kingdom, with the generall consent of the prime Nobility and Gentry thereof; then, as it were, with one generall voice, they sounded forth from all the four Provinces of Ireland the same language, they used the same Remonstrances, and made the very same pretences for their justification, they began the very self-same course, first in stripping, then banishing and mur­thering the British and Protestants, onely in the North, they drove on somewhat more furiously, and spilt much more innocent blood, then in any of the other three Provinces: They agreed likewise in recalling their Commanders, all the four Provinces had their parti­cular Emissaries abroad: Those of Lemster brought back Colonel Pre­ston, a Branch out of the House of Gormanstone, who had long lived with good reputation in Flanders, and him they made Generall of their Forces there; but of Ʋlster they sent into Flanders likewise for Owen Roe O Neale, upon whom they conferred the same charge in that Province: The Munster men brought over Garrat Barry, whom they made Generall of their forces: And those in Conaught drew back one of the Burks, to whom they gave the chief command of such men as they were able to draw together for the advancement of the com­mon design: All these held a due correspondency, and in all their actions had a just concurrency towards the main end.

The great instrument chiefly imployed in this work of drawing the meer Irish into a firm combination with the old English (as appears by the Lord Mac Guire's relation before mentioned) was Ro­ger Moore Esquire, a person of a broken fortune,Roger Moore the chief Per­son imployed to make a con­junction be­tween the meer Irish and the English for raising a Rebellion. by discent meerly Irish, and issued out of the chief family of the O Moores in the Coun­ty of Leax, but by inter-marriages allied to some of the principall Gentlemen of the Pale; He Treated with them about the Associati­on; he first broke the design to the northern Irish, he was the man [Page 74] that made severall journeys in Lemster, into Ʋlster and Conaught: Sun­dry messages were enterchangeably sent and returned the summer be­fore the breaking out of the Rebellion by his means and entercourse between them; And all things were so ordered for their agree­ment, as they were to goe hand in hand together; some of the prin­cipall Gentlemen of the Pale, as Colonel Plunket, Captain Fox, and others, were designed to joyn with the Lord Mac Guire, Mac Mahone, Brian O Neale, Con O Neale, Hugh Birne, for the surprize of his Maje­sties Castle of Dublin. Cartan Major Domi to Owen O Neale in Flanders, in his Examination taken February 1641. tels, among many other remarkable passages, of severall preparatives to this Rebellion; as that Con O Neale, brother to Daniel O Neale, was sent by Owen O Neale into England, and that while he resided there he received letters from the President Rosse (which was Sir Phelim O Neale) and that he assu­red him he went on very well in his businesse; for B [...]abant and Valence were joyned together, which as he affirms, signified in those Cha­racters Ʋlster and Lemster, and that he expected the comming of Lewes Lenoy, viz. Daniel O Neale: Besides, as James Talbot Esquire, testifies in his Letter of the 9. of November 1641. written to the Lords Justi­ces out of the County of Cavan, that he understood from Phillip Mac Mulmore O Rely, that there were certain Covenants passed between the Lords of the Pale and the Northern Irish, for the advancing of the Rebellion; and that the Remonstrance from the principall Irish in the County of Cavan, unto the Lords Justices and Councel sent by Dean Jones and Master Waldrone, there then prisoner, was framed in the Pale and brought unto the said Irish by Colonel Plunket, one of their own: And this was in the very beginning of the Rebellion, long before any jealousies were entertained by the State of the ad­herence or conjunction of the old English with the Irish. What those Covenants or Contracts were, I cannot say, but it is most certain, some there were, and some Covenants also entred into, be­tween the Northern Irish, and the Lords and Gentlemen of the chief of both the other Provinces, as well as Lemster, and these were signed with their blood, as Doctor Maxwel testifies in his examination, he heard Sir Phelim O Neale say on the 19. of December 1641. in his own house, and in the hearing of Master Joseph Travers and others: If the Lords and Gentlemen (meaning the Papists of other Provinces) then not in arms, would not rise, but leave him in the lurch for all, he would produce his Warrant, signed with their own hands, and written in their own blood, which should bring them to the Gal­lowes. And certainly, had there not been some very strange and ex­traordinary [Page 75] engagements, and more then I can well imagine, it had not been possible that so many persons of quality, having great pos­sessions and many children, should have declared themselves, after they saw the main part of the plot for the surprize of the Castle of Dublin to fail, and the power of the Northern Rebels begin to de­cline, that the Parliament of England had with great alacrity and rea­dinesse undertaken the War, and not only engaged themselves to his Majesty to send over powerfull supplies both out of England and Scot­land, but by their publike Order of both Houses, sent over to the Lords Justices, and printed at Dublin in the Moneth of November, fully declared their resolutions for the vigorous prosecution of the war of Ireland: Nay, the Cities of Galway and Limeric, kept their de­signs very covertly, not doing any open acts of hostility, till after the arrivall of some Forces at Dublin out of England, and that the siege of Drohedagh or Tredagh was raised, and those bold perfidious Traitors beaten back into the North, the Lords of the Pale banished by force of his Majesties Arms out of their own habitations, which were all spoiled and laid waste.

Now that then they should declare themselves, is more then a mi­racle to me, and such a mystery, as I should not know what to think of, but that I find in the Lord Mac Guires relation before mentioned, that they were acquainted with the first beginnings of this great plot, and had a particular interest from time to time in the carriage of it on, so as I think I shall not wrong them positively, to determine, that they were too deeply engaged slightly to retire; and that howsoever upon the failing of it in the main piece, they at first stood at a gaze, and were put to take up second Counsels; yet such was the strength of the conspiracy, and their great confidence in the power of their arms, as made them appear in due time to entertain their severall assignations, and act their parts with great diligence and iudustry. The wife of Philip O Rely in the County of Cavan, told James Talbot (as he openly related it to the Lords Justices at Counsel Board) that she wondred very much the Lords and Gentlemen of the Pale did not rise and joyn with them in the very beginning of this Rebellion, adding these words, or to this effect; that if they would have let us alone, and not set us on, we were so well at ease, as we would never have begun this troublesom work. It cannot certainly be imagi­ned, that those of the English Pale (unlesse they had been the first projectors, or deep adventurers) would have yeelded that the meer Irish should have seized upon the City and Castle of Dublin, places of refuge for them in all former troubles, and which would now [Page 76] have given them protection and safety against the incursions of the Irish.

But I hold it not necessary to produce further evidence in this particular; I purpose now to declare how those great Instruments of mischief, that were the supream conductors of this wicked design, moved forwards so succesfully in the beginning, toward the accom­plishment of their long intended extirpation of all the British and Protestants out of the Kingdom.The Romish Clergy and the Popish Lawyers great instruments in the first Plot­ting and car­rying on the Rebellion. I find two sorts of persons who did most eminently appear in laying those main fundamentals wher­upon their bloody superstructions were afterwards easily reared up: And these were such of the popish Lawyers as were natives of the Kingdome, and those of the Romish Clergy of severall degrees and orders. For the first, they had in regard of their knowledge in the Laws of the Land, very great reputation and trust, they now be­gan to stand up like great Patriots for the vindication of the liber­ties of the Subject, and redresse of their pretended grievances, and having by their bold appearing therein, made a great party in the house of Commons,The Irish Lawyers draw a great party in the House of Commons to adhere to them here then sitting, some of them did there ma­gisterially obtrude, as undoubted maximes of Law, the pernicious speculations of their own brain, which though plainly discerned to be full of virulency and tending to sedition, yet so strangely were many of the Protestants and well meaning men in the house blinded with an apprehension of ease and redresse, and so stupified with their bold accusations of the government, as most thought not fit, others durst not stand up to contradict their fond assertions; so as what they spake was received with great acclamation, and much applause by most of the Protestant Members of the house; many of which under specious pretences of publike zeale to this Country, they had inveigled into their party: And then it was, that having impea­ched Sir Richard Bolton, Lord Chancelour of Ireland, of high treason, together with other prime Officers and Ministers of State that were of English birth, some of those great Masters took upon them with much confidence to declare the Law, to make new expositions of their own upon the Text, to frame their Queres, challenges fitter to be taken to a long, wilfully, over-grown misgovernment, then to be made against an authority, that had for many yeers struggled against the beloved irregularities of a stubborn people, and which had prevailed far beyond former times, towards the allaying of the long continued distempers of the Kingdom: They disdained the moderate qualifications of the Judges, who gave them modest an­swers, such as the Law and duty to their Soveraign would admit. [Page 77] But those would not serve their turn, they resolved upon an altera­tion in the government, and drawing of it wholly into the hands of the Natives, which they knew they could not compas in a Parliamen­tary way, and therefore only made preparatives there, and delivered such desperate maximes, which being diffused abroad would fit and dispose the people to a change: As they declared it to be Law, that being killed in Rebellion, though found by matter of record, would give the King no forfeiture of estate; that though many thousands stood up in arms in a Kingdom, working all manner of destruction, yet if they professed not to rise against the King, that it was no Rebellion: That if a man were out-lawed for Treason, and his land thereby vested in the Crown or given away by the King, his heir might come afterwards and be admitted to reverse the Outlawry, and recover his Ancestors estate. And many other positions of a perilous consequence, tending to sedition and di­sturbance, did they continue to publish during that Session, and by the power and strength of their party, so far did they prevail at last, as they presumed to attempt a suspension of Poynings Act, and indeed intended the utter abrogation of that Statute, which remains as one of the greatest tyes and best monuments the English have of their entire dominion over the Irish Nation, and the annexion of that Kingdom to the imperiall Crown of England. They further assumed power of Judicature to the Parliament in criminall and capitall of­ences: A right which no former age hath left any president for, neither would this admit the example.

And thus carrying all things before them, they continued the Ses­sion of Parliament begun in May, till about two moneths before the first breaking out of this Rebellion; it being very ill taken, that even then they were adjourned. And this they have since aggravated as a high crime against the Lords Justices, and as one of the chief moving causes to the taking up of Arms generally throughout the King­dome.

But to let those things passe, how finely soever these proceedings were carried on, and being covered over with pretences of zeale and publike affection, passed then currant without any manner of sus­pition; yet now the eyes of all men are opened, and they are fully resolved that all these passages, together with the other high conte­stations in Parliament, not to have the newly raised Irish Army dis­banded, the importunate solicitation of their Agents in England, to [Page 78] have the old Army in Ireland cashiered, and the Kingdom left to be defended by Trained Bands of their owne Nation. As likewise the Commissions procured by severall of the most eminent Commanders now in Rebellion, for the raising men to carry into Spain, were all partes of this Plot, Prologues to this ensuing Tragedy, Prepara­tives, such as had bin long laid to bring on the sodain execution of this most bloody Designe, all at one and the same time throughout the Kingdome.

The meanes used by the Priests & Je­suits to stir up the people to rebell.Now for the Jesuits, Priests, Fryers, and all the rest of the vipe­rous fraternity belonging to their holy Orders; who, as I said, had a main part to Act, and have not failed with great assiduity and dili­gence to discharge the same. They lost no time, but most dexteri­ously applyed themselves in all parts of the Country to lay such o­ther dangerous impressions in the minds, as well of the meaner sort as of the chiefe Gentlemen, as might make them ready to take fire upon the first occasion. And when this Plot was so surely, as they thought, laid, as it could not well faile, and the day once prefixed for execution; they did in their publicke Devotions long before, re­commend by their Prayers, the good successe of a great Designe, much tending to the prosperity of the Kingdome, and the advancement of the Catholick cause. And for the facilitating of the Worke, and stirring up of the people with greater animosity and cruelty to put it on at the time prefixed; they loudly in all places declamed against the Protestants; telling the people that they were Hereticks, and not to be suffered any longer to live among them; that it was no more sinne to kill an English-man, then to kill a dogge; and that it was a most mortall and unpardonable sinne to relieve or protect any of them. Then also they represented with much acrimony the severe courses taken by the Parliament in England, for the suppressing of the Romish Religion in all parts of the Kingdome, and utter extirpation of all professors of it. They told the people that in England they had caused the Queens Priest to be hanged before her own face, and that they held her Majesty in her owne person under a most severe discipline: That the same cruell Laws against Popery were here or­dered to be put sodainly in execution; and a designe secretly laid for bringing and seizing upon all the principal Noblemen and Gen­tlemen in Ireland upon the 23. of November next ensuing; and so to make a generall Massacre of all that would not desert their Religion and presently become Protestants.

The Irish re­vive their an­cient animosi­ties against the English.And now also did they take occasion to revive their inveterate ha­tred and ancient animosities against the English Nation, whom they [Page 79] represented to themselves as hard Masters; under whose government, how pleasant, comfortable and advantagious so ever it was, they would have the world beleeve they had endured a most miserable captivity and envassalage. They looked with much envie upon their prosperity, considering all the Land they possessed (though a great part bought at high rates of the Natives) as their owne proper in­heritance. They grudged at the great multitudes of their faire Eng­lish Cattell; at their goodly Houses, though built by their own in­dustry at their own charges; at the large improvements they made of their Estates, by their own travails and carefull endevours. They spake with much scorne and contempt of such as brought little with them into Ireland, and having there planted themselves, in a little time contracted great fortunes: they were much troubled, especial­ly in the Irish Countries, to see the English live handsomely, and to have every thing with much decency about them, while they lay na­stily buried, as it were, in mire and filthinesse; the ordinary sort of people commonly bringing their Cattle into their owne stinking Creates, and there naturally delighting to lye among them. These malignant considerations made them with an envious eye impatient­ly to looke upon all the British lately come over into the Kingdome. Nothing lesse then a generall extirpation will now serve their turne; they must have restitution of all the Lands to the proper Natives, whom they take to be the ancient proprietors, and onely true own­ers, most unjustly despoiled by the English, whom they hold to have made undue acquisitions of all the Land they possesse by gift from the Crown, upon the attainder of any of their Ancestors.

And so impetuous were the desires of the Natives to draw the whole Government of the Kingdome into their owne hands,The ends pro­posed by the first plotters of the rebelli­on. to en­joy the publicke profession of their Religion, as well as to disbur­then the Country of all the British inhabitants seated therein, as they made the whole body of the State to be universally disliked; represented the severall members as persons altogether corrupt and ill affected; pretended the ill humours and distempers in the King­dome to be growen to that height as required Cauteries, deepe inci­sions; and indeed nothing able to worke so great a cure, but an uni­versall Rebellion. This was certainly the disease, as appeares by all the symptomes, and the joynt concurrence in opinion of all the great Physitians that held themselves wise enough to propose reme­dies, and prescribe fit applications to so desperate a Malady. In those Instructions privately sent over into England by the Lord Dillon of Costeloz, presently after the breaking out of the Rebellion, the alte­ration [Page 80] of the supream power in the government and setling of it in the hands of the Earl of Ormond, giving leave to the Grand Coun­cell of the Kingdome to remove such Officers of State as they thought fit, and to recommend Natives to their places, were there positively laid down to be a more likely meanes to appease these tu­mults then a considerable Army. In the Remonstrance of the Coun­ty of Longford, presented about the same time to the Lords Ju­stices, by the same Lord Dillon, as also in the frame of the Common-wealth, found at Sir John Dungars House, not farre from Dublin, and sent up thither out of Conaught to be commu­nicated to those of Lemster; peeces which publikely appeared soon after the breaking out of the Rebellion; the main points insisted upon in them and severall others,The true cau­ses of the Re­bellion. were restauration of the Publick profession of the Romish Religion; restitution of all the Plantation Lands unto the Natives, and settlement of the present Government in their hands. All the Remonstrances from severall parts, and that came out of the severall Provinces of the Kingdome doe con­curre in these Propositions, with very little or no difference. And therefore that the desires with the first intentions of those who are now out in Rebellion, may more cleerly appear; I have thought fit here to insert them as I found them, Methodically digested into cer­tain Propositions, termed

The meanes to reduce this Kingdome unto Peace and quietnesse.

1 THat a generall and free pardon without any exception be granted to all his Majesties Subjects of this Kingdome; and that in pursuance there­of, and for strengthning the same, an Act of Abolition may passe in the Parlia­ment here.

2 That all marks of Nationall distinctions between English and Irish may he abolished and taken away by Act of Parliament.

3 That by severall Acts of Parliament to be respectively passed here and in England, it be declared that the Parliament of Ireland hath no sub­ordination with the Parliament of England, but that the same hath in it self supream Jurisdiction in this Kingdom, as absolute as the Parliament of England there hath.

4 That the Act of 12. Henry the seventh, commonly called Poynings Act, and all other Acts expounding or explaining the same, may be re­pealed.

[Page 81]5 That as in England there past an Act for a Trienniall Parliament, there may passe in Ireland another for a Sexenniall Parliament.

6 That it may be enacted by Parliament, that the Act of the 2d of Queen Elizabeth in Ireland, and all other Acts made against Catholicks, or the Ca­tholick Religion, since the twentieth yeer of King Henry the eight, may be re­pealed.

7 That the Bishopricks, Deanaries, and all other spirituall promotions of this Kingdome, and all Frieries and Nunneries, may be restored to the Catho­lick owners, and likewise all impropriations of Tythes, and that the Scits, Am­bits, and Precincts of the Religious houses of the Monks, may be restored to them; but as to the rest of their temporall possessions, it is not designed to be ta­ken from the present proprietors, but to be left to them untill God shall otherwise incline their own hearts.

8 That such as are now entitled Catholick Archbishops, Bishops, Abbots, or other dignitaries in this Kingdome by donation of the Pope, may, during their lives, enjoy their spirituall promotions; with protestation neverthelesse, and other fit clauses to be laid downe for preservation of his Majesties rights of Patronages, first Fruits, and twentieth parts in manner and quantity, as now his Highnesse receives benefit thereby.

9 That all inquisitions taken since the yeer 1634. to entitle his Majesty to Conaught, Thomond, Ormond, Eliogartie, Kilnemanagh, Duhea­ra, Wickloe and Idvagh, may be vacated, and their estates secured, according to his Majesties late graces.

10 That an Act of Parliament may passe here for the securing the Subjects title to their severall estates against the Crown, upon any title accrewed unto it before sixty yeers, or under colour or pretext of the present commotions.

11 That all Plantations made since the yeer 1610. may be avoyded by Par­liament, if the Parliament shall hold it just, and their possessions restored to them or their Heirs, from whom the same were taken, they neverthelesse answer­ing to the Crowne the Rents and services proportionable, reserved upon the un­dertakers.

12 That the transportation of all native Commodities to all places of the world in peace with his Majesty, may be free and lawfull, his customes first paid, and that the Statutes of 10, 11, & 13. of Queen Elizabeth, for restraining the exportation of native Commodities be repealed.

13 That all preferments Ecclesiasticall, Civill and Martiall in this King­dome, that lye in his Majesties gift, may be conferred on Natives of this King­dome onely, such as his Majesty shall think meet, without any distinction for Re­ligion; Provided alwayes, that upon the Princes of his blood of England, he may bestow what places he shall think meet.

14 That a Marshall and Admirall of this Kingdome may be elected in it, to [Page 82] have perpetuall succession therein with the same preheminence, authority and ju­risdiction as they respectively have in England, and that the said places be ever conferred upon Noble-men, Natives of this Kingdom.

15 That there may be Trained Bands in all Cities, Towns Corporate, and Counties of this Kingdome, armed and provided at the charge of the severall Counties, Cities and Townes, and commanded by the Natives of the same, who shall be named by the Counties, Cities and Towns respectively.

16 That his Majesty may release all Tenures in Capite and by Knight-ser­vice; in consideration whereof, he shall receive a setled revenue of 12000. li. per annum, being double the summe which he casually receives by them; Re­liefes, Seismes, Licenses for Alienations, Escuage and Aydes neverthelesse to remain.

17 That all Monopolies may be for ever taken away by Act of Parlia­ment.

18 That such new Corporations as have not the face of Corporate Townes, and were erected to give voyces in the Parliament, may be dissolved, and their Votes taken away, and hereafter no such to be admitted to voices in Par­liament.

11 That there may be Agents chosen in Parliament or otherwise, as thought meet to attend continually his Majesty, to represent the grievances of this Nati­on, that they may be removable by such as did elect them; and in case of death or removance, others may be for ever successively substituted in that place, and that such Agents may enjoy the freedome of their conscience in Court, and every where else.

These are the means proposed by these Catholick Remonstrants, for reducing of the Kingdom to peace, these the great obstructions they would have removed, & the cōstant Counsel they would have follow­ed, in setling the tranquility & present government of this Land; so as we need seek no further evidence, nor make any more curious enqui­ries into the secret causes of their first rising: we have here enough out of their owne mouths, to resolve the most scrupulous unbeleever of their first motives to this Rebellion.The re-esta­blishment of the Romish Re­ligion onely a pretence for the rebellion. And now for the matter of Religion, howsoever I am very confident they ever really intended the re-establishment of that of the Church of Rome, with all the Rites and Ceremonies thereof, together with the utter extirpation of all of the reformed profession: Yet considering the large indul­gence and free liberty they universally enjoyed at that time in the full exercise of that their Religion throughout all the parts of the Kingdome; it may be most justly suspected (how zealously soever they now obtrude it) that this was onely the bare outward couver­ture, [Page 83] made use of by the principall undertakers, to draw on a poore ignorant superstitious people to sacrifice their lives in this quarrell. Neither can it by any reasonable man be ever presumed, that such persons as made no conscience of committing treason, so many cru­ell murders, and all other kind of abominable villanies, not to be paralleld in any other Country, could be drawne meerly out of con­science towards God, to act these for the regaining of the free and publike profession of their Religion.

This certainly was no more the true and main cause of their ta­king up Armes, then the redresse of their pretended grievances,All the grie­vances of the Kingdom re­dressed before the Rebellion brake out. whereunto his Majesty had condiscended, and out of his in­clinations for their present reliefe, had given much more satis­faction to their Agents lately in England, then ever they could in any other time expect to receive or hope to enjoy. Yet we see how little effect those great graces brought over not above two moneths before this Rebellion brake out, took among them: for presently after the return of their Agents with them, this most detestable con­spiracy, which had been long in hatching, began to work, and to be put in execution. And if we shall consider their maine designe and chiefe ends therein, as they appear in their first principles, or will give credit to the severall speeches and passages that we meet with among the Rebels, in the very beginning of their breaking out; as also to severall other testimonies that have since privately fallen from some particular persons among them, we must beleeve that their designe cleerly was to destroy and root out all the British and Protestants planted within this Kingdom, to cut off the Soveraignty of the Crowne of England, and so to deliver themselves from their long continued subjection to the English Nation.

But to come to one maine particular, taken into debate by the prime Movers and chiefe incendiaries in this horrid Rebellion,A Consultati­on held, whe­ther it will be best to mur­der, or onely to banish all the British out of Ireland. they had a most serious consultation what course to take with most safety to themselves, for the disburthening of the Kingdome of those mul­titudes of English, which were in very great numbers dispersedly planted among them. Some were of opinion that they should spare their lives, not render themselves guilty of the spilling of so much innocent blood, but that they should seize on their goods, ex­pell them their habitations, and after banishing them out of the Kingdome, proceed as the Spaniards did with many hundred thou­sands of the Moors, whom, as it were in a moment, they cleered out of their Dominions. Others there were who much opposed this kind of lenity and moderation, remonstrating the high inconveniences [Page 84] which would inevitably redound to themselves thereby. First, that the British were in so great numbers, as they could not either by dis­arming, imprisoning, or any other meanes possible, ever hope to se­cure them from mischiefe: Then that if they onely expelled them out of the Kingdome, they would remain still as so many fit in­struments to be entertained in England, and from thence returned backe full of revengefull thoughts to recover their losses; that by their long experience and knowledge in the Country they would be better guides, more deeply engaged to prosecute the Warre; and having their bodies inured to this Climate, would prove much more able Souldiers then any new men that could be raised, or any other­wayes brought over. How they determined this particular I shall not undertake to declare; my intelligence failes me, and I am able to deliver no more of the result of this great Councell then ap­peares in the bloody effects and horrid executions acted in the first beginnings of their Rebellion. It is most probable they came to no positive conclusion, but left the chiefe Actors in this particular at large, to doe as should seem good to themselves. We finde their first proceedings and outrages committed upon the English very various and much differing in severall places; some onely stripping and ex­pelling of them; others, murdering Man, Woman and Childe without mercy. But this is certain, and of most unquestionable truth, that by one means or other, they resolved universally to root all the British and Protestants out of Ireland. The Irish re­solve to root the English out of Ireland. And that these were the first thoughts and bitter fruits of the long premeditated malicious intentions, sufficiently appeares by their Actions, as well as by their virulent expressions uttered upon their first rising, when they thought the Kingdome their own. They then said openly, that they meant to destroy the English, and that they had made a Covenant no English­man. should set footing among them. Some of the Irish would not endure the very sound of that language,The Irish in many places killed English Cowes and Sheep meerly because they were English; in some places they cut off their legges, or tooke out a peece out of their buttocks, and so let them remain still alive. The Lord Montgarrat, Master Edward Butlar, the Baron of Logmouth went with their Forces into Munster a­bout the beginning of the rising of the Irish there, and while they remained about Callen and Mallow they consumed no lesse then 50000. others say 100000. English Sheep, besides a great abundance of English Cattell, and such as they could not eat, yet they killed and left in great multitudes, stinking, to the great an­noyance of the Country. This testified by Henry Cham­part in his Examination taken before Sir Robert Meredith Knight, &c. but would have pe­nalties inflicted upon them that spake English, and all the English names of places chan­ged into the old Irish denomi­nations: others professed that they would not leave an En­glish man or woman alive in the Kingdome, but that all should be gone, no not so [Page 85] much as an English. Beast, or a­ny of the breed of them. James Hallegan the Priest did read an Excommunication in the Church, which, as he alleag­ed, came from their great Irish Metropolitane,James Shaw a Minister Deposeth, that after the Cessation, divers of the Rebels confessed the Priests had given them the Sacrament, upon condition they should not spare Man, Woman nor Childe that were Pro­testants; and that he heard divers of them say, in a bragging manner, that it did them a great deal of good to wash their hands in the blood of the Protestants whom they had slain jurat. Jan. 7. 1643. and terrify­ing his Parishoners therewith he told them, that from that day forth, whosoever did har­bour or relieve any Scot, En­glish or Welchman, or give them Almes at their doors, should be excommunicated, whereby as Master Sacheurell testifies in his Examination many were starved and dyed for want in those parts.Thomas Johnson Ʋicar of Tullah, of the Coun­ty of Maio, deposeth, that he heard Stephen Linoh Prior of Strade, being asked if it were not lawfull to kill this Deponent because he would not goe to Masse; answered, that it was as lawfull for them to kill him, as to kill a Sheepe or a Dogge: and divers of the rebellious Souldiers told him to his face, that they would no more care to kill him, then they would doe a Pigge. We have it from Master Creighton, a reverend Minister, one long detained prisoner within the County of Cavan, that the Fryars ex­horted the peopl with tears to spare none of the English; John Addis of the County of Westmeath, Deposeth, that Robert Magohagan Priest, said to this Depo­nant, that it was no more pitty nor conscience to take English-mens lives or goods from them, then to take a bone out of a Dogs mouth, jurat. July 21. 1642. that the Irish were resolved to de­stroy them out of the King­dome; that they would devour (as their very word was) the seed of the English out of Ire­land, and when they had rid them there, they would goe over into ENGLAND, and not leave the Memoriall of the ENGLISH Name under Heaven.

And so fond and vein were their imaginations, and to such a height of madnesse were they grown, as they could not terminate their thoughts in the reduction of Ireland under the power of their own Nation. But as soon as they had begun their Rebellion there, they spake confidently in all places of transporting their Armes into England, that they would send 30000 men over into that Kingdom, and that they would draw in foraign Auxiliaries thither to joyn with them; and so by a high hand establish the free exercise of the Romish Religion within that Kingdom. A Designe cer­tainly [Page 86] which the Priests and Jesuits had taken up in their own thoughts, and by their correspondencies abroad intended power­fully to bring about, as soon as they had setled their affaires in Ire­land. And if it had not pleased God in an extraordinay way to bring the first Plot to light, and so to blesse the weake endevours of the State here, as to enable them by the assistance of those small Forces they confusedly gathered together, to hold out till the arri­vall of the Succours sent out of England; I leave it to every one to consider with how much advantage they might have gone on at that time towards the accomplishment of so desperate a Project. And for my selfe, I must professe that I am cleerly resolved, that had they at first overmastered the unexpected difficulties and fatall impediments they met withall at home, and possessed themselves of the Arms and Munition within the Castle of Dublin, and so flesht and blooded in the slaughter of many thousands of the English Nation, had transpor­ted a numerous Army of Irish Rebels, and sodainly landed them in some good Port within the Kingdome of England: They would have prevailed very farre towards the miserable desolation and ruine thereof. It must be remembred in what a most unhappy discompo­sure the affaires were at that time there; what a diseased body the State then had, and what high distempers then strongly working soone after brake out; what a strong party they might have found within, and with what great reputation they would have marched on under the glory of their late victories atchieved in Ireland, sig­nalizing the power of their armes with such horrid cruelties and bloody butcheries, as would have wrought a strange terror among the people.

Thus we see what were the Causes and first Motives to this unna­turall Rebellion; as likewise who were the chiefe Actors and the great instruments designed by the first Plotters to predispose the people to a readinesse to take Armes for the rooting out of the Bri­tish Inhabitants from among them. The Preparatives being all made, the Plot in all points ripe for execution, it was carried on to the very evening before the day appointed for the taking of the Castle of Dublin without discovery. And though it pleased God to bring it then to light (as hath been declared) and so happily to dis­appoint it in the maine Peece, yet it tooke in the Northerne parts, be­ing that very day fully executed in most of the chiefe places of strength within the Province of Ʋlster. And whereas the Priests did long before in their publick Devotions at Masse pray for a blessing upon a great Designe they had then in hand; so now, as I have [Page 87] heard, they did in many places, the very day before the breaking out of this Rebellion, give the people a dismisse at Masse, with free liberty to goe out and take possession of all their Lands, which they pretended, unjustly detained from them by the English; as also to strip, rob, and dispoyle them of all their Goods and Cattell. They had without doubt, by one meanes or other, either private or publick instructions not to leave to the English any thing that might afford the least comfort or hope of longer subsistance among them. This was the main bait used to draw on the common people;The English goods presen­ted to the Irish as a chiefe means to raise them up a­gainst them. and this wrought farre more powerfully then all other perswasions, ficti­ons or wilde chimeraes that they infused into them. It is most ap­parant, that the prime Gentlemen in all parts, as well as the Cler­gy, pressed them on to despoyle the English of all their Goods and Cattell, well knowing their avaricious humour and greedy desires to get them into their possession, and that they could not possi­bly finde out any other thing that would engage them more readi­ly to undertake, or more desperately to execute all manner of vil­lanies, then the hopes of enjoying so rich a prey now presented un­to them.The people made beleeve by their priests that it was a Meritorious act to kill the English.

The people being now set at liberty, and prepossessed by their Priests with a beleefe that it was lawfull for them to rise up and de­stroy all the Protestants, who, they told them, were worse then Dogs; that they were Devils, and served the Devill; assuring them the killing of such was a me­ritorious act,John Parry of D [...]uermosh, in the County of Ar­magh, deposeth, that O Cullan a Priest, told his Au­ditors at Masse, that the bodies of such as died in this quarrell, should not be cold before their soules should ascend up into heaven, and that they should be free from the paines of Purgatory. and a rare pre­servative against the paines of Purgatory, gathered them­selves together in great num­bers, assembling in severall companies through the seve­rall parts of the Northerne Counties, with staves,Margaret Bromley in her Examination deposeth, that some of the Rebels would say, after their cruell but­cheries, that they knew if themselves should now dye, their soules should goe to Heaven, and that they were glad of the revenge they had taken of the English. sithes and pitch-forks, for at first they had not many better weapons: And so in a most confused manner, they began tumultuously to drive away at the first onely the Cattel belonging to the English, The Irish rise and first drive away all the Cattel belon­ging to the English. and then to break into their houses, and seize upon their goods. It is true, there were some murders committed the very first day of their rising, and some houses set on fire, but these as I conceive, were for the most part out [Page 88] of private spleen, or where they had particular instructions so to doe, as they had from the Lord Mac Guire, to kill Master Arthur Champion, a Justice of Peace in the County of Fermanagh, who with severall other of his neighbours were murthered at his owne house upon the 23. of October in the morning. But certainly that which they mainly intended at first, and which they most busily employed themselves about, was the driving away the Englishmens Cattell, and possessing their goods:The Irish Gen­tlemen pos­sesse them­selves of the Goods belon­ging to the En­glish, under pretence of securing them Wherein the common people were not the onely actors, but even the chiefe Gentlemen of the Irish in many pla­crs, most notoriously appeared, and under plausible pretences of se­curing their goods from the rapine and spoile of the common sort, got much peaceably into their hands: And so confident were the English of their good dealing at first, as many delivered their goods by retaile unto them, gave them particular Inventories of all they had, nay digged up such of their best things as they had hidden un­der ground, to deposite in their custody. Much likewise they got by faire promises and deep engagements to doe them no further mischief, to suffer them, their wives and children quietly to retire and leave the Country: But others, and especially the meaner sort of people fell more rudely to work, at the very first, breaking up of their houses, and using all manner of force and violence, to make themselves masters of their goods.

The next act was to strip the English, man, woman & child stark naken, and to turn them out of their owne doores. Al manner of relief forbid­den to the En­glish as they passed upon the high-ways stripped and despoiled of all they had.And having thus seized upon all their goods and Cattell, ransackt their houses, gotten their persons under their power; the next thing they did, was to strip man, woman and child, many of them stark naked, and so to turne them out of their owne doors, not permit­ting them in some places so much as to shelter themselves under bu­shes, or in the Woods, and strictly prohibiting all the Irish under great penalties to give them entertainment or any kind of reliefe, as they passed on upon the high wayes. And certainly their designe in this, most notoriously appears to have bin no othen then that al such as they would not lay their hands upon, and cruelly murder in cold blood, might miserably perish of themselves through cold, nakednes and want; and therfore as fast as any of them so stripped got old rags to cover their nakednesse, they endeavoured to strip them againe and againe; as may appeare by the Examination of John Gourley, who deposeth, that some were stripped twice, some thrice, as fast as they could get any old rags to cover their nakednesse, the next Irishwomen or even the children that met them would take them off: And he and his Wife further depose, that when their house, together with the Towne of Armagh, were set on fire by the Rebels, she was stripped [Page 89] of her clothes seven severall times after she got other cloths;The manner of stripping the English. and at length, they left her not so much as her smock or hairlace, and that she got to a place and hid her selfe in a hutch for three or four dayes, and after went to find out her children, two of which had the small Pox visibly upon them, Jurat. Novemb. 8. 1642.

How infallibly this course succeeded, and how surely they com­passed their devillish ends hereby, is but too well known; The English leaving sufficient monuments in the Highwayes as they passed, as well as in the Towns wherein they arrived of the dismal mortality it bred among them.The miseries and mortality it brought a­mong them. And for the fuller satisfaction of any one who shall doubt thereof, I have thought fit to insert these two ensuing Ex­aminations.

James Redferne, of the County of London Derry, deposeth, that in the Towne of Coleraine, since the Rebellion began, there dyed of robbed and stripped people that fled thither for succour, many hun­dreds, besides those of the Towne who had anciently dwelt there, and that the mortality there was such, and so great, as many thou­sands dyed there in two dayes, and that the living, though scarce able to doe it, laid the carcases of those dead persons in great ranks, into vast and wide holes, laying them so close and thick, as if they had packed up Herrings together.

Magdalen Redman, late of the Dowris in the Kings County, Widow, being sworne and examined, deposeth and saith, That she this De­ponent and divers other Protestants her neighbours, and amongst the rest 22. Widowes, after they were all robbed were also stript stark naked, and then they covering themselves in a house with straw, the Rebels then and there lighted the straw with fire, and threw amongst them, of purpose to burne them, where they had been burned or smothered, but that some of the Rebels more pittifull then the rest, commanded these cruell Rebels to forbeare, so as they escaped: Yet the Rebels kept and drove them naked into the wild Woods, from Tuesday untill Saturday, in frost and snow, so as the snow unmelted long lay upon some of their skins, and some of their children dyed in their armes: And when as the Deponent and the rest endeavoured to have gone away for refuge to the Burre, the cruell Rebels turned them againe, saying, they should goe towards Dublin; and when they endeavoured to goe towards Dublin, they hindred them againe, and sayd, they should goe to the Burre; and so tossed them to and fro; Yet at length, such of those poore stripped people as dyed not [Page 90] before they got away out of the hands of the Rebels, escaped to the Burre, where they were harboured and relieved by one William Parsons Esquire: And yet there dyed at the Burre of those stript persons, about forty men, women and children. And this Deponent and those other stript people that survived, lived miserably at the Burre aforesaid, untill they with the rest, had quarter to come from thence to Dublin.

Jur. 7. March 1642.
  • Doh. Watson.
  • Will. Aldrich.

Isabel, the relict of Christopher Porter, late of Dowris in the Kings County, sworn and examined, deposeth and saith, in all the particu­lars above mentioned as Magdalen Redman before examined, being her Neighbour.

Some of the most notorious CRUELTIES, and barbarous Murthers committed by the Irish Rebels, attested upon Oath as they appeare in severall Examina­tions annexed in the Margin.

WE may in these poore soules, as it were, in large Characters, behold the miseries of all those multitudes of Men, Wo­men and Children, that were in all parts of the Kingdome thus in­humanely stript, and so exposed to the same want, cold and naked­nesse. The mercies of the wicked are cruell; how bitter was their compassion to all those British that thus suffered?A particular enumeration of severall bloody Massa­cres & horrid cruelties, ex­ercised upon the British, all testified upon Oath, and ta­ken out of se­verall Exami­nations, which are inserted in the Margin. How horrid, bar­barous, and insupportable was the commiseration they thus expres­sed towards them? Yet these were as they told them at first, but the beginnings of their sorrowes: For when the Northerne Rebels be­gan to find their owne strength, and that partly by treachery, partly by force they had possessed themselves of all the chiefe places of strength in Ʋlster, disarmed the English, robbed them of their goods and Cattell, stripped them of their clothes, and had their persons now under their power, and all this without any considerable resi­stance made by them; then they could contain themselves no longer but in a most fierce outragious manner, furiously broke out, acting in all places of that Province, with most abominable cruelty, those horrid massacres and execrable murders, as would make any Chri­stian [Page 91] eare to tingle at the sad commemoration of them: Then they began to appear in their owne colours, and with great delight to sa­tiate their ancient implacable malice, in their long wished and often plotted destruction of all the British Inhabitants. Within the Coun­ty of Fermanagh multitudes were presently killed in cold blood,Multitudes killed in cold blood. some taken at the Plough, others as they sate peaceably in their own houses, others travailing up­on the wayes, all without any manner of provocation by them given, sodainly surprized and unexpectedly cut off. At the Castle of

[1] Thomas Wenslaw and John Simpson, of the County of Fermanagh, Gentlemen, depose and say, that in the Castle of Lisgoole, there were 152. men, women and children burnt when the said Castle was set on fire, or smothered; not above two or three escaped, is appeares in their Examinations, jurat, Jan. 12. Anno Dom. 1641.

Lisgool with­in that County above 150. men, women and children al­most all consumed by fire. At the Castle of

[2] Thomas Wenslaw further deposeth, that at the Castle of Moneah, there were ninety Protestants more slaine and murdered: And that from the [3] Castle of Moneah, the Rebels marched to the Castle of Tullah, where by their owne confession, they promised those Pro­testants that were there faire quarter: But when they had delivered up their Armes and the Castle, those Re­bels in the Bawne of the Castle, first stripped them all of their cloaths, and then and there most cruelly murthered them.

Moneah, neere 100. British there slain altogether: And the same bloody company of Rebels were no sooner admitted into the Castle of

Richard Bourke, Batchelour in Divinity, of the County of Fermanagh deposeth, that he heard and ve­rily beleeveth the burning and killing of one hundred at least in the Castle of Tullah, and that the same was done after faire quarter promised, jurat. Jul. 12. 1643.

Tullah, which was delivered up into the hands of Roury Mac Guire, upon composition, and faith­full promises of faire quarter, but that within the very court they began to strip the peopl, & most cruelly put them to the sword, murthering them all without mercy.

[4] Rowry Mac Guire, upon the 24. of Octob. 1641. came with his Company unto Lissenskeah, and desired in a friendly manner to speake with Master Mi­dleton, who had the keeping of the Castle. The first thing he did, as soone as he was entred therein, was to burne the Records of the County, whereof Master Mi­dleton was the keeper, being Clerke of the Peace, which he enforced him to deliver unto him; as likewise one thousand pounds he had in his hands of Sir William Balfoures; which as soone as he had, he compelled the said Midleton to heare Masse, sweare never to alter from it, and immediately after caused him, his wife and his children to be hanged up, and hanged and murdered one hundred persons besides, at least in that Towne. These particulars and severall other set down at large in a Re­lation sent me in by Sir John Dunbarr Knight, one of the Justices of Peace within the County of Fermi­nagh.

At Lissen­skeah they hanged or other­wise killed above 100. per­sons, most of them of the Scot­tish nation; for after once they had the English in their power they spared none of them, but used al the Scots with as much cruelty as they did the English. This County was very well planted by the British under­takers, and all of them and their Tenants in a very short space after a most horrible manner quite destroyed, or [Page 92] utterly banished from their Habitations. In the Counties of Armagh and Tyrone, where the British were much more numerous, and Sir Phelim O Neale and his Brother Turlagh O Neale, the principall actors, the murders of the British were much more multiplied and committed with greater cru­elty, if it were possible, then in any other places.

1000. men, women & chil­dren drowned in one place. There were

[5] This number is deposed in Doctor Maxwels Examination, taken the 22. of Aug. 1642.

one thousand men, women and Children carried out at severall times in severall troops, and all unmercifully drown­ed at the Bridge of Portnedowne, which was broken downe in the midst, and so driving and for­cing them on, threw them in­to the River: And as other Relations give it in,

[6] This number of so many persons drowned within the County of Armagh, is deposed by Thomas Green and Elizabeth his wife, as appeares by their Examina­tions taken Nov. 10. 1643.

four thousand persons were drow­ned within the severall parts of that County.

[7] William Clerke of the County of Armagh Tanner, saith, that he with 100. men, women and chil­dren, or thereabout, were by the Rebels driven like hogs about six miles, to a River called the Band: in which space the foresaid Christians were most barbarously used, by forcing them to goe fast with Swords and Pikes, thru­sting them into their sides, and they murthered three by the way, and the rest they drove to the River aforesaid, and there forced them to goe upon the bridge, which was cut downe, and with their pikes and swords, and other weapons, thrust them downe headlong into the said River and immediatly they perished, and those who assayed to swim to the shore, the Rebels stood and shot at, Jurat. January 7. 1641.

The Re­bels in a most barbarous man­ner drove on many of those miserable stripped Christians unto the place of their suffer­ings like Swine, and if any were slack in their pace, they sometimes pricked them for­wards with their swords and pikes, often hastening on the rest either by killing or woun­ding some of their fellowes in the way.

[7] Mary the wife of Ralph Corne deposeth, that 180. English were taken by the I­rish, and driven like Cattell from Castle Cumber to Athy.

[8] Elizabeth the Wife of Captaine Rue Price of the Towne and County of Armagh, deposeth, That five of her Children, together with 110. other Protestants out of the Parishes of Armagh, Laugaule, and other pla­ces were sent away with passes from Sir Phe. O Neale with promise to be safely conveyed over to their friends in England. That their Conductor was Captain Manus O Cane and his Souldiers, who having brought or rather driven them like Sheep or Beasts to the Bridge of Port­nedowne, there forced or threw all those poore prisoners into the water, together with the Deponents five children, and then and there drowned most of them. [9] And those who could swim and come to the shore, they either knocked them on the head, and so after drowned them, or else shot them to death in the water, Jurat. Jan. 29. 1641.

Other companies they carried out under pretence of giving them safe conduct out of the Country, and so got them to goe cheerfully on by vertue of Sir Phelim O Neales Passe, untill they came at some place fit for their execution.

[9] Christian Stanhaw, the relict of Hen. Stan­haw, of the Parish of Laugalle, in the County of Ar­magh deposeth, That upon the drowning of 140. Prote­stants one time at Portnedowne-Bridge, after they had thrown them in, some of them swimming to the shore, the Rebels with their muskets knocked out their braines, Jurat. July 23. 1642.

And if they drowned them, then they had some pre­pared to shoot or knocke downe with Poles any such as could swim, or used any other meanes to escape out of the water.

[10] James Shaw of Merket-hill in the County of Armagh, deposeth the manner of Mistresse Cambels pulling the Rebel into the water, and how he was drowned with her, Jurat. Aug. 14. 1642.

Amongst many others, a Gentlewoman whose name was Mistris Cambell, be­ing forcibly brought by them to the River, and she finding no meanes to escape their fu­ry, sodainly clasped her armes about one of the chiefe rebels that was most forward to thrust her into the water, & as I finde it credibly related upon Oath, carried him to the bot­tome with her, and so they were both drowned together.

[11] Captain Parkine deposeth, That Sir Phelim O Neale flying from Dundalk, went to Armagh, where he began his bloody massacres, causing Manus O Cane to get together all the Protestants which were left thereabouts, to conduct them to Coleraine; but before they were scarce a dayes journey from him, they were all murdered, and so were severall others by speciall direction from Sir Phelim O Neale, and his Brother Turlagh, notwithstanding they were protected by them. All the aged people in Armagh were by the same directions carried away, but mur­thered also at Charlmount. And presently after, his Brother and he with their adherents, maliciously set on fire the goodly Cathedrall Church of Armagh, and Towne of Armagh, and murthered and drowned there 500. persons young and old. At the Parish of Killaman 48 Fa­milies were then murthered by directions from Sir Phelim, who had remained protected by him three quarters of a yeer, Jurat. March 8. 1643.

The Cathedral Church and Towne of Armagh were burnt, many Townes laid waste, all the faire Plantati­ons made by the British left de­solate; [Page 94] in some Parishes

[12] Jane Grace, the wife of Nicholas Grace late of Kilmore, in the County of Armagh, deposeth, that there were two and twenty English Protestants burned in one House, within two miles of Kilmore; and that the Rebels stripped, killed, or murdered all, or the most of the English of that Parish, which consisted of two hundred Families. That they set many in the Stocks untill they confessed their money, and when they could get no more, that then they murdered them.

two hundred Families murde­red and destroyed, the whole County, as it were, a common Butchery, and thorough all parts of it very many thou­sands perished in a short time by Sword, Famine, Fire, Wa­ter, and all other manner of cruell deaths, that rage and malice could invent.

Some horrid inhumain cru­elties everci­zed upon par­ticular per­sons.But before I leave this Subject, I shall passe a little further, and out of some Examination (taken here upon Oath, which I have peru­sed) present a briefe collection of some other horrid inhumane cru­elties, which I finde were used in the murdering of many poore in­nocent soules. To many, these bloody villaines shewed so much fa­vour as sodainly to dispatch them out of their paine,Edward Saltinglasse of the County of Armagh Gen­tleman, deposeth, and saith, that George Laulis a re­bell of the said County, resolving to kill John Cow­der, told him he would kill him, but bid him first say his Prayers; whereupon the said Cowder kneeling downe to pray, the said Lawlis instantly cut off his head as he was upon his knees, jurat. Jun. 1. 1642. by no means allowing them leave, or

[13] Elizabeth Price deposeth, that when as di­vers of the English were about to be murdered, and de­sired the Rebels on their knees first to admit them to make their prayers to God; the Rebels have often, in her the deponants hearing, in Irish answered and said, be­queath your soule to the Devill; and at other times the Rebels would say, why should you pray, your soule is with the Devill already? and with those words in their mouthes would slaughter and put them to death: jurat ut supra.

time to make their pray­yers; for others, they held a sudden death too easie a pu­nishment: Therefore they im­prisoned

[14] Edward Bankes of Cassell, in the County of Tipperary, Clerke, deposeth, that the Rebels there on the first day of January killed fifteen men and women, all English Prote­stants, at Cassell, and that they entred and took the Town, and having the same, that they tooke this deponant and other Clergy men, and then and there forthwith caused them to be put in the Dungeon, where they continued twelve weekes in most miserable slavery, jurat. Aprill 21. 1642.

some in most beastly Dungeons, full of dirt and mire, and there clapping bolts on their heels, suffered them to perish at leizure; o­thers they barbarously

[15] John Cregge in the County of Armagh, Yeoman, deposeth, that in the Parish of Levilegish, there were divers English-men cruelly murdered, some twice, some thrice hanged up, and others wounded and left halfe dead, crying out lamentably for some to come and end their miseries by killing of them, Jurat. Jan. 7. 1641.

mangled, and left languishing upon the High-wayes, crying [Page 95] out but for so much mercy as to be delivered out of their paine.

Others they buried

[16] William Parkinson of Castle Cumber in the County of Kilkenny Gent. deposeth, That by the cre­dible report both of English and some Irish, who affirm­ed they were eye-witnesses of a bloody murder committed neer Kilfeale in the Queens County, upon an En­glish man, his wife, four or five children, and a maid. All which were hanged by the command of Sir Morgan Cavanah, and Robert Harpoole, and afterwards put all in one hole, the youngest child being not fully dead, put out the hand and crying mammy, mammy, when without mercy they buried him alive, Jurat. Feb. 11. 1642.

[16] Elizabeth Price deposeth, That Thomas Mason, an English Protestant of Laugall, being ex­treamly beaten and wounded, was carried away by his wife and some others; for revenge of which, the Rebels most cruelly hacked, slashed and wounded them: and that done; dragged the said Mason unto a hole, and then and there threw earth, stones and rubbish upon him, and with the wait thereof kept him under, so as the said Masons wife told this Deponent, he cryed out and languished till his owne wife, to put him out of his paine, rather then heare him cry still, tyed her handkerchiefe over his mouth, and therewith stopped his breath, so as he dyed, Jurat. Iune 29. 1641.

a­live, a manner of death they used to severall British in seve­rall places: and

[17] This particular, concerning the seventeen men buried alive at Clownes, was testi­fied unto me by Mistresse Aldrich, who was then kept prisoner in the Towne by the Rebels, and heard their pittifull cyres.

at Clow­nis within the County of Fer­managh, there were seventeen persons, having been hanged till they were halfe dead, cast together into a Pit, and be­ing covered over with a little earth, lay pittifully, sending out most lamentable groanes for a good time after.

[18] William Parkinson, late of Castle Cum­ber in the County of Kilkenny deposeth, That he saw Lewes O Brenan, with his sword drawne in the said Towne, pursue after an English boy of eight or nine yeers of age, or thereabouts, by name Richard Bernet, into an house, and saw the said Lewes lead the said boy forth of the house, the blood running about his eares, in a Haire rope, and led the boy to his Fathers tentors, and there hanged him with John Banks another little boy, jurat ut supra.

Some were deadly wounded and so hanged up on Tenter­hooks.

[19] Edward Saltingstone, of the County of Armagh Gent. deposeth, that Manus O Cane, Bryan O Kelly, Shane O Neile, Neile Oge O Neile, Gent. did take Willi­am Blundell of Grange, in the County of Armagh Yeoman, and put a rope about his necke, and threw him into the black water at Charlmount, and drew him up and downe the water, to make him confesse his money, who thereupon gave him 21 pounds, yet within three weeks after he, his wife, and seven Children were drowned by the Rebels: And further saith, that Samuel Law of Gre­nan, in the Parish of Armagh, was by the said Neile Oge O Neile, and others, brought to a Wood, and that then, they there put a With about his neck, and so drew him up and downe by the necke, untill he was glad to pro­mise them ten pounds, Jurat ut supra.

Some had ropes put about their necks, and so drawn thorow the water; some had Withes, and so drawn up and down thorow Woods and Bogs; others were hanged up [Page 96] and taken down and hanged up againe severall times, and all to make them confesse their money, which as soone as they had told,

[19] Margaret Fermeny in the County of Fermanagh, deposeth, That the Rebels bound her and her husbands hands behind them, to make them confesse their money, and dragged them up and downe in a rope, and cut his throat in her owne sight with a skeane, ha­ving first knocked him downe and stripped him, and that being an aged woman of 75. yeers old, as she came up afterwards to Dublin, she was stripped by the Irish seven times in one day, the Rebels bidding them goe and looke for their God, and bid him give them cloaths, Jurat.

they then dispatched them out of the way.

[20] Edward Wilson of the County of Monaughan deposeth, that among other cruelties used by the Rebels to the English, they hung up some by the armes, and then hacked them with their swords, to see how many blowes they could endure before they dyed, Jurat.

Others were hang­ed up by the Armes, and with many slashes and cuts they made the experiment with their Swords how many blowes an Englishman would endure before he dyed. Some had their

[21] Anne the wife of Mervin Madesly, late of the City of Kilkenny, Gent. sworne and examined, de­poseth, That some of the Rebels in Kilkenny aforesaid, struck and beat a poore English woman untill she was forced into a ditch, where she dyed, those barbarous Re­bels having first ript up her child, of about six yeers of age, and let her guts run about her heels, jurat.

Bellies ript up, and so left with their guts running about their heels.

[21] James Geare of the County of Monaughan deposeth, That the Rebels at Clewnis murdered one James Nettervile, Proctor to the Minister there, who, although he was diversly wounded, his belly ript up, and his intrailes taken out and laid above a yard from him, yet he bled not at all, untill they lifted him up and carried him away; at which this Deponent being an eye wit­nesse, much wondered; and thus barbarously they used him after they had drawne him to goe to Masse with them, jurat. April 6. 1642.

But this horrid kinde of cruelty was principally reserved by these inhumane Monsters for

[22] Owen Frankland of the City of Dublin, deposeth, That Michael Garray told this Deponent, that there was a Scottish man who bring driven by the Rebels out of the Newry, and knockt on the head by the Irish, recovered himselfe, and came againe into the Towne naked: Whereupon the Rebels carried him and his wife out of the Towne, cut him all to pieces, and with a skeine ripped his wives belly, so as a child dropped out of her womb, Jurat. July 23. 1642.

Women, whose sexe they neither pitied nor spa­red, hanging up severall Wo­men, many of them great with [Page 97] childe, whose

[23] At Ballimcolough within foure miles of the City of Rosse in April 1642. John Stone of the Graige his sonne, his two sons in law, and his two daughters, were hanged, one of his daughters being great with child, her belly was ript up, her child taken forth, and such barbarous beastly actions used to her, as are not fit to be mentioned.

bellies they ripped up as they hung, and so let the little Infants fall out; a course they ordinari­ly tooke with such as they found in that sad condition.

[24] Phillip Taylor, late of Portnedowne de­poseth, that the Rebels killed a Dyers wife of Rosse tre­ver, at the Newry, and ript up her belly, she being great with child of two children, and threw her and her chil­dren into a ditch, and that he this Deponent, drove away Swine from eating one of the children, Jurat.

And sometimes they gave their Children to Swine;

[25] John Montgomery, of the County of Mo­naghan, sworn and examined saith, that one Brian Mac Erony, ringleader of the Rebels in the County of Ferma­nagh, killed Ensign Floyd, Robert Worknum, and four of their servants, one of which they having wounded, though not to death, they buried quick. As also, that he was credibly infor­med, that the daughter in law of one Foard, in the Parish of Clownish, being delivered of a child in the fields, the Rebels, who had formerly killed her husband and father, killed her and two of her children, and suffered the dogs to eat up and devour her new borne Child, jurat June 26. 1641.

Some the Dogges eat; and some

[26] Katherine, the relict of William Coke, of the County of Armagh Carpenter, deposeth, That the Rebels of the said County robbed; stripped and murthered a great company of Protestants, some by burning, some by the sword, some by hanging, and the rest by starving, and other deaths. And this Deponent, to shun their rage, and save her poore life, hid her selfe in a ditch of water, and sate there among high rushes so long, as that she was almost frozen and starved to death, and then crawled away secretly. And further saith, that some of the Rebels that escaped and fled from the battell of Lisnagaruay, meeting one Mistreis Howard, and Mistreis Frankland, both great with child, and six of their children with them, those Rebels then and there with their pikes killed and murdered them all, and after ripped open the Gentlewomens bellies, took out their children, the one of them being quick, and threw them into a ditch in the sight of Jane this Deponents daughter, who escaped because she spake Irish, and said she was an Irish woman, jurat Feb. 24. 1643.

taken alive out of their Mothers bellies, they cast into ditches. And for sucking children, and others of a riper age; some

[27] James Stevenson, Clerke of the County of Letrim, deposeth, that the Rebels there took Isabel Stevonson, a young child, left at Fostering, with one Hugh Mac Arran and enquiring whose child it was, they told him it was a Scottish mans child, whereupon they tooke the child by the heels, and run and beat the braines of it out against a Tree, jurat April 20. 1643.

had their braines knockt out; o­thers

[28] Anne Hill, wife of Arthur Hill, in the County of Caterlagh, deposeth, that as she passed through the County of Wickloe, William the Plasterer, with nine or ten Rebels more, pulled off her back a young child of one yeer and a quarter old, threw it on the ground, trod on it that it dyed, stripped her selfe and foure small children, who by the cold they thereby got, since dyed, jurat.

were trampled un­der-foot [Page 102] to death.

[28] Iohn Stubbes of the County of Longford, Gent. deposeth, that he heard by some of the Sheriffs men, that Henry Mead and his wife, John Bigel, William Stell, and Daniel Stubs the Deponents brother, were put to death by Lisagh Farrols, and Oli. Fitz Ger­rals men, who hanged them upon a Windmill, and when they were halfe dead, they cut them to pieces with their skeines, jurat Novemb. 21. 1641.

Some they cut in gob­bets and pieces,

[29] William Parkinson of Kilkenny, Esquire, deposeth, that the wife of John Harvey, told him, that she being at Kilkenny, and having there turned to Masse to save her life, was notwithstanding stripped againe, together with her children, and one Purcell a But­cher, after he had stripped her daughter, of five yeers of age, ripped up her body till her intrales fell out, whereof she dyed that night; whereof she complaining to the Major of Kilkenny, he bid away with her and dispatch her, so as not onely the Butcher, but many other did beat and wound her, so as she hardly escaped with her life, jurat ut supra.

others they ript up alive;

[30] Elizabeth Champion late wife of Arthur Champion in the County of Fer­managh, Esq. deposeth, that when the Castle of Lisgoole was set on fire by the Rebels, a Woman leaping out of a window, to save her selfe from burning, was murdered by the Rebels; and next morning her childe was found sucking her brest, and also murdered by them, jurat Apill 6. 1642.

some were found in the fields, suck­ing the brests of their murde­red Mothers; others lay sti­fled in Vaults and Cellars:

[28] El. Price deposeth, that a great number of poore Protestants, especially of women and children, they pricked and stabbed with their Skeins, Pitch-forks and Swords, and would slash, mangle and cut them in their heads, brests, faces, armes and other parts of the body, but not kill them out-right, but leave them wallowing in their blood, to languish, starve, and pine to death; and whereas those so mangled desired them to kill them out of their paine, they would deny it; but sometimes after a day or two, they would dash out their braines with stones, or by some other cruell way, which they accounted done as a favour, of which she hath in many particulars been an eye-witnesse, jurat June 29. 1641.

o­thers

[30] Charity Chappell late wife of Richard Chappell, Esquire, of the Towne and County of Armagh, deposeth, that as she hath credibly heard the Rebels murdered great num­bers of Protestants, and that many children were seen lying murdered in Vaults and Sellers, whether they fled to hide themselves, jurat July 2. 1642.

[30] Thomas Fleetwood late Curat of Kilbeggan in the County of Westmeath, deposeth, that he hath heard from the mouth of the Rebels themselves of great cruel­ties acted by them: And for one instance, that they stab'd the Mother, one Jane Addis by name, and left her little sucking childe, not a quarter old, by the dead corps; and then they put the brest of its dead Mother into its mouth, and bid it sucke English-bastard, and so left it there to perish, ju­rat March 22. 1642.

[31] Mary Barlow deposeth, that her Husband be­ing by the Rebels hanged before her face, she & six chil­dren were stripped stark naked, & turned out a begging in frost & snow; by means whereof they were almost starved, having nothing to eat in three weekes, while they lay in a Cave, but two old Calfe-kins, which they beat with stones, and so eat them haire and all; her children crying out unto her, rather to goe out and be killed by the Re­bels then to starve there, jurat.

starved in Caves, crying out to their Mothers rather to send them out to be killed by the Rebels, then to suffer them to starve there.

Multitudes of

[32] John Duffield of the County of Armagh, Gent. deposeth, that the Rebels wounded John Ward and Richard Duffield, so as they thereof dyed, and that their wives and the said Johns six children, be­ing all stript, dyed of want and cold. And further saith, that many thousands of Protestants, men, women and children, being stripped of their clothes, dyed also of cold and want in severall parts of the Country, jurat Aug. 9. 1642.

men, women, and children were found drowned, cast into ditches, bogges and turfe-pits; the ordinary Sepultures of the British Nation.

[32] Catherine Madeson of the County of Fermanagh, deposeth, that they drew some lying sicke of Fevers, out of their beds and hanged them; and that they drove before them of men, women and children, to the number of sixteen, and drowned them in a Boggie-pit, knocking such on the head with Poles as endevoured to get out.

Thou­sands dyed of cold and want in all parts of the Country, being neither permitted to depart, nor relieved where they were enforced to stay. Jane the wife of Gabriel Constable, late of Drumcad in the County of Armagh, Gent. sworne and examined saith, that her husband and his mother about 88. yeers old, and his Brother being murdered by the Rebels in the Parish of Kilmore, that a great number of Protestants were about Candlemas 1641. by the means and instigation of Joane Hamskin formerly a Protestant, but a meer Irish woman, and lately turned to Masse, and of divers other her assistants, forced and thrust into a thatcht house within the Parish of Kilmore, and then and there, the Protestants being almost naked, covered with rags onely, the same house was by that bloody woman and her barbarous assistants, set on fire in severall parts thereof, the poor imprisoned parties (who were by armed parties kept there lockt in) were miserably burned to death, and at length the house fell upon them; and the combustible part of the house being con­sumed before the bodies of all those miserable wretches were burned to ashes, the bodies of many of them lay there in holes, to the great terrour of the beholders that were Protestants, three onely escaped out of a hole of the house, and the rest that attempted to escape the flames, were then and there forced and thrown in again, and so burned to death, jurat June 16. 1642. Multitudes enclosed in hou­ses, which being set on fire, they were there most mise­rably consumed.

[33] Katherine Madeson of the County of Fer­managh, deposeth, that they drew some lying sicke of feavers out of their bed, and hanged them, jur. ut supra.

Some dragged out of their sick-beds [Page 100] to the place of execution,

[34] Thomas Green in the Parish of Dumcres in the County of Armagh, Yeoman, and Elizabeth his wife, sworn and examined, saith, That the Deponent Tho. Green hardly escaped away with his life, but that the other Deponent and six children were all left among the Rebels, and so stripped of their cloaths, and hunger-star­ved, that five of the children dyed, and she this Deponent being put to beg among the mercilesse Rebels, was at length rescued from them by the Scottish Army: She further saith, that the Rebels did drowne in a bog 17. men, women and children at one time within the said pa­rish; and she is verily perswaded that the Rebels at seve­rall times and places within the County of Armagh, drowned above 4000. Protestants, enforcing the sonnes and daughters of those very aged people, who were not able to goe themselves, to take them out of their beds and hou­ses and to carry them to drowning, especially in the River of Toll, in the Parish of Loghgall, jurat Novemb. 10. 1643.

children enforced to car­ry their aged parents to the Places designed for their slaughter;

[35] John Rutledge deposeth, that such were the barbarous and inhumane cruelties of the Rebels, that sometimes they enforced the wife to kill the husband, the son to kill the father, and the daughter to kill the mother, and then they would hang or put to death the last blood-shedder. He further saith, that of his knowledge the Rebels in the Towne of Slego, forced one Lewes the younger, to kill his father, and then hanged the son; and in Mogne, in the County of Mayo, the Re­bels forced one Simon Lepers wife to kill her husband, and then caused her son to kill her, and then they hanged the son.

nay, some children compelled most un­naturally to be the executio­ners of their owne parents, wives to help to hang their husbands,

[36] This deposed in Master Goldsmiths Examination, which is set forth at large in the page following.

mothers to cast their owne children into the water; and yet after these enforced acts, which no doubt were performed out of hopes and assurance to have their owne lives saved, alwayes murdered. And such was the malice and most detestable ha­tred borne to the English by the Irish, as they taught their

[37] Anne Read the relict of Helchiah Read, of the County of Letrem, deposeth, that she being stripped out of all she had, some of her children dyed of want and famine, and that one of her sons called Stephen Read, being about six yeers of age, was about the 10. of Febru­ary, 1641. in the house of James Gray, of the County of Cavan, and going forth to play, there then gathered about him six Irish children of that Towne, who suddenly fell upon him, and in such manner, that some with sticks and some with stones put out his eyes and bruised his body extreamly, so that he by meanes of those children (which were none of them as she is perswaded above eight yeers of age) not long after dyed, and had been killed outright in the place, had not an English woman come thither, who took up the dying child from them, saying, she wondred they could find in their hearts so to deale with a poore child; but they answered, they would doe as much for her if they were able, jurat. July 12. 1642.

children to kill English [Page 101] children,

[35] Dennis Kelly, of the County of Meth, depo­seth, that Garret Tallon of Cruisetowne in the said County, Gent. (as it is commonly reported) hired two men to kill Anne Hagely, wife to Edw. Tallon his son a Papist, and at that time absent from home; and the said two men did in most bloody manner, with skeines, kill the said Anne Hagely and her daughter, and her daughters two children, because they would not consent to goe to Masse, and after they would not permit them to be buried in a Church or Church-yard, but they four were buried in a ditch, jurat Aug. 23. 1643.

and the

[38] John Grissell of the Queens County, deposeth, that the women and children in those parts, were as cruell and forward as the men Rebels, the children, though young, being very bold in their robberies, bidding this Deponent and the rest of the English be gone, or else they should be hanged.

Irish women did naturally expresse as much cruelty as the chiefest Rebels among them.

If these be not sufficient, let us over-looke the particular ends of some particular per­sons, and we shall yet in them behold more horrid cruelties then these before mentioned. What

[39] This particular deposed by Margaret Perkin, as also by Elizabeth Bursell, who saith, that the child was of twelve yeers of age, being the child of Thomas Straton of Newtown, jurat Jan. 19. 1641.

shall we say to a child boyled to death in a cauldron, a

[40] The wife of Jonathan Linne and his daugh­ter were seized upon by the Rebels neer the Town of Ca­terlagh, carried by them into a little wood, called Sta­pletowne wood, and there the mother was hanged, and the daughter hanged in the haire of her mothers head, as is deposed by James Shaw, Vicar of old Laughsin, Jan. 8. 1643.

woman han­ged on a tree, and in the haire of her head her owne daugh­ter hanged up with her; a wo­man

[41] Adam Clover deposeth, that he saw upon the high way a woman left by the Rebels, stripped to her smock, set upon by three women and some children, being Irish, who miserably rent and tore the said poor English woman, and stripped of her smock in a bitter frost and snow, so that she fell in labour in their hands, and both she and her child dyed there, jurat Jan. 4. 1641.

miserably rent and torne to pieces,

[42] This cruelty was used to some English in the Province of Conaught, as was testifi­ed by the Lords Justices and Counsell, as doth appeare by their Letters.

some ta­ken

[38] Elizabeth Baskervile deposeth, that she heard the wife of Florence Fitz Patrick find much fault with her busbands souldiers, because they did not bring along with them the grease of Mistresse Nicholson, whom they had slaine, for her to make candles withall, jurat April 26. 1643.

[38] Martha Culme deposeth, that she heard some of the Irish themselves detest the cru­elty of the women who followed their Camp, and put them on in cruelty, saying, spare neither man, woman, nor child, jurat.

[42] Tho. Fleetwood Curate of Kilbeggan, in the County of Westmeath, deposeth, that the L. President of Conaught, caused an English woman who could speak Irish, to go toward Dublin with a letter, but she was taken with­in five miles of the Town of Athlone, brought back and stoned to death by the women of the Town, dwelling on the hither side of the bridge, jurat.

[Page 98] by the Rebels, their eyes plucked out, their hands cut off, and so turned out to wan­der up and down;

(43) James of Hackets town in the County of Ca­terlagh, deposeth, that an Irish Gentlewoman told him and others, that she turned an English woman away who was her servant, and had a child, and that before the poore woman and child were gone halfe a mile, divers Irish women slew them with stones, jurat Aprill 21. 1643.

others stoned to death;

(44) John Clerk of Knockback Gent. deposeth, that he heard credibly from Master Litghboune, Mini­ster of the Naas, that the Rebels shot a parish Clerk neer Kildare, through both his thighes, and afterward digged a deep hole in the ground, wherein they set him upright on his feet, and filled up the hole in the earth, leaving out only his head, in which state and posture they left the poor wounded man, till he pined, languished, and so dyed, jurat Octob. 24. 1643.

a man wounded and set upright in a hole digged in the earth, and so covered up to the very chin there left in that miserable manner to perish: a

(45) Katherine, the relict of William Coke, of the County of Armagh, deposeth, that many of her neigh­bours who had been prisoners among the Rebels, said and affirmed, that divers of the Rebels would confesse, brag, and boast, how they tooke an English Protestant, one Robert Wilkinson at Kilmore, and held his feet in the fire untill they burned him to death: And the same Robert Wilkinsons owne sonne was present, and a prisoner when that cruelty was exercised on his Father, jurat February 24. 1643.

mans feet held in the fire till he was burnt to death, his wife han­ged at his doore:

(46) At Cashal in Munster, beside many Ministers which they there hanged after a most barbarous manner, they stript one naked and drove him through the Towne, pricking him forwards with Darts and Rapiers, and so pursuing him till he fell downe dead, ju­rat ut supra.

a Mi­nister stripped stark naked, and so driven like a beast tho­rough the Town of Cashell, the Rebels following and prick­ing him forward with darts and rapiers:

(47) Christian Stanhaw, the relict of Hen. Stanhaw, late of the County of Armagh Esq. deposeth, that a woman that formerly lived neer Laugale, absolutely informed this Deponent, that the Rebels enforced a great number of Protestants, men, women and children, into a house which they set on fire purposely to burne them, as they did, and still as any of them offered to come out, to shun the fire, the wicked Rebels witb sithes, which they had in their hands, cut them in pieces, and cast them into the fire and burned them with the rest, jurat July 23. 1642.

a company of men, women and children put into a house, and as they were burning, some children that made an escape out of the flames were taken by some of the Rebels who stood by, cut them in pieces with sithes, and so cast them into the fire a­gain.

Neither did these horrible tortures which they put these poor innocent Christians un­to aslack their fury, their ma­lice towards them did not de­termine with their breath. But after so many severall bloody wayes and cruell inventions wherewith they rent their souls from their wretched bo­dies, even to their

(48) Adam Clover of the County of Cavan de­poseth, that he observed thirty persons to be most barba­rously murdered, and about 150. more cruelly wounded, so that traces of blood issuing from them, lay upon the high way for twelve miles together, and many very young chil­dren were left and perished by the way, to the number of sixty, or thereabouts; because the cruelties of the Rebels were such, that their parents and friends could not carry them further. And further saith, that some of the Rebels vowed, that if any digged graves wherein to bury the dead children, they should be buried therein themselves; so the poore people left most of them unburied, exposed to ravenous beasts and fowles, jurat Jan. 4. 1641.

dead carkasses in some places, they denied all manner of buriall; some

(49) Edward Saltinstale deposeth, that the Re­bels killed William Loverden when he was naked, his wife and children looking on, and cutting off his head held it up to his wife and children, and his sorrowfull wife taking his corps and burying of it in a Garden, Patrick O Dally a Rebell, took it up and threw it into a ditch, jurat ut supra.

they cast into dit­ches, others

(50) Thomas Green and Elizabeth his wife de­pose, that the Rebels at severall times murdered, killed and destroyed the most part of the Protestants in the Parish of Dum [...]res, being about 300. and indeed most of the Protestants in all the County therabouts did they kill and destroy by drowning, hanging, burning, the sword, starving, and other deaths, exposing their slaughtered bodies to be devoured by dogs, swine, and other ravenous creatures: And this Deponent Elizabeth, saw the dogs feed upon those dead carcasses, jurat Novemb. 10. 1643.

they left to be devoured by dogs & swine, others by Fowls and ravenous birds; nay

(51) Richard Bourke Batchelour of Divinity deposeth, that he was informed, that Master Lodge, Arch-deacon of Killalow, being buried about six yeers since, and divers other Ministers bones were digged out of their graves as patrons of heresie, by direction of the titular Bishop of Killalaw, and Robert Jones a Minister was not admitted Christian buriall, by direction of some Popish Priests, jurat July 12. 1643.

severall which had been formerly buried, they digged up and left them to putrifie above ground.

And these truly are but some of those wayes, among many others which with most exquisite pains and cruell tor­tures, were used by these mer­cilesse

(52) Arthur Agmoughty deposeth, that during the siege of Castle Forbez, the Rebels killed poor chil­dren that went out to eat weeds or grasse; and that a poore woman whose husband was taken by the Rebels, went to them with two children at her feet and one at her breast, hoping to beg her husbands life, but they slew her

Rebels to let in

(51) David Buck deposeth, that in the parish of Munrath, in the Queens County, the Rebels digged up a number of English mens graves, and left the corps above ground to be abused by dogs, hogs, or any other ravenous creatures.

[Page 104] death among an innocent, un­provoking, unresisting peo­ple, that had alwayes lived peaceably with them,

[53] Master Creighton deposeth in his Examina­tion, that sometimes the chiefe of the Irish would make heavy moane for the evils they perceived were comming on their Country and Kinred, and said, they saw utter de­struction at hand, for that they had covered so great a bit­ternesse so long in their hearts against the English, and now so suddenly broken out against them, that had brought them up, kept them in their houses like children, and had made no difference between them, their English friends and kinred, by all which the English had so well deser­ved of them, and they had requited them so evill, that the English would never trust them hereafter; and now it re­maineth, that either they must destroy the English, or the English them, iurat ut supra.

ad­ministing all manner of helps and comforts to those who were in distresse, that made no difference betwixt them and those of their owne Nation, but ever cherished them as friends, and loving neigh­bours, without giving any cause of unkindnesse or di­staste unto them. It is not possible to re-collect or ex­presse the wickednesse of their mischievous inventions, or horrour of their bloody exe­cutions,

[54] Jane the relict of Gabriel Constable depo­seth, that the Rebels having halfe killed one Ellen Mil­lington, and then put her into a dry hole made for a Well, and made her fast in with stones, whereof she lan­guished and dyed; the Rebels bragged how many of them went to see her kick and tosse in the hole, her husband be­ing formerly murdered by the Rebels, jurat ut supra.

actuated with all kind of circumstances that might aggravate the hight of their cruelty towards them. Alas, who can comprehend the feares, terrours, anguish, bitternesse and perplexity of their souls, the despairing passions and consternations of their mind! What strange amazed thoughts must it needs raise in their sad hearts to find themselves so sodainly surprized without remedy, and inex­tricably wrapt up in all kind of outward miseries, which could possi­bly by man be inflicted upon any humane creatures! What sighes, groanes, trembling, astonishment! What schriches, cryes and bitter lamentation of wife and children, friends and servants, howling and weeping about them, all finding themselves without any manner of hope or deliverance from their present misery and paine! How inexo­rable were their barbarous tormentors that compassed them on every side without all bowels of compassion, any sense of their sufferings, or the least commiseration and pitty, the common comforters of men in misery.

It was no small addition to their sorrows, to hear

(54) Francis Barbour of Dublin Gent. deposeth, that at the beginning of the Rebellion, he heard severall of the Rebels publikely say, That now the day was their own, and that they had been slaves to the English a long time, but that now they would be revenged to the full, and would not leave before Christmas day, an English Prote­stant rogue living, with other like bitter words, jurat Jan. 5. 1643.

the base reviling speeches used a­gainst [Page 105] their country and coun­try-men, some loudly threat­ning

[55] Elizabeth the wife of Thomas Green de­poseth, that she heard the Rebels say, the English were meat for dogs, that there should not be one drop of En­glish blood left within the Kingdom, and that they would destroy all, the very English children, whom they called bastards, jurat Novemb. 10. 1643.

[55] Richard Cleybrook deposeth, that he heard Luke Toole say, that they would not leave an English Beast alive, or any of the breed of them, jurat.

[55] Samuel Man, of the County of Fermanagh Gent. deposeth, that he heard some of the Irish say, that there should not be one English man, woman or child left in the Kingdome, jurat.

[55] Elizab. Dickinson deposeth, that she heard some of the company of Roury Mac Guire say, that the Irish had command to leave never a drop of English blood in Ireland, jurat Novemb. 17. 1642.

Katherine Madeson of the County of Fermanagh deposeth, that she hath often heard the Rebels say, that they would drive all the English and Scottish out of the Kingdome, and that both man, woman and child should be cut off and destroyed, jurat Novemb. 17. 1642.

all should be cut off and utterly destroyed that had one drop of English blood in them; the Irish women cry­ing out to spare neither man, woman nor child that was En­glish; that the English was meat for dogs, and their children bastards.

How grievous and insup­portable must it needs be to a true christian soule, to hear a base

[56] Elenor Fullerton the relict of Wil. Ful­lerton, late Parson of Lougall deposeth, that in Lent 1641. a young roguish Cow-boy, gave out and affirmed in this Deponents hearing, that his hands were so weary in killing and knocking downe Protestants into a bog-pit, that he could hardly lift his armes to his head, jurat Septemb. 16. 1642.

[56] Owen Frankland deposeth, that he heard Hugh O Cane, late servant to Mistris Stanhaw cal­ling to his fellows, in a boasting manner, asking them what they had been doing at home all the day, that he had been abroad and had killed sixteen of the rogues, and shew­ed them some money, jurat ut supra.

villaine boast, that his hands were so weary with killing and knocking downe Protestants into a bogge, that he could not lift his armes up to his head; or others to say,

[57] Elizabeth Champion, late wife of Arthur Champion in the County of Fer­managh Esquire, saith, that she heard the Rebels say, that they had killed so many English men, that the grease or fat which remained upon their swords and skeines, might well serve to make an Irish candle, jurat April 14. 1642.

that they had killed so many English men, that the grease or fat which remained [Page 106] on their swords or skeines, might have made an Irish can­dle; or to consider, that two

[58] John Birne late of Dongannon in the coun­ty of Tyrone deposeth, that he heard some of the native Irish that were somewhat more mercifull then the rest, complaine, that two young Cow-boyes within the Parish of Tullah, had at severall times murdered and drowned 36. women and children, jurat. Jan. 12. 1643.

young Cow-boys should have it in their power to mur­der 36. Protestants. Whosoever shall seriously weigh these particulars, will not much wonder that so great numbers of British and Protestants, should be destroyd in so short a time after the first breaking out of the Rebellion, as Ma­ster Cunningham

[59] James Shaw a Minister deposeth, that after the cessation made with the Irish, divers of them confes­sed, the Priests had given them the Sacrament, upon condition they should not spare man, woman or child that were Protestants, and that he heard divers of them say in a bragging manner, that it did them much good to wash their hands in the blood of the Protestants which they had slaine, Jurat Jan. 7. 1643.

deposeth in his Examination: He there saith, that the account of the persons killed by the Rebels from the time of the beginning of the Rebellion, Octob. 23. 1641. unto the month of April following, was as the Priests weekly gave it in in their severall Parishes, one hundred and five thousand, jurat April 22. 1641.

When the Castle of Lisgoole

[60] Elizabeth Champin deposeth, that when the Rebels had set the Castle of Lisgoole on fire upon the Protestants there enclosed, and saw the said house so bur­ning, they said among themselves rejoycingly, Oh how sweetly doe they fry! jurat ut supra.

was set on fire by the Re­bels, and so many British as are before mentioned consu­med in the flames, those mis­chievous villaines that had done that wicked fact, cryed out with much joy, how sweetly do they fry! How did the Inhabitants

[61] William Lucas of the City of Kilkenny de­poseth, that although he lived in the Towne till about five or six weeks past; in which time he is assured divers murders and cruell acts were committed, yet he durst not goe abroad to see any of them: But he doth confidently beleeve, that the Rebels having brought seven Prote­stants heads, whereof one was the head of Master Bing­ham a Minister, they did then and there as triumphs of their victory, set them up on the Market-Crosse on a Market-day, and that the Rebels slasht, stab'd and man­gled those heads, put a gag or carret in the said Master Binghams mouth, slit up his cheeks to his ears, laying a leafe of a Bible before him, and bid him preach, for his mouth was wide enough, and after they had so solaced themselves, threw those heads in a hole in Saint James Green, jurat Aug. 16. 1643.

of Kilken­ny (a City planted with old English, where civility & good manners seemed to flourish) solace and please themselves in abusing most unchristianly the heads of a Minister and six other Protestants, brought in a kind of triumph into that Towne: Certainly it is not to be imagined, much lesse ex­pressed, with what scorne and [Page 107] derision they acted these great cruelties upon al British which they had gotten into their power; with what joy and ex­ultation their eyes did behold the sad spectacle of their mi­series; what

[62] Julian Jonson, the relict of John Jonson of the County of Gallaway deposeth, that after the slaugh­ter of some English, she heard one O Moloy a Fryar, say in a triumphing manner, It was a brave sport, to see the young men (meaning some of the English then slain) defending themselves on every side, and their two eyes burning in their heads. And further, that she heard some of the cruell Souldiers then and there brag and boast of the brave sport they had, by putting fire to the straw which a stripped English woman had tyed about her, saying, how bravely the fire then made the English jade to dance, jurat Feb. 8. 1643.

[62] Joane Constable, the relict of Gabriel Constable, deposeth, that the outcries, lamentations and speeches of the poore Protestants burned in a thatcht house in the Parish of Kilmore, in the County of Armagh, were exceeding loud and pittifull, yet did nothing prevaile to mollifie the hardned hearts of their murderers, but they most boldly made brags thereof and tooke pride and glory in imitating those cries, and in telling the Deponent and others, how the children gaped when the fire began to burne them, and threatned and told her, this Deponent, that before it were long, she and the rest of the Protestants should suffer the like deaths. And further saith, that the Rebels within the County of Armagh did act and commit divers other bloody, barbarous cruelties (betwixt the time of the beginning of the Rebellion and her escape from imprisonment out of the said County) by burning, drowning, hanging, the sword, star­ving, and other fearfull deaths: That they did drowne at one time betwixt Tinon and Ki­nard, sixty British, women and children, their respective husbands and fathers, all their male friends that were men being murdered before: And that they did in the same water at another time, drowne one Mistris Maxwell, the wife of Master James Maxwell, when she was in labour, and so forward therein, as some of those bloody actors told and brag'd to her, this Depo­nent, that the very childs arme appeared and waved in the water, the child being halfe borne when the mother was drowned, jurat ut supra.

greedy de­light and pleasure they took in their bloody executions; what

[63] Henry Brinkhurst of the County of Mayo deposeth, that after the Massacre of Shreul, one of the Rebels that had acted his part there, came into a house with his hands and cloaths all bloody, saying, it was English blood, that he hoped to have more of it, and that his skeine had pincked the cleane white skins of many at Shreul, even to the hilt thereof, and that amongst others, it had been in the body of a faire complexioned man, whose name was Jones. At which time of his discourse, the wife of the said Jones with four of her small children, sate by and durst not cry out, but striving to suppresse her extreame griefe, fell into a swoon, and was conveyed out of the room, for feare he should have done the like by her and her poor children, Hen. Brinkhurst, jurat Mar. 11. 1643.

malice and hatred they expressed towards them, many with the last stroke of death giving them in their last agony

[64] This particular deposed in the Examination of Doctor Maxwell and Mistresse Price.

that fearfull vale­diction, [Page 108] in Irish, Anima duel, thy soule to the Devil.

But it is no wonder that they carried themselves after this barbarous maner to these poore innocent Christians, when they spared not most fearfully to belch out their rage against their maker. What open

[65] Margaret Stokes the wife of Hugh Stokes duly sworne and examined, deposeth, inter alia, That when the Rebels, or any of them had killed an English man in the Country, many others of them would come one after another, and every of them in most cruell manner stab, wound and cut him, and almost mangle him, and to shew their further malice, would not suffer or permit any to bury them, but would have them to lye naked, for the dogs, beasts, and fowles of the ayre to devour them. And further saith, when they had so killed the English, they would reckon up and account the number of them, and in rejoycing and boasting manner would say, that they had made the Devil beholding to them, in sending so many soules to him to hell, jurat coram Sir Gerard Low­ther.

[65] Edward Deane of Ocram in the County of Wickloe, Tanner, deposeth, that the Irish Rebels made Proclamation, that all English men and women that did not depart the Country within 24. hours, should be hanged, drawne and quartered, and that the Irish houses that kept any of the English children should be burned. And further saith, that the said Rebels burned two Protestant Bibles, and then said, that it was hell fire that burnt, jurat Jan. 7. 1641.

hel­lish blasphemies were uttered by these wicked miscreants?

[66] Joh. Kerdiffe, Clerk of the County of Tyrone deposeth, inter alia, that Fryar Malone of Skerries, did take the poore mens Bibles which he found in the boat, and cut them in pieces and cast them into the fire, with these words, That he would deale in like manner with all Pro­testant and Puritan Bibles, jurat. Feb. 28. 1641.

[66] Henry Fisher of Powerscourt in the County of Wickloe deposeth, that the Re­bels entred the Parish Church at Powerscourt, and burnt up the Pues, Pulpits, Chests and Bibles belonging to the said Church, with extreame violence and triumph, and expressing of ha­tred to Religion, jurat Jan. 25. 1641.

[66] Adam Clover of Slonosie in the County of Cavan, duly sworne, deposeth, that James O Rely, Hugh Brady, and other Rebels, did often take into their hands the Pro­testant Bibles, and wetting them in the dirty water, did five or six severall times dash the same on the face of this Deponent and other Protestants, saying, Come I know you love a good lesson, here is an excellent one for you, come to morrow, and you shall have as good as Sermon as this; and used other scornfull and disgracefull words unto them: And further saith, that drag­ging divers Protestants by the haire of the head, and in other cruell manner into the Church, there stripped, robbed, whipped, and most cruelly used them, saying, If you come to morrow you shall heare the like Sermon, jurat Jan. 4. 1641.

[66] Edward Slacke of Gusteen in the County of Fermanagh Clerke, deposeth, that the Rebels there took his Bible, opened it, and laying the open side in a puddle of water, leaped and trampled upon it, saying, A plague on it, this Bible hath bred all the quarrell, and that he hoped within few weekes all the Bibles in Ireland should be used as that was, or worse, and that none should be left in the Kingdome, jurat Jan. 4. 1641.

with what indignation and reproach, did they teare, trample under their feet the [Page 109] sacred Word of God? How de­spightfully did they upbraid the profession of the truth to those blessed soules, whom neither by threats nor terrours, paines nor torments, they could draw to forsake their Religion.

But I shall not here touch any further upon those who dyed thus gloriously; this will be a worthy work for some more able pen to undertake, and indeed fit for a Martyrology. If we shall take a sur­vey of the primitive times, and look into the sufferings of the first Christians that suffered under the tyranny and cruell persecutions of those Heathenish Emperours, we shall not certainly find any one Kingdome, though of a farre larger continent, where more Christians suffered, or more unparaleld cruelties were acted in ma­ny yeers upon them, then were in Ireland, within the space of the first two moneths after the break­ing out of this Rebellion. And howsoever

[67] Alexander Creighton of Glaslough in the County of Monaghan Gent. deposeth, that he heard it credibly reported among the Rebels aforesaid, at Glas­lough, that Hugh Mac O Degan, a Priest, had done a most meritorious act in drawing betwixt forty and fifty English and Scottish in the Parish of Ganalley, in the County of Fermanagh, to reconciliation with the Church of Rome, and after giving them the Sacrament demanded of them whether Christs body was really in the Sacrament or no; and they said, Yea: And that he de­manded of them further, whether they held the Pope to be supreame head of the Church? They likewise answered, He was: And that thereupon he presently told them, they were in a good Faith; and for feare they should fall from it, and turne Hereticks, he and the rest that were with them, cut all their throats, jurat March 1. 1641.

some by outward inflictions and tor­tures were drawne to professe the change of their Religion, and had presently their re­ward; for many of those they suddenly despatched with great scorn, saying, it was fit to send them out of the world in that good mood;

[68] John Glasse of Montwrath in the Queens County, sworne and examined saith, that Florence Fitz Patrick, of the said County, Esquire, having received Master John Nicholson, and his wife Anne Nicholson, under his protection, did endeavour all he could to turne them to Masse, or the present Rebellion; but they both professed, that rather then they would either forsake their Religion, or fight against their Countrymen, they would dye the death; the husband professing how much they abhorred it, and his wife even shewing grea­ter resolution: They would have had her burnt her Bible; but her answer was, before she would either burne her Bible, or turne against her Countrymen, she would dye upon the poynt of the sword; which was made good by them; for on a Sabbath day in the morning be­fore Masse, they were cruelly butchered and murdered, by the command of the said Florence Fitz Patrick: The instrument that acted the villany, was one John Harding, who since hath been beyond all expression, tormented in his conscience, and with conti­nued apparitions of them (as he conceived) in such lively manner as he murdered them; so as he is even now consu­med away with the horror of it, as is most frequently re­ported among the Rebels, jurat April 8. 1642.

yet I dare say we shall find many [Page 110] thus cruelly put to death, e­quall to some of those ancient Worthies for their patience, constancy, courage, magnani­mity in their sufferings, not accepting deliverance, but triumphing and insulting with their last breath, over the insolency, rage and malice of their most inhumane and cruell persecutors.

We shall finde in the Roman Story, during the severall cruell con­testations betwixt Marius and Scilla, when their factious followers filled the whole City of Rome with streames of blood, Strange and most incomparable passages of friendships; one exposing himselfe to all manner of dangers for the preservation of his friend of a con­trary faction; servants willingly sacrificing themselves to save the lives of their beloved Masters. But here on the contrary, what open violation of all bands of humanity and friendship; no contracts, no promises observed; quarter given in the most solemne manner with the greatest oathes and severest execrations, under hand and seale suddenly broken. The Irish Landlords making a prey of their English Tenants; the Irish Servants betraying their English Masters; and every one esteeming any act wherein they could declare their hatred and malice most against any of the British Nation, as gallant and truly meritorious. It is not to be denied, but that the first and most bloody executions were made in the Province of Ʋlster, and there they continued longest to execute their rage and cruelty; yet must it also be acknowledged, that all the other three Provinces did concurre with them, as it were, with one common consent to destroy and plucke up by the roots all the British planted thorow­out the Kingdome. And for this purpose they went on not onely murdering, stripping and driving out all of them, Men, Women and Children: but they laid waste their Habitations, burnt their Evidences, defaced in many places all the Monuments of civility and devotion; the Courts and places of the English Government; nay, as some of themselus expresse it, they resolved not to leave them either Name or Posterity in Ireland.

How they proceeded on in this worke, or how farre they co-operated each with other, will be a taske of a large size, and more proper for another place in this Story; I shall here conclude this Discourse concerning the cruelties exercised upon the British [Page 111] and Protestants with these following Examinations.There follows severall Exa­minations ta­ken upon oath of several hor­rid murders & most abhomi­naable cruel­ties acted with in the foure Provinces. They are eight in number, two Witnesses, as it were, taken out of each Pro­vince, to declare their bloody proceedings: I shall begin with Mun­ster, from whence we have yet very few Examinations brought up, the chiefest of them having been most unhappily carried another way. Therefore I have thought fit, for the more full expressing their Mi­series, to insert their generall Remonstrance, made upon the con­clusion of the late Cessation, in the yeer 1643. The two next en­suing are concerning the Province of Conaght, then those of the Pro­vince of Ʋlster; and lastly, two Examinations taken of some acts of cruelty committed within the Province of Lemster. I have made choyce, for the most part of them, of such as have been put in by persons of good quality, of known integrity and credit. They are all upon Oath, as all the other Examinations concerning cruelties before mentioned likewise are. I shall leave the severall particulars to the consideration of such as shall please to take the paines to read them over. And I may well say of them, in respect of the former cruelties inserted, as was said to the Prophet Ezekiel in another case; Turne thee yet againe, Ezek. 8.13 and thou shalt see greater abominations then these.

A generall REMONSTRANCE of the distressed PROTESTANTS in the Province of MUNSTER.

SEting forth, from the gasping condition of thier most sad and distressed souls, That wheras the Province of Munster, through the vaste expence of English treasure and blood, was reduced from the height of Barbarisme, to such a degree of Civility, that the pow­er and dignitie of the English Crown was much ad­vanced and extended, by the surest and noblest bonds of a florishing people; those of Religion, Civilitie and [Page 112] Profit. Of Religion, witnessed by the enlarged Congre­gations both in Cathedrall and Parochiall Churches. Civility, by the many costly Plantations, fair & strong Buildings; plentifull Markets, and bountifull Hospi­tality. And Profit, by the free Trade and Commerce throughout Christendome. Lands fully improved, a­bounding with heards and flocks of all sorts of the best English Cattell; which enabled us to advance great sums to his Majesties Customes, contribute large Sub­sidyes, and to supply the West of England with such a considerable proportion of Wooll and Cattle, that a great part of the Trade of those parts subsisted therby. And this begun at the great charge of the English Ʋn­dertakers, in the time of Queen Elizabeth, of famous memory; since, when few parts of Christendome from their beginning (in so short space) had such a Rise and growth; which was not alone to our selves, but the very Natives must confesse, that their Estates were hugely augmented by our improvements. And therfore let it not be wondred at, that when we consider from what we are falne, to what we are faln; if the pain of losse strive to equall that of sence; and if the depth of our Miseries have not sunke our soules to stupidi­ty, we may compare our Woes to the saddest paralell of any Story. Our Temples demolished, or worse, pro­phaned by sacrifices to Idols; our Houses and Castles become ruinous heaps; our Nation extirpated, destroy­ed: No quality, age, sexe priviledged from Massacres [Page 113] and lingring deaths; by being robbed and stript naked, through cold or famine, Passages of a notable peece of Clemency and Mercy. The famished Infants of murde­red Parents swarm in our Streets, & for want of Bread perish before our faces; and many of our, yet, miserable remnant, which lived plentifully and relieved others, are forced to aske relief, and those they ask of, constrai­ned by want to refuse them; So as undoubtedly our pre­sent Miseries are not farre distant of those of Samarias Siedge; and all those cast upon us by this unparalelled Rebellion, at a time when we were most confident and secure; more and greater Jmmunities and Bounties being granted by his Majestie that now is, then ever was by his Royall Progenitours; for what cause, of­fence, or least seeming occasion of provocation, our Soules could never imagine (Sinne excepted) save that we were Protestants, and his Majesties loyall Subjects, and could not endure their poysonous breaths to belch out such prophanenesse, as in a deepe measure pierced and wounded the sacred fame of our King; and to colour this, wee must goe under the notori­ous names of first Puritans, and later of Round-heads; For particular instances, time would faile, and length weary the Reader. But we all together confident to make it manifest, by abundant instan­ces, That the Depopulations in this Province of MUNSTER doe well and neere equall those of the whole KINGDOME. The particulars whereof, as [Page 114] of the multitude of inhumaine cruelties were colle­cted and reduced to severall instances, with am­ple proofe, by the many Moneths indevours of a reverend Divine, one Arch-Deacon BISSE, there­unto authorized by vertue of a Commission under the Broad-Seale of this Kingdome; who was most barbarously murthered by the Jrish, expressing that to be the cause. And because it may be thought re­quisite to touch something of the Demeanours of the Jrish since the Cessation, as well as before; ma­ny English have beene murthered as they travel­led, with other expressions of that utter detestations of the English, that if any remaine (which few doe) nor surely will doe, that can but breath but else­where; then must they be in a degree worse then any knowne slavery: And likewise for other parts of the Cessation, they have beene totally broken, and our Quarters, being of large extent, universally taken from us, even to the wals of our Garrisons; where­in we have often called to the chiefe of them for ju­stice; which being denied (or which is worse) delay­ed, want of meanes to justifie our selves, leaves us without remedy. All which we poure forth our griefes and Supplications, above, to God alone; and here on earth, to our Dread Soveraign.

The EXAMINATION of Anne the late Wife of John Sherring, late of the Territory of Ormond, The Province of Munster. neere the Silverworks in the County of Tipperary, aged about 25. yeeres, Sworne and Examined, Deposeth and Saith:

THat about Candlemas was two yeers, the said John Sherring her then husband, going from his Farme, which he held from Ma­ster John Kenedy, Esquire, neer to the Silverworks, one Hugh Kenedy, one of the brothers of the said John Kennedy, a cruell Rebell, together with a great multitude of Irish rebellious Souldiers, then and there fiercely assaulted and set upon her said husband, and upon one Wil­liam Brock, William Laughlin, Thomas Collop, and eight more English Protestant men, and about ten women, and upon some children in their company, and then and there stript them of their cloaths, and then with stones, poleaxes, skeines, swords, pikes, darts, and other weapons, most barbarously massacred and murdered her said hus­band, and all those Protestant men, women and children: In the time of which Massacre, a most loud and fearfull noise and storme of thunder, lightning, wind, hailstones and raine began: The time be­ing on a Sabbath day, about an hour before night, the former part of that day being all very faire, but that thunder, lightning and tem­pest happening suddenly after the massacre was begun, much afrigh­ted and terrified this Deponent and many others, insomuch as those murtherers themselves confessed it to be a signe of Gods anger and threatning of them for such their then cruelty; yet it deterred them not, but they persisted in their bloody act, untill they had murdered those said English Protestants and had hackt, hewed, slashed, stab'd and so massacred them, that many of them were cut all to pieces; and her husband for his part, had thirty grievous wounds then and there given him (viz.) some through or neer his heart, ten mortall wounds in his head, three in his belly, and in either arme four, and the rest in his thighes, legs, back and neck; and that murder done, those barbarous Rebels tyed wyths about their necks, and drew them out of the refining Mill (where indeed they slew them) and threw them or most of them into a deep hole (formerly made) one upon another, so that none of those 23. men, women nor children did escape death. Howbeit one Tho. Ladell, a Scottish-man, & one George Kelsie, who then and there endured and had many grievous wounds [Page 116] and being left on the ground for dead, crawled up (after the Rebels were gone away) and with much difficulty, escaped with their lives: And further saith, that such was Gods judgement upon the said Hugh Kenedy for that bloody fact, that he presently fell into a most despe­rate madnesse and distraction, and could not rest day nor night; yet coveting to doe more mischiefe upon the English, but being prevented and denied to doe it, he about a week after drowned himselfe in the next River to the Silverworks, but his barbarous and wicked Soul­diers went on in their wickednesse, and afterwards bragged how they had killed a Minister and his wife and four children neer the City of Limrick; and this Deponent is too well assured, that those and other Irish Rebels in that part of the Country, exercised and committed great number of bloody murthers, robberies and outrages upon the persons and goods of the Protestants, so as very few escaped with their lives, and none at all saved their goods. And further saith, that all the popish Gentry in the Country thereabouts, especially all those of the Septs and names of the O Brians, and the Coghluns, the Kenedies, were all actors in the present Rebellion against his Majesty; and either acted, assisted, incited, or consented to all the murders, robberies, cruelties and rebellious acts aforesaid. And she further saith, that by meanes of the said Rebellion, her said husband and she were at Werinwood about Candlemas 1641. robbed and deprived of their Cattell, Houshold-stuffe, Corne, Mault, Provision, ready money, debts, the benefit of their Lease, and other their Goods and Chattels of the value, and to their losse of one hundred and three­score pounds at the least, and that the said John Kenedy Esquire, their Land-lord, was the man that so deprived and robbed them thereof, and the other Rebels stript her stark naked, jurat Feb. 10. 1643.

  • Henry Jones.
  • Henry Brereton.
  • Anne Sherring.

The EXAMINATION of John Goldsmith Parson of Brashoule, The Province of Conaght. in the County of Mayo, Sworne and Examined, saith:

THat the Lord of Mayo being to convoy all those of Castle Burre to Galway, viz. Sir Henry Bingham, with all his company, and the Bishop of Killallae with all his company, with many of the neighbou­ring [Page 117] English, being about threescore in number, whereof there were some fifteen Ministers, covenanted with one Edmund Bourk for the safe convoy of the same parties upon a certaine day; and the said Lord of Mayo appointed them all to meet him at Belcharah, having first separated this Deponent from them to attend his Lady in the work of the Ministery. At which day, the titulary Archbishop and the Lord of Mayo meeting with their whole number, went on their journey to Shreul; at which place the Lord of Mayo left them in the custody of the said last named Edmud Bourk: But, as one Master Bring­hurst told the Deponent, the Lord of Mayo was not gone farre from them, but the said Edmund Bourk drew out his sword, directing the rest what they should doe, and began to massacre those Protestants; and accordingly some were shot to death, some stab'd with skeines, some run through with pikes, some cast into the water and drown­ed, and the women that were stripped naked, lying upon their hus­bands to save them, were run through with pikes, and very few of those English then and there escaped alive, but the most part were murdered in the place: Amongst the rest, the Bishop of Killalla esca­ped with his life, but was then and there wounded in his head; and one Master Crowd a Minister, was then and there so beaten with cudgels on his feet, that he dyed shortly after. And this Deponent further saith, that in the Towne of Sligo, forty persons of English and Scottish were by the Rebels stript and lockt up in a celler, and about midnight, a Butcher which was sent unto them on purpose, with his Axe knocked them all on the heads, and so then and there murthered them: which Butcher comming afterwards to Castle Burre, did there confesse his bloody fact.

In Tirawly within the County of [...] about thirty or forty English (formerly turned Papists, had their choice given them, whe­ther they would dye by the sword, or drowne themselves: They making choyce of drowning, were brought to the Sea-side by the Re­bels, who had their skeines drawne in their hands, and forced them to wade into the Sea: The mothers, with their children in their armes (crying for drink) having waded to the chin, at length cast or dived themselves and children into the Sea, yeelding themselves to the Mastery of the waves, and so perished.

The torments the Rebels would use to the Protestants to make them confesse their moneys, were these, viz. some they would take and writh wyths about their heads, untill the blood sprang out of the crowne of their heads: others they would hang untill they were halfe dead, then they would let them downe, and doe the same so often over, untill they confessed their monies.

And this Deponent further saith, that a young youth of about fifteen yeers of age, the sonne of Master Montgomery the Minister meet­ing with a bloody Rebell, who had been his School-Master: This Rebell drew his skeine, and began furiously to slash and cut him therewith; the Boy cryed unto him, Good Master doe not kill me, but whip me as much as you will; neverthelesse the mercilesse and cruell Rebell then and there most barbarously murthered him.

A Scotchman travailing in the highway, with his wife and children neer [...] were beset by the Rebels who wounded and stab'd him with their pikes, put him alive upon a Carre, brought him to a ditch, and buried him alive, as the poore wife afterwards (with great griefe) told him this Deponent.

The Vicar of Ʋrras turned Papist, and became Drummer to Captaine Bourke, and was after murthered for his paines by the Rebels.

Another Scotchman neer Ballehen was hanged by the Rebels.

Joh. Goldsmith.
Jurat 30. Decembris 1643.
  • Henry Jones.
  • Henry Brereton.

The EXAMINATION of Jane the wife of Tho­mas Stewart, The Province of Conaght. late of the Town and County of Sligoe, Merchant, Sworn and Examined before his Ma­jesties Commissioners, in that behalfe Au­thorized: Deposeth and saith;

THat after the present Rebellion was begun, viz. about the be­ginning of December 1641. her said Husband living as a Mer­chant in the Towne aforesaid, with her this Deponent, as for twen­ty six yeers he had done, in very good estate and condition. And ha­ving continually furnished the Inhabitants of that part thereabouts with all sorts of Wares and Merchandize; and by that course hav­ing acquired and gained to himselfe an estate of good value. He the said Thomas Stewart, and she this Deponent, then possessing that E­state, were then at Sligoe aforesaid, by Andrew Creane of Sligoe Esquire, then high Sheriffe of that County, Neile O Hart of Donelly in the said County Gentleman, Roger O Conner of Skarden in the same County [Page 119] Gent. Donnell O Conner of [...] Gent. brother in law to Teige O Conner, Sligo Richard O Creane of Tirreragh Gent. John O Creane Esqu. and a Justice of Peace, Son to the said Andrew Creane, Anthony Screane of [...] neer Ballyshanny Gent. forcibly deprived, robbed and despoiled of their Houshold-goods, Wares, Merchandize, Specialities, cattell, horses, plate, money, and other goods and chattels, of the value of one thousand two hundred pounds Sterl. or thereabouts: Which robbery and outrage was committed in or about the begin­ning of December aforesaid, at the very time of the Rebels surprizing, robbing and pillaging of all the English and Scots of the Towne of Sligoe. In the doing whereof, not onely the persons, Rebels before na­med, but also Teige O Conner Sligo now of the Castle of Sligo, general of the Rebels in those parts; James French of Sligo aforesaid, Esq a Justice of the Peace (a notorious and cruell Rebell) Brian O Conner of Drum­cleere Gent. Captaine Charles O Conner a Fryar, and Captaine Hugh O Conner, all three Captaines, and brothers to the said Teige O Conner Sligo, Captain Patrick Plunket, neer Killoony in the same County (a Ju­stice of the Peace) Captaine Phelim O Conner, Captaine Teige O Conner of the Glan, Captaine Con O Conner, of the same, and divers others whose names she cannot for the present remember, were most for­ward and cruell actors; and those Rebels having altogether deprived and stripped all the British of all their estates they had, she this De­ponent, and her husband, and many other British were left in that Towne, and amongst the rest, there were left there, which she can well remember, viz. William Braxton, the Deponent and her husband and six children, James Scot and his sonne of the age of four or five yeers, Sampson Port and his wife, Mary Port and her father (of the age of seventy yeers, or thereabouts) John Little, Arthur Martin, William Dowlittle and his wife and children, William Carter, and John Lewes, and Elizabeth his wife, Robert Scyens, Elizabeth Harlow, and one woman then was great with child, and within a moneth of her time, Isabel Beard, who was great with child, and very neer her time, and others whom she cannot name; which British people (although they were promised fair quarter, and taken into the protection of the said Teige O Conner Sligo, who promised them a collection, yet they were daily threatned to be murdered, if they would not turne Papists in one moneth, then the next after; which for saving of their lives, they were enforced to doe: Notwithstanding which, about the sixth of January then next following, the said O Conner Sligoe, (having before called a meeting of his followers and kinred, in the Counties of Sligoe and Letrim, and considered with them, and with a Covent of Fry­ars [Page 120] of the Abby of Sligo for three dayes together, where they sate in Counsell) all the men, women and children of the British that then could be found within the same Towne (saving this Deponent, who was so sick that she could not stirre) were summoned to go into the Goale, and as many as could be met withall, were carried and put into the Goale of Sligo, where about twelve a clock in the night they were stripped stark naked, and after most of them were most cruelly and barbarously murdered with swords, axes and skeines, and par­ticularly, by two Butchers, named James Buts and Robert Buts of Sli­goe, who murthered many of them, wherein also were actors Charles O Conner the Fryar, and Hugh O Conner aforenamed, brother to the said Teige O Conner Sligo, and Teige O Sheile, Kedagh O Hart Labourer, Ri­chard Walsh and Thomas Walsh, the one the Jaylor, the other a Butcher, and divers others whom she cannot name: And saith, that above thirty of the British which were so put into the Goale, were then and there murdered; besides, Robert Gumble, then Provost of the said Towne of Sligoe, Edward Newsham, and Edward Mercer who were wounded and left for dead amongst the rest, and Jo. Stewart this De­ponents sonne, which foure being the next day found alive, yet all besmeared with blood, were spared to live. All which particulars, the Deponent was credibly told by those that so escaped, and by her Irish servants and others of the Towne; and saith, that some of the women so murthered being big with child (by their wounds recei­ved) the very arms and legs of the children in their wombs appear­ed, and were thrust out; and one woman, viz. Isabel Beard, being in the house of the Fryars, and hearing the lamentable cry that was made, ran into the street, and was pursued by one of the Fryars men unto the River, where she was barbarously murdered, and found the next day, with the childs feet appearing, and thrust out of her wounds in her sides. And further saith, that on the said sixt day of January there were murdered in the streets of the Towne of Sligo, these British Protestants following, viz. William Sheiles and John Sheiles his sonne, William Mapwell and Robert Akin. And the Depo­nent further saith (as she was credibly informed by the persons be­fore named, that the inhumane Rebels after their murthers commit­ted in the said Goale, laid and placed some of the dead bodies of the naked murdered men upon the naked bodies of the women in a most immodest posture, not fit for chaste eares to heare: In which posture they continued to be seen the next morning by those Irish of the Towne that came into the said Goale, who were delighted and re­joyced in those bloody murthers and uncivill actions: And that [Page 121] they of the Irish that came to bury them, stood up to the mid-leg in the blood and braines of those that were so murdered, who were carried out and cast into a pit digged for that purpose, in the Garden of Master Ricrofts, Minister of Sligo. And she further saith, that whereas the River of Sligo was before very plentifull of Fish, it did not for a long time after those murders, afford any Fish at all: And this Deponent saw the Fryars in their white habits, in great compa­nies in precession, going to sanctifie the water, casting thereinto holy water: She saith also, that the Pryor of the Covent of Sligo, after the murder of the said woman in the River, fell frantick, and ran so about the Streets, and continued in that frenzy for three or four weeks; and saith, that of her six children, three were starved and dyed, after her release of imprisonment, which had been for eigthteen moneths amongst the Rebels.

Signum predict. VVV Janae Stewart alias Menize.
Jurat 23. Aprilis 1644.
  • Henry Jones.
  • Henry Brereton.

Captaine ANTHONY STRATFORD of Charl­mount in the County of Armagh, Esquire,The Province of Ulster. aged threescore yeers or thereabouts; sworn and examined before his Majesties Commissioners, by vertue of a Commission in that behalf, directed under the great Seale of Ireland: Deposeth and saith,

THat these Protestant Ministers following, about the beginning of the present Rebellion, were murthered in the Counties of Tyrone, Armagh, viz. Master John Matthew, Master Blyth, Master Hastings, Master, Smith, Master Durragh, Master Birge, and eight more, whose names this Deponent hath forgotten, by the Rebels, none of which would the Rebels permit to be buried; the names of such as murthe­red, this Examinant knoweth not; his cause of knowledge of the said murthers is, that some of his, this Deponents servants, who were among the Rebels, did give him the relation, and he verily beleeveth them; and besides, this Deponent heard the same confessed and aver­red by many of the Rebels themselves, and by some of those Prote­testants that had escaped; and that he, this Deponent, was a prisoner [Page 122] amongst the Rebels at Castle Gaufield neer the place of those murders where he continued fourteen moneths. And further saith, that in Dungannon, in the County of Tyrone, or neer thereunto, the Rebels murdered three hundred and sixteen Protestants, and between Charl­mount and Dungannon, above four hundred, there were murdered and drowned at, and in the River by Benburb, the Black-water, between the Counties of Armagh and Tyrone, two hundred and six Protestants, and Patrick Mac Crew of Dungannon aforesaid, murdered thirty one in one morning, and two young Rebels, viz. John Begbrian Harie, mur­dered in the said County of Tyrone, one hundred and forty poore wo­men and children that could make no resistance, and that the wife of Brian Kelly of Loghgall in the County of Armagh (one of the Rebels Captaines) did with her owne hands murder forty five. And this Deponent further saith, that one Thomas King, sometimes Serjeant to the late Lord Caulfields Company (which this Deponent commanded) he being enforced to serve under the Rebels, and was one of their Provest Marshals, gave the Deponent a List of every housholders name so murdered, and the number of the persons so murdered; which List this Deponent durst not keep: At Portadowne there were drowned at severall times about three hundred and eight, who were sent away by about forty, or such like numbers at once, with con­voyes, and there drowned: There was a Lawgh neer Loghgall afore­said, where were drowned above two hundred, of which this Depo­nent was informed by severall persons, and particularly by the wife of Doctor Hodges, and two of her sons, who were present and design­ed for the like end, but by Gods mercy that gave them favour in the eyes of some of the Rebels, they escaped; and the said Mistris Hodges and her sons gave the Deponent a List of the names of many of those that were so drowned, which the Deponent durst not keep; and saith that the said Doctor Hodges was imployed by Sir Phelim O Neile to make Powder, but he failing of his undertaking, was first halfe hang­ed, then cut down, and kept prisoner three moneths, & then murdered with forty four more within a quarter of of a mile Charlmount afore­said, (they being by Tirlogh Oge O Neile, brother to Sir Phelim, sent to Dungannon prisoners, and in the way murdered. This Deponent was shewed the pit where they were all cast in, at a Mill-pond in the Parish of Killamen, in the County of Tyrone, there were drowned in one day three hundred; and in the same Parish, there were murdered of English and Scottish one thousand and two hundred, as this Depo­nent was informed by Master Birge, the late Minister of the said Pa­rish, who certified the same under his hand, which note the Depo­nent [Page 123] durst not keep: The said Master Birge was murthered three moneths after; all which murders were in the first breaking out of the Rebellion; but the particular times this Deponent cannot re­member, neither the persons by whom they were committed: This Deponent was credibly informed by the said Serjeant and others of this Deponents servants (who kept company with the Rebels and saw the same, that many young children were cut into quarters and gob­bets by the Rebels, and that eighteen Scottish Infants were hanged on a Clothiers tenterhook, and that they murthered a young fat Scottish man, and made candles of his grease; they took another Scottish man and ripped up his belly, that they might come to his small guts, the one end whereof they tyed to a tree, and made him goe round untill he had drawne them all out of his body, they then saying, that they would try whether a dogs or a Scotch mans guts were the longer.

Anthony Stratford.
Deposeth March 9. 1643. before us,
  • Henry Jones.
  • Henry Brereton.

The EXAMINATION of Robert Maxwell Clerk,The Province of Ulster. Arch-Deacon of Downe, sworne and examined deposeth and saith inter alia:

THat by command from Sir Phelim O Neile, the Rebels dragged the Deponents brother, Lieutenant James Maxwell out of his bed in the rage and height of a burning Feaver; and least any of his ac­quaintance or friends should bury him, they carried him two miles from any Church, and there cruelly butchered him, when he neither knew what he did or said; and thus Sir Phelim paid him two hun­dred and sixty pound which he owed him: And his wife Grissell Max­well being in child-birth, the child halfe born and halfe unborne, they stript starke naked, drove her about an arrowes flight to the Black-water, and drowned her: The like they did to another English wo­man in the same Parish, in the beginning of the Rebellion, which was little inferiour, if not more unnaturall and barbarous then the roasting of Master Watson alive, after they had cut a collop out of either buttock. And farther saith, that a Scottish woman was found in the Glinwood, lying dead, her belly ripped up, and a living child [Page 124] crawling in her wombe, cut out of the Cawle; and that Master Star­key, School-Master at Armagh, he a Gentleman of good Parentage and parts, being upwards of an hundred yeers of age, they stript na­ked, caused two of his Daughters, Virgins, being likewise naked, to support him under each arme, he being not able to goe of himselfe: And in that posture carried them all three a quarter of a mile, to a turfe pit, and drowned them, feeding the lusts of their eyes, and the cruelty of their hearts with the self-same objects at the same time. At the siege of Augher, they would not kill any English Beast, and then eat it, but they cut collops out of them being alive, letting them there rore till they had no more flesh upon their backs, so that some­times a Beast would live two or three days together in that torment; the like they did at Armagh, when they murdered Hugh Echlin, Esquire, they hanged and murdered all his Irish servants which had any way proved faithfull or usefull to him during this Rebellion: And as touching exemplary constancy in Religion, this Deponent saith, that Henry Cowell, Esquire, a gallant and well bred Gentleman, was murdered because he would not consent to marry a beastly Trull, Mary Ny Neile, a neer Kinswoman of Sir Phelim's: He was proffered his life, without the Blouse, if he would have gone to Masse, but he chose rather to dye then to doe either. There was made the like proffer of life for going to Masse to Robert Eckline, a child of eleven or twelve yeers of age, but he also refused it, saying, he saw nothing in their Religion for which he would change his owne. And this Deponent further saith, that very many of the British Protestants the Rebels buried alive, and took great pleasure to heare them speak unto them as they digged downe old ditches upon them; except those whom they thus buried, they buried none of the Protestants, neither would permit any who survived to performe that duty for them: And further saith, that the Rebels would send their children abroad in great troops, especially neer unto Kinard, armed with long wattles and whips, who would therewith beat dead mens bodies about their privy members, untill they beat, or rather thrashed, them off, and then would returne in great joy to their Parents, who received them for such service as it were in triumph. And further saith, that if any women were found dead lying with their faces downwards, they would turne them upon their backs, and in great flocks resort unto them, censuring all parts of their bodies, but especially such as are not fit to be named, which afterwards they abused so many wayes, and so filthily, as chast ears would not endure the very naming thereof.

Many of the Protestants the Rebels would not kill out-right, but being halfe dead would so leave them, entreating for no better favour at their hands two or three dayes after, but to kill them out-right, which sometimes were granted, sometimes denied.

A young youth having his back-bone broken, was found in a field having like a Beast eaten all the grasse round about him; the Depo­nent could not learne that they killed him out, but that they remo­ved him to a place of better Pasture, so that in those most bloody and execrable wretches, that of the holy Ghost is cleerly verified, The ve­ry mercy of the wicked is cruelty: And further saith, that the Rebels them­selves told him, this Deponent, that they murdered 954. in one mor­ning, in the County of Antrim; and that besides them, they supposed that they killed above 1100. or 1200. more in that County: They told him likewise, that Colonell Bryan O Neile killed about one thou­sand in the County of Downe, besides three hundred killed neere Killeleigh, and many hundreds both before and after in both those Counties.

At Sir Phelims return from Lisnegarvy some of the Souldiers forced about 24. British into a house, where they burned them alive, whose terrible out-cryes they desired very much to imitate and expresse unto others: And saith, that he heard Sir Phelim likewise report, that he killed 600. English at Garvagh in the County of Derny; and that he had left neither man, woman nor Child alive in the Barony of Mun­terlong in the County of Tyrone, and betwixt Armagh and the New­ry, in the severall Plantations and Lands of Sir Archibald Atcheson, John Hamilton, Esquire, the Lord Canfield, and the Lord Mount Norrice: and saith also, that there were above two thousand of the British murdered for the most part in their owne houses, whereof he was in­formed by a Scotch man, who was in those parts with Sir Phelim, and saw their houses filled with their dead bodies. In the Glenwood towards Dromore, there were slaughtered, as the Rebels told the Deponent, upwards of twelve thousand in al, who were all killed in their flight to the County of Downe: The number of the people drowned at the Bridge of Portadowne, are diversly reported according as men staid amongst the Rebels, this Deponent who staid as long as any, and had better intelligence then most of the English amongst them, and had best reason to know the truth, saith, there were (by their owne re­port) 190. drowned with Master Fullerton: At another time they threw 140. over the said Bridge; at another time 36. or 37. and so continued drowning more or fewer, for seven or eight weeks, so as the fewest which can be supposed there to have perished, must needs [Page 126] be above 1000. besides as many more drowned betwixt that Bridge and the great Lowgh of Montjoy, besids those who perished by the sword fire and famine, in Coubrassill, and the English plantations adjacent: Which in regard there escaped not 300. out of all those quarters must needs amount to many thousands.

Neere unto the Deponants House thirty six persons were carryed to the Cure-bridge at one time, and drowned. At another time six and fifty, Men, Women and Children; all of them being taken out of the Deponents House; and at severall other times severall other numbers; Besides those that were drowned in the Black-water at Kinnard. In which Towne and the Parish of Tinon (whereof the De­ponent was Rector) there was drowned, slaughtered and dyed of Famine, and for want of Cloathes, about six hundred. The Depo­nent might adde to these many thousands more; but the Diary which he this Deponent wrote amongst the Rebels, being burned, with his House,The numbers of British de­stroyed within the Province of Ulster. Bookes and all his Papers; he referreth himselfe to the number in grosse, which the Rebels themselves have upon in­quiry, finde out and acknowledged; which notwithstanding will come short of all that have been Murdered in Ireland; there being above one hundred and fifty foure thousand now wanting of the Bri­tish within the very precinct of Ʋlster.

And this Deponent further saith, That it was common Table-talke amongst the Rebels, that the Ghost of Master William Fuller­ton, Timothy Jephes, and the most of those who were throwne over Portadowne-Bridge, were daily and nightly seene to walke upon the River, sometimes singing of Psalmes, sometimes brandishing of naked Swords, sometimes scrieching in a most hideous and fearefull manner. The Deponent did not beleeve the same at first, neither doth he yet know whether to beleeve it or no; but saith that divers of the Rebels assured him that they themselves did dwell neere to the same River, and being daily affrighted with those apparitions, but especially with their horrible scriech­ing, were in conclusion inforced to remove further into the Country: Their owne Priests and Fryers could not deny the truth thereof. But as it was by the Deponent Objected unto them; said it was but a cunning flight of the Devill to hinder this great worke of propagating the Catholicke Faith, and killing of Heretickes; or that it was wrought by Witchcraft. The Deponent himselfe liv­ed within thirteen miles of the Bridge, and never heard any man so much as doubt of the truth thereof. Howsoever, he obligeth no mans faith, in regard he saw it not with his owne eyes; otherwise he [Page 127] had as much certainty as morrally could be required of such a matter.

And this Deponent further saith; That the degenerate Pale Eng­lish, were most cruell amongst the British Protestants, being beaten from their owne Lands; and were never satisfied with their blood, untill they had in a manner seen the last drop thereof; affrighting Sir Phelim O Neale every day with their numbers, and perswading him, That whilest they (meaning the Protestants) lived, there would neither be roome for them, nor safety for him. It was easie to spur on the cowardly and bloody Rebell; yet no sooner were the Prote­stants cut off, but contrary to their expectation, the meere Irish tooke present possession of their Lands and Houses; whereat the Pale English much grumbled; and said, Sir Phelim had not kept promise with them; howsoever, they were forced to swallow those and ma­ny other injuries.

And further saith, that he knew one Boy, that dwelt neere unto himselfe, and not exceeding fourteen yeers of age, who killed at Kin­nard, in one night, fifteen able strong men with his Skeine, they being disarmed, and most of their feet in the Stocks.

Another not above twelve yeers of age, killed two women at the Siedge of Augher.

Another that was a woman and Tenant to this Deponent, killed seven men and women, of her fellow English Tenants, in one mor­ning. And it was very usuall in all parts, for the Rebels children to murther the Protestants children; and sometimes with Lath-swords heavie, and well sharpned, they would venture upon people of riper yeers (cruelties not to be beleeved) if there were not so many eye-witnesses of them.

Deposed 22. of August, 1642.
Henry Brereton.
William Aldrich.

The EXAMINATION of Dame Anne Butler, The Province of Lemster. wife unto Sir Thomas Butler of Rathealin in the County of Catherlagh, Knight, duly sworne; Deposeth:

THat after Walter Baggnall of Dunlickny, in the County of Cather­lagh, Esquire. Walter Butler with a great number of men, had in a [Page 128] violent manner entred this Deponents House, they not able to resist, they set strict guard over this Deponent, her husband and family, and brought them from their setled dwelling unto Loghlin-Bridge, where they kept her selfe, her husband and children in restraint for two weekes, and from thence conveyed them with strict guard to the towne of Kilkeny; and there were brought before the Lord Mount Garro; where Walter Bagnall & James Butler, brother to the Lord Mount Garrot did use all meanes possible to move the said Lord, to put this Deponent her husband and family to death and torture; alledging that they were rank Puritan Protestants, and desperately provoking, used these words, saying, There's but one way, we or they, meaning Papists or Protestants, must perish. To which malicious provocati­on the said Lord did not hearken: And this Deponent further de­poseth, that Walter Baggnall, with his rebellious company, apprehen­ded Richard Lake an English Protestant, and his servant, with his wife and foure children, and one Richard Taylor of Loghlin-Bridge, his wife and children, Samuel Hatter of the same, his wife and children, an Eng­lish-woman, called Jone, and her daughter, and was credibly infor­med by Dorathy Renals, who had severall times bin an eye-witnesse of these lamentable spectacles, that she had seen to the number of five and thirty English going to execution, and that she had seen them when they were executed, their bodies exposed to devouring Ravens, and not afforded so much as burial. Another English-woman who was newly delivered of two children in one Birth, they violently com­pelled her in her great paine and sicknesse, to rise from her childe-bed, and tooke the infant that was left alive, and dashed his braines against the stones, and after threw him into the River of the Barrow: and having a peece of Salmon to dinner, Master Brian Cavanaghs wife being with her, she the said Mistris Cavanagh refused to eat any part of the Salmon, and being demanded the reason, she said she would never eat any Fish that came out of the Barrow, because she had seen severall infants bodies, and other Carkases of the English taken up in the Weare.

And this Deponent saith, that Sir Edward Butler did credibly informe her, that James Butler of Finyhinch, had hanged and put to death all the English that were at Gorane and Wells, and all therea­bouts. And further Deposeth, that she being in Kilkeny a prisoner in restraint, and having intelligence that some of her owne Cattle were brought thither by Walter Bagnall, she petitioned (being in great ex­tremity) to the Lord of Mount Garrot, to procure her some of her own Cattle for her reliefe; whereupon he recommended her suit to the [Page 129] Major and Corporation of Kilkeny; who concluded, because she and her family were Protestants, and would not turne to Masse, they should have no reliefe. Jane Jones, servant to the Deponent, did see the English formerly specified, going to their execution; and as she conceived, they were about the number of five and thirty; and was told by Elizabeth Homes that there were forty gone to execution.

Anne Butlar.
Jurat 7. Septemb. 1462.
John Watson.

The EXAMINATION of Joseph Wheeler of Stan­carty in the County of Kilkenny, Esqu. Elizabeth, The Province of Lemster. the relict of Lieutenant William Gilbert, of Captaine Ridgwayes Company; Rebecca Hill, the relict of Thomas Hill, late Lieute­nant to the said Captaine Ridgway; Thomas Lewes, late of Kilkenny, Gent. Jonas Wheeler of Stancarty aforesaid, Gent. and Patrick Maxwel of the Graige in the same County Gent. sworne and exami­ned, depose and say:

THat about Easter 1642. one Richard Phillips and five others, who were old Garrison Souldiers, then under the command of Cap­taine Farrell, a Captaine on his Majesties party, were, by the com­mand of the Lord Mount Garrot, at the end of a house in Kilkenny, hanged to death by that cruell and bloody Rebell and Provost Mar­shall Thomas Cantwell of Cantwell-court, Esquire, or some of his ser­vants or Souldiers in his presence, who would hardly suffer them to say their prayers after they were taken out of the prison before they were put to death, those poore men dying very patiently and reso­lutely, in the maintainance of the Protestant Faith; but one of them because he was an Irish man, was offered his life if he would turne Papist, but he chose rather death, which he quickly had with the other five: And further saith, that a little before Christmas 1641. Ma­ster William Hill, of the Abby of [...] in the Queenes County, Es­quire, and the said Lieutenant Thomas Hill his sonne, comming to Kilkenny, to fetch home Mary Hill, the wife of him the said William Hill, and the said Rebecca; one of these Deponents were then and [Page 130] there sent for by the Lord Mount Garrot, and by him committed pri­soners to the Goale of Kilkenny, where they continued in a dark dun­geon bolted for two moneths, but were offered freedome if they would joyne with the Rebels, and become Papists; but they refused, and after the said Lord Mount Garrot was gone into Munster with his Forces, (which was an example to call the rest of the wicked Irish there to rise into Rebellion) one Florence Fitz Patrick of Castletowne in the Queens County Esquire, a Captaine of Rebels, and his Souldiers came to Kilkenny, and then and there (without resistance of any) broke open the Goale there, and forcibly took and carried away with them into Ossory aforesaid, the said William and Thomas Hill, where they kept them in miserable durance for some time, and then hanged them both; and a poore young Girle being sent from the Towne of Ballinekill to see what was become of them, the said Florence Fitz Patrick meeting her, caused her to be halfe hanged, then letten downe, and after to be buried quicke: And by report of one Jone Grace (that said she was an eye-witnesse) the Rebels threw the dead body of the said William and Thomas Hill, into a Saw-pit, leaving them so farre unburied, that their heads and legs lay bare, untill she came and covered them with earth, about a week after: And further saith, that they have credibly heard and beleeve, that the said Florence Fitz Patrick having enticed a rich Merchant of Montrath to his the said Fitz Patricks house, to bring thither his goods which he promised should be safely protected, and safely re-deliver­ed; he, the said Florence Fiz Patrick, possessing those goods, after­wards caused the said Merchant and his wife to be hanged; and they have credibly heard, that the said Florence Fitz Patrick also hanged Lieutenant Keies and his sonne, one Hughes a School-Master, and di­vers other Protestants: And these Deponents further say, that Ma­ster Edmond Butler, eldest sonne to the Lord Mount Garrot, Edward But­ler his second sonne, Captaine Garret Balnckefield, and divers other re­bellious Commanders and souldiers, to the number of 6 or 700 horse and foot a little before Michaelmas 1642. marched from Balliragget neer to the Iron Forge of Ballinekill, and there met with Lieutenant Gilbert aforenamed Ensigne, William Alfrey the younger, Master Thomas Bing­ham the Minister, Robert Graves, Richard Bently, and about sixty more of the English Souldiers, both the same parties joyned in battle; but the English Souldiers, though fighting valiantly, and killing many Rebels (and one Walter Butler, a Captaine among the rest) were at the last so overcome with multitudes of the Rebels, that then and there they, the said LIEUTENANT Gilbert, [Page 131] William Alfrey, Thomas Bingham, Robert Graves, Richard Bently, and two other English Souldiers were absolutely slaine, and the heads of all those seven carried to Kilkenny by those Rebels (their pipes for joy playing before them on horsback) and on a market day which happened to be on the next day following, those heads as triumphs of their Victories, there brought out and set upon the Market-Crosse, where the Rebels, but especially the women there, and amongst the rest Elice Butler, a reputed mother of severall bastards, yet the daugh­ter of the said Mount Garrot, stab'd, cut and slasht those heads, the said Elice Butler drawing her skeine, slasht at the face of the said William Alfrey, and hit him on the nose, and those that could but get a blow or stab at those heads, seemed to account themselves happy: And the Rebels then and there put a gag in the mouth of the said Thomas Bing­ham the Minister, and laying the leafe of a Bible before him, bad him preach, saying, his mouth was open and wide enough, and one of those leud viragoes that had no weapons, strook one of the heads so with her hand, that the same night her hand grew black and blew, rankled, and she was extreamly lame with it a quarter of a yeer after, and that lamenesse and the swelling thereof growing to an issue, is like to continue till she dye: and another of those women that with great rejoycing went and saw those heads, did quickly after the sight therof fell into such an astonishment and distraction, that for three or four dayes after she could not sleep nor rest, but cried out that still she saw those heads before her eyes, which heads being said by the Re­bels to be the heads of Hereticks, were not afforded Christian buri­all, but buried without the City in a crosse high-way altogether in a hole; the buriers chopping and cutting the heads with their Spades as they threw mold upon them, and to make the manner of their bu­riall, and the heads themselves yet more contemptible; the Rebels (over the hole where the heads were laid) set up a long stick, where­to they fixed papers, that all may take notice of the place: And af­ter and from that time, the rebellious roguish Boyes, took up, and frequently used an Oath, By the Crosse of the seven devils heads buried on Saint James Green: And further say, that upon the testimony of a roguish Boy, that an English man that was a Maulster to one Richard Shaw of Kilkenny, had said, He would beleeve the Devill as soon as the Pope; the cruell Rebell, the Provost Mashall Cantwell aforenamed, suddenly took and hanged him up in an Apple-tree till he dyed: And fur­ther saith, that one Ʋnsill Grace, and divers other Rebels in Kilkenny, broke open the doors of the Cathedrall Church there, and robbed the same Church of the Challices, Surplices, Ornaments, Books, [Page 132] Records and Writings there being; and made Gunpowder in Saint Patricks Church, and digged the Tombes and graves in the Churches in Kilkenny, under colour of getting up molds whereon to make Gun­powder: And these Deponents have credibly heard, and verily beleeve, that the Rebels at Goran took 25. Protestants, men, women and children, and pretending and promising to them a Convoy to Duncannon, hanged them dead in the way, in a Wood neer Newrosse, and that the Rebels halfe hanged five more Protestants at Balliragget, by the command of the said Captaine Edward Butler, and the said Thomas Cantwell the Marshall, and letting them downe againe before they were dead, suffered them somewhat to recover, and then buried them quick: And these Deponents Thomas Lewes, Patrick Maxwell further say, that, as they have been credibly told by Walter Archer of Kilkenny a Rebell, that a poore English mans wife that went out to gather sticks, at a place about two miles from Kilkenny, was taken and hang­ed up by the Rebels: And the Deponents Elizabeth Gilbert, Patrick Maxwell further say, that a poore woman and two children, she be­ing the wife of one Harvey of Ballinekill, comming to Kilkenny about Candlemas was twelve moneth, were then and there assaulted and set upon by the rebellious Inhabitants of that City, and hunted, baited, and drawne with dogs, cruelly stab'd with skeines, and so miserably used, that one of the children died presently (having the guts pluckt out,) and the Deponent Patrick Maxwel further saith, that there were taken out of Graige by the Rebels, and hanged to death, one John Stone and his wife and his sonne, William Valentine, Robert Pyme and his wife, one of their children of a yeer and a halfe old, and Thomas White a Merchant and his wife, who being great with child, had her belly ripped up after she was hanged, so as the child fell out of the cawle alive; Walter Sherley, Mistris Joane Salter an ancient Widow, one John a servant to Stone aforenamed; the Rebels that hanged them were Garret Forrestall of Knockive, and Gibbon Forrestall of Tinyhinch, and the eldest son of Richard Barron, alias Fitz Geraldine of Knockeen afore­said, and divers others whom she cannot name, all of the County of Caterlagh; which said Robert Pyme after he was hanged up twice, pro­ved alive in his grave, and stroke his hand upon his brest saying, Christ receive my soule, and with those words in his mouth was then and there buried quick; and one of those poore Protestants at Goran, by name Fristoram Robinson, the Rebels hanged him twice, thrust him through with darts, but he still continuing alive, and speaking, they buried him quick: And this Deponent Jonas Wheeler further saith, that one old English Protestant, who was a Shepheard, and his wife, [Page 133] going from Kilkenny towards Ballidownell, the Rebels hanged up the poor old man, and going a little off, his wife perceiving breath in her husband, said unto him, Oh joy you are alive yet; which when some of the Rebels over-hearing, hanged him out-right, and dragged him up and downe untill his bowels fell out, then his wife desiring them to hang her too, but they refused: And saith, that this Deponent ask­ing the Rebels of Kilkenny, how they durst doe what they did, consi­dering the King was against them? they answered, that if the King would not hold with them, they could have forty thousand to come to assist them out of France & Spain, and bring ammunition and armes enough, and all things necessary, and fight against the King and the English: And the Deponent Elizabeth Gilbert further saith, that she heard one James Eustace, a servant to the Rebell Colonell Cullen, say publiquely in Master Joseph Wheelers house in Kilkenny, Let the King take heed, for if they (meaning the Irish) had not their owne desires they would bring in a forraigne King; and one Tristram Dyer a Pro­testant was (as his wife told this Deponent) murthered in a Wood with his owne Hatchet, and covered with Leaves and Mosse.

EXAMINATIONS touching the Apparitions at Portnedowne-Bridge, within the Province of ULSTER.

JAmes Shaw of Market-hill in the County of Armagh, Inne-keeper, deposeth, that many of the Irish Rebels, in the time of this Depo­nents restraint, and staying among them, told him very often, and that it was a common report that all those that lived about the Bridge of Portnedowne, were so affrighted with the cries and noise made there of some spirits or visions for revenge, as that they durst not stay but fled away thence; so as they protested, affrighted to Mar­ket-hill, saying, they durst not stay nor returne thither for feare of those cries and spirits, but took grounds and made creats in or neer the Parish of Mullabrack, Jurat. Aug. 14. 1642.

Joane the relict of Gabriel Constable, late of Drumard in the County of Armagh, Gent. deposeth and saith, that she hath often heard the [Page 134] Rebels, Owen O Farren, Patrick O Conellan, and divers others of the Rebels at Drumard, earnestly say, protest and tell one another, that the blood of some of those that were knockt in the heads, and afterwards drowned at Portadowne-Bridge, still remained on the Bridge, and would not be washed away; and that often there appeared visions or apparitions, sometimes of men, sometimes of women, brest-high above the water, at or neer Portadowne, which did most extreamly and fearfully scriech and cry out for vengeance against the Irish that had murdered their bodies there; and that their cryes and scrieches did so terrifie the Irish thereabouts, that none durst stay nor live lon­ger there, but fled and removed further into the Country, and this was a common report amongst the Rebels there, and that it passed for a truth amongst them, for any thing she could ever observe to the contrary, Jurat. Jan. 1. 1643.

Katherine the relict of William Coke, late of the County of Armagh, Carpenter, sworne and examined, saith, that about the 20. of De­cember 1641. a great number of Rebels in that County, did most barbarously drowne at that time one hundred and eighty Prote­stants, men, women and children in the River at the Bridge of Port­nedowne; and that about nine dayes afterwards, she saw a vision or spirit in the shape of a man, as she apprehended, that appeared in that river, in the place of the drowning, bolt upright brest-high, with hands lifted up, & stood in that posture there, untill the latter end of Lent next following; about which time some of the English Army marching in those parts, whereof her husband was one (as he and they confidently affirmed to this Deponent) saw that spirit or vision standing upright, and in the posture aforementioned; but after that time the said spirit or vision vanished and appeared no more, that she knoweth: And she heard, but saw not, that there were other Visions and Apparitions, and much scriching and strange noyse heard in that RIVER at times afterwards, Jurat February 24. 1643.

Elizabeth the wife of Captaine Rice Price, of Armagh, deposeth and saith, that she and other women, whose husbands were murdered, hearing of divers Apparitions and Visions which were seen neere [Page 135] Portnedowne-Bridge, since the drowning of her Children, and the rest of the Protestants there, went unto the Bridge aforesaid about twi­light in the evening; then and there upon a sudden there appeared unto them a Vision or Spirit, assuming the shape of a woman, waste-high upright in the water, naked, with elevated and closed hands, her haire hanging down, very white, her eyes seemed to twinckle, and her skin as white as snow; which spirit seemed to stand straight up in the water, often repeated the word REVENGE, REVENGE, REVENGE; whereat this Deponent and the rest being put into a strong amazement and affright walked from the place, Jurat Janu­ary 29. 1642.

Arthur Culme of Clowoughter in the County of Cavan, Esquire, de­poseth, that he was credibly informed by some that were present there, that there were thirty women and young children and seven men flung into the River of Belterbert, and when some of them offe­red to swim for their lives, they were by the Rebels followed in Cots, and knocked on the heads with poles; the same day they hanged two women at Turbert; and this Deponent doth verily be­leeve, that Mulmore O Rely the then Sheriffe, had a hand in the com­manding the murder of those said persons, for that he saw him write two Notes which he sent to Turbert by Bryan Rely, upon whose com­ming these murders were committed: And those persons who were present also affirmed, that the bodies of those thirty persons drown­ed did not appeare upon the water till about six weeks after past; as the said Rely came to the Towne, all the bodies came floting up to the very Bridge; those persons were all formerly stayed in the Town by his protection, where the rest of their Neighbours in the Town went away.

Elizabeth Price wife of Michael Price, of the Newry, deposeth, that Sir Con Mac Gennis suffered his Souldiers, the Rebels, to kill Master Turge, Minister of the Newry, and severall other Protestants; and he the said Sir Con Mac Gennis on his death-bed was so much affrighted with apprehension that the said Master Turge so slaine, was still in his presence, as that he commanded no Protestants from that time should be slaine, but what should be killed in battle; and after his [Page 136] death, Sir Con Mac Gennis his bother, would have observed his dire­ctions, but one John Mac Gennis the young Lord of Evah and Monke Crely were earnest to have all the rest of the Protestants put to death.

Master George Creighton, Minister of Virginia, in the County of Ca­van, deposeth, among other particulars in his Examination, that divers women brought into his house a young woman almost na­ked, to whom a Rogue came upon the way, these women being pre­sent, and required her to give him her mony or else he would kill her, and so drew his sword; her answer was, You cannot kill me unlesse God give you leave, and his wil be done: Wherupon the Rogue thrust three times at her naked body with his drawne sword, and yet never pierced her skin; whereat he being, as it seems, much confounded, went away and left her; and that he saw this woman, and heard this particular related by divers women, who were by and saw what they reported.

UPon the view of these Examinations all taken upon Oath, it may easily be conjectured how fatally the first plot took, how furiously the Rebels thorow out all Parts of the Kingdome proceeded on in their barbarous bloody executions, and what were the courses they held to bring about so suddenly the universall destruction of all the British and Protestants there planted. It is most true that in Lemster and Munster (and yet one would scarce believe it that considers the horrid particu­lars related in the fore-recited Examinations of those two Provinces) they were not generally so bloody, neither did they begin their work so early as in the Provinces of Ʋlster and Conaught. The ill successe of the enterprise upon the Castle of Dublin did coole them for a time, put them to a stand and caused them to take up new councels; But when they had once declared themselves, they did in very few dayes strip and despoile all the English settled among them, and drove great numbers of them even stark naked to severall Ports on the Sea side, there to provide themselves passage for England, or otherwayes most miserably to starve and perish, as many of them did, being inhumanly denied any kinde of reliefe in those Towns under the command of the Rebels. And here I must not forget to enterpose this certaine truth,The cruelties acted by the Irish upon the British were before any provoca­tion given them. that in all the foure Provinces the horrid cruelties used towards the British either in their bloody Massacres, or mercilesse despoyling, stripping, and extirpation of them, were generally acted in most Parts of the King­dome before they could gather themselves together, to make any consi­derable resistance against their fury; and before the State had assembled their Forces, or were enabled by the power of his Majesties Armes to make any inrodes into the Counties possessed by the Rebels: A circum­stance which totally destroyeth all those vaine pretences and fond recri­minations, which they have since most falsely taken up to palliate this their most abominable Rebellion. And this is not to be denied, though it be also true that those British whom they suffered to live among them either upon condition of change of their Religion, out of private interest,The cruelty of the Irish in murdering those Prote­stants which remaind a­mong them, when at any time they re­ceived any losse by the English Forces. or such as they kept in prison, were not put to the sword, untill the Re­bels in the severall encounters they had with his Majestes Forces suffe­red losse of their men, and so being enraged therewith at their return home after any disaster, they fell furiously to take revenge upon such British, whether men, women, or children, as they held in most misera­ble Captivity with them. How farre their madnesse, fury, and most implacabe malice, did after the manner of bruit Beasts transport them towards the destruction of those miserable harmlesse soules they detai­ned among them, doth clearly appeare by severall particulars expressed in [Page 2] severall Examinations. I shall here insert some of them taken upon trust from persons of good quality and credit, who were long priso­ners among them.

I finde in one part of Doctor Maxwels Examination (which I thought not fit wholly to insert, because it is of great length, and many particulars in it, nothing tending to that purpose for which it is former­ly mentioned) that about May 1642. when the Scotish Army under the command of Generall Major Monro had marched down from Carickfergus, taken in the Newry, beaten the Irish out of those Parts with the slaughter of many of them; Sir Phelim O-Neale caused 5000 British whom he detained in Armagh, Tyrone, and other Parts of the North, to be most miserably murdered in the space of three dayes: James Shaw of Market Hill in the County of Armagh, deposeth and saith, that during the time this Deponent was in restraint, and stayed among the Rebels, he observed and well knew that the greatest part of the Rebels in the County of Armagh went to besiege the Castle of Augher where they were repulsed, and divers of the Rebels of the sept of O-Neals slaine: In revenge whereof, the grand Rebell Sir Phelim O-Neale gave direction and warrant to one Mulmory Mac Donell, a most cruell and mercilesse Rebell, to kill all the English and Scotish within the Parishes of Mullebrack Logilly and Kilcluney, whereupon the said Rebell did murder 27 Scotish and English Protestants within Musket shot of this Deponents own house; and further saith that in those three Parishes there have been before that and since, by killing, drowning, and starving, put to death above 1500 Protestants within the said three Parishes.

William Fiz-Gerald a Clerk of Irish birth, dwelling neare Armagh, and there residing when this Rebellion brake out, deposeth and saith, That all places of the North where Sir Phelim O-Neale under the name of Generall of the Catholike Army commanded, were filled with mur­ders of the Protestants: And that when at Augher, Lisnagarue, or any other places the Rebels received losse of their men, those that escaped, exercised their cruelty upon the Protestants everywhere at their return: And that about the first of May 1642. when Sir Phelim O-Neale had notice of the taking of the Newry by his Majesties Forces, he retired that night in all haste to the Town of Armagh, and the next day as well the Town of Armagh as the Cathedrall Church there, and all the Villages and Houses in the Countrey round about together with all provisions were fired by the Rebels; and many men, women and chil­dren, murdered as well in the Towne as in the Countrey round about.

There is much more to be said on this subject, but I shall forbeare to [Page 3] rake further into many other soule circumstances, which would make this Rebellion appeare farre more odious and detestable. I shall now return to take up the publike affaires of the State, where I left them in the hands of the Lords Justices and Councell, who finding the City to grow daily more and more impestred with strangers by reason of the resort of great numbers of ill-affected persons that daily made repaire thereunto: They issued out severall other Proclamations to prohibite the accesse of all strangers to the Town, and to require such as remained in the City without calling or settled habitation, to depart.

Sir Henry Tichborn being dispatched with his Regiment of foot to Tredagh as is formerly mentioned,Some Troops of horse and Regiments of foot raised by the Lords Iu­stices and Councell. the Lords Justices took further or­der for the present raising of other foot Companies; as likewise some Troopes of horse which might serve for the defence of the City of Dublin, now in most imminent danger by reason of the approaches made by the Forces of the Rebels. Sir Charles Coot had a Commission for a Re­giment, which he quickly made up out of the poor stript English, who had repaired from divers parts even naked to the Town, and upon the en­gagements of the State procured cloaths for them. The Lord Lambert to whom a Commission also was granted for the raising of an other Re­giment, began also to get some men together. The Earle of Ormond was now arrived in Dublin, and brought up with him his Troop con­sisting of 100 Curassiers compleatly armed; Sir Thomas Lucas who had long commanded a Troop of horse in the Low-Countreys, and Cap­taine Armestrong some time after, yet very seasonably came thither: Both of them had money imprested, Sir Thomas Lucas to compleat his Troope already brought out of England, Captaine Armestrong to raise a new Troop; Captaine Yarner also arrived soon after at Dublin, he was sent out of England by the Lord Lievtenant to raise and com­mand his Troop, which in a very short time he made up about 100 horse, many persons then living in the Town being desirous to put them­selves and their horses into that Troop: Not long after Colonell Cra­ford came over also, and bringing with him Letters of Recommendati­ons from the Prince Elector then attending his Majesty in Scotland, under whom he had formerly the command of a Regiment of Dra­goons in Germany: Sir Charls Coot made Govern­nout of the City of Dublin. The Lords Justices thought fit to give him a Regi­ment which they were then taking order to raise and arme out of such Townsmen as were fit to beare armes within the City of Dublin; none were to be admitted into it but Protestants, and out of them they made choyce not only of the Souldiers, but of all the Officers belonging to the same. And further for the repressing of the disorders daily ap­pearing within the City, and restraining the ill-affections of the Papists [Page 4] there inhabiting, they made Sir Charles Coot Governour of the City, and gave him an allowance of 40 s. per diem for the present. Now while these Colonells and Captaines are bestirring themselves in get­ting their men together under their severall commands, and in training them up to the use of their armes; and the Governour of the Town taking strict order for constant Watches within, and Guards without to restraine the repaire of all suspicious and ill-affected persons; I shall in the meane time give an account of the adjournement of the Parlia­ment according to the late Prorogation made by the Lords Justices, which some of the ill-affected members of both Houses endeavoured to make use of for the raising of further troubles.

The adjourn­ment of the Parliament.In the Month of August before the Rebellion brake out, the Parlia­ment was adjourned to the 17 of November next ensuing: Now upon the discovery of the late conspiracy for the surprise of his Majesties Castle of Dublin, the ordinary place of meeting for both Houses of Parlia­ment; the Lords finding that the fire was begun in the North, and fearing a generall revolt of all other parts of the Kingdome, resolved as a matter highly tending to the safety and security of the City and Castle to prorogue the Parliament, which they did by Proclamation then set out, untill the 24. of February. But two or three dayes before such of the Lords and Commons then in the Town were to meet of course in their severall House for declaring the said Prorogation, it was generally noised abroad that the putting off the Parliament was ex­treamely ill taken by the Popish Members of both Houses. Mr Burk who was one of the Committee lately employed into England, came to the Lord Dillon of Kilkenny West, and highly complaining of the in­jury which (he said) was done thereby to the whole Nation hindring them from expressing their loyall affections to his Majesty, and shewing their desires to quell this dangerous Rebellion, and that they had rea­son to resent it so farre as to complaine to the King thereof as a point of high injustice; His Lordship having acquainted the Board here­with, Mr Burk was presently sent for, and he used the same language in effect there, though with much modesty.

Hereupon the Lords fell into debate what was fit to be done, and how farre it might be thought reasonable in them to condiscend to their desires:The Popish party much discontented at it. Some were of opinion that it was fit to disannull the Pro­rogation, and to give them leave to continue the Parliament according to the first adjournment made the beginning of August. They urged the very ill condition of the whole Kingdome in regard of the Nor­thern Rebellion, and that those of the Counties of Wiclow and Wexford, as well as some other Counties in Conaght had already joyned them­selves [Page 5] to them; that this Prorogation might peradventure so irritate the Pale, and have such an influence into Munster as might raise them in­to Armes, and so put the whole Kingdome into a generall combustion. Others of the Board Voted strongly for the holding of the Prorogation according to the time prefixed by the Proclamation grounding their opi­nion upon these reasons: First, that it would highly trench upon the gra­vity and wisdome of the Board to alter a resolution so solemnly taken up, after a most serious debate and publikely made known thorough out the whole Kingdome by Proclamation; that it would be of most dan­gerous consequence to bring so great a multitude of people to the City in such dangerous times, that the Protestants and well-affected Mem­bers of both Houses were for the most part either destroyed, dispersed, or so shut up as they could not repaire to the present meeting, and that therefore the Irish would be superiour in number and voyces, and so whol­ly carry all things according to their own humour; that considering the small Forces then in the City, such great numbers as might take occasi­on under colour of comming to the Parliament, to repaire thither, could not be admitted without apparent danger and disturbance, and that per­adventure they might there finde as ill affections as they brought, and so both joyning together they might easily destroy the state with the poore remainders of the English Nation in these Parts: Whereupon the Lords thought fit to hold to their Prorogation, yet to endeavour so to attemper and sweeten it, as those who were most averse, might in some measure rest satisfied therewith. And therefore after a long debate of all particular circumstances, they came at length to this resolution that the Earle of Ormond, the Master of the Rolls, and Sir Pierce Crosby three Members of the Board, should have a meeting with Mr Darcy, Mr Burk, and some others of the most active and powerfull Members of the House of Commons, and that they should let them know from the Lords, that they have understood of their good affections and de­sires to doe somewhat in the House that might tend towards the sup­pression of this present Rebellion, that they approved extreame well thereof: And that howsoever they could by no meanes remove absolute­ly the Prorogation, yet that they would descend so far to their satisfacti­on as to limit it to a shorter time, and that at present they would give them leave to sit one whole day in case they would immediatly fall up­on the work of making a cleer Protestation against the Rebels: As also, that they should have liberty if they pleased to make choyce of some Members of their own House to send down to Treat with the Rebels about laying down of Arms: And for their grievances that their Lordships would with all readinesse receive them, and presently transmit them [Page 6] over to his Majesty for a speedy redresse: All this was accordingly perfor­med; the meeting was in the Gallery at Cork House; Those of the House of Commons seemed at first to be extreamly troubled when they found there was no possibility of altering the present Prorogation: But upon a further debate when they came to understand how ready the Lords were to yeeld to their satisfaction, and that the time of the Pro­rogation should be shortned, they seemed to rest indifferently contented, undertook to make the Protestation in such full and ample manner as was desired, and that they would fall immediately upon it and make it the work of the whole day.

Upon the 17 of November, the Lords and Commons met in Parlia­ment which was held in the usuall place of his Majesties Castle of Dub­lin: And for the better security of the place as well as of the persons of those that were to meet, there was a Guard of Musketiers appointed to attend during the time of their meeting, but such care taken that they should carry themselves so free from giving any offence as no man­ner of umbrage might be taken at their attendance there. The Houses were both very thin, there were only in the House of Peeres some few English Lords, three or foure Lords of the Pale, and some two or three Bishops. In the House of Commons, they took into their consideration upon their first meeting the framing of the Protestation against the Re­bels. But those of the Popish party spake so ambiguously, and handled the matter so tenderly, as they could not be drawn to stile them by the name of Rebels: so as they sent up unto the Lords a very meager cold Prote­station against them, which being in their House taken into debate, it was strongly contested by the Protestant Lords that they should be stiled Rebels, but that as stiffely opposed by the others. They there­fore fell upon a meane betwixt both which gave a kinde of accommoda­tion, saying they had Rebelliously and Traiterously raised Armes; and so both parties being reasonably satisfied, the Protestation was drawn up and returned back to the House of Commons in this Tenour as fol­loweth.

The Protestation and Declaration of the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and Commons in Parliament assembled.

WHereas the happy and peaceable Estate of this Realm hath been of late, and is still interrupted by sundry per­sons ill-affected to the Peace and Tranquillity thereof, who contrary to their Duty and Loyalty to His Majesty, and against the Lawes of God, and the fundamentall Lawes of the Realm, have Trayterously and Rebelliously raised Armes, have seized upon some of his Majesties Forts and Castles, and dis­possessed many of his Majesties faithfull Subjects, of their Houses, Lands and Goods, and have slaine many of them, and committed other cruell and inhumane Outrages, and Acts of Hostility within this Realme.

The said Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled, being justly moved with a right sense of the said disloyall Rebellious Pro­ceedings and actions of the persons aforesaid, doe hereby protest and declare that they, the said Lords and Commons from their hearts, doe detest and abhorre the said abhominable Actions, and that they shall and will to their uttermost power maintaine the Rights of his Majesties Crown, and Government of this Realm, and Peace and Safety thereof, aswell against the persons aforesaid, their Abettors, Adherents, as also against all forreine Princes, Potentates, and other persons, and Attemps whatsoever; and in case the persons aforesaid doe not repent of their aforesaid Actions, and lay down Armes, and become humble Suitors to his Majesty for Grace and Mercy, in such convenient time, and in such manner and forme as by his Majestie, or the chiefe Governour or Governours, and Councell of this Realm shall be set down; The said Lords and Commons doe further protest and declare, that they will take up Armes, and will with their Lives and Fortunes suppresse them, and their Attempts, in such a way, as by the Authority of the [Page 8] Parliament of this Kingdome, with the Approbation of his most Excellent Majesty, or of his Majesties chiefe Governour or Go­vernours of this Kingdome shall be thought most effectuall.

Copia vera. Exam. per Phil. Percivall. Cleric. Parliament.

Both Houses of Parliament sate two dayes, and the time of the Proro­gation being shortned unto the 11. of Ian. The Lords made choyce of the Lord Viscount Costelo to goe into England, to carry over their desires to his Majesty, concerning the meanes they thought fit to be used for the quenching this present Rebellion: And besides those in­structions formerly mentioned, he had (as I heard) from the Popish Lords some, more private, which were to negotiate the staying such Forces as were intended to be sent out of England for that end.

Both Houses joyned together to appoint certaine Lords and some Members of the House of Commons to goe down to the Northen Rebels, The Houses of Parliament send to Treat with the Rebels. to understand the cause of their rising in Armes; and refer­red them to the Lords Iustices for their instructions, which accordingly they received together with a Commission under the Great Seale. But the Rebellion having a farre deeper root then was at that time discovered; this Commission was of little operation, and the inten­ded Treaty soone vanished. The Northern Rebels were then so puffed up with their late victories over the poore surprized, unresisting English in those Parts, and had so deeply drenched their hands in the blood of those innocents, as they thought to carry the whole King­dome before them, and therefore would yeeld to no Treaties, but in a most barbarous manner tore the Order of Parliament together with the Letter sent unto them, and returned a most scornfull Answer, fully ex­pressing thereby how farre they were from any thought of laying down Armes, or entertaining any overtures towards an Accom­modation.

Within few dayes after the adjournment of the Parliament, the Lord Dillon of Costelo accompanied with the Lord Taffe imbarqued for England, but by a most impetuous storme were driven into Scot­land, where they landed and went up to London. At the Town of Ware, their papers were seized upon by directions from the Parliament [Page 9] of England, and their persons committed unto safe custody. Mr Thomas Burk went over much about the same time, and certainly upon the same errand: When the unhappy breach began first betwixt the King and the Parliament of England, and that his Majesty thought fit to retire to York, those two Lords found meanes to make an escape, and all three con­stantly followed the Court, where in those high distempers that after­wards hapned in England, they easily found meanes to ingratiate them­selves at Court, and had the opportunity to doe those good offices for their Country-men which brought on the Cessation of Armes with them in due time.

The Lords Iustices and Councell by their Letters bearing date about the 20 of November, Letters writ­ten to the Lord Lievte­nant. gave unto the Lord Lievtenant a more cer­taine and full account of the state of the Kingdome, then they could any wayes doe at the first breaking out of the Rebellion, and thereby making known the very ill condition of their present affaires they mo­ved that the supplies of men, money, Commanders and Armes, menti­oned in their former Letters, might be with all speed sent over unto them, and that his Lordship would presently repaire hither in his own person to undertake the management of the warre: About the tenth of the Month of November, their Lordships received an Answer from the Lord Lievtenant to their former Letters of the 25 of October; whereby he gave them to understand, that he had communicated their Letters to the Lords of his Majesties most Honourable Privie Coun­cell, and that by Order from their Lordships, he had acquainted both Houses of Parliament with them; that he had also sent to his Majesty still continuing at Edenborough in Scotland, to represent the condition of their affaires, and that he understood his Majesty had received some ad­vertisements out of the North of Ireland of the present Rebellion there: His Lordship also farther let them know, that his Majesty had referred the whole businesse of Ireland to the Parliament of England, that they had undertaken the charge and management of the warre, that they had declared they should be speedily and vigorously assisted, and had designed for their present supplies the summe of 50000 l. and had taken order for making of all further Provisions necessary for the Service, as may appeare by the Order of Parliament made there at that time, and trans-mitted over by the Lord Lievtenant, together with his said Letters unto the Lords Iustices, by whose command it was re­printed at Dublin, November 12. 1641. as here followeth being in­tituled.

An Order of the Lords and Commons in this present Parliament in England, con­cerning Ireland.

THe Lords and Commons in this present Parliament, be­ing advertised of the dangerous Conspiracie and Rebellion in Ireland, by the Treacherous and wicked Instigation of Romish Priests and Jesuites, for the Bloody Massacre and De­struction of all Protestants living there, and other his Majesties Loyall Subjects of English blood, though of the Romish Religion, being ancient Inhabitants within severall Counties, and Parts of that Realme, who have alwayes, in former Rebellions, given Testimony of their fidelity to this Crown: And for the utter de­priving of his Royall Majestie, and the Crown of England, from the Government of that Kingdome, (under pretence of set­ting up the Popish Religion) Have thereupon taken into their serious Consideration, how those mischievous Attemps might be most speedily, and effectually prevented, wherein the Honour, Safety, and Interest of this Kingdom, are most nearely and fully concerned. Wherefore they doe hereby declare, that they doe in­tend to serve his Majesty with their Lives and Fortunes, for the suppressing of this wicked Rebellion, in such a way, as shall be thought most effectuall, by the Wisdome and Authority of Parlia­ment: And thereupon have Ordered and Provided for a present Supply of Money, and raysing the number of six thousand Foot, and Two thousand Horse, to be sent from England, being the full proportion desired by the Lords Iustices, and his Majesties Councell resident in that Kingdome, with a Resolution to adde such further Succours, as the necessity of those Affaires shall require. They have also resolved of providing Armes, and Munition, not only for those Men, but likewise for his Majesties faithfull Subjects in that Kingdome, with Store of Victuals, and other [Page 11] Necessaries, as there shall be occasion, and that these Provisions may more conveniently be transported thither, they have ap­pointed three severall Ports of this Kingdome, that is to say, Bristoll, Westchester, and one other in Cumberland, where the Magazines, and Store-houses shall be kept for the Supply of the severall parts of Ireland. They have likewise resolved to be humble Mediators to His most Excellent Majesty, for the en­couragement of those English, or Irish, who shall upon their own charges, raise any number of Horse, or Foot, for his Service against the Rebells, that they shall be honourably rewarded with Lands of Inheritance, in Ireland, according to their Merits. And for the better inducing the Rebels to repent of their wicked Attempts, they doe hereby commend it to the Lord Liev­tenant of Ireland, or in his absence, to the Lord Deputy, or Lords Iustices there, according to the power of the Commission granted them in that behalfe, to bestow his Majesties gracious Pardon, to all such as within a convenient time, (to be declared by the Lord Lievtenant, Lord Deputy, or Lords Iustices, and Councell of that Kingdome) shall return to their due obedience; the greatest part whereof, they conceive have been seduced upon false Grounds, by the cunning and subtle practises of some of the most malignant Rebels, Enemies to this State, and to the Reformed Religion; and likewise to bestow such Rewards, as shall be thought fit, and publisht by the said Lord Lievtenant, Lord Deputy, or Lords Iustices and Councell, upon all those who shall arrest the Persons, or bring in the Heads of such Traytors, as shall be personally named in any Proclamation published by the State there. And they doe hereby exhort, and require all his Ma­jesties loving Subjects, both in this, and in that Kingdome, to re­member their duty and conscience to God, and his Religion, and the great and eminent danger which will involve this whole Kingdome in generall, and themselves in particular, if this ab­hominable Treason be not timely suppressed; and therefore with all readinesse, bounty, and chearefulnesse to conferre their Assistance [Page 12] in their Persons, or Estates, to this so important and necessary a Service for the common good of all.

Io. Browne Cleric. Parliament.

About the same time the Lord Lievtenant finding that he could not procure so speedy a dispatch of all things necessary for the service of Ire­land, Commission granted to the Earle of Ormond, to be Lievtenant Generall of the Forces in Ireland. as would enable him presently to repaire thither in his own person; made the Earle of Ormond Lievtenant Generall of the Forces there, and sent him over a Commission for the same. And the said Earle did within few dayes after receive a Letter from his Majesty out of Scotland, wherein he was graciously pleased to let him know it was his pleasure to conferre upon him that charge. There was then likewise brought o­ver the summe of 20000 l. from the Parliament; the coyne which arri­ved here was all in Spanish pieces of eight, which went for 4 d. in a piece here more then in England, and this gaine the Parliament was content the Merchants that undertook the transportation should make at that time in regard of the charge and venture they undertook to stand to: It arrived most seasonably even when all that little money they had was quite spent in raising and paying the new Companies, and that they were wholly destitute of all meanes to draw in any contributions towards the relieving of their present necessities.

There continued daily to repaire unto the City of Dublin, great num­bers of poore distressed English, Commissions issued out for the Examinati­on upon Oath of the losses of the British, and the cruel­ties exercised by the Irish up­on them. who had been most barbarously stripped, robbed, and despoiled of all their goods and substance, by the Rebels. Now that it might appeare what their losses were, what cruelties were acted, what murders committed, and who were the chiefe actors in them thorow out the severall Provinces; The Lords Iustices and Councell thought fit to issue out a Commission under the Great Seale, directed to certaine of the Clergy to take upon oath the severall Examinations of all such persons, that having suffered by this present Rebellion would think fit to repaire unto them, as will appeare by the Commission it selfe a Copy whereof I have thought fit to insert.

CHarles by the grace of God King of England, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c. To our well-beloved Henry Jones Deane of Kilmore, Roger Puttock, Wil­liam Huthcok, Randall Adams, Iohn Sterne, William [Page 13] Aldrich, Henry Brereton, and Iohn Watsons Clerks, Gree­ting; Whereas divers wicked and disloyall people, have lately ri­sen in Armes in severall parts of this Kingdome, and have robbed and spoiled many of our good Subjects, British and Protestants, who have been separated from their severall habitations, and scat­tered in most lamentable manner; And for as much as it is need­full to take due Examination concerning the same; Know ye that we reposing special trust and confidence in your care, diligence, and provident circumspection, have nominated and appointed you to be our Commissioners, and doe hereby give unto you or any two or more of you, full power and authority, from time to time to call before you, and examine upon Oath on the holy Evangelists (which hereby we authorize you or any two or more of you to admi­nister) as well all such persons as have been robbed and despoiled, as all the witnesses that can give testimony therein, what robberies and spoyles have been committed on them since the 22 of October last, or shall hereafter be committed on them, or any of them, what the particulars were or are, whereof they were or shall be so robbed or spoiled, to what value, by whom, what their names are, or where they now or last dwelt that committed those robberies, on what day or night the said robberies or spoiles committed, or to be commit­ted, were done: what Traiterous or disloyall words, speeches, or actions were then or at any other time uttered or committed by those robbers or any them, and how often, and all other circum­stances concerning the said particulars and every of them: And you our said Commissioners are to reduce to writing all the Exa­minations which you or any two or more of you shall take as afore­said; and the same to return to our Iustices and Counsell of this our Realme of Ireland, under the hands and seales of any two or more of you as aforesaid. Witnesse our right trusty and well-beloved Counsellours Sir William Parsons Knight and Baronet, and Sir Iohn Borlace Knight, our Iustices of our said Realm of Ireland: Dublin 23 of December in the seventeenth year of our Raigne.

Carleton.

The Commissioners above nominated, did very seriously addresse themselves to this work, employing their paines therein with great diligence and faithfulnesse; and have so well performed the charge imposed upon them as that by severall Examinations, many principall Gentlemen of good estates were discovered to be the chiefe actors in the depredations of the British, and to have committed many most horrid murders and other notorious cruelties, which thorough their industry will now remaine upon Record, but had otherwayes been concealed from Posterity, and wrapt up in oblivion. The like Commissions were in a short time after sent into Munster and Ʋlster: In the Pro­vine of Munster, the Commissioners took great care in the Execution of it, many Examinations of high concernment were taken by vertue thereof, though they remaine as yet concealed and not returned up according as is required by the said Commissions.

Towards the latter end of November, the Lords Iustices and Coun­cell considering the miserable desolations brought upon the whole King­dome,A weekly Fast appointed by the Lords Iu­stices and Councell. and the further calamities threatned by Warre and Famine, did by a Proclamation set forth in print, give strict charge and command; That upon every friday a publike and religious fast should be devout­ly and piously observed, in and thorow the whole City and Suburbs of Dublin, by all his Majesties people therein, and that Divine Service and Sermons be celebrated and heard upon the said day weekly, in every Cathedrall, and other Church and Chappell in the said City and Sub­urbs thereof: And this to be performed as is expressed in the said Pro­clamation, to the end that the severe wrath and indignation of Almigh­ty God, may be averted from this Kingdome, his divine aide and assi­stance implored, and that some reliefe in these calamitous times, may the better be afforded to such miserable persons as these Traytors, by their rapine and cruelty, have deprived of their fortunes, and sent naked and almost famished up to this City.

The Lords Iustices and Councell being advertised of the neare ap­proach of the Rebels to Tredagh, The approach of the Rebels to Tredagh. prepared to send down supplies both of men and munition, for the re-inforcement of that Garrison: There were already designed 600 Foot and a Troop of horse for that service, and they were almost in a readinesse to March when an expresse from Sir Hen­ry Tichbourn came up to the Earle of Ormond, to let him know the Re­bels had that day being the 21 of November, appeared within sight of the Town. He conceived they would presently have set down before it, but they advanced no further that day, only while their Forces made a stand there, they sent down a Party of 1300 foot to Millifont, the Lord Moores house, which their design was suddenly to surprise; but contrary [Page 15] to their expectation, they found there 24 Musketiers and 15 horsemen, who very stoutly defended the house as long as their powder lasted: The horsemen when they saw themselves beset so as they could be no further serviceable to the place, opened the gate, issued out and made their passage thorow the midsts of the Rebels, and so notwithstanding the opposition they made, escaped safe to Tredagh: The foot having re­fused to accept of the quarter at first offered, resolved to make good the place to the last man; they endured severall assaults, slew 140 of the Rebels, before their powder failed them: and at last they gave up the place upon promise of quarter, which was not kept, for some of them were killed in cold blood, all were stripped, and two old decrepite men slaine, the house ransaked, and all the goods carried away.

Vpon the receit of Sir Henry Tichbourn's Letter, the Lords presently took order for the marching away of the six hundred men,Supplies both of horse and foot sent for the reliefe of Tredagh. together with a Troop of horse towards Tredagh: They left not the Town till the 27 of November, and such was the negligence of the Captains and disorders of the Souldiers, as notwithstanding they had been three dayes in readinesse to march, they went no further that night then Swoords a Village six miles distant from Dublin: The command of the foot was committed to Serjeant Major Roper, and of the horse to Sir Patrick Weames, who was appointed with 50 of the Earle of Or­monds Troop to march with those six Companies to Tredagh. The very day of their departure from Dublin, there was an advertizement brought unto the Lords, that some Forces of the Rebels were drawn on this side the River of the Boine, and attended with design to inter­cept their passage: Whereupon the Earle of Ormond by direction from the Lords dispatched an expresse to give them now upon their March notice thereof, and after to passe on to Sir Henry Tichbourn to let him know as much; and that the Recruits designed for the re-inforcement of his Garrison being now upon their march, it highly imported him to take speciall care for the securing of their passage. And next day his Lordship received an Answer from him of that Letter, with assurance that he would not faile to march out with competent Forces to meet them upon the way, which he did that very day accordingly perform, but they marching no further then Balrudry, and so lying that night eight miles short of Tredagh, he missed of them, and so went not out (by what ac­cident or upon what reason I know not) the day following till the news of the defeat met him at the very gate of the Town where he stood with his men in a readinesse to march towards them: The men being al­together untrained and unaccustomed to travell, and failing of provision by the way, which for their money they could not by any meanes procure [Page 16] from the country people as they marched along, were very much dis­contented, and being somewhat tired with their journey went on next day, but in much disorder, so carelesse, and so little apprehensive of any danger, as some had Armes, but no munition about them; others for their owne ease committed the carriage of both to the Carts. As they pas­sed through Gormanston, the Major went in to give a visit to the Lord of Gormanston, who told him that there were some Numbers of men lay in the way with an intent to interrupt their Passage. And this his Lordship knew very well, for the very night before (as Mr. Creeghton affirmes in his examination) one of his groomes went to Slaine where the Rebells were then lodged, and called them out of their Beds to be in a readinesse to come and incounter the English forces now upon their march. The Major had likewise other advertisements to the same purpose, which he neglected not so much as acquainting his Captaines therewith, as some of them afterwards affirmed; He onely caused three Scouts out of the Troop to be sent abroad to make discove­ry whether the passage were cleer; two of them returned back a little before he came to the bridge of Julians Town, assuring him all was cleer; the other went on to a house within one quarter of a mile of the place where the Rebels lay, and while he attended there for his break­fast, a boy belonging to the house, took his Horse, and riding to the Re­bels gave them notice of the neer approach of our forces: The Horse passed the Bridge, and the Foot following turned up into a field on the left hand of the Lane, where by reason of a great mist that suddenly fell, they discovered not the Rebels, till they were almost within Musket­shot of them.The defeat of the forces sent for the relief of Tredagh. The Major drew his men presently into Battalia, but the Horse (as some of the foot that escaped affirme) wheeled about with­out charging any part of the Rebells forces, who now furiously approa­ched with a great shout; and a Lieutenant giving out the unhappy word of Countermarch, all the men possessed as it were with a Pannick fear, began somewhat confusedly to march back, but were so much amazed with a second shout given by the Rebels (who seeing them in disorder followed close on) as notwithstanding they had gotten into a ground of great advantage, they could not be perswaded to stand a charge, but betook themselves to their heels, and so the Rebels fell sharply on, as their manner is upon the execution.

Sir Patrick Weames without the losse of one Horse passed on safely unto Tredagh: The Major with two of the Captains more, and about 100 of their men made an escape thither likewise: The other three Captains with all the rest of the Souldiers that were English were there cut off, they spared very few or none that fell into their hands, but such [Page 17] as were Irish, whose lives they preserved: The Armes of the whole six hundred they possessed themselves of, as likewise of all their Muni­tion and Carriages; and so highly were the Rebels encouraged with this defeat given to his Majesties Forces, as the whole Pale began pre­sently to waver, they thought the Kingdome their own, and that the English would in all parts fall before them, as those poore ill conducted sheep had unhappily done. And this is a true Relation (as neare as I could collect it from the mouthes of those that were present) of that famous victory so much boasted of by the Irish, whereunto the inex­perience of the English Commanders, and the disorders of the com­mon souldiers, who were then but newly taken up and had never seene any service, contributed farre more then any skill or courage shewed by the Rebels; which they had only opportunity at that time to expresse by a loud shout. Besides, they were treble their number, and had for their leaders Roger Moore, Hugh Birne, and Philip O-Rely, the two last per­sons who had been trained in the Warres abroad under the Spanish Discipline, and were of greatest experience among them: they brought down a great part of those Forces out of the Counties of Cavan and Monagham, and as soone as they came within the River of Boyne, great numbers of the ordinary churles of the Pale adjoyned themselves unto their men, and so made up a body sufficient to performe that service.

The newes of this unhappy defeat was brought the very same day being munday the 29 of November at evening, to the Lords Justices as they sate in Councell: It troubled them very much, and as it was a matter of great rejoycing among the Popish Inhabitants of the City, so it bred a generall sorrow and consternation among the English and Protestants: It hapned in a very ill season, the late made Colonels were but then in raising of their men: And such Companies as were compleated, were by the Lords the same day of the marching of the 600 men to Tredagh, Sir Charls Coots Expedition into the Coun­ty of Wiclow. commanded out under Sir Charles Coot into the County of Wiclow, for the repressing the insolencies of the Birnes and the Tooles towards the poore Engl sh, whom they began to fall upon most furiously, stripping, murdering, and driving them all out of that Territo­ry as soone as they had taken in the Kings Fort, in that County cal­led Carews Fort, and possessed themselves of the chiefe places of strength belonging to the English Gentlemen there: He marched to the Town of Wiclow, where he caused some few men and one woman to be executed, they being found upon Examination guilty of the late spoyles committed most brabarously upon the English there, and the very cloaths of an English woman that was stripped, being found upon the back [Page 18] of that Irish woman that was there hanged. In his return Luke Toole with neare a 1000 Irish under his command encountred him, but he quickly made them flie and take to the next Bogge with the losse of some few of their men: And so he returned with all possible speed to Dublin, the Lords having sent him notice of the late defeat given to the Forces sent to Tredagh; As soone as he arrived, he applyed himselfe very carefully to the securing of the Town, which now began to be more desperately threatned then ever, by the neare approaches of the Rebels: And so great were the disorders then in the City, so in­considerable the Forces raised, the English Inhabitants so strangly dis­mayed, the Papists so highly raised in spirit and courage, as had the Commanders of the Rebels drawn those Forces together as they had in readinesse on both sides the River of Boyne for the siege of Tredagh, and so marching up to Dublin, had taken the advantage of the present distractions, and forward affections which they would have undoubtedly found there to assist them: They had in all humane probability made themselves Masters of the City, and might so straightly have begirt the Castle, as would within a very short time have endangerd the surrender of it; But it pleased God to infatuate their Counsells: The strong opinion they had that they should presently carry Tredagh, and so possesse themselves of all the Armes and Munition they had in that Town, caused them to fix their resolutions there, and to set up their rest upon the obtaining that place. In this as in many other wonderfull acts of divine providence which I then observed with great admiration, it pleased God to appeare even miraculously in the preservation of the City and Castle of Dublin with the poore remainders of English and Protestants, who had there taken sanctuary.

And now the Lords and Gentlemen of the Pale, thought it high time to discover themselves and their affections to the cause: They certainly had not only long entertained a defection in their thoughts, but were as the severall forementioned Examinations testifie,The defection of the Lords and chiefe Gentlemen within the En­glish Pale. the first contrivers and bringers in of the Northern Rebels into this execrable Plot; they had now likewise drawn them into rhe Pale, and there­fore they could not hope now much longer to walk under a maske, and entertaine the state with further professions of their loyalty: They had gotten a competent proportion of Armes and Munition out of his Majesties store into their own possession: They saw now the Nor­thern Rebels advanced within the River of Boyne, with very considera­ble Forces to strengthen their Party, and by the late encounter and suc­cessefull victory they had therein, they pleased their fancies with confi­dent conceits of certaine prevailing, if they would now declare them­selves [Page 19] by a publike conjunction in the common cause, and raising such numbers of men and quantities of provision, as the plentifull circuit of the Pale did afford, would prosecute the warre so happily begun and so successefully managed hitherto.

These and severall other considerations working very powerfully among the Lords and cheife Gentlemen of the Pale, they did within very few dayes after the late defeat solemnly proceede on to the actuall consummation of their long meditated revolt; For the manner, place,The manner of the conjunction of the Lords and chief Gen­tlemen of the men of the English Pale with the Nor­thern Rebels, ex­pressed in the Examination of Edward Dowdall Es­quire. time, and all other circumstances, I shall referre the Reader to this ensuing Relation given in upon Oath, March 1641. before Sir Robert Meredith Knight, Chancellour of the Exchequer in the Examination of Edward Dowdall Esquire a Gentleman of the Pale, one very well estee­med among them, one that was present at all their meetings, and deeply engaged in all their councells and actions.

He deposeth that some foure or five dayes after the defeat of the English souldiers at the Bridge of Gellianstown, there issued a Warrant from the Lord of Gormanston to the Sheriffe of the County for a gene­rall meeting of all the Countie at Dulick: But the place of meeting was afterwards changed to the Hill of Crofty, where all the Lords and Gentry of the Country met, viz. The Earle of Fingale, the Lord Viscount Gormanston, the Lord of Slaine, the Lord of Lowth, the Lord of Dunsany, the Lord of Trimblestone, the Lord Nettervile: And of the Gentry Sir Patrick Barnwall, Sir Christopher Bellew, Patrick Barnwall of Kilbrew, Nicholas Darcy of Plattin, James Bath of Acharn, Garret Ailmer the Lawyer, Cusake of Gormanston, William Malone of Lesmullin, Sedgrave of Kileglan, Linch of the Knos, Lynam of Adamstown, Lau­rence, Doudall of Athlumney, Nicholas Doudall of Brownstown this Examinates brother, and him this Examinate with a multitude of others, to the number of a 1000 persons at the least, whose names he this Examinate cannot for the present call to minde. And after about two or three houres spent upon the said Hill of Crofty by the Lords and Gentry aforesaid: There came towards them, Colonel Mahowne, Philip O-Rely, Hugh Boy-Rely, Roger Moore, Hugh Birne, and Cap­taine Fox, attended on with a gard of Musketiers:These were some of the chiefe Leaders among the Northern Re­bels. And this Examinate saith, That as soone as the parties drew neare unto the said Hill, the Lords and Gentry of the Pale rode towards them, and the Lord of Gormanstone, being one of the first, spake unto them, and demanded of them, Why, and for what reason, they came Armed into the Pale; Vnto which Roger Moore made present Answer, That the ground of their com­ming thither, and taking up Armes, was for the freedome and liberty of their consciences, the maintenance of his Majesties Prerogative, in which [Page 20] they understood he was abridged, and the making the subjects in this Kingdome as free as those in England were: whereupon the said Lord of Gormanston, desired to understand from them truly and faithfully, whe­ther those were not pretences, and not the true grounds indeed of their so doing, and likewise whether they had not some other private ends of their own; which being by all denied, upon profession of their sincerity, his Lordship the Lord of Gormanston then told them: Seing these be your true ends, we will likewise joyn with you therein: unto which course all agreed. And thereupon it was publikly and generally declared, that whosoever should deny to joyn with them, or refuse to assist them therein, they would accompt him as an Enemy, and to the utmost of their power labour his destruction. And this Examinate saith, That af­ter the agreement so made as aforesaid, There issued another Warrant to the Sheriffe of the County of Meath, to summon all the Lords and Gentry of the County of Meath, to be at the Hill of Taragh about a week after; and accordingly there met at the same place the Earle of Fingale, the Lord of Gormanston, and the rest of the Lords and Gentle­men aforenamed, together with Sir Thomas Nugent, and Nicholas Plunket the Lawyer, Birford the Lawyer, and a multitude of others; and the work of that day was first to make Answer to a Summons made by the State for the calling of the Lords unto Dublin, which Answer was brought ready drawn by the Lord of Gormanston, and presented by his Lord­ship, and being perused by the said Councell at Law was signed by the Lords.

In this manner was this great transaction most solemnly consum­mated betwixt Lemster and Vlster; Valence and Brabant, as Sir Phelim O. Neale stiles them in his Characteristicall Letter before mentioned, sent to Owen Roe O-Neale in Flanders, were now publickly united to­gether in that great Assembly. The Lord Viscount Gormanston on the one side, and Roger Moore on the other, had both been long tampering about the drawing of this most important work to the forme it now received, they had at length brought it unto perfection, they two had the glory of it, and appeared the great publike instruments of this powerfull union.

The Lords and chiefe Gentlemen of the Pale, having thus farre de­clared themselves became so high and presuming▪ The endea­vours of those of the Pale to strengthen their party against the power of the State. as they little valued what was done or commanded by the State at Dublin: they now whol­ly applyed their endeavours to make such preparatives towards the warre, as might strengthen their party, which as it now stood in conjuncture with the Northern Rebels they beheld as invincible, and their power not to be resisted by the inconsiderable Forces drawn together by the Lords [Page 21] Justices and Counsell at Dublin: Severall Gentlemen who in the seve­rall Counties of the Pale were made Captaines, and had received Arms from the State for their Companies, departed from their obedience, and addressed themselves and their Companies wholly to the service of the Rebels. Nicholas White Esquire Sonne and Heire to Sir Nicholas White of Lislip, was the first that gave the example about the second of De­cember; but he carried the matter so handsomely, as his Company ranne away to the Rebels, as he pretended, without his consent or even his knowledge any longer time before their departure, then to give him opportunity to come and acquaint the State therewith, and his own disability to hinder the same:The reasons why the State Summond the grand Coun­sell of all the Lords of the Pale, and o­thers then in the City of Dublin. But before it was possible to use any meanes of prevention, the men were all gone with their Armes and Mu­nition to the Rebels: Many of the other Captaines desired no such fine cover for their intentions, but delivered themselves and their Armes up to be disposed as they should direct without any further scruple or complement to the State: Whereupon the Lords finding how notoriously they were abused by the very great confidence reposed in such Gentlemen of the Pale, as being made Captaines, had received Armes from them, and perceiving what course they began now to stear, and how they were resolved to imploy their own Armes against them, they took such order, and with such celerity and diligence made stay of se­verall of those Armes, which were delivered out for the use of the Pale, as of the 1700 Armes distributed among the severall Counties thereof they recovered againe into their hands 950.

And now by reason the Northern Rebels had settled their Camp within the River of Boyne, and so lay betwixt Tredagh and the City of Dublin, all entercouse in the Pale was interrupted, the passages stopt up, and the Lords Iustices and Councell understood very little or nothing of any proceedings held there. They therefore finding their dangers daily to encrease through the near approach of the Rebels unto the City of Dublin, the continuall affronts, and new scornes the State dai­ly received from them, their own want of strength to represse their bold attempts, or to preserve the poore English round about them out of their bloody hands, resolved now in these their high extremities, to try the effects of those large protestations and great professions of loyalty the Lords of the Pale had lately made unto them, and to give them a faire opportunity of rendring a most acceptable service to his Majesty and the state here. For this end therefore they determined to call a grand Councell of all the Lords which resided within any convenient distance of the City of Dublin, clearly and freely to represent unto them the ill condition of their affaires, and how highly it imported them in respect [Page 22] of their own particular safety, as well as for the preservation of the whole Kingdome, not only to contribute their best advice and councell, but even all the Forces they could any wayes raise towards the beating of the Northern Rebels out of the Pale. Severall Letters of Summons were accordingly writ and sent away to the Earle of Fingale, the Lord Viscount Gormanston, and the rest of the Lords of the Pale; the tenour of them here ensueth.

AFter our very hearty commendations to your Lordships, for as much as we have present occasion to conferre with you,A Coppy of the Letter written by the Lords Iu­stices and Councell to the Lords of the Pale. con­cerning the present estate of the Kingdome, and the safety there­of in these times of danger: We pray and require your Lord­ship to be with us here on the eight day of this Month, at which time others of the Peers are also to be here: And this being to no other end, we bid your Lordships very heartily farewell. From his Majesties Castle of Dublin the third of December 1641.

Your very loving friends
  • William Parson.
  • Iohn Borlacy.
  • Ormondossory.
  • Ant: Medensis.
  • R: Dilbon.
  • Ad: Loftus.
  • Ge: Shirley.
  • I: Temple.
  • Rob: Meredith.
To our very good Lord George Earle of Kildare.

The like Letters eodem die, to these severall Persons following:

  • Earle of Ormond.
  • Earle of Antrim.
  • Earle of Fingale.
  • Vis: Gormanston.
  • Vis: Netervile.
  • Vis: Fitzwilliam.
  • Lo: Trimbleston.
  • Lord Dunsany.
  • Lord Slaine.
  • Lord of Hoath.
  • Lord Lowth.
  • Lord Lambert.

These Letters were presently sent away: But the Lords of the Pale being otherwayes engaged, and having before or much about the time they came unto their hands (though the Lords knew very little, and that very uncertainly of it) made that publike combination with the [Page 23] Ʋlster Rebels before mentioned, durst no more adventure their persons within the City of Dublin: But after their meeting at the Hill of Crofty, appointed an other meeting at the Hill of Tarah, and from thence they sent an Answer unto the Lords, which as Mr Dowdall te­stifies, was brought thither by the Lord of Gormanston ready drawn up, and there only signed and so sent away. The Copy of the Letter here followeth:

May it please your Lordships,

VVEe have received your Letters of the third of this in­stant,The Answer of the Lords of the Pale to the Lords Iustices. intimating that you had present occasions to confer with us, concerning the present state of the Kingdome, and the safety thereof in these times of danger, and requiring us to be with you there on the eighth day of this instant, we give your Lord­ships to understand, that we have heretofore presented our selves before your Lordsips, and freely offered our advice and furthe­rance towards the particulars aforesaid, which was by you neglected, which gave us cause to conceive that our Loyalty was suspected by you. We give your Lordships further to understand, that we have received certaine advertisement, that Sir Charles Coot Knight, at the Councell Board, hath uttered some speeches tending to a purpose and resolution, to execute upon these of our Religion a generall Massacre, by which we are all deterred to wait on your Lordships, not having any security for our safety from these threat­ned evills, or the safety of our lives; but doe rather think it fit to stand upon our best guard untill we heare from your Lord­ships how we shall be secured from these perils. Neverthelesse, we all protest that we are and will continue both faithfull advi­sers, and resolute furtherers of his Majesties service concerning the present state of the Kingdome, and the safety thereof to our best abilities, and so with the said tender of our humble service we re­maine

Your Lordships humble Servants,
  • Fingale,
  • Gormanston,
  • Slane,
  • Dunsany,
  • Nettervill,
  • Oliver
  • Lowth,
  • Trimblestown.
Dublin, Decem. 7. Received 11. 1641.

To the Right Honourable our very good Lords the Lords Iustices and Councell of Ireland.

In Answer to this Letter, the Lords Iustices and Councell, out of their unfained desires to give unto those Lords all due satisfaction, and to remove those jealousies and great misunderstanding now grown up between them,A Proclama­tion issued out by the Lords Iustices and Councell for the satis­faction of the Lords of the Pale. thought fit by way of Proclamation to publish and de­clare to them and all others of his Majesties good Subjects of the Ro­mish Religion, That they never heard Sir Charles Coot, or any other ut­ter at the Board or elsewhere, any such speeches tending to a purpose or resolution to execute upon those of their profession, or upon any other a generall Massacre or any Massacre at all, and that they never in­tended so to dishonour his Majesty and this State, or wound their own consciences as to entertaine the least thought of acting so odious, impi­ous, and detestable a thing upon any persons whatsoever; and that if any proofe can be made of any such words spoken by any person whatsoever, that he shall be severely punished. And therefore that they did pray and require the said Noblemen to attend them at the Board, on the 17. day of December, that they might conferre with them: And for the security of their repaire unto them, they did thereby give to all and every of those Noblemen, the word and assurance of the State, that they might then securely and safely come unto them without danger of any trouble or stay whatsoever, from them who neither had nor have any intention to wrong or hurt them.

But now it began to appeare unto the Lords Iustices and Counsell, how farre they were engaged with the Northern Rebels. By the Exa­minations taken of some English, who made their escape out of those parts the newes of their solemne contract and Association beforemen­tioned was brought up to Dublin: And they then well enough discerned the maine obstruction in their comming, the cause of their tergiversati­ons, and what good reason they had to finde out excuses to palliate their disloyalty. They then expected no other fruits of their Proclamation then what it produced: Neither indeed had it any other effect and ope­ration among them, then that they did with great boldnesse and confi­dence by way of Answer thereunto, write back a Letter to the Lords Iustices wherein they pretend themselves so justly affrighted with Sir Charles Coot severity and deportment,Severall pre­tences of the Lords of the Pale to colour their refusall to repaire to the Lords Iu­stices and Councell. as that they dare not ad­venture themselves within the confines of his government: They heavily impose upon him the inhumane acts perpetrated as they terme them in the County of Wiclow, the Massacre of Santry and the burning of Mr Kings house and his whole substance at Clantarfe, and with a little kind of cunning, they seeme to pretend a breach of the publike faith, but would transferre the blame from the Lords Iustices to Sir Charles Coot, and therupon desire no sinister construction may be made of their stay, [Page 25] and that they may have some Commissioners appointed to conferre with them, and so conclude with some professions of their Loyalty and readi­nesse to give their advices for the advancement of his Majesties service, and the common peace of the Kingdome.

This was an Answer, such as might justly be expected to come from persons so deeply now involved in the guilt of so high a Rebellion.The great in­dulgence-used by the Lords Iustices and Councell to­wards the Lords of the Pale. It is no wonder that they were thus put to their shifts, and enforced to take up such fond excuses, and imaginary pretences for their disloyalty: For they could not in their own consciences, but be most sensible of the very great indulgence used by the Lords towards them: They had not failed in severall particulars to manifest the great confidence they had in their good affections: They had refrained from giving them any manner of provocation or jealousie. They had forborn the doing some acts of hostility for a time upon some Rebels among them, because they would not give them any the least cause of complaint. And however, it appeared by the Examination of Mac Mahone and severall others, that they were privie to the first plot, yet the Lords proceeded with so much caution and tendernesse towards them, hoping that now the Conspirators had failed in the maine part of their design which was the surprisall of the Castle of Dublin, that they might yet reclaime them thereby, and draw them into a just concurrence with them, for the preservation of the Kingdome out of the hands of those bloody Northern Rebels, who in the beginning were the only appearers in the cause: But all was to no purpose, they were too deeply engaged to recede; therefore they ran now violently on, and drew along all the cheife Gentlemen likewise of the Pale with them.

And now it shall be declared,Luke Netter­vile and others of the chief Gentlemen of the Pale, ga­ther Forces and quarter them within six miles of the City of Dub­lin. how the cheife Gentlemen of the Pale began and proceeded on to act their parts: About the beginning of December, presently after the late defeat given to the English souldiers in their march to Tredagh, Luke Nettervile second Sonne to the Lord Viscount Nettervile, caused a Proclamation to be made in the Market place of Lusk, requiring all the chiefe Gentlemen and other Inhabitants thereabouts, not to faile upon paine of death, presently to repaire unto Swoords, a Town within six miles of the City of Dublin. And within few dayes after, did meet there the said Luke Nettervile, George Black­ney Esquire, George King, Iohn Talbot, Richard Golding, Thomas Russell, Christopher Russell, Patrick Caddell, William Travers, Richard Barnwell, Laurence Bealing, Holywood of Artaine, and severall other Gentlemen who began to gather great numbers of men about them, and putting such Armes into their hands as they had in readinesse, at the present made their provisions to entertaine a settled Camp within that place. [Page 26] The Lords understanding of this unlawfull tumultuous Assembly,The Gentle­men of the Pale required by the Lords Iustices and Councell to repaire to Dublin. and deeply apprehending the mischievous consequences that might ensue thereupon, sent this Warrant following in a faire manner requiring thereby their present repaire unto them.

By the Lords Justices and Councell.

William Persons. Io: Burlace.

WHereas we have received information, that Luke Nettervile Esquire, Blackney of Rickenhore E­squire, and George King of Clontarfe Gentleman; and other Gentlemen of the County of Dublin, with great num­bers of men are assembled together in a body at Swoords and there abouts, within six miles of this City, for what intent we know not, but apparently to the terror of his Majesties good Subjects, and although considering the unseasonablenesse of this time cho­sen for such an act without our privity (whatsoever their pre­tence is) a construction might be made thereof to their disad­vantage; yet we being willing to make an indulgent interpretati­on of their actions in regard of the good opinion wee have of the Loyalty of those Gentlemen, who (it seemes) are princi­palls amongst them in that Assembly, and conceiving there may be some mistaking in that enterprise, we have chosen the rather hereby to charge the said Luke Nettervile, Blackney, King, and all the persons there Assembled with them, upon their duties of Alleageance to his Majesty, immediately upon sight hereof to separate, and not to unite any more in that manner without direction from us; and that the said Nettervill, Black­ney, King, and six others of the principall persons of those who are so assembled at Swoords or thereabouts as aforesaid, doe appear before us to morrow morning at ten of the Clock, to shew the cause of their assembling in that manner, whereof they may not faile at their extreame perils. Given at his Majesties Castle of Dublin 9. December 1641.

  • Ormond Ossory,
  • Rob. Dillon,
  • Cha. Lambart,
  • Jo. Temple,
  • Charles Coot.

But they were so farre from rendring obedience to the commands they received from the Board, as they kept the Messenger in re­straint a day and a night, threatning to hang him, and after returned a scornfull peremptory Answer, signifying unto their Lordships,The Answer made by the Pale, to the Lords War­rant. That they were constrained to meet there together, for the safety of their lives, that they were put in so great a terror by the rising out of some horse Troops and foot Companies at Dublin, who killed foure Catholikes for no other reason, then that they bore the name of that Religion, as they durst not as they pretended stay in their houses, and therefore resolved to con­tinue together, till they were assured by their Lordships of the safety of their lives before they runne the hazard thereof, by manifesting their obedi­ence due unto their Lordships. These were the very words and expres­sions used by those Gentlemen in their Answer: And accordingly they still continued together, encreasing their numbers of men and threatning to come down and encamp themselves at Clantarfe, a little Village standing upon the very Harbour of Dublin; where some of their fol­lowers had already at a low water seised upon a Bark lying there, and carried away all the Commodities they found in her; a great part whereof they had put into the then dwelling house of the said King, to whom that Village did belong. This was an act of so high a straine, and so eminently tending to the present ruine of the City as it requi­red a sudden remedy; Delayes were dangerous in a matter of such peril­lous consequence; and the Lords Justices and Councell, plainely percei­ved that if the Rebels were suffered to come down and lodge there, that they might without much difficulty make themselves masters of those few Barkes then in the Harbour; the State having at that time no Ships of force to guard them, and so put themselves in a faire way if they could bring the Wexford Ships about to joyn with them to block up the Harbour; and stop the comming in to their reliefe all such succours as should be designed in England to Land at that Port. Where­upon the Lords finding that the said King continued still with Luke Nettervile and those other Gentlemen at Swoords, that they carried themselves with such high contumacy, as that disdaining to render any obedience to their Warrant, they neither made their departure from that place, disbanded their men, nor so much as pretended to repaire to them according to their commands at the time prefixed therein: It was thought high time to take some other course with them; And there­fore about foure dayes after, the day first set down by the Lords for their appearing before them, and the very next day after, another Proclamation published for their immediate separation, the Lords Justices and [Page 28] Councell made this ensuing Order, directed to the Earle of Ormond Lievtenant Generall of his Majesties forces in Ireland.

By the Lords Iustices and Councell.

William Parsons. Io: Burlace.

A Warrant from the Lords Iustices and Councell for the sup­pressing of the Rebels of the Pale.FOrasmuch as divers of the Inhabitants of Clantarfe, Ra­heny and Kilbarrock, have declared themselves Rebells, and having robbed and spoyled some of his Majesties good Subjects, are now assembled thereabouts in Armes in great numbers, mustering and training of their Rebellious multi­tudes, to the terror and danger of his Majesties good subjects, as well at Land as at Sea, which their boldnesse is acted in such manner as to put scornes and affronts upon this State and Go­vernment, they acting such depredations even before our faces and in our own view as it were in despight of us: It is therefore ordered, that our very good Lord the Earle of Ormond and Ossory Lievtenant Generall of the Army, doe forthwith send out a party of Souldiers of horse and foot, to fall upon those Rebels at Clantarfe and thereabouts, who in such disdainfull manner, stand to out-face and dare us, and to endeavour to cut them off, as well for punishment as terror to others, and to burn and spoyle the Rebels houses and goods: And to prevent their fur­ther anoying of the shipping, going out and comming in and ly­ing in harbour; those Souldiers are to bring up or cause to be brought up to the new Crane at Dublin, such of the Boats and Vessels now lying there as they can upon the sudden, and to burn spoyle and sinke and make unserviceable the rest. Given at his Majesties Castle of Dublin December 14. 1641.

  • Ormond Ossory,
  • Rob: Dillon,
  • Cha: Lambart,
  • Ad: Loftus,
  • Jo: Temple,
  • Cha: Coote,
  • Fran: Willoughby.

According to their Lordships directions, the Earle of Ormond gave present order to Sir Charles Coot to march out privately with some Forces unto Clantarfe, which he did without any noise, and meeting there with no opposition,Sir Charls Coot Marches out with some Forces to Clantarfe. he only suffered his men to pil­lage the Town, whereof they burnt some part, as also part of Mr Kings house, in which much of the goods were found that had been taken out of the Bark before mentioned: And this was the first expedition that the Forces newly raised in Dublin, made after the defeat of the 600 men in their passage to Tredagh: As for the Massacre at Santry men­tioned in the Answer from the Lords of the Pale, The true Re­lation of the pretended Massacre at Santry. and obtruded to the World, as a just pretence to deterre them from waiting on the Lords at Dublin, it was no other then this: Information was given to some of the Officers of the Army, that there had been a robbery newly committed by certaine Rebels at the house of one Smith called the Buskin, within five miles of the City: And that if a Party of Soul­diers might be sent forth, the Informer offered to bring them upon those Rebels, as also upon other Rebels, who had lately murdered one Mr Derick Huberts a Dutch Merchant at the Skirries; whereupon two Officers with 40 foot, were sent out with direction to fall upon those Rebels: They went directly to Santry, and there finding some strangers with weapons lodged in suspicious places, they slew foure of them who as was conceived were criminall Offendours, and one of them after upon further enquiry found to be a Protestant.

But how fairely soever this matter was carried,The proceed­ings held by the Lords and chiefe Gentle­men of the English Pale, after they had joyned with the Northern Rebels. yet they resolved to make use of it for the present, by way of justification of their disloyalty: And having so farre publickly declared themselves, they held it not fit to sit idle any longer, but began to put the whole Cir­cuite of the Pale into a posture of Warre, and to make all such prepa­ratives as might enable them by the powerfull assistance they had out of the North, presently to take in Tredagh, and afterwards to march up to Dublin, and there make themselves Masters of that City and Castle: A work as now it stood represented unto them not likely to prove lesse glorious then successefull, and easie to be atchieved: They had for this end many publike meetings among themselves, as also with the cheife Comanders of the Northern Rebels.

In the first place, they declared the Lord Viscount Gormanstone Ge­nerall of the Forces to be raised in the Pale, Hugh Birne Lievtenant Generall, the Earle of Fingale Generall of the horse: Then they gave power to those Lords to nominate Captaines in severall Baronies to be respectively appointed out of them, and likewise to raise souldiers in every such Barony, viz. eight souldiers out of a Plowland land (which [Page 30] containes according to the ancient estimation 120 Acres) and every Plowland to maintaine the Souldiers to be set out by them: The Ba­rony of Duleek was assigned to the Lord of Gormanston, the Barony of Screene and Desse to the Earle of Fingale, the Barony of Slaine to the Lord of Slaine, the Barony of the Navan to the Lord of Trimble­stone, Kells to the Lord Dunsany, Ratogh and Dunboine to Sir Richard Barnewall of Crickestown Baronite, and Patrick Barnwell of Kilbrew; and by these persons, severall Captaines were appointed, and numbers of Souldiers raised according to the orders set down at the general meeting: There were also Warranrs issued out by the Lord Gormanston, whereby those persons appointed to raise the men, and to furnish them with provisions for their entertainment, were required upon paine of death to send them out: Other Warrants were likewise sent out to other persons who were appointed Overseers for the threshing out of all the Protestants corne, which was assigned generally through the Pale to be applyed towards the maintenance of their Army. The next work was to make a constant provision of all manner of necessaries for the entertainment of such Forces as were already brought down out of the North, as well as those raised in the Pale, and set down at the siege of Tredagh. And for this service they sessed the whole Country there­abouts, and ordered what proportions of corne and numbers of cattell should be brought down out of every part for the victualling of those that lay encamped about the Town: There was allotted to every Company consisting of a hundred men, for their daily allowance, one biefe, and halfe a barrell of corne: And that they might with the more facility bring in the Country people to furnish their Army with these proporti­ons; they made not only prohibitions that no corne should be carried to Dublin, but so blocked up the wayes as the poore churles that lived somewhat distant from the City, could not carry their corne thither without apparent danger; whereby the Market began to be very ill provided, and great want and scarcity was much feared by reason of the large accession of people come from severall parts of the Kingdom up un­to the City for safety. Whereupon the Lords Justices and Councell made Proclamations to be published, That all such as had corne remai­ning within some few miles distance, should as their usuall manner was, bring it to the Market at Dublin, and they should receive ready money for the same; in case they did not that, they would presently send out Parties and burn their corn as it stood in the haggards, and so prevent the use the Rebels intended to make of it for the victualing of their Army. By this meanes the City was indifferently well supplyed all that winter with corn, the Country people though otherwayes very malicious against [Page 31] the English and Protestants, being content though with much hazard, to adventure the bringing their corn, where they sold it at a good rate for ready money, rather then to suffer it to be threshed out by Warrants from the Lord of Gormanston for the use of the Irish Army then lying be­fore Tredagh.

But while they continue their fruitlesse and unprofitable attemps there, having neither skill, courage, experience,The sad condition of the publike af­faires of the State. nor any meanes to bring about their impetuous desires and fond endeavours for the taking in of that Town, I shall briefly represent a view of the sad estate of our affaires in Dublin: It was now almost full two Months since the break­ing out of this Rebellion; The Lords Justices and Councell out of their deep apprehensions of a generall revolt of all the Irish through the King­dome, did in the very beginning with much earnestnesse sollicite the present sending over of Succours out of England: And as soone as they began to make a little further discovery into the strength of this Conspi­racy, and found their own wants and utter disabilities to make any long or considerable opposition against the universall power of the whole bo­dy of the Irish, as it then began to appeare unto them, firmly united with almost all the Old English that were of the Romish Profession incor­porated into their party throughout Ireland, they did with much more earnestnesse by their frequent Letters and severall Agents, represent unto his Majesty and the Parliament of England, the very ill even desperate condition they were in; and therefore desired that supplyes both of men, money, and all kinde of warlick provisions, might be sent away with all speed unto them, declaring that unlesse they received them pre­sently, and that in great proportions, they were not able longer to sub­sist as they stood now environed on all sides with multitudes of the Rebels, but had just reason to apprehend their own present ruine, and the ine­vitable losse of the whole Kingdome: And because they conceived the Levies in England could not be so suddenly made, nor the men so easily transported from thence into the North of Ireland (where the Rebels appeared in greatest numbers, and had by their most unparalled cruelty towards the English done most mischeife) as out of Scotland: They made a proposition to the Lord Lievtenant, to move both his Majesty and the Parliament,The sending of 10000 Scots into Ireland pressed by the Lords Iustices and Councell. that 10000 Scots might be presently raised and sent over into those Parts. This they pressed with much earnestnesse, representing the very great terrour the meere Irish had of that Nation, that their bodies would better sort with that Climate, endure more hardship, and with lesse distemper undergoe the toile and miseries of an Irish war, that the transportation would be made with much more faci­lity and lesse charge, it being not above three or foure houres saile from [Page 32] some parts of Scotland into the North of Ireland, That the Kingdome of Scotland had been lately in Armes, and so had all provisions necessa­ry for the furnishing of their men for this expedition in readinesse: And lastly, they having so good a foundation in the multitude of their own Countrymen so advantagiously settled there already, would no doubt undertake the work with all alacrity, and vigorously prosecute the warre with such sharpnesse, as might testifie their deep resentment of the horrid cruelties exercised upon so many thousands of their own Na­tion by that barbarous people.

Commissioners sent out of Scotland to Treat with the Parliament of England con­cerning the reliefe of Ire­land.These Letters arrived very opportunely about the time of the Kings return from Edenburgh to the Parliament of England then sitting at Westminster: And there being even then two Scotish Lords come out of the Kingdome of Scotland, to Treat with the Parliament of England concerning the sending Forces from thence for the reliefe of Ireland. His Majesty sent to the Lords and Commons to give them notice of their arrivall, and withall desired, that certaine Commissioners appointed by himselfe, and both Houses of Parliament, might bee presently named to Treat with them, and from time to time, give an account of their proceedings to his Majesty and both Houses. This motion was with ve­ry great readinesse yeelded unto, and it was ordered, that the Earle of Bedford, the Earle of Leycester Lord Lievtenant of Ireland, the Lord Howard of Estric; nominated by the House of Peeres: And Nathaniel Fiennes Esquire, Sir William Ermin Baronite, Sir Philip Stapleton Knight, John Hampden Esquire, nominated by the House of Commons, should Treat with the Scotish Commissioners concerning the affaires of Ire­land, and that there should be a Commission granted unto them to this effect, under the great Seale of England, together with particular Instructions to regulate the manner of their proceedings.

In the propositions given in by the Scotish Commissioners, they did in the first place make offer of 10000 men in the name of the Kingdom of Scotland: Propositions presented to the Parlia­ment of Eng­land for the reliefe of Ire­land. And that they might be enabled to send them speedily away, they desired an advance of 30000 l. of the brotherly assistance afforded unto them by the Kingdome of England, and that what Armes and Munition they sent into Ireland, might in the same proportions be re­turned unto them with all expedition.

Next they desired that some ships of Warre might be appointed to guard the Seas betwixt Scotland and Ireland, to waft over their Soul­diers which they designed to transport in small vessels.

And then that upon landing of their men in Ireland, there should be a 100 horse ready to joyn with every 1000 foot that they should send thither: And that they should receive Instructions and Orders, and in every thing obey the Scotish Generall.

[...]

These propositions being taken into consideration in the House of Commons, after they had duly considered of them, and weighed the high necessities of this Kingdome, that the Scots had 2500 men ready raised, and that they could not so suddenly make provision any other way for the saving Ireland, as by sending these Forces out of Scotland, they readily condiscended unto them, and having voted them severally, they sent them up to the House of Peeres, with their desires for a speedy con­currence in them.

These beginnings gave great hopes of the sudden reliefe of Ireland, and it was now generally beleived, that considerable Forces would be transported within a very short time out of Scotland for the defence of the Northern parts of this Kingdome; especially considering with how much earnestnesse his Majesty in his Speech made to the Lords and Commons in Parliament on the 14 of December, in this present yeare, had pressed them to take to heart the businesse of Ireland, and offered unto them whatsover his power, paines or industry could con­tribute to the good and necessary work of reducing the Irish Nation to their true and wonted obedience.

But alas these great expectations were soone dashed,The Forces designed for Ireland re­tarded. and the Forces designed for Ireland, as well out of England as Scotland strangely re­tarded by severall obstructions which daily arose in the transaction of the Irish affaires.

For first, his Majesty in the same Speech, wherein he conjured them, by all that was deare to him or them, to goe on chearefully and speedi­ly for the reducing of Ireland, did take notice of a Bill for pressing Souldiers for Ireland depending in the House of Peeres, and declaring his dislike of putting it in that way, told them he would passe it so were there a salvo jure put into it both for the King and people, but withall, told them that he thought him selfe little beholding unto him whoso­ever it was, that began this dispute so farre trenching upon the bounds of his ancient and undoubted prerogative.

These passages in his Majesties Speech were deeply resented, not only by the Lords, who were more particularly concerned in them, but by the House of Commons: And therefore his Majesty had no sooner ended his Speech and left their House, but that the Lords fell into consi­deration of the same, and resolved that the King by taking notice of the debate in their House of the Bill, concerning pressing of Soul­diers, had broken the fundamentall priviledges of Parliament. And presently a Message was brought unto them, likewise by Mr Hollis from the House of Commons, to desire a conference with their Lord­ships by Committees of both Houses touching the Priviledges of [Page 34] Parliament: At the conference they fully expressed the deep sence they had of the high injury offered unto them, by his Majesty in invading their Priviledges, and proceeded so farre as to come not only to Petiti­on his Majesty, and to desire that hee would be pleased to make known that person who had given him information so unduly of what had passed in their House: but also, to make a Protestation con­cerning their Priviledges: This took up some time, and the great misun­derstanding even which then began to appear betwixt his Majesty and the Parliament, had so strong an influence into the businesse of Ireland, as notwithstanding the high necessities of this Kingdome, and the great affections expressed by the Kingdome of England for our sudden reliefe here, the resolutions were slow, and the preparations went so heavily on, as it was long before the House of Commons could finde meanes to enable the Lord Lieutenant to send so much as one Regiment away out of England, for the defence of the Castle and City of Dublin, then much distressed by the neare approach of the Rebels.

And now for the Forces to be sent out of Scotland into the Nor­thern Parts of this Kingdome, they meet with severall obstructions likewise.The debate of the propositi­ons presented by the Scotish Commissio­ners in the House of Peeres. For first, the Commissioners of Scotland had not power gi­ven them from the State there to Treat for the sending over a lesser number then 10000 men, which the Lords here were very unwilling to condiscend unto. But this obstacle was soone removed by the zealous affections of the House of Commons, who as soone as the Propositions brought in by the Scotish Commissioners for the reliefe of Ireland, were presented unto them, voted their assent to Treat for the sending of the number of 10000 men out of Scotland, according to the instructions given to the Commissioners by that Kingdome, and sent up a Message to the House of Peeres by Sir Philip Stapleton Knight, to lay before their Lordships, the miserable estate of the Kingdome of Ireland▪ and to let them know that the House of Commons conceived the best way for the preservation of it out of the hands of the Rebels, was speedily to dispatch the Scots into the Province of Ʋlster, and therefore desired that they would joyn with them in the Propositions received from the Scotish Commissioners.

Upon the receit of this Message, the House of Peeres fell upon the said Proposition, and after a long debate, it was at length agreed that 10000 Scots should be sent into Ireland, if the House of Commons would condiscend that at the same time there might 10000 English men bee as speedily sent likewise thither, and thereupon desired a conference with the House of Commons, that they might fully understand their resolution therein, which being yeelded unto by [Page 35] the House of Commons, The Lords at the conference pressed with much earnestnesse, that they might be assured of the sending over of 10000 English at the same time that the Scots were to be sent away: whereunto the House of Commons replyed, that they were not to be capitulated withall, that their actions were free as well without con­ditions as capitulations, that they thought they had given sufficient cer­tainty already of their resolution to send that number of English into Ireland, and therefore desired that their Lordships would Vote the sen­ding away of 10000 Scots by it selfe without any relation to the English spoken of by them.

This took up a large debate in the House of Peeres, and was one maine cause of the slow proceeding on of the Treaty with the Scotish Commissioners. I shall not undertake to determine at so great a di­stance from whence these obstructions grew, but I am very sure wee could here easily finde, that there were some such secret workings under­hand against the good affections expressed by the House of Commons, and by the Lords who were well affected to the service of Ireland, as that this Treaty was very much retarded thereby, and was not brought on to any conclusion in many Moneths after. So as in the meane time, all the British planted thorough out this Kingdome, were despoiled, driven out of their habitations, or most cruelly murdered within their own doores: and the Irish strengthned themselves in all parts of the Country, and prevailing everywhere, drew many to joyne with them, that had hitherto kept themselves in a kinde of Neutrality, as supposing that the State here would be altogether deserted, and no Forces at all sent out of England for the suppressing of the Irish as had taken up Armes in this quarrell.

The whole Province of Munster about the midst of this Month of December, began to declare themselves in open Rebellion.The revolt of the Irish in the Province of Munster. The Lord President there, had used his utmost endeavours to suppresse their very beginnings, but by reason of his want of strength was now able to con­taine them no longer: Hee did with all diligence and carefulnesse labour to prevent the joyning together of any numbers of the Irish in any of those parts: And when he understood how they began in some places of the Province to despoyle the English, and that they had neare Waterford gotten away many of the English mens cattell, and were carrying them out of the limits of his government, he thought it not fit longer to sit still, but gallantly pursued those Rebels in his own per­son, being accompanied only with his own Troop of horse, and some few Gentlemen of the Country, who joyned with them, and after a long and tedious march came upon them unawres, slew 200 of those Re­bels, [Page 36] restored the cattell to the English that were owners of them, and took severall prisoners whom he hanged for a greater terrour to all such as should adventure afterwards to follow their example: As soone as he had done this service, his Lordship retired back to Cork, having neither Forces nor meanes to make any further prosecution: which the Irish well enough understood, and therefore drew together in se­verall places of that Province, and though they did not in that barba­rous manner,The misery suffered by the English in Munster. as they in Ʋlster, hew down, cut in pieces, hang, drown or presently murder all the English among them: yet many horrid mur­ders they committed, used severall kinds of cruelty to many particu­lar persons, and for all the rest that fell into their hands, they robbed and violently deprived them of all their goods and cattell, most miserably stripped them out of their cloaths and leaving them quite naked, suffered most of them in that lamentable posture to passe to Cork, Youghall, Kinsale and other Ports there to embarke their miserable Carkasses for England where few arrived safely, and I am sure I may well say few, in respect of those multitudes who perished through want, cold and fa­mine, before they could get to those Towns, or otherwayes dyed after their arrivall in them, or were by stormes at Sea cast away. And for the English who stood upon their guard and immured themselves up in severall Castles of good strength in those Parts, they endured many Months siege, suffered much want and misery, and having bravely re­sisted all the assaults and attempts that the Irish made with great mul­titudes upon them, and in many places caused them to raise their sieges with great losse and slaughter of their men: yet they were after­wards, finding themselves without all hope or possibility of reliefe, en­forced to deliver those places together with the multitudes of English they had received, into the hands of the Rebels, upon faire quarter so­lemly promised by them: And in many places no sooner had they by that meanes gotten entrance into them, but that they most perfidiously broke the quarter given, despoyled them of that little remainder of their substance they had then left, and sent them away in great want and misery to find reliefe among other English Garrisons. But the whole Country being wasted and destroyed, and the poore English that lived in them, despoiled of all their substance, were become so miserable and poor, as that they were able to afford them very little reliefe or comfort, besides pitty and compassion which could not support or keep alive those languishing gastly Creatures, so as multitudes dyed, some in ditches, some travelling on the high-wayes, some under hedges, and so left their Carkasses as fearfull spectacles to the beholders, and sad monuments of the inhumane cruelties exercised on them by those bloody Rebels, [Page 37] who yet under pretence of mercy spared their lives, but took up a reso­lution as they were not ashamed to declare, to put them to a more lin­gring death, and therefore left them in such a condition as inevitably brought on their miserable ends with much more discomfort and sorrow.

But this shall suffice to shew the beginning of the rising of the Irish in Munster; the particulars whereof shall be clearly and at large set down in the following Relations of their first proceedings within that Province, where it shall be declared likewise, how all the great Towns in Lemster, except Dublin and Tredagh, did about the same time begin to strip and expell all the British and Protestants, that either inhabited in them or fled out of the Country neare about to shelter themselves there, from the barbarous cruelties of their Irish neighbours.

As for the City of Dublin it began now to be much more straightly encompassed by the Forces of the Rebels, Dublin di­stressed. much encreased through their late conjunction with the English Pale. And in case of their want of power to force it, yet they having made their approaches so neare and having so absolutely stopped up all the avenues, as we had great reason to apprehend their keeping back of provisions would drive the City into high necessities; and quickly occasion great want there. And here I cannot without much griefe of heart call to mind the lamentable complaints and bitter out-cryes, which untill this time, were continually sent up unto the Lords Justices and Councell, while they remained in this posture, out of severall Parts of the Country, where the English Inhabitants being by the Irish driven out of their habitations, had for their present safeguard put themselves into Houses or Castles of some strength; they there enduring much want and misery, made shift though not without great difficulty by severall Messages and Let­ters to make known their condition to the State, as also that they were resolved as many of them did, to suffer the utmost extremities out of hope of reliefe, and a confident expectation of succours from them.

But alas all was in vaine, they were able to afford them no other comfort then what their pittifull commiseration of their sorrowfull condition would adminster; they were themselves reduced so low, as with the greatest power they could raise, they durst not adventure to send any wayes five miles out of the City, their supplyes out of England were not arrived, they had neither place nor meanes to raise men, but only within the virge of the City, and such as they ordinarily took up there, were either Irish, whereof many ran presently away with their armes to the Rebels, or poore stripped English and Inhabitants of this City who were raw men, and though they afterwards being well exer­cised and trained to the use of their armes, proved very good souldiers; yet [Page 38] for the present they were very unfit for service: As appeared in that little expedition Colonell Craford made out with his men to Finglas, Some Forces sent out to encounter the Rebels, who lodged within three miles of Dublin. a little Town two miles distant from the City at the same time, when Sir Charles Coot marched forth to beat Luke Nettervile with his undis­ciplined Regiment out of his quarters at Santry, who having timely no­tice of his comming saved him the labour, for he presently upon the rumour thereof, dislodged and fled in so much haste, as he left some of his best equipage, and all his provisions behind him: But that Party of Rebels Colonell Craford found at Finglas, having placed themselves with good advantage behind great ditches, stood better to their work, and carried themselves so stoutly, as our new raised men began to shrink, and had not the Colonell and some other of his Officers behaved them­selves very well that day, their men had made a most dangerous and shamefull retreat. This was the greatest expedition the Forces in Dublin were able to undertake at that time, which no man will won­der at, if he doth consider as it hath been related, how the Town was in a manner surrounded on every side by severall Parties of the Rebels ga­thered together;Dublin sur­rounded on every side by the Rebels. all commerce was interrupted, all provisions brought out of the Countrey for the supply of it intercepted, as also, that all the chiefe of the English Inhabitants had transported themselves, their goods, and their Families into England, many of the Papists had upon other reasons retired themselves, and what belonged unto them into the Countrey, and there taken up their habitations within the Rebels quar­ters; no manner of intercouse with any persons whatsoever that made their abode without the distance of two miles from any part of the City, no intelligence to be had upon any termes from among the Re­bels, all courses taken for it disappointed, severall Messengers hanged up; and yet on the other side, all our designs disclosed, our weaknesse discovered, and the most private resolutions by one meanes or other communicated unto them. The Parties of the Rebels that lay neare about the City, were these following; Luke Nettervile being beaten from Santry, lay with neare 2000 men at Swoords, a Town six miles di­stant, and possessed himselfe of the Castle of Artaine, and some other places within two miles of the City: On the West side of the City at Tassagard Rath-coole, Castle Lyons, and other little Villages within the compasse of six miles, there lay 2000 more of the Rebels, who were come down out of the Countyes of Carterlagh, Kings County, Kildare, and other Parts under the command of Roger Moore, and Sutton, Eustace of Castle-Martin, and others. The Clandonells, Birnes and Tooles were also come down in great numbers out of the County of Wiclow, and had lodged themselves in some Castles towards the Sea side, and in somes [Page 39] Villages at the foot of the Mountain, not above three or foure miles distant from the Town on the South side: How desperately these Forces threatned our ruine and sudden destruction will appeare by this ensuing Letter bearing date about the midst of December, written from the Lords Iustices and Councell, unto the Lord Lieutenant then attending for his dispatch.

A LETTER from the Lords Iustices and Councell, to the Lord LIEVTENANT.

May it please your Lordship,

BY our Letters of the third of December, we made known to your Lordship, that Mr Hawtrige was then newly arrived with the Treasure sent us from thence, which came but to sixteen thousand five hundred foure­score and tenne pounds, a supply of Treasure farre short of that which is now become necessary to performe any considerable service here against the Rebels, whose numbers are increased wonderfully, insomuch as the Forces they have about Drogheda on all sides it, and between Drogheda and this place, reaching even with­in foure miles of this City, are upon very credible re­port, conceived to be above twenty thousand men, and besides those numbers who are so united between this and Drogheda and thereabouts, there are many thousands of them dispersed the whole Kingdome over, for the mea­ner sort of people first rise generally; and then those of better quality follow after; and the fire which was first kindled in Vlster, and lay awhile smothered in other parts, begins now to break out so generally, as the defection now appeares to bee universall throughout the whole foure Provinces; so strangly rooted was the [Page 40] combination, and that strengthned under the specious shew of a Warre for Religion; for although before and since the Caution wee had from your Lordship, We have on our part endeavoured not to give any appre­hension to the Irish, that England doth intend to make it a Warre of Religion, yet as we formerly made known to your Lordship, the Rebels labour mainely to have it so understood. Nay, they now goe so farre as they call themselves generally the Catholike Army, a Title which hath drawn many thousands to their party, and yet ma­ny joyned with them for no other reason then because they saw our Succours expected forth of England and Scotland deferred, they rightly judging, that without those Succours, we are not able to defend them our selves; and indeed untill those Succours come, they must and will still encrease; but if our men and armes were once arrived, the very countenance of their comming would draw many from them to us, and give some stop to the fury, with which they yet carry all before them whither­soever they come.

They continue their rage and malignity aganst the En­glish and Protestants, who if they leave their goods or cat­tell for more safety with any Papist, those are called out by the Rebels, and the Papists goods and cattell left behind; and now upon some new Councells taken by them, they have added to their former, a further degree of cruelty, even of the highest nature, which is to Proclaime, That if any Irish shall harbour or relieve any English, that be suffered to escape them with his life, that it shall bee penall even to death to such Irish; and so they will bee sure though they put not those English actually to the sword, yet they doe as certainly and with more cruelty cut them off that way, then if they had done it by the sword; and they professe they will never give over untill they leave not any seed of an English-man in Ireland.

Nor is their malice towards the English expressed on­ly so, but further even to the beasts of their fields, and improvements of their hands, for they destroy all Cattell of English breed, and declare openly, that their reason is, because they are English; so great is their hatred, not onely to the persons of the English, but also to every species of that Nation, and they destroy all improvements made by the English, and lay waste their habitations.

Wee formerly signified to your Lordship, that to take away all jealousie from the Papists of the English Pale, we would furnish them with some Armes, and the rather be­cause wee well know that in the last great Rebellion in Ireland, the English Pale stood firme to the Crowne of England; and that the Rebell Tyrone in the heigth of his power and greatnesse, was never able to get into the Pale with his Forces whilst hee was in Rebellion; and upon this occasion, the Noblemen and Gentlemen of the Pale, making deep professions of their loyalty to his Majesty, in imitation of their Ancestors, and with expressions seeming to abhorre the Contrivers of this Rebellion here against whom they offered their power and strength, so as they might have Armes; and we being well assured, that if wee could gaine their concurrence with us, it would much facilitate our work; wee did at their earnest suit issue for them Armes for one thousand seven hun­dred men, wherewith divers Companies were armed by them, and some of them selves were appointed Gover­nours of the Forces of the Counties, and Captaines of their Compaines; but so many of those Companies revolted to the Rebels, and carryed away their Armes with them, as we have recovered back but nine hundred and fifty Armes; so as those whose loyalty We had rea­son to expect would help us, are now through their di­sloyalty turned against us, and are strengthned with our own Armes; and without all question, if those of the [Page 42] English Pale had done their parts as became good subjects with their Armes they had from us, and those they might gather amongst themselves, they might with our help not only have defended the Pale against the Rebels, but might also have prevented the ruine and destruction wrought by their Tenants and Neighbours on the poore English and Protestants amongst them; for the Noblemen and Gentry sate still and looked on, whilst the English and Protestants were ruined before their faces; the Papist in the meane time remaining secure, without the losse of goods, or any thing else.

When wee saw the power and strength of the Rebels still growing upon us more and more, and approaching by degrees more neare to us, and the English and Protestants robbed and spoyled even within two miles of this City, in disdaine and affront of this State, which are scornes of so high a nature as we could not endure, if we had strength sufficient to represse their insolencies; and when we ob­served the retarding of our Succours of men and armes from England or Scotland, neither of both Succours being yet come, nor as we heard so much as in view there or in Scotland, and when we found apparantly that for want of those supplies, we became in a manner so contemptible, as we were in danger to be set upon for taking from us this City and Castle before our aides should come, wee be-thought us of all the meanes we could of gaining time, be­ing confident that wee cannot be so deserted by the State of England, but that some supplies may yet come unto us: And therefore on the third of December, we directed our Letters to divers of the Nobility of the Kingdome who were nearest to us, and most of them being of the English Pale, to be with us here on the eight day of this Month, that we might conferre with them concerning the present state of the Kingdome, and we hoped by their help, to handle the matter so as we might gaine a few dayes [Page 43] time before our supprisall here, by which time in all like­lihood our Succours might arrive, although it be boldly given out by the Rebels, that we shall have no Succours from thence, which they divulge to enbolden their party, and to strike terror and discouragement into the well-affected, amongst whom there are many so weak, as to apprehend from thence too much feare, whereby many are fled the Kingdome.

On the eigth day of this Moneth, the Earle of Kildare, the Lord Viscount Fitz-Williams, and the Lord Bar­ron of Houth came unto us, but the rest of the Noblemen not comming deferred our conference, and on the eleventh day of this Month we received Letters from seven of them, namely, the Earle of Fingale, the Lord Viscount Gor­monston, the Lord Viscount Nettervile, and the Lords of Slaine, Trimblestone, Dunsany and Lowth, dated the seventh day of this Month, and signed by them, pretending a feare of a Massacre on those of their Religion, and that therefore they are deterred, to wait on us, but doe rather think it fit to stand upon their guard, and how that resolution of theirs may stand with the loyalty they professe, wee humbly sub­mit to his Majestie's excellent judgment, for whose royall view wee send you here inclosed, a Copy of their said Letters.

When we received those Letters, we did admire whence their feares of comming to us should arise, but afterwards we heard that they had been in consultation with the Rebels, which also as to most of them is confirmed by the enclosed Examination of Christopher Hampton, and indeed we know no cause of feare they have of us, unlesse their own guilts be­got in them the feare they pretend; and they spare not though unjustly to charge us with a neglect of their advises, whereas not one of them to this House offered to us any ad­vice or reall assistance towards Pacification of these troubles.

It became then publike (nor could wee keep secret that which they had published to others) that those Noblemen so farre sided with the Rebels as they now stood on their guard; wee therefore adjudged it fit for vindicating the State from the aspersion which we found so publikely en­deavoured to be laid upon us, to publish the enclosed Proclamation, as well to satisfie to the world as those No­blemen, who certainly are abundantly satisfied in their own secret thoughts, that wee never intended to Massacre them or any other; that being a thing which we and all good Protestants doe much abhorre, what ever the pra­ctice of their Religion is, and hath been found to be by wo­full experience in other parts, whereof we confesse we are now in great danger; if our long expected Succours come not the sooner to us, and it may be gathered from that un­exampled tyranny which the Rebels have already exercised towards those of our Nation and Religion, who fell into their hands, what we for our parts may expect from them; but the dishonour and shame which may reflect upon the English Nation by exposing this State and Kingdome to so appa­rent ruine, and with it the extirpation of Gods true Religi­on, afflicts us more then the losse of our own lives and for­tunes, when all might be saved by sending seasonably those Succors.

Wee lately received Letters from the Lady Ofaly, and a Letter containing most insolent Menaces inclosed therein, sent her from the Rebels, to which shee sent them a noble Answer, Copies whereof we send here in­closed.

One of the Rebels stiling himselfe Chaplaine Major and Overseer of the Coasts and Harbours, lately sent a Sum­mons in a proud and vaunting manner, to one Edward Leech, that was entrusted to keep the Iland of Lambay, requiring the delivery up of that Iland to the Rebels, which being done, he gave Leech a Passe, where in he stiles the Rebels Forces the Ca­tholike [Page 45] Army: A copy of which Summons and Passe we send your Lordship here inclosed; and Leech told us that that mighty Chaplaine declared openly to him, That he was Plot­ter of this Rebellion, That he had spent in Travell and Pro­secution of that design beyond Seas foure thousand pounds; and that all the Kings in Christendome, excepting the King of England, and the King of Denmark, have hands in this bu­sinesse.

A Castle in the Town of Langford, held by the English, who stood out awhile against the Rebels, being in the end through want of victuals necessitated to be rendered up to them upon promise of quarter, a Popish Priest standing with his Skeane in his hand, watching for the comming forth of a Minister then amongst the English, did by thrusting that Skeane into the Ministers guts, and ripping up his belly, give that as a signall to the Rebels, for falling upon the rest of the English, which they did accordingly, assoone as the Mi­nister was murthered, killing some, and hanging the rest most perfidiously.

On the ninth of this Month, we received advertisement, that great numbers of men were gathered together in War-like manner at Swoords in the County of Dublin within six miles of us, they having the Army of the Rebels behind them on this side Drogheda; whereupon we then immediately sent out our Warrant, commanding them to disperse: A Copy whereof we send your Lordship here inclosed, which was not obeyed; but a Letter sent us from Luke Nettervile Sonne to the Lord Viscount Nettervile and others of them: A Copie whereof we likewise send here inclosed; whereupon we published the inclosed Manifest, for vindica­ting this State from their aspersions also: And it is observa­ble, that those Gentlemen at Swoords could even on that very Tuesday night, wherein they alledge they were so affrighted at their Houses, assemble twelve hundred men together in that moment of time, to have in readinesse against any at­tempt [Page 46] from the State, whereas for many dayes before, they could sit still and look on, whilst an Army of the Enemy lay behind them, betwixt them and Drogheda, and whilst some of them openly declared Rebels, and many of their neigh­bours, who doubtlesse hold under-hand intelligence with the Rebels, robbed and spoiled the English on all parts round about them; and yet those Gentlemen could not in all that time be either so affrighted by the Rebels, or so com­passionate of their poore English neighbours, as to assemble any men for the defence of themselves, or those their poore English neighbours; and certainly those Gentlemen might have been as believing in this State who have alwayes used lenity and mildnesse towards them, as in the Forces of the Rebels which lie so neare behind them, and who they know have murthered many of his Majesties good and innocent Subjects, and for ought they know (if there were not secret intelligence between them) might have used them also in like manner.

But the truth is, we conceive those Gentlemen had a minde to joyn with the Rebels, and doe now take up pre­tences to cover their disloyalty, and cast scandall on this Government.

The Rebels in the Pale as in other parts, have caused Masses to be said openly in the Churches, expelled the Ministers from Officiating in their Churches, and forced divers per­sons for saving their lives and goods to become Papists, openly professing that no Protestant shall be suffered to live in Ireland, and whilst they insult thus over all the English and Protestants, destroying them for no other reason, but for that they are Protestants and English, we let fall nothing against them touching Religion, and yet they faine things against us, tending that way to give some colour to their cruell proceedings.

The Rebels of the County of Kildare have taken the Naas and Kildare in the County of Kildare. The Rebels of Meath [Page 47] have taken Trim, and Ashboy in the County of Meath, and divers other places; The Rebels of the County of Dublin, have possessed Swoords and Rathcoole, and spoyled all the Eng­lish and Protestants even to the Gates of Dublin, and now about fifteen hundred of the Rebels of Wiclow are in and about Powerscait, and about ten miles from this City; There are also between this and the Naas within six or seven miles of us a thousand of the Rebels of Kildare, and the Borders of Wiclow and Dublin, so as we are in this City invironed by them on all sides by Land, and they begin to stop accesses to us by Sea; for the Fishermen on the Sea Coasts being all Irish and Papists Inhabitants in the Pale, brake out also into Rebellion with the multitude, and have robbed, spoyled and pillaged even within the Bay of Dublin severall Barkes comming hither forth of England. And if to revenge this villany on the Fishermen at Clantarfe and there­abouts, so neere us, we send forth a Party of Souldiers to burn and spoyle those Rebels houses and corn, the Gentle­men of the Pale will immediately take new offence; but that we will adventure upon; for now there is no dalliance with them, who so farre declare themselves against the State, not caring what scorns are put upon the Government, wherein is observable, that the Landlord of Clantarfe is one of those Gentlemen risen in Armes at Swoords.

Your Lordship now sees not only the necessity of hast­ning with all possible speed our Succours of men and armes, both out of England and Scotland, in greater numbers then those at first designed, seeing the breach appeares to be farre greater, and the defection more generall then at first was conceived; and yet so as such of them as are ready be not forced to stay for the rest, but that those may be so ordered as to come after, for no flesh can imagine, unlesse they saw it as we doe the greatnesse of our danger, who are but a handfull in comparison of the multitudes risen against us: And we desire that the ten thousand designed to come from Scotland, [Page 48] may be wholly sent away, as well the five thousand intended to be left there in readinesse as the rest, with direction to land as neare Dublin as they may, and wheresoever they land to march to Dublin if possibly they can; And to send away with all speed the Ships appointed for guarding these Coasts, is also very necessary to be hastned, and that two or three Ships of good strength follow after; doubtlesse these Rebels expect a very great supply of Armes and Munition from forraign Parts, either Spaine or France.

And although out of the fore-sight we had of this ex­tremity since these troubles began, we have endeavoured to get in some provisions of victuall and corne, yet we have not been able to provide our selves sufficiently to stand out any long siege, nor can we now get in any more, our Mar­kets being almost taken away, and the strength of the Rebels surrounding us so as wee can fetch in no more provisions; wherefore we beseech your Lordship that the Magazins of Victuals designed to be setled on that side, may be setled wirh all speed, if it be not done already, whereby we and the Succours we expect, may not be in distresse of Victuals for our selves or them, or oates for our horses. Our want of Victuals is the more in respect of the daily accesse of the English spoyled in the Countrey.

The necessity of the defence of the Province of Munster, required the immediate raising of a Regiment of Foot con­sisting of one thousand men, and two Troops of Horse of threescore each Troop, which threescore we appointed the Lord President to raise, and for the payment and arming of of them, wee humbly advise, seeing we cannot doe it, that money and armes be sent from thence to Youghall, with a further supply of Armes and Munition for the stores in that Province now much wanting there.

And as the Rebels which have be set us and this City on all sides by Land, doe threaten to cut off our Market at Dublin, which we begin to feele already: so they boldy declare, that [Page 49] they will within a day or two cut off the watercourse, which brings water to this City and Castle; and that done, that their multitudes will immediately burn our Suburbs and besiege our Walls, which we confesse we yet want strength to defend, and must want till our Supplies come forth of England or Scotland or both; for here we have but about three thousand men, the rest of the old Companies being dispersed in severall needfull Garrisons in the Coun­trey (excepting seven Companies of them surprised, and cut off by the Rebels at their first rising in Vlster and other Parts) and about two hundred horse by pole of the old Army, whereof many are Irish: so as considering the spaciousnesse of this City and Suburbs to be defended, the smalnesse of our number to defend them, and the great numbers of Pa­pists Inhabitants in this City and Suburbs; and lastly, the very great numbers of the Rebels, who are so strong as to approach this City with many thousands, and yet leave many thousands also at the siege of Drogheda, wee can­not expect to bee able to defend this City for any long time against them, without the arrivall of our expected Succours.

The Earle of Castle-haven on the tenth of this Month, presented at this board the inclosed Oath tendered unto him by the Rebels to be sworn by him, which he saith he re­fused to sweare, and we heare they send it to all Parts to be tendered to the people, pressing them to take the Sacrament thereupon.

We did lately in hope to gaine some time untill our sup­plies might come, listen to an offer made by some Popish Priests to goe to the Rebels and Treat with them, as you may perceive by the inclosed: But since we finde there is little hope of it; for some of the Priests are returned, nothing being wrought thereby.

However it is fit your Lordship should know what wee doe; we must now crave leave to declare to your Lordship, [Page 50] that things being risen here to this heigth, threatning not onely the shaking of the Government, but the losse of the Kingdom, as the Supplies of men, Armes and more Trea­sure, are of great necessity to be hastned away hither; so is it also needfull that we enjoy your Lordships presence here, for the conduct in your own person of the great and impor­tant affaires of this State, as well in the Martiall as in the Civill Government, which doe necessarily require it in this time of great imminent danger, wherein so farre as we may be able to contribute any assistance with you, we shall be ready to discharge our duties therein, with that loyalty and up­rightenesse of heart which we owe to his Majesty, and the particular respect due from us to your Lordship; but we hope you will bring that strength with you, which may be­fit the greatnesse of the King our Master to send with his Leivtenant against so numerous enemies as these Rebels are become, as well for the honour of his Majesty, as for the terrour of those Rebels.

By what we have heretofore and now humbly represented to your Lordship, you may in part see the greatnesse of the publike danger wherein this Kingdom now stands, and parti­cularly this City and Castle, the principall piece thereof, that if those be lost (which we now againe assure your Lordship, were never in so great perill to be lost since the first Conquest of this Kingdom by the Crown of England) the whole King­dom must quickly follow, that the danger which must there­upon arise to the Kingdom of England, is very great in many respects. There is no possibility to prevent those evils with honour and safety to England but by Succours from thence or Scotland, or both, and that if those Succours come not speedily, it cannot be avoyded, but the Kingdom must be lost. And if notwithstanding all this so often and truly made known by us to your Lordship, we shall perish for want of Supplies, we shall carry this comfort with us to our graves or any other buriall we shall have, that your Lordship can [Page 51] witnesse for us to the Royall Majesty and to all the world that we have discharged our duties to God, to his Majesty, to that Nation, and to this, in humbly representing to his Ma­jesty by your Lordship, the chiefe Governour of the King­dome, the extremities and dangers wherein his Kingdome and people stand, and the necessity of hastning Supplies hi­ther, by all possible meanes for preservation of both, so as what ever become of our persons, our memory cannot be justly stained with so wretched a breach of faith and loyalty to the King our Master, as to forbeare representing thither the extremities wherein we are, whether we have the credit to be believed or no; and that we write truth, and most needfull truth, will be found true, when perhaps we shall perish, and which is more considerable, the Kingdome also for want of being believed and succoured in time. And so we remaine

Your Lordships to be commanded,
  • William Persons.
  • Io: Burlace.
  • Ormand Ossory.
  • R: Dillon.
  • Char: Lambart.
  • Ad: Loftus.
  • Iohn Temple.
  • Charles Coot.
  • Francis Willoughby.
  • R: Meredith.
From his Majesties Castle of Dublin, 14 December. 1641.

Postscript.

BY our Letters to your Lordship of the 22 of November, We did desire to be enformed from thence, whether the Parliament here being once Prorogued, may not againe be prorogued by Pro­clamation before they sit, or whether it be of necessity that they must sit againe, and the Parliament to be Prorogued the House sitting. And now that this Rebellion hath over-spread the whole [Page 52] Kingdome, and that many members of both Houses are involved therein, so as the Parliament cannot sit. We humbly desire to know his Majesties pleasure therein, and if his Majesty shall think fit to Prorogue it, which in present we hold expedient, that then we may receive his commandment for Prorogation, and that the doubt concerning that be cleared; for to assemble at that time can­not be with safety.

Our Letters of the third of December, have been hitherto with-held on this side by contrary winds.

In this most miserable condition, the Lords Justices and Councell continued shut up within the City of Dublin, strugling with all their power for a short preservation from those dismall calamities which had generally over-spred the whole Kingdome: Their care, travell, and en­deavours, had hitherto in some measure extended to the most remote parts; how they might asswage the swelling distempers, or yeeld some reliefe to the lamentable complaints and bitter out-cryes daily brought up unto them. But now the evils abroad were grown past their cure, and their own dangers so multiplyed as they were enforced to spend their time almost in a perpetuall consultation, never at rest, sometimes raised in the night by sudden advertisements, alwayes in constant perplexity and trouble, desperately threatned on every side, so as what through treachery within or from without, they had just reason to apprehend the losse of the City and Castle wherein they had enclosed themselves, and so consequently the ruine and destruction of all the British and Protestants throughout all other parts of the Kingdome. And thus they continued untill the most happy and welcome arrivall of that truly valiant Gentleman and gallant Commander Sir Simon Har­court, The arrivall of Sir Simon Harcourt with Forces out of England. who being designed Governour of the City of Dublin, was dispatched away by speciall Order of Parliament with his Regiment for the preservation of that place, and landed here on the last of December, 1641, to the great joy and comfort of all his Majesties Protestants, and well affected Subject, and to the terrour of those Rebels now in Armes, who had made themselves believe that no Succours would be sent out of England towards the suppressing of their notorious Re­bellion.

And now my intentions were to have proceeded further on in set­ting down what hath fallen out within the next foure Months, and then to have added a briefe account of all such particular passages as [Page 53] have been acted during the space of those six Months within all the severall Counties of this Kingdom, and so having recollected and presen­ted as it were at one view the publike calamities and miserable deso­lations of all the foure Provinces there, to have sate down and made the first period of this Story.

But I must here take up being unexpectly called away; I resolve therefore patiently to attend the restoring of this Kingdome and the resettlement of our affaires, and then if I find not this work under­taken and perfected by some more skilfull hand, I shall hope to get the rest of my tailing together, and make such further provision of all other materialls as may enable mee to goe through with the same.

In the meane time it will not be amisse to take notice, that the Rebels within very few Moneths after their first breaking out, had so ordered their affaires, as that by their sudden surprises, their sharpe and bloody executions, their barbarous stripping▪ and despoyling of all sorts that fell into their hands, they had cleared the Inland Counteys of all the British Inhabitants: And except some few Castles and other places of strength which they held severally besieged, and had most of them suddenly after surrendred for want of reliefe, they had in a manner made themselves absolute Masters in all those Parts of the Kingdome. And for the Maritime places, there were only some of the chiefe Cities which were held out against them, besides some few other Forts and places of no great importance: As in the Pro­vince of Lemster, the Cities of Dublin; and in the Province of Munster, the Cities of Cork, Youghall, and Kinsale; in Vlster, London-Derry, Colraine and Caregfergus: And all these they held either besieged, much distressed, or they were otherwayes so over-pestred with the mul­titudes of poore stripped people fled to them for safety, as they were confident they could not long hold out, but that either open force, treachery, famine, or sicknesse would within a short time inevitably put them into their hands.

Thus it pleased God to humble his own people in this Land, and for their sinnes to give them up into the power of their cruell Ene­mies, who began now to sacrifice to their own ne [...]s, to celebrate the me­mory of their Victories: And upon the prosperity of their undertakings and late successe, they were become so confident of prevailing even to the totall extirpation of all the British and Protestants out of this King­dome, as they proceeded to set down a certaine form of Government, nominated the persons whom they intended to entrust with the ma­nagement of their affaires, what Lawes they would have revoked, [Page 54] what Statutes newly enectad: And in the meane time they erected a Councell which they stiled the Supreme Councell, which they in­vested with absolute Power and Authority, to order and governe the whole Kingdome. This consisted of certaine Noblemen, Gentlemen, three or foure Lawyers, and one Physitian, who being elected unto this charge, had the place of their residence appointed unto them at Kil­kenny, a City in the Province of Lemster, where they sate ordinarily for the dispatch of all the great and weighty affaires of their State: They there erected severall Courts of Judicature, they made a new broad Seale, appointed severall great officers of State, coyned money, settled an excise upon all kinde of commodities, and performed many other acts of regall power.

Now how they proceeded on in the ordering these their great af­faires what Councels they took, what meanes they used to enable them­selves to make opposition against the Forces sent over by the Parlia­ment of England into all the foure Provinces of Ireland, I shall here forbeare to speak of. These particulars must be reserved for the en­suing part of this Story, where they will most properly fall in to be related: And where likewise, we shall finde so strange a turn, such a remarkable declination of their power, their hearts failing them for feare, their Councells infatuated, their designs blasted, their Forces routed their sieges raised, such a generall defailliance and inprosperity in all their undertakings, as we must needs give glory to our Maker, and acknowledge that God hath most wonderfully wrought for the delive­rance of the poore small remnant of his people, which were here shut up and designed to the slaughter.

For after a considerable number of Horse as well as Foot sent over by the Parliament of England arrived at Dublin, and had in some pet­ty encounters thereabouts tried the mettaile of the Rebels, and found their spirit of a poore and base allay, they began extreamely to dis­value them, and would be no longer abused with the fabulous reports of their great strength or numbers which with much advantage they had long made use of: Therefore now they began to seek them out in all places, and wheresoever they came to meet with them, they alwayes prevailed even with small numbers very often against great multitudes of them, sparing not many times to pursue them into the midst of their greatest f [...]tnesses, and made the very bogges and woods unsafe recepta­cles for their broken Troopes. And with so great successe, was the warre prosecuted by the English from the first landing of their Forces out of England untill the Treaty of that most unhappy Cessation con­cluded in Sept. 1643. as that in all the incounters they had with the [Page 55] Rebels during that time, they never received any scorn or defeats, but went on Victoriously, beating them down in all Parts of the King­dome: And so they carried on their work before them without any assistance either from the meere Irish or the English Irish: For I can not my selfe remember any Gentleman of quality throughout the whole Kingdome that was there born and breed up a Papist that put himselfe into that service, or desired to be listed as a member of the English Army. It is true, some of the common Souldiers there, were of the English Irish that came in, and though they were not considerable for their number, yet they did good service and still with much fury and sharpnesse followed on upon the execution.

FINIS.

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