BROTHERHOOD of St. George But to proceed William Sherwood 1475. Bishop of Meath was Lord Deputy to the Duke of Clarence he held a Parliament at Dublin Friday after the Feast of St. Margaret which makes it Treason to bring Bulls or Apostiles from Rome and orders the Lords of Parliament to wear Robes on pain of one hundred Shillings and enjoyns the Barons of the Exchequer to wear their Habits in Term-time and Enacts That if any Englishman be damnified by an Irishman not amesnable to Law he may reprize himself upon the whole Sept or Nation And that it shall be Felony to take a Distress contrary to Common Law which was a very necessary Act in those Times and is the only Act of this Parliament that is printed and though it be an English Case yet it may be useful in other Countries and therefore we will mention That George Nevil Duke of Bedford was this Year degraded 4th Instit. 355. because he had not any Estate left to support the Dignity Henry 1478. Lord Grey of Ruthen Lord Deputy held a Parliament a Drogheda which repeal'd all the Acts of the aforesaid Parliament of 12 Edw. 4. and then he resigned to Sir Robert Preston Lib. G. Lord Deputy who on the 7th of August was created Viscount Gormanston but he held the Government but a little time before he surrendred to Girald Earl of Kildare Lord Deputy he held a Parliament at Naas Friday after the Feast of St. Petronilla which Enacted 1478. 1. That Distresses taken for Rent might be sold And 2. That Non-Residents might be chosen Parliament-men 1480. but on the twelfth of August the Earl of Kildare was made Deputy to the Kings Son Richard Duke of York for four years from the fifth of May following Lib. M. by the Dukes Patent under the Kings Privy Seal quod nota and the Earl by Indenture with the King did Covenant to keep the Realm surely and safely to his power and was to have eighty Archers on Horse-back and forty other Horsemen called Spears and six hundred pound per annum to maintain them and if the Irish Revenue cannot pay it it shall be sent out of England This Lord Deputy held another Parliament on Monday after the Translation of St. Thomas at which it was Ordained 1. That no Hawks should be carried out of the Kingdom without great Custom And 2. That the Pale should have no correspondence with the Irish and it seems this Parliament Naturaliz'd Con O Neal Davis 93â— who had married the Lord Deputy's Daughter What the incomparable Spencer in his View of Ireland relates of the Duke of Clarence and Moroughen Ranagh O Brian is not to be placed in the Reign of Edward the Fourth because George Duke of Clarence was never actually in Ireland whilst he was Lord Lieutenant of that Kingdom but always managed that Province by Deputies and therefore I suppose that what Spencer has related will better suit with the Government of Lionel Duke of Clarence in the Reign of Edward the Third who did indeed marry the Heiress of Vlster and performed the other Atchievements Mr. Spencer writes of It was in this Kings Reign that the Jubile which before was every Fiftieth Year was by Pope Sixtus the Fourth brought to be every five and twentieth year and that the Primacy of Scotland was setled upon the Archbishop of St. Andrews And thus stood the Government of Ireland during the Reign of King Edward the Fourth who between the French King the troublesome Earl of Warwick the discontented Lords and the Attempts of the Wife and Friends of Henry the Sixth found so much work at home that Ireland was in a manner neglected and left to the Protection of the Fraternity of St. George when on the ninth Day of April 1483 the King died in the two and fortieth Year of his Age and of his Reign the three and twentieth THE REIGN OF RICHARD III. King of England c. And LORD of IRELAND UPon the Death of King Edward his Son the Prince of Wales being then at Ludlow was Proclaimed King by the Name of Edward the Fifth and in his way to London was perswaded by the means of his Unkle the Duke of Glocester to dismiss great part of his Guards as well to save the Charge as to avoid giving Cause of Suspicion and Reasons of Jealousie to such as doubted that so numerous an Attendance was entertain'd upon Designs prejudicial to them And so having luckily mounted this first step to the Throne the Duke of Glocester proceeded to confederate with the Duke of Buckingham and the Lord Hastings and by their assistance he first seized on the Earl Rivers and others of the Kings Relations and Friends and then got the King himself into his power and brought him to London using a thousand Artifices to make the People believe that the Queen-Mothers Kindred designed the extirpation of the Ancient Nobility the Slavery of the People and the Ruine of the Kingdom This Duke of Glocester wheedled or bribed to that degree that he was chosen Protector by the unanimous Consent of the Council and afterwards got the Kings Brother out of Sanctuary at Westminster and under specious Pretences of their Security both the Princes were conveyed to the Tower of London in a most pompous and splendid manner and there they were afterwards murdered by the Appointment if not by the Hands of their Unkle King Richard took upon him the Regal Office on the 18th day of June 1483. and before the Murder of his Nephews and he was Crowned together with his Queen on the 6th day of July 1483. and being very busie in England to establish the Crown he had usurped he did not think it advisable to make any Alterations in Ireland but continued in that Government Gerald Earl of Kildare Lord Deputy to Edward the Kings Son who held a Parliament at Dublin wherein it was Enacted That the Mayor and Bayliffs of Waterford might go in Pilgrimage to St. James of Compostella in Spain leaving sufficient Deputies to govern that City in their absence 2. That the Corporation of Ross might reprize themselves against Robbers and that no Persons should alien their Free-hold in Ross to a Foreigner without the Licence of the Portriff and Council of that Town but these being private Acts are not Printed It seems that the next Year the Earl of Kildare as Deputy to the Earl of Lincoln 1484. Lord Lieutenant did hold another Parliament at Dublin wherein six private Acts only were made and not long after conven'd another Parliament at Trim which either did nothing at all or nothing worth mentioning but a subsequent Parliament at Dublin gave a Subsidy of Thirteen shillings and four pence out of every Plow-Land to the Deputy towards his Charges in the Service he did against the Irish wherein O Connor it seems was a Partner or Co-adjutor for he also had ten Groats out of every Plow-Land in Meath for
Souls paid Tribute to Caesar though no Christian greater Honour then surely is due to your Prince His Highness the King and a Christian one Rome and her Bishops in the Fathers Days acknowledged Emperors Kings and Princes to be Supreme over their Dominions nay Christs own Vicars and it is much to the Bishop of Rome's shame to deny what their precedent Bishops owned Therefore his Highness claims but what he can justifie the Bishop Elutherius gave to S. Lucius the first Christian King of the Britains so that I shall without scrupling vote his Highness King Henry my Supreme over Ecclesiastical Matters as well as Temporal and Head thereof even of both Isles England and Ireland and that without Guilt of Conscience or Sin to God and he who will not pass this Act as I do is no true Subject to his Highness XIII That the King and his Heirs and Successors for ever shall have the twentieth part of the yearly Profits Revenues Rents Farms Titles Offerings and Emoluments Spiritual and Temporal belonging to any Archbishoprick Bishoprick Abbacy Monastery Priory Arch-Deaconry Deanry Hospital Comandry College House Collegiate Prebend Cathedral-Church Collegiate Church Conventual Church Parsonage Vicarage Chantry or Free Chappel or other Promotion Spiritual whatsoever And the King was so well pleased with this Act Lib. H. that he sent a particular Letter of Thanks to the Lords Spiritual for granting him the twentieth part of their Livings yearly for ever XIV That no Subject shall be shaved above his Ears or wear Glibbs or Crom-meals i.e. Hair on the upper Lip or Linnen died in Saffron or above seven yards of Linnen in their Shifts and that no Woman wear any Kirtle or Coat tucked up or embroydered or garnished with Silk or couched ne laid with Usker after the Irish Fashion and that no Person wear Mantles Coats or Hoods after the Irish Fashion except Women Horse-boys Cow-boys and Soldiers at the rising out and Hostings all which may wear Mantles And that every body shall endeavour to learn the English Language and conform to the English Fashion c. XV. And that Benefices shall not be given to any that cannot speak English unless after four Proclamations in the next Market-Town to the Benefice on four several Market-Days a Person that can speak English cannot be got and that then an honest able Irishman may be admitted on his Oath that he shall do his utmost endeavour to learn the English Language and observe the English Order and Fashion and teach those under him to do the like and shall keep an English School in his Parish to that purpose c. XVI An Act for the Suppression of Abbies XVII An Act against transporting of Wool and Flocks XVIII An Act about the Proof of Testaments XIX The Act of Faculties prohibiting the Subjects from paying any Pensions Cences Portions Peter-pence or any other Impositions to the use of the Pope and extinguishing and suppressing them for ever and authorizing Commissioners appointed by the King to grant Faculties and Dispensations as the Archbishop of Canterbury may do in England by vertue of the Act of Faculties there which is made of Force in Ireland XX. That Poyning's Act be suspended pro hac vice XXI An Act for Limitation of Actions on Penal Statutes viz. That Actions in the King's Name be commenced within three years after the Offence and Actions Popular within one year XXII An Act for prostrating the Wares on the River Barrow c. XXIII An Act for uniting and annexing the Parsonages and Vicarages of Dungarvan c. to the Crown XXIV That no body presume to leaze Corn whilst there be any Stacks or Reeks of Corn in the Field And that every man that cannot keep his Child at School do at ten years of Age put him to Handicraft or Husbandry XXV That the Leases made or to be made by the King's Commissioners viz. Saintleger Pawlet c. shall be good and valid any defect of Inquisition or Office c. notwithstanding Lastly An Act for the first Fruits of the great Abbies and Monasteries c. which were not vested in the King by the above Act ch 16. But this Statute is become useless by a subsequent Act that gives all the Abbies c. to the King And these are all the Acts of this Parliament to be found in the printed Statute-Book which I do not pretend to have critically or exactly abridged because I think it necessary for every man that will be nicely instructed in any statute-Statute-Law to read the Statute at large and not to trust to an Abridgment but I have endeavoured to give such an Historical Account of these Acts as may illustrate this Collection and give the Reader some Light into the Affairs of those times Nor must it be forgotten that many of these Statutes are made in the later Sessions of this Parliament Anno 1537. And besides these Printed Acts there was another Law made at this Parliament against Fosterings and Marriage with the Irish and it was thereby made Treason to marry with the Child of any Man who had not swore allegiance and entred into Recognizance to observe it but this severe Law was repeal'd 11 Jac. 1. cap. 5. But whilst the Nobility and Gentry were at the Parliament O Connor made use of the opportunity as he used to do and invaded the Pale his Fury lighted most on the Barony of Carbry in the County of Kildare which he preyed and burnt and to revenge it the Lord Trimletstown and the Vice-Treasurer Brabazon with such men as they could on the sudden get together made an Incursion into Offaly and in like manner wasted and destroyed that Country which obliged O Connor to return home as fast as he could Sir William Brereton was likewise sent to the Confines of Vlster to parly with O Neal who complained That the League made between the Lord Deputy Skeffington and him was not duly observed on the English side so after some Expostulations upon that Point the same Agreement was renewed and confirmed And about the same time the King to reward the City of Waterford for its Loyalty and firm adhesion to the Crown sent to that City a gilt Sword and a Cap of Maintainance But John Earl of Desmond being dead the new Earl James who was a very active or rather a turbulent man began new Disturbances in Munster but he was timely opposed by the Lord Butler who wasted his Lands in the County of Limerick and repair'd and Garrison'd the Castle of Loghguir and it seems that the Lord Deputy came to Kilkenny the twenty fourth of July and having adjourned the Parliament Lib. D. as aforesaid he came to Loghguir the last of July and the next day he went to Carrigonel and took it the second of August and they say for some private Advantage redelivered it to the former Owner on the sixth of August they marched to Bryans-bridge and took the Castles and broke the Bridge but by the improvidence of
Knight of the Garter came over Lord Lieutenant Lib. C. says Burlace Lord Deputy says the Statute-Book He arrived at Bullock and was sworn in Christ-Church on the thirtieth day of August His Instructions bear Date the tenth of May and are to this effect First That the Army or rather Garrison shall be three hundred twenty six Horse eight hundred sixty four Foot and three hundred Kern Secondly That Port-Corn shall be reserved towards victualling the Army Thirdly That he endeavour to People Vlster with English and to recover Lâ—cale Newry and Carlingford from the Scots and to recompence Sir Nicholas Bagnal for his Interest in Vlster Fourthly Lib. H. That Mac Cartymore be ordered to hold his Estate after the English manner as the Earls of Thomond and Clanrickard do And he had also other Instructions to him and the Council to set up the Worship of God as it is in England and to make such Statutes next Parliament as were lately made in England mutatis mutandis and to dispose of Leix and Offaly to the best Advantage of the Queen and the Country This Lord Deputy held a Parliament at Dublin on the twelfth day of January which enacted the following Laws and then was dissolved on the twelfth of February First That the ancient Jurisdiction over the State Ecclesiastical and Spiritual be restored to the Crown And Foreign Authority abolished and that the Acts of Appeals and Faculties be revived and also as much of the Act of Marriage as concerns Consanguinity And the Act of Repeal made the 3 and 4 Philip and Mary repealed And an Act of 3 and 4 Philip and Mary to revive three Statutes concerning Heresie and the three Statutes therein named be repealed except so much thereof as concerns Premunire And that the Queen and her Successors may appoint Commissioners to exercise Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction And that all Officers and Ministers Ecclesiastical or Lay all Ecclesiastical Persons and every one that has the Queen's Wages shall take the Oath of Supremacy on pain of losing his Office And shall be uncapable to take any Office Ecclesiastical or Temporal if he obstinately refuses the Oath tendered to him He that sues Livery or takes Orders must take the Oath And a Penitent upon taking the Oath shall be restored to his Office of Inheritance He that shall extol maintain or advance Foreign Jurisdiction shall for the first Offence lose his Goods and if they be not worth twenty Pound then a Years Imprisonment without Bail besides and if it be an Ecclesiastical Person shall likewise lose all his Benefices and the second Offence to be Premunire and the third High-Treason provided the Prosecution for Words be within half a Year after the speaking Nothing shall be adjudged Heresie but what has been so by the Scripture first four General Councils or some other General Council by express Words of Scripture or shall be by Act of Parliament That there must be two Witnesses And that no Man be esteemed as Accessary till two Witnesses prove he knew the guilt of the Principal before he relieved him c. Secondly An Act for Uniformity of Common-Prayer Thirdly An Act for Restitution of the First-Fruits and twentieth part of Spiritual Benefices to the Crown Fourthly An Act for consecrating Archbishops and Bishops Bramhal 438. And it is observed by Archbishop Bramhal That no Papists ever did or could make the least Objection against the Ordination of the Protestant Bishops in Ireland For besides that Archbishop Brown the first Protestant Bishop in Ireland was ordained by the Bishops of Canterbury Rochester and Salisbury and many of the Irish Bishops were ordained by Brown The very Popish Bishops did assist at the Consecration of most of the Protestant Bishops and complied with the Government and kept their Sees until they had sacrilegiously betrayed the Church and alienated most of its Possessions one Bishoprick being left so poor that it had but forty Shillings per annum Ware de Praesulibus 27. and another but five Mark Thus Loftus Archbishop of Armagh was consecrated by the Popish Archbishop Curwin Ibid. 128. 59. Thomas Lancaster the first Protestant Bishop of Kildare Ibid. 148. was consecrated by Archbishop Brown and John Merriman Ibid. 188. the first Protestant Bishop of Down and Connor was consecrated by Lancaster when Primate Bale Bishop of Ossory was consecrated by the Popish Bishops of Armagh Kildare and Down Casy Bishop of Limerick was consecrated by Archbishop Browne assisted by the Popish Bishops of Kildare Ferns and Leighlin c. Fifthly An Act of Recognition of the Queen's title Sixthly That it be Premunire to say the Queen has no Right to the Crown and Treason to write it Seventhly That the Priory of S. John of Jerusalem be united to the Crown The Parliament being dissolved the Deputy went immediately to England to give an Account thereof and by the Queen's Orders substituted Sir William Fitz Williams 1559. Lord Deputy he was sworn in Christ Church on the fifteenth of February and his Patent bears date at Westminster the eighteenth day of January 2 Eliz. In his time Shane O Neal broke out again into Rebellion Cambd. 121. and overthrew O Reyly in the Field and took Calagh O Donel Lord or Chief of Tyrconnel Prisoner together with his Wife and Children and afterwards lived with her in Adultery and kept her by Force and he seized upon O Donel's Castles Lands and Goods and in all things behaved himself as King of Vlster 1560. And about the same time Money which in King Henry the Eighth his Days was much debased was raised near to the intrinsick value and Sterling Money was stamped but it was made currant at a fourth part more than it passed for in England so that an English nine Pence was twelve Pence Irish and so it continued until the Year 1601. when her Majesty's vast Expence in Ireland forced her by the Advice of the Lord Buckhurst to mingle Brass with the Silver which was therefore called mixt Monies but the Government then was so steady that the Soldiers suffered it without Mutiny although it was of infinite Prejudice to them But to proceed Thomas Earl of Sussex came over again Lord Lieutenant 1560. I suppose in April for on the seventh of May the Queen sent him Orders to perswade the Earl of Kildare to go to England and that the Queen would lend him Money in England on his Bond and if the Earl refused then the Lord Lieunant was to shew him the Queen 's positive Commands to that effect and if he still declined the Voyage then the Lord Lieutenant was to apprehend him This Lord Lieutenant brought with him new Instructions Lib. C. 1. To build Castles in Leix and Offaly and to people those Countries by granting Estates to the Planters and their Heirs Males 2. To settle Vlster and to admit Surleboy Tenant to the Lands he claims in Fee binding him to contribute to the Publick Service
this he did because he was then in Rebellion against Henry the Sixth and to encourage his Partizans to repair to him in Ireland and by vertue of this Act he Executed William Overy Esq who was Servant to the Earl of Ormond And now the Abettors of Lambert Symnel and Perkin Warbeck which are the Lads mentioned in the new Statute excused themselves upon the aforesaid Act and therefore it was now repealed and all Receivers and Maintainers of Traytors are by this Act made guilty of Treason and Obedience is commanded to be paid to the Great Seal and Privy Seal of England and to Letters Missive under the Kings Signet IV. The Famous Statute commonly called Poyning's Act That no Parliament should for the future be holden in Ireland until the Chief Governor and Council do first certifie the King under the Great Seal of that Land as well the Causes and Considerations as the Acts they design to pass and till the same be approv'd by the King and Council and a Licence thereupon do issue from the King to summon a Parliament and that all Parliaments hereafter holden in other manner be void and of none effect And it is to be noted That this Act was by the Statutes of 28 Hen. 8. c. 4. c. 20. suspended as to that Parliament and by the Statute of 3 4. Philip and Mary it is very excellently and at large explained and by the Statute of 11 Eliz. c. 1. Poyning's Act was again suspended or superseded as to that Parliament in confidence that their most worthy Governour Sir Henry Sydny would not pass any Bills prejudicial to the Queen or the Kingdom but because they had not the same Assurance of their future Governours they did upon second thoughts and in another Session make a Law 11 Eliz. c. 8. That no Bill should for the future be certified into England for the Repeal of Poyning's Act until first such Bill should be approved of by the Majority of both Houses of Parliament in Ireland nevertheless whenever it shall happen that the English and Protestant Interest in Ireland shall overtop its Enemies and make a Majority in Parliamentary Assemblies that Act of Poyning's which was made only to help the English when too weak for the Irish will be obsolete and useless when the Irish Popish Interest becomes inconsiderable V. That all the Statutes against Provisors made in England or Ireland be put in execution here VI. That no Citizen or Townsman receive Livery or Wages from any Nobleman or Gentleman neither engage themselves by Indenture or otherwise to any Lord or Gentleman on pain of being disfranchis'd and expell'd the Corporation and the chief Magistrate to forfeit Twenty Pounds if he fail to punish the Transgressors of this Law and that no Lord or Gentleman shall retain any other but his Officers and Menial Servants on pain of Twenty Pounds VII That none be Aldermen Jurors or Free-men in any Town but such as have been Apprentices or constant Inhabitants there and that no man be Mayor but one known to be Loyal nor no Lord or other be made privy to their Consultations except their Recorder on pain of an hundred Marks and all their by-By-Laws contrary to the Kings Prerogative and Jurisdiction to be void and that this Act be recorded in every Corporation VIII That the Statutes of Kilkenny be confirm'd and executed except those about the Irish Language and riding on Saddles IX That the Subjects keep Bows and Arrows X. That the Captains of Marches do present the Names of their Retinue by Indenture that they may answer for their Defaults and that it be Felony to succour or willingly suffer Rebels or Enemies to pass and re-pass the Marches and that every Proprietor of Land in the Marches do reside thereon or appoint a sufficient Deputy to do so on pain of losing his Estate during his Absence and that all People near the Marches from Sixteen to Sixty be ready on warning in their best defensible Array to defend the same XI That no man compound for the Death or Murder of his Friend or Relation nor revenge it but according to Law XII That no man keep Fire-Arms after Proclamation on pain of Twenty Pounds XIII That it be Treason to stir up the Irishry to make War on the English or any body to make war against the chief Governour of Ireland XIV That one of the Realm of England be Constable of the Castle of Dublin and the like of Trim Lexlip Athlone Wicklow Green-Castle Carlingford Castlefergus repeal'd 11 Car. 1. c. 6. And hence arose the vulgar Error That no man can be Lord Lieutenant of Ireland but an Englishman born XV. An Act about the Records of Vlster Conaught and Trim. XVI That the Lords appear in their Robes every Parliament on pain of one hundred Shillings XVII That no man shall make Peace or War without the Consent of the Chief Governour on pain of one hundred Pounds c. for it is to be noted that before this time every Lord made War or Peace as he pleased without Pay or Commission XVIII That no man take Money or Horsemeat by colour of Gift Reward or otherwise by reason of any Menace and if he do the Giver is to forfeit an hundred Shillings unless he complains seasonably and the Taker is to suffer the Punishment appointed for the Takers of Coyn and Livery XIX That the Souldier shall pay three halfpence a Meal and his Man a Penny and a Penny for six Field-sheaves of Oats and Litter according and whoever refuses to quarter Souldiers at this Rate forfeits twelve pence a time unless he be a Man of twenty Marks Estate per annum and except Cities and Corporate Towns XX. That the Words Cromabo and Butlerabo and such like Words of Faction be abolished XXI That wilful Murder be High Treason XXII That all the Statutes late made in England concerning or belonging to the Publick Weal be henceforth good and effectual in Ireland And XXIII That the Statutes made by the Lord Gormanstown aforesaid he repeal'd and null There were many other Statutes made at this Parliament Lib. D. although they are not Printed Davis 171. One was That the King should have a Subsidy of twenty six shillings and eight pence out of every sixscore Acres of Arable Land in lieu of Purveyance which it seems was together with Coyn and Livery supprest by that Act Rot. Parl. c. 4. And another Act gave Power to the Lord Treasurer to govern the Kingdom on the Death or Surrender of the Chief Governor until the Kings Pleasure were known There was also an Act made in favour of the Knights of St. John's of Jerusalem to resume all their Possessions alienated by Prior Keating or his Predecessor Thomas Talbot and to restore the Jewels and Reliques they had pawn'd to depose the Preceptors they had placed in the Commanderies and that no man but an Englishman should be Prior for the future Another Act made a general
16 of January came to Cahir to Commissioners appointed for that purpose and there he renewed his Oath of Allegiance and delivered his Son Girald to be Hostage of his Loyalty and to be bred after the English manner and by Indenture he renounced that fantastical Privilege which he and his Predecessors had for a long time claimed of not being obliged to appear at the Parliament Lib. D. or come within any walled Town but at their own Pleasure and by the same Indenture did utterly deny and promise to forsake the Bishop of Rome's usurped Primacy and Authority and Covenanted that he would with all his Power resist and repress the same and all that should by any means use or maintain it and that he would contribute and pay his share of Taxes granted by Parliament as the Earl of Ormond and other Noblemen do And afterwards he did come to Dublin and made his Submission in a set Form of Words before the Lord Deputy and Council And it seems that about the same time Hugh Burk made his Submission Ibid. and by Indenture Covenanted to pay the King forty pound per annum for the Captainry of the Burks Country and an hundred Mark upon every Succession of Captainry and to find eighty Gallowglasses and forty Horsemen for six weeks every Hosting and his whole Force for three days whenever the Lord Deputy comes into the Country and also to give Bonnagh or Maintenance for eighty Gallowglasses for six Weeks every year and this Example was followed by many others varying the Proportions of every mans Contribution according to their respective Circumstances And about the same time Lib. 6. was Coyned that Piece of Money Ware 159. which they call King Harry's Groat and two-penny Pieces and Pence of the same Stamp and on the nineteenth of November they were made currant by Proclamation and the carrying them to England was prohibited under severe Penalties The Lord Deputy in the latter end of May went to Limerick 154◠to confer with O Brian about his Submission which I suppose was there performed and soon after he returned to Dublin to meet the Parliament which was summoned to sit there on the thirteenth of June which it accordingly did and continued until the twentieth Day of July and so after several Prorogations and Adjournments mentioned in the Statute Book it was finally dissolved on the nineteenth day of November 1543. There were present at this Parliament the Archbishops of Dublin Ware 160. Cashel and Tuam and the Bishops of Waterford Fernes Emly and 〈◊〉 and to oblige the principal Gentry the King 〈…〉 profuse of Honour than he used to be Enobling no less than six of them at the beginning of this Parliament viz. Edmond Butler Baron of Dunboyne and Bernard Fitz-Patrick Baron of upper Ossory June 11. Sir Oliver Plunket Baron of Louth June 15. William Birmingham Baron of Carbry June 17. John Rawson late Prior of Kilmainham Viscount Clantarfe June 20. and Thomas Eustace Viscount Baltinglass June 29. This Parliament made several good Laws viz. 1. That the King and his Successors be KINGS of Ireland and that it be so proclaimed in every Shire in the Kingdom and that all opposition to this Act or to that Style or Title be Treason 2. That no body shall buy Goods or Merchandizes to sell again except in open Market or Fair on pain of being punished as a Forestaller except Tanners buying Hides to Tan. This Act made perpetual by 11 Eliz. c. 5. 3. That the Plaintiff in Assize may abridge his Plaint 4. That Consanguinity or Affinity not being within the Fifth Degree shall be no principal Challenge against a Jury-man 5. That it shall be Felony in any Servant Apprentices under eighteen years of Age excepted to carry away or inbezil his Masters Goods to the value of forty shillings or upward 6. That Marriages solemniz'd in the Face of the Church and consummate with carnal Knowledge by Persons without the Levitical Degrees shall not be dissolved on any Pretence whatsoever without Carnal Knowledge Vide 2 Eliz. c. 1. 7. That because by reason of Secret Conveyances it is difficult to know the Tenant the Lords may avow the taking of a Distress on the Land without naming the Tenant and that the Avowant shall have Costs and Damages if it be found for him or the Plaintiff be nonsuit 8. That all Religious Persons belonging to the dissolved Abbies and Monasteries c. be capacitated to Purchase Sue c. 9. That the Justices of Peace at their Sessions after Easter and Michaelmas shall appoint the Wages of Artificers and Servants Perpetuated 11 Eliz. cap. 5. 10. That Joynt-Tenants and Tenants in Common may force a Partition by Writ and either of them may have Aid of the other to deraign the Warranty Paramount as in case of Partition between Coparceners 11. That Lessees for Years as to their term only may falsifie covinous Recoveries as the Tenant of the Freehold might do at Common Law and so may Tenants by Elegit or Statute Staple and the Recoverers shall have the same Remedy for Wast and Rent as the Lessors might have had 12. That the Impropriators and other Lay-men entituled to Tithes may sue for them in the Spiritual Court and that in all cases of Appeal from a Judgment for Tithes the Appellant shall pay Costs the Adversary giving surety to refund if it be adjudged against him on the Appeal and upon the Certificate of the Ecclesiastical Judge That he has given a definitive Sentence in case of Tithes two Justices of the Peace whereof one to be of the Quorum may imprison the Party without Bail or Mainprise until he give sufficient Security to obey the Sentence and that all such Writs and Remedies as Fines Writs of Dower c. shall as well be had for Tithes as for Lands by any Person that has a Temporal Interest therein only the Suit for substraction of Tithes must still be prosecuted in the Spiritual Court 13. That the Purchaser of a Signiory or Reversion by common Recovery may distrain or avow without Attornment and that all Avowants may recover Costs and Damage if the Plaintiff be barred in his Action 14. An Act to enable Commissioners therein named to to erect Vicaridges c. 15. An Act against Idlers and Vagabonds which had it been well executed would have reformed Ireland long agone for most of the Mischiefs that have happened to that Kingdom either in War or Peace have proceeded from such loose Fellows as were punishable and might have been reformed by the Statutes against Idlers Rogues and Vagabonds And at another Sessions of this Parliament begun at Limerick the fifth of February 1541. and not 1542 as the printed Statutes make it a former Act restraining the Parliament from sitting any where but at Dublin or Tredagh or from Proroguing or Adjourning above twice or from admiting any Knight Citizen or Burgess to sit unless he were resident at the Place of
of an Incestuous Marriage so directly against the Law of God that no Power on Earth could dispense with it Dr. Burnet's Hist Reform 131. And that Marriage was judicially nulled and made void ab initio by the Divorce pronounced between the Parties by the Archbishop of Canterbury so that by consequence the Issue was bastardiz'd and rendred Illegitimate And II. Because the Crown was entailed upon Queen Elizabeth by Name by the Irish Statute of 28 Hen. 8. cap. 2. as hath been already observed and that Statute was not repealed in Ireland to that time It would be a lame Answer to the first Objection to insist upon the English Statute of 35 H. 8. which gave that King Power to dispose of the Crown by his Will for besides what some will alledg against Bills of Exclusion in general every Body will oppose that wild and unjust Method of Exclusion that has no regard to the Faults of the Party rejected nor to the Merits of the Person to be advanced but Exposes the Right of an Innocent to the Figary of an humersom Man Moreover it is a high Point to delegate the Legislative Power in an Instance of that Importance and if allowed would at once destroy all hereditary Right It is necessary therefore that we have recourse to something more solid and which really was the true Reason and it was this That Mary having gained Possession of the Throne in a Hurry by the Surprize and Confusion of the People in general the Easiness and Credulity of the Suffolk-men in particular and the Envy some bore to the Duke of Suffolk and the Malice others entertained against the Duke of Northumberland the Protestants did believe themselves obliged by the Laws of God and Man to obey the Queen de facto and to acquiesce in the Government that was actually over them and therefore the Clergy and the best and holiest of the Protestant Party chose rather to be Refugees and beg their Bread abroad than to be mutinous and disloyal at Home It is not to be doubted but that they did consult and throughly examine both the Laws of God and the Laws of the Land in that Particular and found by both Sanctions that it was not the Duty of the Subject to dispute the Title of the Prince in Possession this were to make the Rabble Judges of the Rights of Princes and to erect a Judicature above the Legislative Power and to introduce an Appeal from the Parliament to the People As to the First viz. The Law of God nothing was more plain than that a Christian peaceable Temper was commanded in General and a Submission to the King de facto in Particular and the Reason is Because the Power that is is of God for Caesar had no Right especially over the Jewish State but both Augustus and Tiberius were Usurpers and yet it was to them that our Saviour and the Apostles preached Obedience and commanded us To render the things that were Caesars And as to the second viz. The Law of the Land it has no regard to any other than the King de facto it is he that is only King within the Statute of Edward the Third of Treasons it is he only that by the Laws of England can grant Pardons Call and Dissolve Parliaments and Confirm their Acts In a Word It is he only that can do all Acts of Government and he is the Person who can and ought to give Protection to the Subjects and consequently is to have Allegiance from them the King de facto can punish Treasons committed against his Predecessor and his Rightful Successor may punish Treasons done against him and the Reason is Because it is the same continuation of the Regal Government and the Person is not regarded in Law any longer than it is cloathed with the Politick Capacity For the Relation that is between King and Subject Protection and Allegiance is reciprocal and the Obligation is mutual as it is betwixt Husband and Wife and therefore whensoever a King totally ceaseth the Exercise of his Royal Office he is dead in his Politick Capacity with which the Relation is and the Subject is at Liberty ad alia vota convolanda to the Successor and whether this happens by Force or Consent is no more to the purpose than it is whether a Man's first Wife was murdered or dyed of a Fever So that it is Plain That Possession of the Throne by the consent of the two Houses of Parliament does give a Right in reference to the Subject and therefore the Words King de jure are but terms of Art as Ens Rationis among the Logicians to signifie an Imaginary Notion they had no other name for and if this were not so there could be no Peace upon Earth since there is not a Crown in Europe to which there are not several plausible Pretenders whose Claims have many warm and furious Abettors and perhaps it would be very difficult for any man to define what Prescription is sufficient to give more Title to a Throne than is gained by the quiet Possession thereof The Case of Henry the Seventh hath been already mentioned wherein the Judges resolved That the Possession of the Crown and of the Regal Government cleared him of all Incapacities Defects and Attainders whatsoever It is necessary to add That the Preservation of the Community is the End and Design of all Laws and that the greatest Solecism that can be in the OEconomy of a Kingdom is to suspend the Government though but for a Moment And in Truth the whole Society would perish by a very short Interval wherein every Man might do what seems good in his own Eyes It is for this Reason there is no interregnum in England And therefore there always is a King to whom the English Subject owes Allegiance exclusively of all others and that can be no other than the King de facto who is trusted by the Law with the executive Power thereof and who alone doth or can give the People actual Protection If it were needful this might be farther urged because every Man is represented in Parliament and their Act is the Act of every individual Person and it is beyond controversie That every one is obliged to obey the Authority himself has owned and consented to And as to the second Objection it is easily answered That Ireland is a subordinate Kingdom to England and part of its Dominions and therefore whoever is King of England is ipso facto King of Ireland as much as of the Isle of Sheppy or of the Isle of Wight and it was so at Common Law and it is explained to be so by the Irish Statute of 28 Hen. 8. cap. 1. wherein it is enacted That the King and his Successors Kings of England shall be Kings of Ireland and that Kingdom is by the same Act united and knit to the Imperial Crown of England And therefore it follows That Ireland must submit to such disposal of the Crown as
Barony of Idrone from the Cavenghs by the Judgment and Decree of the Lord Deputy and Council The Lord Deputy summoned a Parliament which accordingly met at Dublin on the seventeenth day of January 1568. 1568. The Deputy appeared in Robes of Crimson Velvet lined with Ermin and after an Eloquent Speech from the Lord Chancellor Weston in commendation of the Law and her Majesties Government the Commons departed to their House and chose Stainhurst Recorder of Dublin for their Speaker who being approved by the Deputy on the twentieth of January made his Request as is usual First For Priviledge of Parliament that the Members might come and go without Molestation Secondly for Freedom of Speech Thirdly That the Punishment of any Offender should be lest to the House all which were granted and the Houses adjourned to the next Day But the Popish Party were dissatisfied that Sir Christopher Barnwel was not chosen Speaker and therefore began to Mutiny alledging First That several Members were returned from Towns not Incorporated Secondly That certain Sheriffs and Mayors had returned themselves Thirdly That several Members were returned that were so far from being resident according to Law that they did not know the Corporations that chose them And after four days debate and many high Words the matter was referred to the Judges and they approved of the two first Objections but as to the third they said that the return of Non-residents might be Penal to the Sheriffs but did not incapacitate the Member that was returned to sit in the House But the Judges Answer being reported to the House by the Speaker did not at all please the Papists and therefore Sir Lucas Dillon who was Attorney General was sent for to the House to testifie that it was the Judges Opinion and his also that the Non-resident Members might sit in the House Hooker 120. but neither did this satisfie them On the contrary when the Speaker ordered a Bill to be read the Mutineers opposed it in a very dissorderly manner and so it rested till the two Chief-Justices the Queens Serjeant at Law Attorney-General and Solicitor came to the House the next day and affirmed their Opinions and Resolutions as already mentioned Nevertheless the Male contents who were loth to part with their Irish Captainries and exactions continued their endeavours to obstruct the Proceedings of this Parliament and opposed almost every Bill that was read especially that of repealing Poyning's Act pro hac vice and the Bill for an Impost upon Wines but this had been tolerable if their Behaviour had not been unruly and unbecoming the dignity of that great Assembly Hereupon my Author John Hooker Burgess of Athenry stood up Hooker 121. and spoke to the Bill for the impost on Wine and took an occasion to mention the great Charge the Queen was at for the Defence of the Kingdom and the Protection of the Subject and then reflected on the Rebellions and Ingratitudes of the Irish because the former occasioned that vast Expence and the latter hindred that Contribution which ought to supply it he affirmed the Queen might by her Prerogative have imposed Tonnage on Wine but it would be more pleasing to her to receive it by their Consents expressed in an Act of Parliament and concluded with a comparison of the Mutinies of the Irish against the Lord Deputy to that of the seditious Israelites against Moses The discontented Members were hereupon enraged against Hooker and behaved themselves so tumultuously that some of the Protestants found it necessary to guard him Home to Sir Peters Carews House to prevent the violence they suspected or rather perceived to be designed against him and the next day Sir Christopher Barnwell stood up in the House to speak to a Bill but he pretermitted all that was pertinent and instead of that spent his discourse in Reflections upon Hooker affirming that if Hooker's Calumnies had been uttered any where but in that House they would all have died rather than have suffered them but he was at length interrupted by the Speaker and told That if he had any cause of Complaint he should bring in his Impeachment regularly and in writing but it seems he did not think sit to do so and these Heats cooling by degrees the Parliament at length proceeded with good Success and made these following Acts. I. That in lieu of Coin and Livery and for the Queens Assistance she shall have a Subsidy of thirteen Shillings and Four-pence per Plow-land for ten Years for every Plow-land occupied or manured Cross and Clergy-Land included and a Commission to issue to ascertain Plow-lands and Dublin Cork Kingsale and all priviledged Places to be free from Subsidy for the Corporation Lands and certain Gentlemen for their Demean Lands and Coin and Livery Cartings and Carriage to be suppressed II. A limitation of places for Tanning Leather Repealed III. A Confirmation of the Attainders made by Parliament 28. Hen. 8. And of the Estates of the Patentees in the then forfeited Lands IV. That five of the best of every Tribe shall answer for all the Dammages committed by any of their Family and though this Act be since repealed yet it was a very good Law at that time V. To revive the Acts of Forestallers Servants Wages and Jeofails And so being adjourned to the twenty first day of February they then met and Enacted that Statutes concerning the good Governance of the Kingdom and the augmentation of Her Majesties Revenue may be made in this Parliament non obstante Poyning's Act. And on the twenty third of February the Parliament sat again and Enacted I. The attainder of Shane O Neal and the extinguishment of the name of O Neal and that the Queen be entituled to the Country of Tyrone and other Lands in Vlster II. An Act to make Trinity-Term shorter III. An Act to entitle Her Majesty to the Estate of Thomas Fitz Girald Knight of the Glin. IV. An Act for the Preservation of Salmon and Eeel-Fry V. An Act against laying Hemp Flax or Limed Hides in any fresh River or running Water VI. That whereas Persons have been admitted to Ecclesiastical Dignities which had neither Legitimacy Learning English Habit or English Language but were the Issue of unchast and unmarried Abbots Priors Deans Chantors and such like getting into the same Dignities by Force Symony or other undue Means therefore the chief Governor of Ireland shall for ten Years to come have the sole nomination of all Deans Archdeacons Chantors Chancellors and Treasurers of Cathedral Churches in Munster and Connaught those of Waterford Cork Limerick and Cashell excepted and no Man shall be presented unless he be of full Age and in Orders and can read and speak English and will reside VII That no Man take upon him to be Captain of a Territory without a Patent for it or use any sort of Irish Exactions on Pain of an Hundred Pound for a Lord and an Hundred Marks for a Commoner VIII That no Bill
them desired the Deputy that his Chaplain might walk the streets with him in Trouses For then said he the Boys will laugh at him as well as at me whereto the Deputy gravely replyed That the want of Order and Decency would be their Ruine and demonstrated to them the Benefits of this Conformity But before we come to the Parliament I must take notice of an Inquisition taken at Cork on the 4th of Nov. 1584. whereby it appears 1. That the Manour of Guisnes alias Cloghroe belonged to the Crown and was usurped by Lombard Constable of the Castle 2. That the Manour of Callâ—n alias Glyn containing eight Plowlands between Cork and Kingsale was the ancient Inheritance of the Earl of March and was intruded upon by Richard Roch of Kingsale and that Glanny was an ancient Corporation 3. That Ballynimony alias Mourne near Mallow was an ancient Corporation 4. That on the death of Matthew Shyne Bishop of Cork that See had the three Plowlands of Ballynaspig the Rent of Rochfort's Lands the Rent of Curickanaâ—y of Ringnaskiddy Downaghmore Ahabullugg and Kanivy the Profits and Rent of Ballivorny and Killinully c. 5. That the Island of Inchydiâ—â—y near Cloghnakillty is escheated to her Majesty for want of Heirs and that the Bishop of Ross ought to have but seaven Marks half-faced Money out of the same 7. That Kinalmeky was the ancient Inheritance of the Crown and Barry Oge Farmer of it paid the Rent to the Exchequer and about the year 1460. O Mahown Carbry intruded on it and gave Mac Carty Reagh half for protection 7. That Cnoghor O Mahony was slain in the Earl of Desmond's Rebellion and dyed seized of the Signiory of Kinalmeaky On the 26th of April the Parliament met according to appointment and the Upper-house was very full for there appeared four Archbishops twenty Bishops the Earls of Ormond Kildare Tyrone Twomond Clanrickard and Glencar the Viscounts Buttevant Gormanstowne Formoy and Mountgarret and the Lords Athenry Kingsale Slane Delvin Killeen Honth Trimletstowne Dunsany Dunboyn Vpper Ossory Louth Curraghmore Insiquine Castleconnell and Cahir but the Lower-house was as thin for there were but 26 Cities and Boroughs in the Kingdom that sent Members to Parliament It was endeavoured to pass a Law to try Accessaries in absence of the Principals but it could by no means be effected however this Parliament did enact many other good Laws as followeth 1. An Act to attaint James Eustace Spencer 19. Viscount Baltinglass and others which is commonly called the Statute of Baltinglass and makes Estates Tail any kind of Inheritance forfeitable for Treason and provides against the fraudulent Conveyances of the attainted 2. An Act for the Restitution in bloud of Lawrence Delahide And then the Parliament was prorogued on the 29th day of May. The Lord Deputy did intend to suspend Poyning's Act that he might the more speedily pass such Laws as he thought necessary but some Gentlemen of the Pale grew jealous of the design and overthrew the Bill at the third reading and although upon a conference they were persuaded to pass the Bill yet their jealousies returning they overthrew it a second time There were also other Bills proposed viz. that the Lands of persons attainted of Treason should be vested in the Queen without Office and every Plowland should pay 13 s. 4 d. subsidy and that all those who should rebelliously take or detain any of the Queen's Castles should be guilty of Treason but these Bills were all damned in the Lower-house and the Acts against fraudulent Conveyances and an Act to help mispleading and Jeoffails were stopt in the Upper-house and an Act to enable Tenant in Tail to make Leases for 21 years could not obtain the Royal Assent The second Session of this Parliament was on the 28th of April 1586. and then the following Laws being enacted it was dissolved on the 14th of May. 1. An Act against Perjury and Subornation 2. An Act against Witchcraft and Sorcery 3. An Act against forging of Evidences 4. An Act of Impost and Custome of Wines 5. That all Conveyances made or pretended to be made by any person attainted within thirteen years before the Act shall be entered on Record in the Exchequer within a year or be void This Act did not pass the Houses without great difficulty and perhaps had not passed at all if John Mac Edmond Fitz-girald to prevent the Earl of Desmond's forfeiture had not produced a Feoffment made by that Earl before he entered into Rebellion which had taken effect and baffled the expectations of the undertakers if Sir Henry Wallop had not by good luck gotten the aforesaid Association made the 18th of July 1578. which was two months before the pretended settlement and to which this John Fitz Edmond himself was a party but upon the producing of that Confederacy and the discovering of this fraud and subtilty the honest part of the House were ashamed to abet so ill a cause and so this Act was made to prevent the like contrivances 6. An Act against forging or counterfeiting Coin not current in Ireland and that it be Misprision of Treason 7. An Act for the Attainder of the Earl of Desmond and many others his Complices mentioned in the Act. 8. An Act for the Attainder of John Browne of Knockmonhie and others 9. An Act for the Restitution in bloud of Taaf's Wife But I should have given a list of the Militia of Munster as it was in the year 1584. as followeth  Shot Bill-men The City of Waterford 100 300 Cork 100 300 Limerick 200 600 Clonmell 040 200 Killmallock 020 100 Fethard 020 100 Cashell 020 140 Kingsale 020 100 Carrick 020 040  740 1840 The Barony of Muskry 020 300 Carbry 030 1000 the County of Typerary 050 400 the Barony of Decyes 020 200 Imokilly 012 080 Condoni 008 060 Lord Barry's Countrey 030 200 Mac Cartymorâ— c. 008 400  178 2640 On the 26th day of December O Conner Sligo who had formerly taken a Patent for the County of Sligo at the yearly Rent of 100 l. per Annum did covenant that in lieu of Cess he would pay every year a fine Horse and 100 large fat Bieves per Annum for three years and afterwards 130 Bieves per Annum at Michaelmas at the Castle of Athlâ—an and also that he would at all Hostings bring 20 Horse and 60 Foot and maintain them 40 days and would pay in Money 25 l. per Annum and that in cases of necessity he should assist the Queen with all his Forces and that he should make legal Estates to the Freeholders they paying their proportion of the aforesaid Contribution and the Queen granted O Conner all Forfeitures for Felony or by Outlawry or Recognisance and all Waifs Strays and Penalties for Bloudshed On the 23d of May was published an Act or rather Proclamation of Indemnity and Oblivion for all Preys Stealths Plunders and many other Crimes committed or done before the first day of that
the Eighteenth of May there was an Order of Reference to him in the Controversie between the City of Dublin and the Merchants-Strangers from whom that City demanded Three pence per Pound Custom And on the Eighteenth of July he got an Order to the Lord Willâ—ot 〈…〉 General of the Army in Ireland to surrender that Office to him He had also the King's Letter of the Sixteenth of October to the Lords Justices That the Port-â—orn and Tithes belonging to the Chief Governor should be given to his Servants And he also obtain'd his Majesty's Commission of the Seventeenth of October to levy what Forces he should think fit or find necessary and an Order of the same Date to be paid the Charge of such Journeys and Progresses as he should think fit to make And Matters being thus fitted to his mind THOMAS Viscount WENTWORTH was on the Twenty fifth day of July sworn Lord Deputy 1633. to whom the Bishop of Kilmore and two other Bishops and the Inhabitants of the County of Cavan sent a Petition Bishop Bedel's Life containing some Complaints against the Army and some Proposals for the Regulation of it which was very ill resented at that time and interpreted to be a Mutinous and Insolent Attempt and brought the Bishop of Kilmore who was supposed the Author and Promoter of it under his Excellency's Displeasure until that Prelate afterwards explain'd himself averring That he did not intend by lessening or discountenancing the Army to expose with the Publick Peace his own Neck to the Skeins of the Romish Cut-throats But the Contribution or Tax of 20000 l. per Annum to which the Country had consented for two Years was now almost expired so that it was necessary to call a Parliament wich met the Fourteenth day of July 1634. 1634. at Dublin and granted Six entire Subsidies but not without the opposition of some Papists one of which moved That the Matter concerning the Subsidies might be put off to another time and then be again considered of This Parliament also passed an Act for the Confirmation of Patents afterwards to be past on the * Dated 29 June 1634. Commission of Defective Titles and then was Prorogued to the Fourth day of November following At the same time there was also a Convocation of the Clergy and preparatory to it the Precedency of the Archbishop of Armagh before the Archbishop of Dublin was determin'd and setled by his Majesty's definitive Sentence And this Convocation to manifest their Agreement with the Church of England did receive the Thirty Nine â—â—â—â—cles of that Church into the Confession of Faith of the Church 〈◊〉 Ireland nevertheless without aâ—rogating any of the Canons of the Convocation held Anno 1615. And a New Book of Canons for the most part agreeing with that of England was then compiled for the better Government of the Church of Ireland By vertue of these Six Subsidies which amounted to above 240000 l. and were payable Half-yearly the Lord Deputy was enabled to pay a Debt of 80000 l. due from the Crown and to support the Charge of the Kingdom without any Supply of Money from England This Lord Deputy had formerly obtain'd his Majesty's Order of the Sixteenth of January 1633. for the free transportation of so many Horses and Mares out of England as he the Lord Deputy should give Licence for by which means he changed Five hundred Foot of the Army for Six hundred Horse which were extraordinary good ones his own Stables exceeding that of any former Governors And indeed generally the whole Army was neither so well paid nor so well disciplin'd in any other time as it was in his On the Twenty fourth of September 1634. the King reciting That King James had by his Commission of the Tenth of August 1603. renewed or revived the Court of Castle-chamber as himself likewise had done by his Commission of 5 October 1625. and that now some Disputes are arisen whether that Court can sit out of Term or more than twice a Week His Majesty Orders That it it may sit when and as often as the Commissioners please and that a new Commission issue to that Purpose And about this time Emerus Mac Mahon afterwards Titular Bishop of Clogher discovered to Sir George Ratcliff a Plot for a general Insurrection in Ireland and Confess'd that himself had been imploy'd for some years in foreign Courts to solicite Aid to carry on a Rebellion which it seems they thought fit to adjourn to a more proper Season But on the 14th of November the Parliament met according to the Prorogation and sate till the 14th of December and were then Prorogu'd to the 26th of January from which time they sate till the 21st day of March and then it was again Prorogu'd to the 24th day of the same Month and sate from thence to its Dissolution which was on the 18th day of April 1635. I need not mention the Acts made in these several Sessions of Parliament because they are many and are to be found at large in the Printed Book of Statutes it is enough to say That they cull'd out all the choice Statutes that were made in England since the 20th of Henry the 8th that were proper for the Kingdom of Ireland and added to them some good new Laws that were peculiar to that Countrey The Parliament being thus ended and closed with an Act of Indemnity the Lord Deputy and Council made a Progress into Conaught to inquire into his Majesties Title to several Lands in that Province and on the 11th of July at Abby-boyle to still the Jealousies and Alarms the People were under at this great Inquisition they published an Act of Council 1635. That it was not his Majesties intention to take any thing from his People that was justly theirs and therefore that those who had effectual Letters Patents should have the full benefit of them as if they were found Verbatim in the great Office then to be taken provided the Patents or the Enrolment thereof were shewn to the Council-board before Easter Term next and by it approved to be good and effectual in Law and the like was done in other Counties of Conaught and so this great Inquisition which was one of the Spring-heads and Fountains of the succeeding Rebellion was with great Diligence and Success carried on and effected and the Kings Title was found to most part of that Province and a noble English Plantation was design'd Whereupon the Patentees and particularly the Lord Dillon of Costilo produced their Patents to the Council-board and it appearing those Patents were Granted by Virtue of a Commission 4 Jac. 1. wherein there was no direction about the Tenure it grew to be a Question whether the Patents to hold by Knights Service as of the Castle of Dublin were warranted by that Commission or valid in Law and after much debate it was solemnly adjudg'd That those Patents were void And this Case is well known to the Lawyers by the
Religion And they afterwards strictly prohibited all their people from obeying the Peace or paying Contributions to the King or to any that obeyed it on pain of Excommunication ipso facto which on the Fifth of October was formally issued with Notes as it is recited Appendix 31. But now it is time to look after our Heralds who as hath been already mentioned left Dublin on the Sixth of August in order to proclaim the Peace in the other Cities and Corporations They came to Waterford the Eighth where they were so unwelcome to all the people that no body would shew them the Mayor's House until at length a little Boy did it for Sixpence but the Mayor would not be seen for above four hours and when he was told their Errand he asked why they did not first proclaim the Peace at Kilkenny and they answered That they pursued their Orders and supposed the Reason might be because Waterford was next to Dublin one of the most ancient and considerable Cities in the Kingdom However after three day stay they could get no other Answer but that the Peace should be first proclaimed at Kilkenny and the Rabble threatned to send them packing with Withes about their Necks unless they made haste away From Waterford they went to Kilkenny where they were received with Respect and the Peace was there proclaimed even with excess of Joy and Pageantry It was also proclaimed at Calan Fethard and Cashell but Clonmell would not receive it until it should first be published at Limerick It was in the Evening of the Twentieth of August when they came to Limerick where they found the Gates shut so that they had no admittance till the next day Noon and then were civilly treated by the Mayor who was for the Peace however that day they could not agree but on the Twenty second it was carried by the major Vote of the Aldermen and Council That the Peace should be proclaimed and all things were prepared accordingly Whereupon Fryer Wolf with an armed Rabble of above 500 came to the High-Cross and denounced Excommunication against the Adherers to the Peace Nevertheless the Mayor who lived near the Cross was coming out in his formalities to make the Proclamation but the Rabble with hideous Outcries drove them back again and followed them into the House and pursued them even from Chamber to Chamber they wounded the Mayor and the King at Arms and drag'd them to Prison and they mortally wounded the Pursivant Henry King and most of the rest were likewise wounded and all were Imprisoned for about 10 days and the Mayor's House was broken and pillaged and during all this Tumult the Fryers cryed out Kill kill kill and I 'le Absolve you And what is yet more strange is That the Mayor was afterwards turned out and Dominick Fanning a principal Incendiary in this Commotion was made Mayor in his room and was by Letters from the Nuncio thanked for what he had done and encouraged to go on and the Apostolical Benediction was imparted to him for committing such an Outrage upon the Privileged Person of an Herald as all other Nations in the World would abhor But to proceed The Congregation at Waterford did also under the pain of Excommunication prohibit the Lords Mountgarret and Muskry from going to Dublin to consult the execution of the Peace nevertheless they went and in the Name of the Supreme Council invited Ormond to Kilkenny as well to countenance the Peace as to stop Insiquin's progress in Munster who triumphed over all Opposers and put the Country under Contribution as far as the Black Water Hereupon Ormond having first sent Daniel O Neal with great Offers to Owen Roe whom nothing could satisfie but the British Estates in Ulster prepared for his Journy and in the latter end of August he went to Kilkenny with about 200 Horse and 1200 Foot which small Party was a Guard more for State than Security for what need an Army amongst Friends His Excellency was received at Kilkenny with all imaginable Triumph and Respect and intended in conjunction with the Irish to march into Munster to force Insiquin likewise to submit to the Peace but when he understood what the Clergy had done and were doing at Waterford he sent some of Quality thither to perswade them not to interrupt the Peace which was likely to be so advantageous to the King and the People he offered his Lady and Children for Hostages that they should not be disturbed in the Possession of the Churches they then had which was the Secret Article not mentioned in the Publick and purposely so contrived by the Popish Bishop of Clogher ☜ that on occasion they might the easier incense the Rabble by shewing that there was no provision for Religion in the printed Articles But all that he or the Supreme Council could do was to no purpose for the Nuncio and Clergy were resolved to * * Colonel Fitâ—-Williams's Letter to the Lord Lieutenant have their wills or perish And that this may plainly appear it will be fit to give a short Account of the Negotiation between the Supreme Council and the Popish Clergy which was thus On the 24th day of August 1646 the Congregation at Waterford published a Declaration to be transmitted with the following Propositions at large and in Print to the Supreme Council I. That the Earl of Glamorgan's Articles grounded upon the King's Authority be printed and be made as firm and obliging as the present Peace that the Confederates do oblige themselves by Union Oath and otherwise to insist upon the same Articles and them to maintain till confirmed with the present Peace next Parliament And whereas it appears by His Majesty's Letters taken at Naseby that Ormond had Power to Repeal Penal Laws and Suspend Poyning's Act the Confederates expect the benefit thereof to be added to the Articles of the Peace and that those Letters be made Publick II. That the Generals of Ulster and Leinster be made General of the Horse and Major General of the Field and all other Catholick Officers continued if not advanced III. That no Garison be added nor Tax be imposed upon them till Parliament without Confent of some or one of the Commissioners of the Interval to see Equality IV. That the 7th Article of the Peace be changed as touching Universities and that the Institution and Discipline of them be Catholick V. That in all places to be recovered from the Parliament Roman Catholicks be restored to Estates Privileges c. and that the Free Exercise of their Religion be secured to them and all other Catholicks that shall please to dwell there And if the Supreme Council do not approve of these Propositions ☞ then let them do one of these things viz. Retain their Civil and Military Power within their own Quarters independent as heretofore until His Holiness's and His Majesty's Pleasure can be known and in the mean time both Parties persue the Common Enemy Or else let them refer
it to a General Assembly to be immediately called To this Declaration and these Propositions the Supreme Council on the 10th of September returned the following Answer viz. To the First That they will Print and Publish Glamorgan's Articles and insist on them as being Obligatory to the King and get them confirmed next Parliament and no interruption shall be given them in the mean time That the Repeal of the Penal Laws was purposely omitted in the Peace as being less than Glamorgan's Concessions and therefore might derogate from them and the Suspension of Poyning's Act was by unanimous Consent omitted for saving of Time To the Second That they shall be sufficiently provided for To the Third No constant Garisons shall be put into Corporations c. nor Levies made but for Publick Service and proportionably to the rest of the Country and some of the Members of the Corporation shall be privy thereunto To the Fourth 'T is implyed else how can they be for the use of the Catholick Youth if the Discipline be not Catholick To the Fifth It is done already and if not shall be taken care of And you shall have Security to have the Penal Laws repealed the next Parliament and shall not be molested in your Religion or Ecclesiastical Possessions till then This Answer so baffled the Congregation that all the Reply they could make was That the Lord Lieutenant was gone out of their Quarters and that the Supreme Council being part of the Confederate Body could be no Security to the rest for what they promised and that the Peace being once rejected could not be reassumed or revived but by a General Assembly And to manifest that they were in earnest they had prevailed with the Bishop of Ossory long before this to Publish a very extraordinary Instrument in form following WHEREAS We have in publick and private Meetings at several times declared to the Supreme Council and others whom it may concern That it was and is unlawful and against Conscience the implying Perjury as it hath been defined by the Special Act of the Convocation at Waterford to both Commonwealths Spiritual and Temporal to do or concur to any Act â—ending to the Approbation or countenancing the Publication of this unlawful and mischievous Peace so dangerous as it is now Articled to both Commonwealths Spiritual and Temporal And whereas notwithstanding our Declaration yea the Declaration of the whole Clergy of the Kingdom to the contrary the Supreme Council and the Commissioners have actually proceeded to the Publilication yea and forcing it upon the City by Terror and Threats rather than by any free Consent or Desire of the People We having duly considered and taken it to heart as it becometh us how enormous this Fact is and appears in Catholicks even against God himself and what a publick Contempt of the Holy Church it appeareth beside the Evil it is like to draw upon this poor Kingdom after a mature Deliberation and Consent of our Clergy in detestation of this heinous and scandalous Disobedience of the Supreme Council and others who have adhered to them in matters of Conscience to the Holy Church and in hatred of so hurtful and abominable an Act do by these Presents according to the prescription of the Sacred Canons Pronounce and Command henceforth a General Cessation of Divine Offices throughout all the City and Suburbs of Kilkenny in all Churches Monasteries and Houses in them whatsoever Given at Our Palace of Nova Curia the 18th of August 1646. David Ossoriensis The Peace being thus rejected the Nuncio like a true Son of Thunder prepares for War and in order to it he borrowed a good Sum of of Money from the Spanish Agent Don Diego de la Torres and he recalled Preston out of Conaught and ordered Owen Roe to intercept the Lord Lieutenant in his return to Dublin In the mean time the Marquis of Ormond who did not suspect that there could be so much Perfidiousness and Treachery amongst Christians went forward from Kilkenny to Carrick and so to Clonmell and though he was denyed entrance into that Town and had notice that Colonel Peirce Butler alias Mac Thomas from whom he expected better things was ready with 500 Horse to disturb his March nevertheless he went towards Cashell but the Mayor of that place sent him word That Owen Roe had threatned that City with utter Destruction if they should Receive or Entertain his Excellency and at the same time he had from the Lord Dilâ—on of Costilo full information of the whole Design to intercept him and thereupon he marched that night to Calan and the next day to Loghlinbridge before Owen Roe who was within 6 miles of Kilkenny could overtake him and so he gotâ— safely to Dublin where he was received with all that Joy which Friends usually express at the arrival of those they gave for lost From Calan his Excellency sent the Lord Digby to Kilkenny to acquaint the Supreme Council with his Return and the Reasons of it and to stay Leiger with them and he also sent some of his Servants for some Necessaries he had left at his own house in Kilkenny but when they came there they found this Inconstant City which few days before had received the Lord Lieutenant with Acclamations of Joy pulling down the Monuments of his Entertainment viz. the Devices on the Gates and Market cross and other Matters of Pageantry and expressing so much Passion and Malice against him that most of his Servants were forced to withdraw and those few that staid were oblig'd to remain incognito However the Supreme Council ordered Sir Lucas Dillon and Doctor Fennell by Letters to assure his Excellency That notwithstanding what had hapned there should be no farther Hostilities us'd whereof Ormond took hold and desir'd them to ascertain a competent Time of Cessation that they might come to a right Understanding Whereunto they made no Reply but in stead of that Ormond had certain Advice from other Hands That Owen Roe had fallen into the Queens County with great violence and had taken several Castles from the King's Party and destroy'd all that oppos'd him and particularly that his Soldiers had in Cold Blood murdered Major Piggot and Fifty others at Disert to whom they had promised Quarter And about the same time the Castle of Athlone was surprized by George Dillon a Friar Uncle to the Lord President and that Place being the Key and principal Fortress of Conaught was a great accession of Strength to the Confederate Party And so the Triumphant Nuncio not doubting but that all was his own came in State to Kilkenny where he caused all the Supreme Council except Plunket and Darcy to be imprison'd and immediately he instituted a new Supreme Council of his own Creatures who to requite his Kindness did in effect commit to him the entire and absolute Power of Governing and Commanding as he pleas'd as well in Temporal as Ecclesiastical Matters But that which was most strange in this
England in sending for and impeaching one of the Members then sitting and that it was declared in Print by their order that Ireland if nam'd is bound by an English Statute which is against Law and Custom for Four Hundred Years past and though they had notice of the Protestation made by the English Parliament against Catholicks and their Intention to make Laws for the extirpation of that Religion in the Three Kingdoms and had notice of the cruel and bloody Execution of Priests in England meerly for being Priests and that his Majesty had not power enough left to save one condemned Priest and that the Catholicks of England being the Parliaments own Flesh and Blood must either suffer or depart the Land and much more must the Irish being not so nearly related to them if they should once get Jurisdiction in Ireland yet all this did not prevail with the Remonstrants to take Defensive much less Offensive Arms they still expecting that His Majesty in a short time might be able to yeild them Redress 7. That the Lords Justices c. by untrue Informations and other malicious Contrivances did endeavour to hinder His Majesty from granting Graces to the Irish Committee of Parliament but not prevailing in that they endeavoured to delay and stop them and by misconstruction and misrepresentations of the Irish Parliament endeavoured to possess His Majesty with an ill Opinion thereof and That it had not Jurisdiction in Capital Causes thereby aiming at the Impunity of those Impeached and the Destruction of the Parliament to which that power is essential and that the Lords Justices and their Adherents with the height of Malice envying their Union endeavour'd to sow Dissention in the Irish Parliament and to raise distinction of Nation and Religion and thereby made a Faction which to prevent the Graces passing into Acts Tumultuously cryed to Adjorn the House but being over-voted the Lords Justices said that if they did not Adjorn the Saturday themselves would Prorogue or Adjorn the Parliament on Monday by which means and the multitude of Proxies from Lords that have no Estate in Ireland which is destructive to the Liberty and freedom of Parliament here the Parliament was Adjorn'd on the 7 th of August and tho' the Graces were brought over soon after and the Committee desired the Lords Justices would give notice of them to the People to prevent misunderstanding or despair and an instrument was provided accordingly yet the Lord Justices willing to add Fuel to the Fire of the Subjects discontent did forbear to make such-Publication 8. That many Petitions containing matters Destructive to the Lives Estates and Religion of the Catholicks and directed to the House of Commons in England were promoted at publick Assizes to get hands unto them by Sir William Parsons Sir Adam Loftus Sir John Clotworthy and Arthur Hill Esq and others of the Malignant Party which were the more dreadful because of the said Clotworthy's power in the Parliament of England and his Barbarous and Inhuman expressions in that House against Catholicks and soon after an Order made by that Parliament Not to bow at the name of Jesus came to the knowledge of the Catholicks as also that the Malignant Party there did contrive and Plot to extingish the Irish Religion and Nation Hence some of them considered the deplorable condition they were in by a Statute of 2 Eliz. found amongst the Records but never executed in the Queens time nor discovered till most of the Members of that Parliament were dead which if executed no Catholick could enjoy his Life Liberty or Estate and yet nothing hindred but the Kings Prerogative which the Malignants endeavoured to destroy and then the Plot of Destruction by an Army out of Scotland and another of the Malignant Party in England must be executed the fear of these twofold Destructions and their ardent desire to assert the Prerogative Necessitated some Catholicks to take Arms in maintainance of Religion His Majesties Rights their own Lives Liberties and Estates and immediately thereupon took a solemn Oath and sent several Declarations to the Government and offered to submit to the Parliament of Ireland but the Offers were slighted and the Parliament Prorogued and a Declaration Issued on 23 October Accusing all Catholicks of Disloyalty but upon Application of Catholicks of Quality that the Prorogation was against Law and that a Session of Parliament was the only means to compose matters the Lords Justices knowing that but few would appear yielded to a short Session but limited it so that no Act of Grace or any thing for the Peoples satisfaction might pass that the few that met tho' disarm'd and not permitted a Servant and awed with Muskets presentto their Breasts yet desired leave to sit a short time to expect their fellows and to quiet the Insurrection and that the Graces might be Enacted but this was denied and instead of it a Declaration was propounded that these DISCONTENTED Gentlemen took Armâ— in Rebellious manner which was much resented by the best affected in both Houses but being informed that the Musqueteers had Order to shoot some of them at their going out they through terror gave way to that Declaration 9. However the greater part of the Catholicks and all Cities and Corporations and whole Provinces stood quiet and yet the Lords Justices knowing that many powerful Members of the English Parliament stood in opposition to his Majesty they sent their Addresses to that Parliament stuffed with Calumnies and propos'd to send over Forces to Conquer the Kingdom and they also Arm'd the Malignants in Ireland and the Catholicks even in Dublin and other Cities were not only denyed Arms for their Mony but also Disarm'd and when the Parliament had ordered a Pardon to all that should submit by a day limited Sir William Parsons contriv'd it so that it was publish'd only in two Counties and a short day prefix'd and Freeholders were therein excepted whereby it was manifest the Estates of Catholicks were first aimed at and then their Lives Moreover Sir Charles Coot was sent into Wicklow where he destroy'd Man Woman and Child that had neither Will nor Power to do hurt and others at Santry near Dublin Murdered innocent Husbandmen some whereof were Protestants mistaken for Catholicks meerly to force Fingal to Arms And tho' Complaint was made yet no Redress could be had and therefore the fear of being Murdered oblig'd the Catholicks to quit their Houses and to stand together in their own defence unprovided of Arms as they were hereupon a Proclamation issued 13 December not published till the 15 th requiring George King and others to come in and promising them Protection and another to summon the Lords of the Pale to meet at Council the 17 th But to prevent the effect of these Proclamations the same 15 th of December Sir Charles Coot was sent to burn Clantarf Mr. Kings House and use all acts of Hostility which he performed and this breach of Faith discourag'd the Lords of
the Pale from appearing at Dublin and forc'd them to defend themselves however they sent his Majesties sworn Servant Lieutenant Collonel Read to represent their Case to his Majesty but he was not only stopped but also Racked at Dublin 10. That the Lord President of Munster by direction of the Lords Justices that Province being quiet put to death Men Women and Children without distinction and mistrusted and threatned the Catholick Nobles and Gentry and Arm'd inferior fellows and the Province of Conaught was used in like manner so that in these Provinces the Catholicks were forc'd on their defence still waiting his Majesties Pleasure and ready to obey his Commands whilst the Lords Justices c. were busie by Addresses to the Malignant Party in England to deprive the Irish of all hopes of his Majesties Justice and Mercy and to plant a perpetual enmity between the Enemy and them 11. That whereas Ireland since the Reign of Hen 2. hath had its own Parliament with equal Power Priviledges c. to that of England and only dependant on the Crown in all which time there is no President that a Statute made in England had any force in Ireland until Enacted there Now by false suggestions an Act of Adventurers 17 Car. hath past in England whereby the Irish unsummon'd and unhear'd are declared Rebels and two Millions and a half of Acres of their Land dispos'd of which Act tho' forc'd on his Majesty and in it self unjust and void yet continues of evil consequence and extream prejudice to his Majesty and totally destructive to the Irish Nation for tho' the scope seems to aim at Rebels only yet the words include all the Irish and takes away many of his Majesties Tenures and much of his Revenue and therefore they protest against it as an Act without President and against the Kings Prerogative and the Fundamental Laws of the Kingdom and by colour whereof the Protestant Army disavow his Majesties Authority and depend on the Parliament 12. That strangers in Dublin being banish'd thence by Proclamation were by direction of the Lords Justices pillaged as soon as they got without the Town and what they left in the Town was confiscated and their desire to return under Protection was denyed that Catholicks quiet and under Protection were by the Lords Justices Order sooner destroy'd plundered or killed than those in Action and Quarter daily violated and others that came to Dublin for retreat and shelter were Imprisoned and Tryed for their Lives and Dublin Cork Youghall Kinsale and Tredagh that opened their Gates to his Majesties Forces are worse us'd than the Israelites in Egypt so that it will be made appear that more murthers breaches of publick Faith and Quarter more destruction and desolation and more cruelty not fit to be nam'd were committed in less than Eighteen Months by the direction and advice of the Lords Justices and their Party of the Council than can be parallel'd to have been done by any Christian people 13. That the Lords Justices have against the fundamental Laws procured several Sessions of Parliament tho' Nine parts of Ten of the genuine Members are absent it being inconsistent with their safety to come under the Power of the Lords Justices and in their room are Clerks Soldiers and Serving-men introduc'd into the House of Commons not at all Elected or not Legally Chosen and not having Estates however they have made Orders and releas'd Traytors Impeach'd in full Parliament and passed or might have passed some Acts against Law and prejudicial to his Majesty and the Nation and have also kept Terms only by false and illegal Judgments and Outlaries to Attaint many thousand good Subjects without Summons or Notice and obscure Men are made Sheriffs and Servants and Mechanicks are made Jurors to pass upon the Lives and Estates of those who came in upon Protection and publick Faith Wherefore and to settle the Revenue and prevent desolation and effusion of Blood and to procure the satisfaction of his Subjects who were willing to imploy 10000 men in defence of his Royal Rights they pray his Majesty to give gracious Answers to these Just complaints and to call a Free Parliament in an indifferent place before some Person of Honor and Fortune of approved Faith to his Majesty and acceptable to the People of Ireland who may be speedily Invested with the Government and that in such Parliament their grievances may be redress'd and Poynings Act suspended pro hac vice and either continued or Repeal'd as shall be thought fit and that no matter whereof complaint is made in this Remonstance may debar Catholicks from Sitting and Voting in such Parliament c. Delivered by the Lord Gormanstown Sir Lucas Dillon Sir Robert Talbot John Welsh Authorized by the Confederates 17 March 1642. to his Majesties Commissioners at Trim to be presented to the King Appendix VI. The Substance of the Answer of the Protestant Committee to the false and scandalous Remonstrance of the inhumane and bloody Rebels of Ireland given unto His Majesty at Oxford in May 1644. THAT the Remonstrants were not necessitated to take up Arms for their Religion for they were not troubled or so much as questioned about it for a long time before the Rebellion nor for His Majesties Prerogative for there were no Opponents of it in Ireland except the Remonstrants who have usurped all the King's Prerogatives as well as the Subjects Estates and have printed an Order of their general Assembly to exclude all Temporal Government and Jurisdiction but what is approved or instituted by that Assembly or the supream Council nor for their Lives Liberties and Estates because they had the Protection of the Law and His Majesties Government and not one Instance can be produced that a Papist quatenus a Papist ever suffered unpunished Violence from a Protestant either in Person or Estate except in open Rebellion And as to the just Liberties of Subjects wherein the Protestants are as much concerned as the Remonstrants they were never so fully and freely enjoyed in Ireland as at the Time of the Insurrection so that there was no Necessity to murther and rob the Protestants for the Preservation of the Confederates Nor have any of their Addresses since the Rebellion been slighted or suppressed Their first was from Cavan of the Sixth of November and received a mild and favourable Answer and was forthwith certified to the Lord Lieutenant The second was from seven Lords of the Pale then in Rebellion who refused upon safe Conduct to come to the State but desired Commissioners might be appointed to confer with them and though such a Condescention was thought dishonorable since it was the others duty to come to the Government yet both the Request and Answer were transmitted to the Lord Lieutenant Their third Address was from the united Lords by the Mediation of the Earl of Castlehaven 23 d. of March when His Majesties Army had raised the Siege of Tredagh and were Masters of the Field however
was taken at such a day and hour with all the circumstances at large and Letters to that purpose dated from Drogheda by the Rebels that that besieged it That Dublin was taken and being infinitely Ambitious of gaining the Earl of Ormond to their Part for the greater countenance to their Cause giving out that he was their own which was so long believed by the said followers until that Noble Earl giving daily those Honorable Testimonies to the contrary and they finding it to their cost tho' with the hazard of his own Person further than his place might well allow they are now otherwise satisfied and place him in the rank of their mortal Enemies together with that terror to them Sir Charles Coot and others And thus have I laid down all that I have heard to me related omitting what I find others more largely to insist upon All which their Treacherous vain and Airy projects God disappoint As for my own private sufferings by the present Rebellion I refer them to another Schedule this being so far taken up Hen. Jones Deposed before us March 3d. 1641. Roger Puttock John Stern John Watson William Aldrich William Hitchcock Appendix X. An Abstract of the Examination of Doctor Robert Maxwell afterwards Bishop of Kilmore THAT he observed Sir Phelim O Neal and other Irish overjoy'd at the Scots Invasion of England and as much dejected at the Pacification calling the English base degenerate Cowards and the Scots dishonorable Bragodochios that merchandiz'd their Honor for Mony and being asked the reason of their joy at bad news and their sorrow at good answered That if the Fewd had continued they hoped the Earl of Strafford would have perished in the Combustion That the Irish had frequent meetings Two or Three thousand in a company before the Rebellion and borrowed great Sums of Mony of the English without any apparent necessity but paid little or none that one Mac Case a Priest being disoblig'd by Sir Phelim inform'd the Lord Deputy Wandesford of a Plot but either he was not believ'd or said nothing to the purpose That Phelim O Neal brought home two Hogsheads of Powder under colour of Wine a little before the Rebellion and the Powder was bought by small parcels Ten or Twelve pound at a time in the Names of several Gentlemen and he brag'd that his Servants James Warren and Paul O Neal were in the Plot and apprehended but contrary to his expectation were dismiss'd at Council Table and that some Lord or other spoke for them there That Sir Phelim O Neal said that the Plot was in his Head Five or Six years before he could bring it to maturity and dissembled himself as a Fool to bring it about but since it was concluded on by the Catholick Members of the Parliament he was one of the last it was communicated to That Tirlogh O Neal Sir Phelim's Brother said that the business was communicated by the Irish Committee to the Papists in England who promis'd their Assistance and that by their advice some things formerly resolved on were alter'd and that it was a good Omen and Sign of Divine Approbation that the major part of the Irish Committee were Papists and that whilst the Protestants retir'd to a separate meeting at Chichester-Hall the remaining Papists sign'd a Combinatory writing of this Rebellion in the Tolsel which that Session drew on sooner than was at first intended That Sir Phelim said That if the Lords and Gentlemen of the other Provinces then not in Arms would not rise but leave them in the Lurch for all he would produce their Warrant Signed with their Hands and Written in their own Blood that should bring them to the Gallows and that they Sate every day at Council Board and whispered the Lords Justices in the Ear who were as deep in that business as himself That the Earl of Antrims Sister said Her Brother had taken Dublin Castle being removed thither to that purpose and her Brother Alexander had taken Carigfergus and that all Ireland was in the same Case with Vlster That the British should be preserv'd as long as it was consistent with publick safety and when not ' t is better an Enemy perish than ones self That Alexander Hovenden half Brother to Sir Phelim told him that the Fryers of Drogheda by Father Thomas Brother to the Lord of Slane had the Second time invited Sir Phelim and offered to betray the Town to him and Sir Phelim said of the same Fryer that he said Mass at Finglass on Sunday morning and in the afternoon did beat Sir Charles Coot at Swords and the Fryar being by answered that he hoped to say Mass at Christchurch Dublin within eight Weeks That several of the Irish Officers and Fryers said Why may not we as well fight for Religion which is the Substance as the Scots fight for Ceremonies which are but Shadows and that Straffords Government was intollerable and being answered that it lay no heavier on them than on the British they replied the British were no considerable part of the Kingdom and besides they were certainly inform'd that the Parliament of England had a Plot to bring the Papists to Church or cut them off viz. in England by English and in Ireland by the Scots that they were sure of aid next Spring from the Pope France and Spain and that the Clergy of Spain had already contributed Five thousand Arms and Powder for a whole Year then in readiness That the Priests and Fryers were their best Agents especially Paul O Neal upon whose arrival with advice from Spain the War broke out and since that he had gone to Spain with Letters and return'd back again with instructions in a Month. That being asked why they pretended a Commission from the King and at other times from the Queen they answer'd That it was Lawful for them to pretend what they could in advancement of their Cause and that in all Wars Rumours and Lies served to as good purpose as Arms. That Sir Phelim at first pretended only to Liberty of Conscience but as his Success so his Demands increased viz. To have all Offices of State and Justice in Irish hands and no Army Tithes and Church-Lands be restor'd to the Papists all Plantations since 1 Jacobi Dissanul'd no payment of Debts nor restitution of Goods to the Protestants all Fortiffcations in Popish hands British to be restrain'd from coming over Poynings Act and all Statues against Papists repealed and the Irish Parliament made Independent and even all this would not reduce Sir Phelim without a grant of the Earldom of Tyrone and the Priviledges of O Neal. That Sir Phelim pretended to a Prophesie that he should drive King Charles and his whole Posterity out of England to be profugi in terta aliena in aeternum and that several great Men drank a Health on the Knee to Sir Phelim O Neal Lord General of the Catholick Army in Vlster Earl of Tyrone and King of Ireland That he was informed That
inconveniencies the Supremacy of Rome and take away or much endanger your Majesties supream and just Authority in Causes Ecclesiastical Administration of Honour and Power not to be endured the said Acts extending as well to seditious Sectaries as to Popish Recusants so as by the Repeal thereof any Man may seem to be left to chuse his own Religion in that Kingdom which must needs beget great Confusion and the abounding of the Roman Clergy hath been one of the greatest Occasions of this late Rebellion Besides it is humbly desired that your Majesty will be pleased to take into your gracious Consideration a Clause in the Act of Parliament passed by your Majesties Royal Assent in England in the 17 th year of your Reign touching Punishments to be inflicted upon those that shall introduce the Authority of the See of Rome in any Cause whatsoever 2. Prop. That your Majesty will be pleased to call a free Parliament in the said Kingdom to be held and continued as in the said Remonstrance is expressed and the Statute of the Tenth Year of King Henry the Seventh called Poyning'â— Acts explaining or enlarging the same be suspended during that Parliament for the speedy Settlement of the present Affairs and the Repeal thereof to be there further considered of Answ Whereas their desire to have a free Parliament called reflecteth by secret and cunning Implication upon your Majesties present Parliament in Ireland as if it were not a free Parliament We humbly beseech your Majesty to represent how dangerous it is to make such insinuation or intimation to your People of that Kingdom touching that Parliament wherein several Acts of Parliament have already past the validity whereof may be endangered if the Parliament should not be approved as a free Parliament and it is a point of high Nature as we humbly conceive is not properly to be discussed but in Parliament and your Majesties said Parliament now sitting is a free Parliament in Law holden before a Person of Honour and Fortune in the Kingdom composed of good loyal and well-affected Subjects to your Majesty who doubtless will be ready to comply in all things that shall appear to be pious and just for the good of the true Protestant Religion and for your Majesties Service and the good of the Church and State that if this present Parliament should be dissolved it would be a great Terror and Discontent to all your Majesties Protestant Subjects of the Kingdom and may be also a means to force many of your Majesties Subjects to quit that Kingdom or peradventure to adhere to some other party there in opposition of the Romish Irish Confederates rather than to be liable to their Power which effects may prove of most dangerous Consequence And we humbly offer to your Majesties Consideration your own gracious Expression mentioned in the Grounds and Motives inducing your Majesty to agree to a Cessation of Arms for one whole Year with the Roman Catholicks of Ireland Printed at Oxford the Ninteenth of October 1643. And let all our good Subjects be assured that as we have for these reasons and with Caution and Deliberation consented to the Proposition to peace and to that purpose do continue our Parliament there so we shall proceed in the accomplishing thereof with that Care and Circumspection that we shall not admit even Peace it self otherwise than it may be agreeable to Conscience Honour and Justice We also humbly desire that such Laws as your Majesty shall think fit to pass may be transmitted according to Poyning's Law and other Laws of Explanation thereof or of Addition thereunto now in force with great Contentment and Security to your Majesties Protestant Subjects but if the present Parliament be dissolved we humbly represent unto your Majesty that so many of your ablest and best Protestant Subjects have been murthered or banished by this Rebellion that few or no Protestant Freeholders will be found in the Countries Cities or Boroughs to elect and chuse Knights Citizens or Burgesses which will be most dangerous to your Majesties Rights and Prerogatives and good Subjects and may beget great disputes in After-times for the repealings of Poyning's Acts notwithstanding their seigned Expressions of their Loyalty yet it plainly appeareth they do not repose such Trust in your Majesties Justice as becomes Loyal Subjects to do and such they pretend themselves to be for that they seek thereby to prevent your Majesty and your Council of England and Ireland of so full a View and Time of Mature Consideration to be had of Acts of Parliament of Ireland before they pass as in prudence is requisite and hath been found necessary by the Experience of well near Two Hundred Years and if their intentions were so clear as they profess we know not why they should avoid the strictest View and Trial of your Majesty and your Councils of both Kingdoms this their desire tending to introduce a grand Diminution to the royal and necessary Power for the Conservation of your regal State and Protection of your good Protestant Subjects there and elsewhere and what special use they aim at in seeking such a repeal your Protestant Subjects as they know not the particular so can they conjecture of none unless the said Confederates have some design by way of surprize to obtrude upon your Majesty in their new desired Parliament some Acts of Justification of their ill-done Actions and for condemning such of your Protestant Subjects as have in their several Degrees most faithfully served your Majesty there which we the rather believe seeing they have vowed by their Oath of Association and the Bull lately published in Ireland since the Cessation the Destruction of the Protestants there when they have the Sword in their hands to put the same in Execution 3. Prop. That all Acts and Ordinances made and passed in the now pretended Parliament in that Kingdom since the Seventh Day of August 1641. be clearly annulled and declared void and taken off the File Answ We humbly desire that they particularize those Orders and Ordinances which may prejudice your Majesties Service for we are well assured that the Parliament now sitting in Ireland on Signification of your Majesties Pleasure therein will give your Majesty full satisfaction or repeal any unjust Orders or Ordinances whatsoever which may be prejudicial to your Majesty And there may be some Orders or Ordinances which may concern particular Persons in their Lives Liberties or Fortunes that may suffer unheard by the admitting of so general a Proposition which is meerly proposed as we humbly conceive to put a Scorn upon your Majesties Parliament now sitting there and to discourage your Protestant Subjects who have faithfully served your Majesty in that Parliament 4. Prop. That all Indictments Attainders Outlawries in the King's-Bench or elsewhere since the said Seventh Day of August 1641. and all Letters Patents Grants Leases Custodiums Bonds Recognizances and all other Records Act or Acts depending thereon or in prejudice of the said Catholicks
whereupon those Grants are founded are to be handled as matters of State and be Heard and Determined by the Lord Lieutenant or other chief Governor or Governors for the time being and the Council publickly at the Council Board and not otherwise but Titles between Party and Party grown after these Patents granted are to be left to the ordinary course of Law and that the Council Table do not hereafter intermeddle with common business that is within the cognizance of the ordinary Courts nor with the altering of Possessions of Lands nor make nor use private Orders Hearings or References concerning any such matter nor grant any Injunction or Order for stay of any Suits in any Civil Cause and that parties Grieved for or by reason of any proceedings formerly had there may commence their Suits and prosecute the same in any of His Majesties Courts of Justice or Equity for remedy of their pretended Rights without any restraint or interruption from His Majesty or otherwise by the chief Governor or Governors and Council of this Kingdom 13. It is further Concluded Granted and Agreed by and between the said Parties and His Majesty is further graciously Pleased that as for and concerning one Statue made in this Kingdom in the Eleventh year of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth intituled An Act for staying of Wooll Flocks Tallow and other necessaries within this Realm And one other Statue made in the said Kingdom in the Twelfth year of the said Queen intituled An Act And one other Statute made in the said Kingdom in the Thirteenth year of the Reign of the said late Queen intituled An explanation of the Act made in a Session of this Parliament for staying of Wooll Flocks Tallow and other Warts and Commodities mentioned in the said Act and certain Articles added to the same Act all concerning Staple or Native Commodities of this Kingdom shall be Repealed excepting for Wooll and Wooll Fells and that such indifferent Persons as shall be Agreed on by the said Lord Lieutenant and the said Lord Viscount Mountgarret c. or any Five or more of them shall be Authorized by Commission under the great Seal to Moderate and Ascertain the Rates of Merchandize to be Exported or Importedout of or into this Kingdom as they shall think fit 14. It is further Concluded Accorded and Agreed by and between the said Parties and His Majesty is further graciously pleased that care be had that the chief Governor or Governors of this Kingdom for the time being shall not continue in those Places longer than he shall find for the good of his People here and that they shall be Inhibited to make any Purchase other than by Lease for Provision of their Houses during the time of their Government 15. It is further Concluded Accorded and Agreed by and between the said Parties and His Majesty is further graciously pleased that an Act of Oblivion shall be Passed in the next Parliament to extend unto all His Majesty's Subjects of this Kingdom and their Adherents of all Treasons and Offences Capital Criminal and Personal and other Offences of what Nature Kind or Quality soever in such manner as if such Treasons or Offences had never been Committed Perpetrated or Done That the said Act do extend to the Heirs Children Kindred Executors Administrators Wives Widows Dowagers and Assigns of such of the said Subjects and their Adherents who died on or since the 23 th of October 1641. That the said Act do relate to the First Day of the next Parliament That the said Act do extend to all Bodies Politick and Corporate and their respective Successors and unto all Cities Burroughs Counties Baronies Hundreds Towns Villages Tythings and every of them within this Kingdom for and concerning all and every of the said Offences or any other Offence or Offences in them or any of them committed or done by his Majesty's said Subjects or their Adherents or any of them in or since the 23 d. of October 1641. That this Act shall extend to Piracies and all other Offences committed upon the Sea by his Majesty's said Subjects or their Adherents or any of them That in this Act of Oblivion Words of Release Aquittal and Discharge be Inserted That no Person or Persons Bodies Politick or Corporate Counties Cities Burroughs Baronies Hundreds Towns Villages Tythings or any of them within this Kingdom included within the said Act be Troubled Impeached Sued Inquieted or Molested for or by reason of any Offence Matter or Thing whatsoever comprized within the said Act and the said Act shall extend to all Rents Goods and Chattels Taken Detained or grown Due to the Subjects of the one side to the other since the 23 d. of October 1641. to the Date of these Articles and also to all Customs Rents Arrears of Rents Prizes Recognizances Bonds Fines Forfeitures Penalties and to all other Profits Perquisites and Dues which were Due or did or should Accrue to his Majesty on before or since the 23 d. of October 1641. until the perfection of these Articles and likewise to all Mesne Rates Fines of what nature soever Recognizances Judgments Executions thereupon and Penalties whatsoever and to all other Profits due to His Majesty since the said 23 d. of October and before until this present for by reason or which lay within the Survey or Cognizance of the Court of Wards and also to all Respits Issues of Homage and Fines for the same provided this shall not extend to Discharge or Remit any of the Kings Debts or Subsides Due before the said 23 d. of October 1641. which were then or before Levyed or Taken by Sheriffs Commissioners Receivers or Collectors and not then or before accounted for or since disposed to Publick use of the said Roman Catholick Subjects but that such Persons may be brought to account for the same after full settlement in Parliament and not before provided that such Barbarous and inhuman Crimes as shall be particularized and agreed upon by the said Lord Lieutenant and the Lord Viscount Mountgarret c. or any Five or more of them as to the Actors and Procurers thereof be left to be Tried and Adjudged by such indifferent Commissioners as shall be agreed upon by the said Lord Lieutenant and the said Lord Viscount Mountgarret c. or any Five or more of them and that the Power of the said Commissioners shall continue only for Two Years next ensuing the Date of these present Articles Provided also that the Commissioners to be Agreed on for Tryal of the said particular Crimes to be Excepted shall Hear Order and Determine all cases of Trust where Relief may or ought in Equity to be afforded against all manner of Persons according to the Equity and Circumstances of every such Case And His Majesty's Chief Governor or Governors and other Governors and Magistrates for the time being and all His Majesty's Courts of Justice and other His Majesty's Officers of what Condition or Quality soever be Bound and Required to
in this present Parliament assembled is graciously pleased that it may be Enacted And be it Enacted by the King 's most Excellent Majesty the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons in this present Parliament assembled and by Authority of the same That from and after the First day of this Session of Parliament it shall and may be lawful to and for all the Professors of the Roman Catholick Religion of what degree condition or quality to have use and enjoy the free and publick exercise and profession of the said Roman Catholick Religion and of their several and respective functions therein without incurring any Mulct or Penalty whatsoever or being subject to any restraint or incapacity concerning the same any Article or Clause Sentence or Provision in the said last mentioned Acts of Parliament or in any other Act or Acts of Parliament Ordinances Law or usage to the contrary or in any wise notwithstanding And be it also further Enacted That neither the said Statutes or any other Statute Acts or Ordinances hereafter made in Your Majesties Reign or in the Reign of any of Your Highnesses most Noble Progenitors or Ancestors and now of Force in this Kingdom nor all nor any Branch Article Clause and Sentence in them or any of them contained or specified shall be of force or validity in this Realm to extend to be construed or adjudged to extend in any wise to inquiet prejudice vex or molest the Professors of the said Roman Catholick Religion in their Persons Lands Hereditaments or Goods or any thing matter or cause whatsoever touching and concerning the free and publick use exercise and enjoyings of their said Religion function and profession And be it also further Enacted and Declared by the Authority aforesaid That Your Majesties Roman Catholick Subjects in the said Realm of Ireland from the first day of this Session of Parliament shall be and be taken deemed and adjudged capable of all Offices of Trust and Advancement Places Degrees and Dignities and perferment whatsoever within your said Realm of Ireland Any Acts Statutes Vsage or Law to the contrary notwithstanding And that other Acts shall be passed in the said Parliament according to the tenour of such Agreement or Concessions as herein are expressed and that in the mean time the said Roman Catholick Subjects and every of them shall enjoy the full benefit freedom and advantage of the said Agreement and Concessions and of every of them 5. It is Accorded Granted and Agreed by the said Earl for and in the bâ—â—â—lf of His Majesty His Heirs and Successors That his Excellency the Lord Marques of Ormond Lord Lieutenant of Ireland or any other or others Authorized or to be Authorized by His Majesty shall not disturb the professors of the Roman Catholick Religion in their present possession and continuance of the profession of their said Churches Jurisdiction or any other the matters aforesaid in these Articles agreed and condescended unto by the said Earl until His Majesties pleasure be signified for confirming and publishing the Grants and Agreements hereby Articled for and Condescended unto by the said Earl 6. And the said Earl of Glamorgan doth hereby engage His Majesty's Royal Word and Publick Faith unto all and singular the professors of the said Roman Catholick Religion within the said Kingdom of Ireland for the due observance and performance of all and every the Articles Grants and Clauses therein contained and the Concessions herein mentioned to be performed to them 7. It is Accorded and Argeed That the said publick Faith of the Kingdom shall be ingaged unto the said Earl by the said Commissioners of the said Confederate Catholicks for sending Ten thousand men to serve His Majesty by order and publick Declaration of the General Assembly now sitting And that the Supream Council of the said Confederate Catholicks shall engage themselves to bring the said number of Men Armed the one half with Musquets and the other half with Pikes unto any Port within this Realm at the Election of the said Earl and at such time as he shall appoint to be by him Shipped and Transported to serve His Majesty in England Wales or Scotland under the Command of the said Earl of Glamorgan as the Lord General of the said Army which Army is to be kept together in one intire Body and all other the Officers and Commanders of the said Army are to be named by the Supream Council of the said Confederate Catholicks or by such others as the General Assembly of the said Confederate Catholicks of this Kingdom shall intrust therewith In witness whereof the Parties to these Presents have hereunto interchangeably put their Hands and Seals the 25 th day of August 1645. Glamorgan Signed Sealed and Delivered in the Presence of John Somerset Jeffery Barron Robert Barry Articles of Agreement made and concluded upon by and between the Right Honourable Edward Earl of Glamorgan and in pursuance and by vertue of His Majesty's Authority under His Signet and Royal Signature bearing Date at Oxford the Twelfth day of March in the Twentieth Year of His Reign for and on the behalf of His Most Excellent Majesty of the one part and the Right Honourable Richard Lord Viscount Mountgarret Lord President of the Supream Council of the Confederate Catholicks of Ireland Donnogh Lord Viscount Muskerry Alex. M. Donnell and Nicholas Plunket Esquires Sir Robert Talbot Baronet Dermot O Brien John Dillon Patrick Darcy and Jeffery Browne Esquires for and on the behalf of His Majesty's Roman Catholick Subjects and the Catholick Clergy of Ireland of the other part 1. THE said Earl doth Grant Conclude and Agree on the behalf of His Majesty His Heirs and Successors to and with the said Richard Lord Viscount Mountgarret Donnogh Lord Viscount Muskerry Alex. Mac Donnell and Nicholas Plunket Esquires Sir Robert Talbot Baronet Dermot O Brien John Dillon Patrick Darcy and Jeffery Browne Esquires That the Roman Catholick Clergy of the said Kingdom shall and may from henceforth for ever hold and enjoy all such Lands Tenements Tyths and Hereâ—itaments whatsoever by them respectively enjoyed within this Kingdom or by them possessed at any time since the Three and twentieth of October 1641. And all other such Lands Tenements Tyths and Hereditaments belonging to the Clergy within this Kingdom other than such as are actually enjoyed by His Majesty's Protestant Clergy 2. It is Granted Concluded and Agreed on by the said Richard Lord Viscount Mountgarret c. on the behalf of the Confederate Roman Catholicks of Ireland that Two parts in Three parts to be divided of all the said Lands Tyths and Hereditaments whatsoever mentioned in the precedent Articles shall for Three Years next ensuing the Feast of Easter which shall be in the Year of our Lord God 1646. be disposed of and converted for and to the Use of His Majesty's Forces employed or to be employed in His Service and the other Third part to the Use of the said Clergy resepectively and so the like
Titles between party and party grown after these patents granted are to be left to the ordinary course of Law and that the Counsel-Table do not hereafter intermeddle with common business that is within the cognizance of the ordinary Courts nor with the altering of possessions of Lands nor make nor use private Orders hearings or references concerning any such matter nor grant any injunction or order for stay of any suits in any civil cause and that parties grieved for or by reason of any proceedings formerly had there may commence their suits and prosecute the same in any of his Majesties Courts of Justice or Equity for Remedy of their pretended rights without any restraint or interruption from his Majesty or otherwise by the chief Governour or Governours and Council of this Kingdom and that the proceedings in the respective Presidency Courts shall be pursuant and according to his Majesties printed Book of Instructious and that they shall contain themselves within the limits prescribed by that Book when the Kingdom shall be restored to such a degree of quietness as they be not necessarily enforced to exceed the same 14. Item It is further concluded accorded and agreed upon by and between the said parties and his Majesty is further graciously pleased That as for and concerning one Statute made in this Kingdom in the eleventh year of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth intituled led an Act for staying of Wool Flocks Tallow and other necessaries within this Realm and another Statute made in the said Kingdom in the twelfth year of the Reign of the said Queen intituled an Act c. And one other Statute made in the said Kingdom in the 13 year of the Reign of the said late Queen intituled an Exemplanation of the Act made in a Session of this Parliament for the staying of Wool Flocks Tallow and other wares and commodities mentioned in the said Act and certain Articles added to the same Act all concerning staple or native Commodities of this Kingdom shall be repealed if it shall be so thought fit in the Parliament excepting for Wool and Woolfels and that such indifferent persons as shall be agreed on by the said Lord Lieutenant and the said Thomas Lord Viscount Dillon Esq c. or any seven or more of them shall be authorized by Commission under the great Seal to moderate and ascertain the rates of merchandize to be exported or imported out of or into this Kingdom as they shall think fit 15. Item It is concluded accorded and agreed by and between the said parties and his Majesty is graciously pleased that all and every person and persons within this Kingdom pretending to have suffered by Offices found of several Countries Territories Lands and Hereditaments in the Province of Ulster and other Provinces of this Kingdom in or since the first of King James his Reign or by Attainders or Forfeitures or by pretence and colour thereof since the said first year of King James or by other Acts depending on the said Offices attainders and forfeitures may petition his Majesty in Parliament for relief and redress and if after examination it shall appear to his Majesty the said persons or any of them have been injured then his Majesty will prescribe a course to repair the person or persons so suffering according to Justice and Honour 16. Item It is further concluded accorded and agreed upon by and between tht said parties and his Majesty is graciously pleased that as to the particular Cases of Maurice Lord Viscount de Rupe and Fermoy c. they may petition his Majesty in the next Parliament whereupon his Majesty will take such consideration of them as shall be just and fit 17. Item It is likewise concluded accorded and agreed upon by and between the said parties and his Majesty is graciously pleased That the Citizens Free-men Burgesses and former Inhabitants of the City of Cork Towns of Youghal and Dungarven shall be forthwith upon perfection of these Articles restored to their respective possessions and estates in the said City and Towns respectively where the same extends not to the endangering of the said Garrisons in the said City and Towns In which case so many of the said Citizens and Inhabitants as shall not be admitted to the present possession of their houses within the said City and Towns shall be afforded a valuable annual Rent for the same until settlement in Parliament ☞ at which time they shall be restored to those their possessions And it is further agreed and his Majesty is graciously pleased That the said Citizens Free-men Burgesses and Inhabitants of the said City of Cork and Towns of Youghal and Dungarven respectively shall be enabled in convenient time before the next Parliament to be hold in this Kingdom to chuse and return Burgesses into the same Parliament 18. Item It is further concluded accorded and agreed upon by and between the said parties and his Majesty is further graciously pleased that an Act of Oblivion be past in the next Parliament to extend to all his Majesties Subjects of this Kingdom and their Adherents of all Treasons and Offences capital criminal and personal and other Offences of what nature kind or quality soever in such manner as if those Treasons or Offences had never been committed perpertrated or done That the said Act do extend to the Heirs Children Kindred Executors Administrators Wives Widows Dowagers or Assigns of such of the said Subjects and their Adherents who died on before or since the 23d of Octob. 1641. That the said Act do relate to the first day of the next Parliament that the said Act do extend to all Bodies Politick and Corporate and their respective Successors and unto all Cities Boroughs Counties Baronies Hundreds Towns Villages Tithings and every of them within this Kingdom for and concerning all and every of the said Offences or any other Offence or Offences in them or any of them committed or done by his Majesties said Subjects or their Adherents or any of them before in or since the 23d of Octob. 1641. Provided this Act shall not extend to be construed to pardon any Offence or Offences for which any person or persons have been convicted or attainted of Record at any time before the 23d of Octob. in the year of our Lord 1641. That this Act shall extend to Piracies and all other Offences committed upon the Sea by his Majesties said Subjects or their Adherents or any of them That in this Act of Oblivion words of release acquittal and discharge be inserted that no person or persons Bodies politick or Corporate Counties Cities Burroughs Baronnies Hundreds Towns Villages Tithings or any of them within this Kingdom included within the said Act be troubled impeached sued inquieted or molested for or by reason of any offence matter or thing whatsoever comprised within the said Act and the said Act shall extend to all Rents Goods and Chattels taken detained or grown due to the Subjects of the one party from the other
in Ireland by any of the Kings Officers without his special License contrary to the aforesaid Ordinance of Edw. 2. And so on the 8th day of September Lionel Duke of Clarenâ—e 1361. Earl of Vlster and Lord of Connaught came over Lord Lieutenant and brought with him an Army of fifteen hundred men by the Pole and his Entertainment was thirteen shillings and four pence per diem and two shillings apiece for eight Knights six pence apiece for three hundred and sixty Archers on Horseback out of Lancashire and two pence apiece for twenty three Archers out of Wales Under him was Ralph Earl of Stafford who had six shillings and eight pence per diem for himself four shillings for a Baneret two shillings apiece for seventeen Knights twelve pence apiece for seventy eight Esquires and six pence apiece for an hundred Archers on Horseback Davis 30 31. and four pence apiece for seventy Archers on foot And James Earl of Ormond had four shillings per diem and two shillings apiece for two Knights and twelve pence apiece for twenty seven Esquires six pence apiece for twenty Hoblers armed four pence apiece for twenty Hoblers unarm'd And Sir John Carew Baneret had four shillings per diem and two shillings for one Knight and twelve pence apiece for eight Esquires and six pence apiece for ten Archers on Horseback And Sir William Windsor had two shillings per diem and for two Knights two shillings each for forty nine Squires twelve pence apiece and for six Archers on Horseback sixpence apiece Upon his coming over Proclamation was made to remand out of England all Men that held Land in Ireland on pain of Forfeiture of their Land because he thought that by his Army 36 Edw. 3. m. 21. and the assistance of the English of Birth he should be able to do great Feats without the assistance of the old English and therefore he also proclaimed That none of the old English should joyn his Army or approach his Camp which gave great offence to those that were the Progeny of the first Conquerors and had hitherto preserved the Kingdom by their Valour However the Duke marched his Army against O Brian but not being acquainted with the Country nor the Manners of the Irish he soon lost an hundred of his Men and thereby found the want of the old experieneed English whom he at first rejected but he timely repair'd his Error by another Proclamation inviting and requiring them to come to him whereupon they united and the Affair proceeded prosperously so that O Bryan was subdued Hereupon the Duke made many Knights as well of Old as New English and some time after he removed the Exchequer to Caterlough and bestowed five hundred Pounds in walling that Town He did many other good Acts so much to the Satisfaction of the whole Kingdom that as well the Clergy as the Layity gave him two Years Profit of all their Lands and Tithes towards the maintenance of the War here He was the first that kept the Army under Discipline so that they were not grievous or burthensom to the Country as they used to be And so having behaved himself very well in Ireland he returned to England on the twenty second of April leaving James Butler 1364. Earl of Ormond Lord Deputy This Lord obtained a Licence from the King to purchase Lands to the value of sixty Pound per annum Lib. CCC non obstante the Statute or Ordinance That no Officer of the King's should purchase within his Jurisdiction But on the eighth Day of December Lionel Duke of Clarence Lord Lieutenant came over again but made a very short Stay before he left the Kingdom and deputed Sir Thomas Dale 1365. Lord Deputy in whose time great Contest arose between the Birminghams of Carbry and the Inhabitants of Meath for the very English were now grown so degenerate that they preyed and pillaged one another after the barbarous manner of the Irish so that Sir Robert Preston Chief Baron who had married one of the Daughters and Coheirs of Sir Walter Birmingham was forced to put a good Guard into his Castle of Carbry to secure his Estate against his seditious Neighbours Hereupon Lionel Duke of Clarente 1367. Lord Lieutenant came over again and held that renowned Parliament at Kilkenny which made that famous Act which is so often cited by the name of the Statute of Kilkenny The Bishops of Dublin Cashel Tuam Lissmore Waterford Killaloo Ossory Leighlin and Cloyne Lib. D. who were present at this Parliament did fulminate an Excommunication against the Transgressors of that Law The Lords and Commons sat together at the making of it and the Statute it self is in French and to be seen at large in the Library at Lambeth libro D. but the effect of it is That the Brehon Law is an evil Custom Davis 112 191. and that it be Treason to use it That Marriage Nursing and Gossiping with the Irish be Treason That the use of Irish Name Apparel or Language be punished with the loss of Lands or imprisonment until the Party give Security to conform That the English should not make War upon the Irish without Order of the State That the English should not permit the Irish to Creaght or graze upon their Land Nor present an Irishman to an Ecclesiastical Benefice Nor receive them into Monasteries or Religious Houses Nor entertain any of their Minstrels Rhimers or News-tellers Nor cess Horse or Foot upon the English Subject against his Will on Pain of Felony And that Sheriffs might enter any Liberty or Franchise to apprehend Felons or Traytors And that four Wardens of the Peace should be appointed in every County equally to assess every Man's Proportion of the publick Charge for Men and Armour But it seems this Statute did not affect the Irish because they were not amesnable to Law for notwithstanding this Act the Irish did always use their Brehon Law until the third Year of King James I. Nevertheless this Law Davis 193. together with the Presence of the King's Son and the Discipline he used did very much reform the degenerate English so that the Revenues certain and casual of Vlster and Connaught were thenceforward accounted for in the Exchequer and the King's Writ did run in both those Provinces and therefore this Statute was revived and confirmed by 10 Hen. 7. cap. 8. It is to be noted Lib. D. That at this time the Price of a Cow was but ten Groats and the Pay of a Foot-Soldier was but two Pence a Day whereof he paid a Penny for his Victuals Nor must it be forgot That about this time it was declared in England That the King could not by Law alienate his Dominions And that King John his Submission to the Pope being contrary to his Coronation Oath and to Law was utterly void But let us return to the Lord Lieutenant who having concluded this Parliament to his Mind went to
England and Gerard Fitz Maurice Earl of Desmond was made Lord Justice 1367. he procured a Parly between the Birminghams and some Commissioners he sent but they treacherously seized on Thomas Burly Prior of Kilmaynam and Chancellor the Sheriff of Meath 1368. and Sir Robert Tyrrel c. whereupon James Birmingham who was a Prisoner in Irons at Trim was exchanged for the Chancellor and the others were fain to pay their Ransoms 1369. But on the twelfth of July came over Sir William de Winsor Lord Lieuten who called a Parliament at Kilkenny which gave three thousand Pound Subsidy And soon after another at Ballydoil which gave two thousand Pound Subsidy Pryn 304. towards the Maintenance of the King's Wars Both which Sums were for some time forborn by the King's Order Prin 300 301 but were afterwards levied and paid to the Lord Lieutenant And the King would also have had a Law made against Absentees and sent Orders to that Purpose but it seems that he did not prevail in that Matter This Lord Lieutenant vigorously prosecuted the War against the O Tools and the Rebels of Leinster but was interrupted by a fatal Accident for on the sixth of July near the Monastery of Mayo in the Country of Limerick O Connor and O Bryan got the better of the English and slew the Earl of Desmond and took John Fitz Nicholas Lord of Kerry and the Lord Thomas Fitz-John and many others Prisoners Whereupon the Lord Lieutenant was obliged to march to the Defence of Munster where he behaved himself so well that John Macnamarra a great Man in Thomond was forced to submit Lib. D. and give Hostages for Performance of Covenants one of which was To keep the Peace especially towards the Bishops of Limerick and Killalow Another was Not to annoy the City or Castle of Limerick nor hinder that City in their Fishing or in cutting down Woods in Thomond to build or repair their Houses And a third was That he should restore the Books Ornaments and Chalices he had taken from the Church of Limerick From whence may be observed That Sacriledge was well known and practised in Ireland before the Reformation But to proceed The Lord Lieutenant was sent for to England and therefore on the twenty first of March he deputed Maurice 1371. Earl of Kildare Custos of Ireland and he was sworn the next Day and continued in that Office until Sir Robert de Ashton 1372. Lord Justice arrived In his time there were great Fewds between O Farrel and the English of Meath so that many were killed on each Side and particularly Hussy 1373. Baron of Galtrim the Sheriff of Meath and William Dalton were in May slain by the Irish in Kinaleagh And whereas the Court of Exchequer had issued Process to levy Escuage as well for the Lands seised by the Rebels as for those which the English kept in Possession the King on the twenty second of May sent a Writ to the Exchequer to order that Matter according to Reason and Equity And whereas he was informed That Customs and Impositions were laid upon them which the major Part of the Parliament had not consented to he sent the Lord Justice a strange sort of Writ Pryn 303. which shall therefore be recited REX dilecto sâ—ideli suo Roberto de Ashton Justic suo Hibern Salutem Ex gravi conquestione ligeorum nostrorum Terrae nostrae Hibern accepimus quod cum Willielmus de Winsore nuper locum nostrum tenens in Terra praedicta ad primum Parliamentum post adventum suum in Hibern tent apud Dublin diversa Custumas onera quae antea aliquo tempore concessa non fuerunt ab ipsis Ligeis nostris petiâ—isse viz. de quolibet lasto halecis tres solidos de qualibet centena grossi piscis duodecem denarios de qualibet Centena minoris piscis sex denarios de quolibet dolio Salmonis quatuor solidos de qualibet pipa Salmonis duos solidos de quolibet dolio Vini sex solidos octo denar de qualibet pipa vini tres solidos quatuor denar de qualibet libra â—arnium boum porcorum ovium sex denarios de qualibet weia frumenti sex solidos octo denarios de qualibet weia Brasei fabarum pisar hordei siliginis hastinel quinque solidos de qualibet weia salis sex solidos octo denaer de qualibet libra pellium equorum cervorum Aphrorum pillfell pannor laniar lineorum fuldingoram aliarum merchandizarum sex denarios licet Praelati Magnates alii ligei nostri pro majori parte in dicto Parliamento nostro existentes concessioni levationi solutioni custum onerum praedictorum expresse contradixerunt quidam Praelati de concilio assensu praefat Willielmi existentes aliae singulares personae pro minori parte ejusâ—em Parliamenti in quadam camera congregati custumam onera superdicta absque assensu majoris partis dicti Paliamenti per tres annos tantum non ultra concesserunt praefatus tamen Willielmus alii de concilio suo in rotulis Canc. nosâ—ri ejusdem irrotulari registrari fecerunt quod dicta custumae onera per omnes in dicto Parliamento presentes perpetuis temporibus percipienda concessa fuerunt in ipsorum ligeorum nostrorum Terrae nostrae praedictae destructionem depaâ—perationem manifestam unde nobis supplicarunt sibi per nos de remedio provideri nos nolentes ipsos ligeos nostros injuste onerari vobis mandamus quod premissa omnia eorum singula eisdem modo forma quibus gesta acta fuerunt in proximo Parliamento nostro in Terra praedicta tenendo coram Praelatis Magnatibus Communitate dicti Parliamenti recitari declarari si per expositionnem examinationem eorundem vobis constare poterit premissa veritatem continere tunc irrotulamentum ac record concessionis custumae onerum praedict de assenfu dicti Parliamenti sine dilatione cancellari damnari levationi exactioni custumae onerum praedict ratione concessionis antedict post dictum trientum faciend supersederi faciatis omnino Teste Rege apud Westm 28. die Maii. And now happened the famous Case of Sir Richard Pembridge who was the King's Servant and Warden of the Cinque Ports 2. Inst 47. and being ordered to go over Lord Deputy to Ireland he refused and it was adjudged he might because it was but an honourable Exile and no man can by Law be compelled Perdere Patriam except in the case of Abjuration for Felony or by Act of Parliament And therefore another was sent viz. Sir William Windsor 1374. Lord Lieutenant who arived at Waterford on the eighteenth Day of April 1374. and was sworn at Kilkenny the fourth of May He undertook the Custody or Government of Ireland for eleven thousand two hundred and thirteen
Courts of Exchequer and Commonpleas be removeable at the Discretion of the chief Governour on twenty eight Days notice V. That the Earls of Desmond and Kildare and Edward Plunket Esq as well for Alliances Fosterage and Alterage with the King's Irish Enemies as in furnishing them with Horse and Arms and supporting them against the King's Subjects which is notoriously known to be against the Kings Laws and the laudable Statutes of the Land Lib. D. be attainted of Treason and that whoever hath any of their Goods or Lands and doth not discover it to the Deputy within fourteen Days shall be attainted of Felony By vertue of this Act of Parliament Davis 186. the great Earl of Desmond was beheaded at Drogheda the fifteenth of February 1467. Report makes his Crime to be That of extorting Coyn and Livery And the Irish say it was for an affront he put upon the Queen for being of a noble Race and a generous or rather proud Spirit he despised the King's Marriage with so mean a Subject as the Lady Elizabeth Grey and often said She was a Taylors Widow Perhaps he had more reason than any Man to speak bitterly against such Matches because he had no other Title to the Earldom of Desmond than by the Marriage of his Nephew Thomas the fifth Earl of Desmond to Katherin ni William mac Cormock one of his Vassals for which that Earl was so persecuted by his Relations that he was forced to resign his Earldom to this his Unkle who is commonly called by the Irish Thomas of Drogheda And it would be a very hard case that the Nephew should be so abused for an Act which the King had justified by following the Example and therefore the Unkle exclaimed against that Action as a thing too base to be imitated or excus'd There is also another Vulgar Tradition about this matter which seems very unlikely Lib. P. if not impossible and that is That the Queen should steal the Privy Signet and put it to an Order for his Execution But it is well worth our Observation Davis 185. That as the Earls of Desmond were the first Introducers of Coyn and Livery among the English and the first that broached the distinction between English of Birth and English of Blood and the first Peers that refused to come to Parliament upon Summons so they were the only Peers that ever were executed in Ireland and the only Noble English Family that was by the Hand of Justice extinguished there so that this degenerate Family which of all others was most injurious and ungrateful to the English Government did suffer more by the same Government than any other Family in that Kingdom and those Exactions of Coyn and Livery which were the Foundations of their Grandure did at last prove the cause or occasion of their Ruine in the person of Gerald the fifteenth Earl of Desmond On the twenty sixth of February Edmond Lord Dunboyn Lib. G. for taking Con O Connor Prisoner and delivering him to the Lord Deputy and for other Services he had done the State obtained a Patent for ten Pound per annum payable out of the Fee farm Rents of Waterford forfeited by the Attainder of James Earl of Ormond and also the Prisage of Limerick Cork Ross Galway Youghal Kingsale Dungarvan and Dingle and the Lands of Castle-Richard in Meath habendum during his Life It is plain by many Circumstances and particularly that of his short stay in Ireland that this Lord Deputy came over meerly to serve a turn for as soon as the Earl of Desmond was executed the Earl of Kildare was not only pardoned but also the Lord Deputy hastned to England and left Thomas Earl of Kildare 1467. Lord Justice and afterward Lord Deputy to the Duke of Clarence Selden 841. In whose time John Bold was made Baron of Ratooth This Lord Justice held a Parliament at Drogheda which enacted I. That whereas it was doubted October 1468. whether the Act of 6 Rich. 2. That Women consenting to Ravishers should forfeit their Inheritance were of Force in Ireland it is now put out of Doubt and that and all other English Statutes made before that time are confirmed here II. Against Regrators and Ingrossers He also held another Parliament at the Naas Friday after S. Andrew's Day 1472. which was adjourned to Dublin to the Friday after S. Gregory's Day and enacted I. That Staple Wares be not transported to Scotland without payment of the Custom called the Coquet upon Pain of Forfeiture of the same II. That every Merchant shall bring twenty Shillings worth of Bows and Arrows into Ireland Repeal 10 Car. 1. ch 22. for every twenty Pounds worth of other Goods he imports from England III. That no Grain be transported out of Ireland if the Market Price exceed ten Pence a Peck on pain of forfeiting Ship and Goods But it was all repealed by the Parliament Lib. G. 18 Edw. 4. Nevertheless there was an Act of Parliament this Year of 12 Edw. 4. to this effect That there should be a Fraternity of Arms of the number of thirteen Persons Ex offic magistr Rot. in Castr Dublin Davis 55. of the most Honourable and faithfully disposed in the Counties of Kildare Dublin Meath and Louth viz. three out of each County and four from Meath that is to say Thomas Earl of Kildare Rowland Eustace Lord of Portlester Sir Rowland Eustace Knight for the County of Kildare Robert Lord of Hoath the Mayor of Dublin for the time being and Sir Robert Dowdal Knight for the County of Dublin the Lord Gormanstown Edward Plunket Seneschal of Meath Alexander Plunket Esq and Barnaby Barnewal Esq for the County of Meath and the Mayor of Drogheda Sir Lawrence Taaf Knight and Richard Bellew Esq for the County of Louth And that they and their Successors should yearly assemble at Dublin on S. George's Day and there chuse one of them to be Captain for the next year the which Captain and Brethren shall be created a Society by the Name of the Captain and Brethren at Arms the Captain shall have an hundred and twenty Archers on Horseback at six pence a Day for Meat Drink and Wages and forty Horsemen and forty Pages at five pence a day for him and his Page and four Marks per annum Wages the Captain and Brethren and their Successors to support this Charge shall have twelve pence per Pound out of all Merchandize sold in Ireland whether it be imported or exported except Hides and the Goods of the Free-men of Drogheda and Dublin and the Mayors of Dublin and Drogheda to be the Receivers of the foresaid Poundage the Fraternity shall have Power to make Laws for the good Governance of the Society and to elect a new Brother in the place of any deceasing and the Captain shall have Authority to apprehend all Out-law'd Rebels and others that will not be justified by Law And this was the Original of the
them to new Disturbances And accordingly the Earl of Desmond the Archbishop of Cashel the Bishops of Cork and Waterford and many other of the principal Men of Munster were pardoned and the Liberties and Charters of Youghal were restored and confirmed and their Priviledges enlarged In the mean time dyed Rowland Fitz-Eustace Baron of Portlester who at several times had been Deputy Chancellor and Lord High Treasurer of Ireland which last Place held thirty eight Years And about the same time died Cnoghor mac Trelagh O Brian Chief of Thomond and was succeeded by his Brother Gil duff by Popular Election according to the Custom of Tanistry But it is time to return to Perkin Warbeck whom we left in the Arms of a fair Lady in Scotland that King had already made several Essays in favour of this supposititious Prince but now his Affairs pressed him to make a Peace with the English which King Henry would not hear of unless Perkin were delivered up It was therefore necessary for the Impostor to seek new Quarters 1497. And therefore being secretly supplied by the King of Scotland with Necessaries for his Voyage he embarqued with his Wife and Family and landed safely at Cork the twenty sixth of July he could not have pitcht upon a Place more prone to Rebellion at that time but curst Cows have short Horns and their Ability was not suitable to their Inclinations however he listed one hundred and twenty Soldiers and by the Aid or at least Countenance of the Earl of Desmond he got Conveniences for their Transportation And so finding the Earl of Kildare so firm and potent that no good was to be done in Ireland and receiving an Invitation from the Cornishmen he sailed directly to Cornwal in September and landed safely at Whitsand-bay The City of Waterford which for its loyalty to the Crown against Lambert Symnel had received great Favours and Priviledges from his Majesty was now altogether as vigorous against Perkin and by its discreet behaviour in this Affair well deserved the Motto Intacta manet Waterfordia That City manned out four Ships and sent them in pursuit of Perkin but Fortune did not favour that Generous and Loyal Design This Impostor being thus arrived in England took upon him the Name of Richard IV King of England and as such behaved himself and acted his Part so well that he would often lament the Destruction of his People and would frequently bemoan the Tyranny and Oppressions they lived under which sort of Deportment took with the common People exceedingly insomuch that some thousands of them came to him at Bodmin with them he besieged Excester and assaulted the City with great vigour and Resolution which the Couragious and Loyal Citizens by the help of some of their Country Neighbours as valiantly defended Hereupon Perkin raised the Siege and marched to Taunton and although the Cornishmen continued resolute to conquer or dye yet Perkin perceiving their Courage was greater than their Strength and finding that the King's Army did daily increase whilst his did decrease he privately withdrew to the Sanctuary of Beaulieu in Hampshire and afterwards surrendred himself and being imprisoned in the Tower he made his escape once and attempted it the second time and was therefore together with his Friend John Waters Mayor of Cork hanged at Tyburne where he confirmed the Confession he had formerly made which was to this effect I Being born in Flanders Campion 104. in the Town of Turney put my self in Service with a Britton called Pregent Meno the which brought me with him into Ireland and when we were there arrived in the Town of Cork they of the Town because I was arrayed with some Cloaths of Silk of my said Masters threeped upon me That I should be the Duke of Clarence's Son that was before time at Divelin and forasmuch as I denyed it there was brought unto me the Holy Evangelists and the Cross by the Mayor of the Town called Ino Lavallin and there I took my Oath That I was not the said Duke's Son nor none of his Blood After this came to me an Englishman whose Name was Stephen Poytow with one John Walter and sware to me That they knew well that I was King Richard's Bastard-Son to whom I answered with like Oaths That I was not and then they advised me not to be afraid but that I should take it upon me boldly And if I would so do they would assist me with all their Power against the King of England and not only they but they were assured That the Earls of Desmond and Kildare should do the same for they passed not what part they took so they might be avenged on the King of England and so against my Will they made me to learn English and taught me what I should do and say And after this they called me Richard Duke of York second Son to Edward IV because King Richard's Bastard-Son was in the Hands of the King of England And upon this they entred into this false Quarrel and within short time after the French King sent Embassadors into Ireland viz. Lyot Lucas and Stephen Frayn and so I went into France and thence into Flanders and thence into Ireland thence into Scotland and so into England again But let us return to the Affairs of Ireland 1498. which were briskly managed by the Lord Lieutenant He called a Parliament at Trim which met on the twenty sixth of August in the fourteenth Year of the King's Reign which must be anno 1498. and not 1499. as it is mistaken in the printed Statutes for the King began his Reign the twenty second Day of August 1485. There is but one Act of this Parliament extant and that is To make all the Statutes in England about the Officers of the Custom-house to be of force in Ireland after Proclamation at Dublin and Drogheda A very needless Law certainly since it could have but four Years retro-spect all former English-Statutes being ratified here by Poyning's Act of 10 Hen. 7. cap. 22. In the mean time Henry O Neal who had murdered his Brother Con was this Year served in the same kind by Tirlagh and Con Sons of the former Con And not long after the Lord Lieutenant invaded Vlster in favour of the aforesaid Tirlagh O Neal who was his Nephew by the Mother he was joyned by O Donel Macguire and all Tirlaghs Friends and effectually besieged Dungannon took the Castle and set at Liberty all the Prisoners that Neal mac Art O Neal kept there and forced Neal mac Art himself to submit and give Hostages The Vlster Expedition being over the Lord Deputy in October marched to Cork where he placed a Garrison and forced the Inhabitants of that City and of Kingsale to swear Allegiance and to bind themselves thereunto both by Indentures and Hostages which it seems he thought were stronger Obligations upon them than their Oaths After his return in the beginning of March Ware 's Annals he held
Election and had a Freehold of forty Shillings per annum the Town of Drogheda excepted was repealed and in lieu of it this Parliament enacts I. That Electors in Counties must have Freehold worth forty Shilling per annum ultra reprizas on pain of one hundred Shillings and that the elected in Counties Cities or Towns must be resident and the Sheriff shall forfeit one hundred Pound if he makes a Return contrary to this Act and the Party one hundred Pound more II. That on the Death Absence or Resignation of the chief Governour the Chancellor shall issue Writs to all the Privy-Counsellors in the Counties of Dublin Meath Louth Kildare Kilkenny Typerary Wexford Waterford Cork Kerry and Limerick and they being assembled shall chuse a Lay-man of English Birth to be chief Governour during the King's Pleasure and if no such Man fit for the Place can be got then the Council shall chuse two Lay Persons of English Blood and sirname to be Lords Justices to whom the Lord Chancellor shall administer the Oath and give Patents Note this Statute recites That the former Act already mentioned 10 Hen. 7. That in these Cases the Lord Treasurer should be chief Governour was repealed 13 Hen. 7. although the Roll be lost but whether it be so or not is not worth the Enquiry III. An Act touching mispleading and Jeofailes IV. That although all Estates are forfeitable for Treason yet because several of the Nobility lately created and others whom the King designs to enoble are very ignorant in the Knowledg of the Duty of a Subject they are the Words of the Act to the end they may not pretend Ignorance it is enacted That if any Person confederate with the King's Rebels against his Majesty or attempt any wilful War or Invasion against his Subjects or do transgress their Allegiance in any treasonable manner or do break their voluntary Pacts or Covenants made at the time of the King's Grant that then being convict thereof they shall forfeit all the Benefit and Effect of the King's Patents and for the time to come there shall be a conditional Clause inserted into every Patent to that effect V. An Act for the suppression of Kilmainham and other Religious Houses And in a 3d Session of this Parliament held at Dublin on Monday next after the Feast of All saints anno Dom. 1542 and 34 Hen. 8. it was enacted First That Meath be divided into two Shires viz. Meath and West Meath Secondly That Persons bound by Recognisance to appear in any Court shall be excused if they are in the King's Service and if their Recognisance be estreated they shall be discharged by Writ giving a new Bond for their Appearance at another Day And at another Session of this Parliament at Dublin the seventeenth Day of April 1543 it was enacted That the Castle and Mannor of Dungarvan should be united to the Crown And although all these Acts were Seasonable and very Good for that time yet there was not any one of them was of more Advantage to the Crown or that pleased the King better than that of making him King of Ireland for though it is manifest as the Act mentions that the Kings of England did always enjoy Regal Authority and Jurisdiction in Ireland under the Stile and Name of Lords yet the Irish did not pay that Reverence to the Name of Lord as they did to the Name of King or at least those that were traiterously disposed did make use of the distinction between Lord King Ware 161. to deceive and inveigle the Common People as hath been already related And therefore it being believed That this Statute would suppress and silence all those trifling Objections and Pretences there was exceeding Joy at the Publication of it in Dublin which was performed with great Solemnity at S. Patrick's Church in the presence of the Lord Deputy the Earls of Ormond and Desmond and others of the Nobility in their Parliament Robes and several of the Bishops and Clergy and the same Day a General Pardon was given to all Criminals and after much Feasting and Drinking and other Expressions of Joy the Ceremony was concluded with Bonfires And because some of these Laws were not practicable in Munster which was not so much inured to Civility as the Pale and those Countries near Dublin and where the use of the Laws of England except in some Cities and Towns where it was also much corrupted had been discontinued for almost two hundred Years The Lord Deputy and Counsel in magno Parliamento did publish certain temporary Constitutions Pro reformatione inhabitantium hujus Regni in partibus Momoniae qui nondum sic sapiunt Leges Jura ut secundum ea jam immediate vivere aut Regi possunt and they were notified to the Subject by way of Proclamation the twelfth of July 1542 and were as followeth 1. That King Henry be received and called King of Ireland 2. That Bishops may exercise their Jurisdiction in their Diocess according to the Law of God and the Canons 3. That Laymen nor Boys be not admitted to Ecclesiastical Preferments and that such as be in already shall be immediately deprived 4. That the Demesnes of Bishops and the Gleabs of Rectors and Vicars not exceeding ten Marks per annum be exempt and priviledged from Taxes 5. That all those who have Dignities or Benefices Ecclesiastical shall take Orders and Reside 6. That a General Peace be proclaimed throughout Munster and afterwards he that commits Murder or Robbery shall be fined forty Pound half to the King and half to the Lord of the Fee 7. That Larceny above the value of fourteen Pence shall be punished with the loss of one Ear the first time and tother Ear the second time and the third time with Death 8. No Horseman shall keep more Garsons or Boys than Horses on pain of twenty Shillings 9. That every Father shall answer for his Children Master for his Servants Gentleman for his Followers and Brother for his Brethren under his Tuition and shall give in a List of them 10. That every Kerne that has not a Master that will answer for him be taken as a Vagabond 11. That there be no more Exactions to maintain Horse or Foot or Kernes or to war against one another and that no more Coyne or Livery be taken but by the Deputies Order at a General Hosting 12. That nevertheless the Captain of the County must have the usual Contribution of the Country for the Publick and his own private Defence 13. That Petty Larceny be punished by a Fine of three Pound six Shilling and eight Pence whereof forty Shillings shall be paid to the Captain or Lord of the County and twenty Shillings to the Tanist si non est particeps criminis and six Shillings and eight Pence to the Informer 14. That no Man buy Goods above the Value of five Shillings from any suspected Person at his Peril if they prove to be stolen 15. Depopulatores
agrorum spoliatores per viam and Rape shall be punished with Death without Mercy 16. That no Man shall meddle with any Ecclesiastical Officer or Benefice but pay all their Tithe punctually and half Tithe of the Fish taken by Foreigners on the Coast 17. That Noblemen shall have but twenty Cubits or Bandles of Linnen in their Shirts Horsemen eighteen Footmen sixteen Garsons twelve Clowns ten and that none of their Shirts shall be dyed with Saffron on pain of twenty Shillings 18. That the Lord or Gentleman into whose Country a Theft is traced must trace it thence or make restitution 19. No Histriones Mummers or Players at Christmas or Easter Lastly The Earl of Ormond in the Counties of Waterford Typerary and Kilkenny and the Earl of Desmond in the rest of Munster are made Custodes Executores of these Ordinances with the Assistance of the Bishop of Cashel But we must not leave the Year 1541 Sullevan 79. until we have informed the Reader That Robert Wachop titular Archbishop of Armagh who is famous for riding Post the best of any Body in Christendom although he was blind from his Cradle did this Year introduce the Jesuites into Ireland by the Favour and Countenance of Pope Paul the third John Codur was the first of the Society that went thither and was followed by Alphonsus Salmeron Paschasius Broet and Francis Zapata and the observing Reader will easily perceive the dismal and horrible Effects of that Mission which hath ever since imbroiled Ireland even to this Day But the King to obviate the Designs of the Papacy and to assert his own Supremacy which was his Right by Common Law and was also declared and established by Act of Parliament caused all the Irish that submitted to him to renounce the Pope's Usurpations and to own the King's Supremacy by Indenture O Connor and O Dwyn or Dyn were two of the first that complied with this Form and their Example was followed by O Donel who by his Indenture of the sixth of August Lib. D. 33 Hen. 8 Covenants Quod renunciabit relinquet adnihilabit proposse suo usurpatam Authoritatem Primaciam Romani Pontiâ—icis sibi adherentes nullo modo acceptabit proteget aut defendet nec in patria sua illos aut aliquem illorum permittet sed omni industria diligentia illos quemlibet illorum expellet ejiciet eradicabit aut ad subjectionem dicti Domini Regis successorum suorum coercebit constringet Brian mac Mahon did the like the fourteenth of August And in January O Neal came to Minooth and did the same the thirteenth of May O More perfected his Indenture And on the twenty fourth of May 1542. 34 H. 8. Hugh O Kelly Abbot of Knockmoy surrendred that Abby and made his submission by Indenture in the Form aforesaid Moreover he covenanted to furnish the King with sixty Horse and a Battle of Galloglasses and sixty Kern when the Lord Deputy comes to Connaught and with twelve Horse and twenty four Kerne anywhere out of Connaught and so that Abby was granted to him during Pleasure O Rourk submitted the first of September and Mac Donel and Mac William did the like the eighteenth of May 1543. But because all these Indentures are to be found registred in the Red Book of the Privy Council of Ireland I will trouble the Reader only with the Substance of one of these Indentures by which he may easily guess at the rest HAec Indent Lib. D. fact 26. die Septembris 34 Hen. 8. inter prenobil Vir. Ant. Saintleger Jacobum Comit. Desmoniae Will. Brabazon Arm thesaur ad Guerras Subthesaur Reg. Hiberniae Johannem Travers Armig. magistr ordinatium Osborn Echingham milit mariscallum c. ex una parte Dom. Barry alias Great Barry Mac Cartymore Dom. de Rupe alias Lord Roch Mac Carthy Reagh Thadeum Mac Cormock Dom. de Musâ—ry Barry Oge alias the young Barry O Sullevan Bear suae Nation Capit. Donald O Sullevan suae Nation Primum Barry zoe alias the Red Barry Mac Donough de Allow suae Nation Capit. Donaldum O Callaghane Nationis suae primum Geraldum filium Johannis milit ex altera parte Testatur Quod predict Dominus Barry c. conveniunt concedunt consentiunt pangunt pro seipsis conjunctim divisim haered successor assignat Tenent sequacibus suis ad cum dicto Deputat c. quod tenebunt perimplebunt omnes singul Articulos conventiones pacta condiciones quae in hiis Indentur continentur ex parte eorum c. Imprimis Ipsi quilibet eor recognoscit Regiam Majestat predict haeredes successores suos Reges esse Naturalem ligeum Dom. suum illumque illos secundos post Deum honorabunt illisque obedient servient contra omnes creaturas mundi Ac suam Majestatem haeredes successores Reges acceptabunt tenebunt immediate sub Christo in terris Ecclesiae Anglicanae Hibernicanae supremum Caput illius illor locum tenent Deput vicem gerent in hoc Regno Hiberniae obedient inservient in omnibus servitium suae Majestatis haered successor Regum concernentibus Et quantum in illis conjunctim divisim aut assignat illor est vel fuit usurpator primaciam authoritatem Romani Episcopi adnihillabunt omnesque suos Fautores Adjutores Suffragatores ad sum posse illor precipitabunt abolebunt atque personas spiritual temporal quae promoventur ad ecclesiastica beneficia sive dignitat per Regiam Majestatem seu alios de jure patronos tantum absque aliqua provisione fienda dicto Episc Rom. manutenebunt supportabunt defendent ex hinc omnes singules Provisores alia Rom. pro promotione petentes confugientes apprehendent producent ad Reg. commun legem ib. judiciari rectari secundum statut ordination pro similibus casibus facta fienda The Second Covenant is To submit all their Controversies to the Determination of the Bishops of Waterford Cork and Ross the Mayors of Cork and Youghal Suffrain of Kingsale Philip Roch Esq William Walsh Esq the Dean of Cloyne or any three of them quorum Desmond to be one and the like is in other Provinces mutatis mutandis The Third is About their future Controversies to be decided by the Earl and the said Bishops or two of them quorum Desmond to be one and they may fine or amerce Wrong-doers of which Fine the King shall have one third and the Judges the rest The Fourth is That if the Case be too difficult for the Commissioners it shall be determined by Justices of Assize and no Force shall be used nor Peace broken on Pain of a Fine The Fifth is That they shall help and defend the Collectors of the King's Revenue The Sixth is To obey the Ordinances made by the Nobility and annexed to the Indenture which probably were
proved disadvantagious to the State and that lenity to the Irish Rebels has produced no other Effects than that it has encouraged them to relapse and others to follow their Example And of this Shane O Neal affords us one Instance for notwithstanding this Submission it was not long before he rebelled again and Rory O Connor and Donough O Connor followed the same Copy for though they submitted at Dingen and put in Hostages for their Loyalty yet they rebelled once more and therefore were on the twenty fifth Day of February proclaimed Traytors and at length were slain and their Country wasted 1557. In like manner William Odare O Carol was made Governour of Ely O Carol under certain Conditions one of which was To send a certain number of Soldiers to every Hosting but this Condescention and Kindness could not oblige him but that the ungrateful Traytor rebelled next Year and was routed and Thady O Carol was put in his Place And so we are come to the Parliament which began the nineteenth day of June and on the second day of July was adjourned to the tenth day of November to Limerick and then was adjourned to the first day of March to Drogheda but the Lord Deputy who by the Death of his Father was Earl of Sussex went to England on the fourth day of December and not returning before the first day of March the Parliament by his Absence became dissolved It seems that besides the Statutes that are in Print this Parliament enacted 1. That the Queen was Legitimate 2. That the Royal Power was vested in her 3. That her Issue should inherit the Crown and Kingdoms of England and Ireland 4. That Heresies should be punished and three Statutes to that effect were revived 5. That all Acts against the Pope made since 20 Hen. 8. be repealed 6. That the Grants made by Archbishop Brown be void and cap. 12. that First-Fruits be released But afterwards by the Act of the second of Elizabeth cap. 1. the Act of Repeal was repealed and the revived Statutes against Heresie were suppressed the Jurisdiction of the Pope was abolished and cap. 3. the First-Fruits and twentieth Part were restored to the Crown There was also an Act to give the Queen a Subsidy of thirteen Shillings and four Pence out of every Plow-land for ten Years And another to make it Treason to introduce or receive armed Scots into Ireland or to marry with a Scot without Licence under the great Seal The printed Acts of this Parliament are I. For the Disposition of Leix and Offaly II. For making the King's County and Queens County Shire-Ground and entituling their Majesties thereunto III. For making other Counties into Shire-Ground IV. To explain Poynings Act that new Bills whilst the Irish Parliament sits may be transmitted into England for Approbation as well as if they had been sent before the Parliament met V. That Labourers or Cottiers shall not buy Horses more than is absolutely necessary VI. That the Owners of stolen Goods using their best Endeavours to prosecute the Felon shall be reprized out of the Felons Goods if they cannot get their own again VII That no Body shall make Aquavitae without Licence under the great Seal except Noblemen Gentlemen and Freemen of Towns that send Members to Parliament And it is to be noted That this Act which was designed to spare Corn and prevent a Dearth was necessary at that time Yet now the Kingdom is better improved and consequently abounds in Corn this Act though not repealed is become obsolete and a quite contrary Act viz. To encourage the Making and Exportation of Aquavitae would tend very much to the Advantage of Ireland In July the Lord Deputy made an Expedition against the O Maddens whose Country called Silanchia now the Barony of Longford in the County of Galway was last Year on the Murder of John O Madden divided between Malachy Modhar and the Murderer Brasil Duff the Deputy sent a Summons to the Castle of Melik but the valiant Warders not only boasted how stoutly they would defend it but also believing that every Summons was an Affront and as it were a Suspicion of their Courage they assured the Herald That it should not be safe for him to come with any more such Messages to them It is hardly credible That after all this Ostentation these Men of War should desert the Castle the very next Night however they certainly did so and the Lord Deputy placed a Garrison in it and returned On the tenth of August the Lord Deputy advanced into Vlster Ware 220. being accompanied by the Lords of Kildare Ormond Baltinglass Delvin Dnnboyne and Dunsany his Design was against the Scots but they sheltered themselves in the Woods and Bogs so that he did them no other Mischief than that he took some Preys however some of them were thereby perswaded to submit and Daniel Mac Conel and Richard Mac Guilliam received the Honour of Knighthood On the twenty second Day of October the Lord Deputy made another Journey into Vlster And on the twenty fourth day he came to Dundalk and on the twenty fifth he took a Prey and came to Armagh the Rebels still flying before him on the twenty seventh he burnt Armagh except the Church and marched to Newry and so on the thirtieth day of the same Month returned to Dublin And being ordered to attend the Queen in England he first obliged O Carol O Molloy Macgehogan O Doyne Mac Coughlan the two O Maddens and Fylemy Duff to gives Hostages of their Good Behaviour And then on the fourth of December he set sail for England leaving Hugh Curvin 1557. Lord Chancellor and Sir Henry Sydny Treasurer at Wars Lords Justices by Patent dated at Westminster the twelfth of November after they were censed and sprinkled with Holy Water and Mass was celebrated they were sworn at Christ-Church on Sunday the fifth of December and received the Sword from Sir John Stanly the Marshal with whom it was left to that Purpose and they continued in their Office until Sir Henry Sydny Ware 222. Lord Justice was sworn on the sixth of February by the Queen's Command and by virtue of a Commission bearing date the eighteenth day of January he attacked Arthur O Molloy Chief of Fercalia who was brewing new Treasons and favoured and cherished those that were in Rebellion But the Lord Deputy did soon over-run his Country and made Theobald O Molloy Governour thereof and took his Son for a Hostage of the Father's Fidelity and then by Cess in the Pale the Deputy furnished the Forts of Maryburgh and Philipsburgh with Victuals and returned to Dublin where he made Proclamation That no Corn should be carried out of the Pale In the mean time Shane O Neal invaded Tyrconnel designing to reduce it to the former Tribute and Dependance it paid to his House Calvagh O Donel being too weak to resist by Force betook himself to his Politicks and made an Essay by Night on the
Month. But the Lord Deputy was again allarm'd with a new Invasion of the Scotish Islanders and therefore Turlogh Lynogh being old the Baron of Dungannon was encouraged to oppose them but lest he should grow too popular by that Authority the Deputy thought it necessary to march into the North with such Forces as he had ready he left Dublin the 26th of June and passed speedily to Dungannon where most of the Irish Gentlemen of Vlster except James Carow came to him and submitted to his Lordship's command Hence the Deputy sent Captain Dawtry to the King of Scotland to pray restitution of the Irish Ships and Goods taken by his Subjects and that he would stop the Islanders from destroying Ireland to which he received a kind and favourable Answer dated at Saint Andrews the fourth of August 1585. but it came too late Four hundred Islanders arrived in Vlster and were joined by as many more under the Conduct of Con Mac Neal Oge's Son Hugh Mac Felim's Son O Kelly Mac Cartane c. and on the 28th of July were encountred by Captain Strafford and 170 Soldiers and a few Kernes who continued the Fight from Morning to four in the Afternoon still gaining Ground of the Enemy of whom 24 were slain and 40 wounded and of the English but 8 killed and 12 wounded and here my Authour truly observes that the Irish never gave the English a defeat but upon shrinking from them The Enemy passed the River Ban and went into Tyrone but were so pursued by the Baron of Dungannon and Captain Strafford that they were forced to repass the Ban and to retire toward Dunluce and finding no quiet there they went to Inisowen and designed to surprise Strabane but Hugh Duffe O Donell gave notice hereof to Captain Merriman and offered his assistance and so Merriman with 160 Soldiers and O Donell with a few of his fâ—llowers marcht all night to surprise the Scots But 〈◊〉 their great amazement they found the Scots in a readinesâ—â—nd above 600 strong so that they were able to divide 〈◊〉 Army into three divisions so to assail the Royalists threâ— several ways whilst the English being so few were forced to keep in one entire Body Alexander Mac Surly who commanded the Scots challeng'd Merriman to a Combate and a lusty Gallowglasse being by said he was the Captain and so to the Duel they go the Gallowglasse stund the Scot at the first blow but he recovering himself kill'd the Gallowglasse and thereupon Merriman stept out and fought Alexander a good while with Sword and Target and so wounded him in the Leg that he was forced to retreat and thereupon his Army being discouraged were totally routed and Alexander being hid under a Turf in Cabbin was discovered and his Head cut off and set on a Pole in Dublin But how fortunate soever the Summer Progress was yet the Deputy's Enemies complain'd against it as chargeable and unnecessary so that he was forced to return to Dublin the 16th of August where old Surlyboy came and submitted unto him The chief Articles against the Deputy were That he was severe and forc'd the People to the Oath of Allegiance and pryed into men's Patents and endeavour'd to promote Laws against Recusants and to repeal Poyning's Act and this Impeachment was abetted by the Chancellour whom being also Archbishop of Dublin the Deputy had disoblig'd by endeavouring to appropriate the Revenues of St. Patrick's Church to the new design'd University and by carrying himself too Magisterially in the Government with the Chancellour Sir Henry Bagnal Secretary Fenton and others of the Council sided so that it grew into a powerfull Faction by which the Deputy was often thwarted at Council Board and else where The Lord Treasurer of England was a fast Friend to the Arch-bishop so that by his means the appropriating of the Livings of St. Patrick's Church was stopt and other Affronts were put upon the Deputy which so enraged him that he spoke some passionate words of the Queen which were the cause of his Ruine afterwards and particularly having received some kind Letters from the Queen after some ill usage that he resented Look ye says he to the standers by now the Queen is ready to bepiss her self for fear of the Spaniard I am become her white Boy again This Deputy was supposed to be the Son of Henry the Eighth and had much of his towring Spirit in him When he was Condemn'd he ask'd the Lieutenant of the Tower whether the Queen would sacrifice her Brother to his frisking Adversaries meaning the Lord Chancellour Hatton who he said came into Court by the Galliard He was condemn'd on the Preists forged Letter and dyed suddenly in the Tower and his Son Sir Thomas Perot was restor'd to his Estate Nor did these his open Enemies only impeach him themselves but they also instigated the Lords and Gentlemen of the Pale as was believed to complain by their Letter of the 15th of July 1585. that besides the 2100 l. which they had consented should be levyed in lieu of the Cess the Lord Deputy design'd to impose a second Charge of 1500 l. per annum upon them thereby to make Her Majesty's Government intolerable to them but some of these Lords and Gentlemen being afterwards undeceiv'd generously wrote their Retractation of their former mistake to the Lords of the Council of England Nevertheless the Deputy proceeded in his duty and issued a Commission to two and twenty Gentlemen whereof Sir Richard Bingham Lib. L. 15th July 1585. White and Waterhouse were of the Quorum Authorizing them to compound between the Queen and the Subject and between the Lord and the Tenant for Cess Cuttings and other incertain Exactions and to bring the Inhabitants of Connaugh and Twomond to a composition of paying ten Shillings per annum for every quarter of Land containing 120 Acres besides a certain number of Soldiers amongst them on every rising out they proceeded by Inquisition by a Jury to find out the number of Plow-lands and the County of Mayo was found to contain 1448 quarters of Land whereof 248 might be exempted and paid 600 l. per annum and contributed 200 Foot and 40 Horse at their own charge when required and 50 Foot and 15 Horse in such manner as the Peers and English Bishops ought to do Sept. 1585. and this was done by Indenture whereby they voluntarily renounced the Irish Captainships Styles and Titles and abolish'd the Irish Gavelkind and Tanistry and agreed to hold their Lands by Patent according to Law and the like was done in the rest of Connaugh and the whole Province was found to contain 8169 quarters of Land whereof 2339 being exempted there remain'd 6836 liable to an annual Rent of 3418. 5. 8. and to contribute 1054 Foot and 224 Horse to the General Hostings in Connaugh and 332 Foot and 88 Horse at any time for Forty days any where in Ireland And Twomond for 1259 Plow'd Land agreed to pay 543 10 0
matter of Parliament you have carried your selves tumultuarily and undutifully and that your Proceedings have been rude disorderly and inexcusable and worthy of severe Punishment which by reason of your Submission I do forbear but not remit till I see your dutiful Carriage in this Parliament where by your Obedience to the Deputy and State and your future good Behaviour you may redeem your by-past miscarriage and then you may deserve not only Pardon but Favour and Cherishing Hereupon they were all dismist and the Lord Deputy having O Dogharty's Estate in Inisowen given to him by the King for his good Service was sent back with Directions to hold the Parliament and so on the 27th of July 1614. Sir ARTHUR CHICHESTER Lord Deputy to Ireland and held the Parliament on the 11th day of October to which day it had been Prorogued and now were the Recusants at a stand for some invention or other to delay the Proceedings of this Parliament but could not find any other then a very simple Pretence That the Lord of Slane ought to take place of the Lord of Kerry and hereupon great Contests did arise and tho' it was formally determin'd on the 11th of November 1614. by the Lord Deputy and Council by Virtue of a special Commission yet the Lord of Slane being egged on by others of the discontented Lords desir'd are hearing which was granted and on the 18th of the same Month there was a second Debate which produced the Confirmation of the former Seâ—â—â—nce in favour of the Lord of Kerry but notwithstanding that the Lord of Slane being perswaded by the Lord of Delvin and some others of the Pale continued obstinate and refused to Sit in the House unless he might have his right place but at length being charged upon his Allegiante to appear in the House he did submit tho very unwillingly The Arguments urg'd by the Baron of Slane were 1. That his Predecessors were from the time of Henry the Second styled Barons of Slane 2. That in all Records they are named before the Lords of Kerry and particularly in a Record in the time of Edward the Second 3. That the Lord of Gormanstown had precedence of the Lord of Kerry at the Parliament 48 Edw. 3. and the Lord of Slane took place of him 4. The Lords of Kerry from 50 Edw. 3 to 1. Henry the Seventh never served the Crown nor held any Correspondence with the Government and therefore forfeited their Dignity 5. That the Lord of Kerry was indicted of Rebellion 42 Elizabeth and pleaded his Pardon last Term so that his Call to the Parliament is quasi a new Creation The Lord of Kerry answered to the first That Hussy Fippo and others that held per baroniam of the Palatines or Lords of Leinster were styled Barons of Galtrim Skrine and Bergy yet were not really Lord Barons because they did not hold their Lands immediately from the King To the Second That it is false and that there was no Regular Parliament in Ireland till 12. Edw. 3 Ergo No Lord of Parliament till that time That the Lord of Kerry was there and so was not the Lord of Slane besides the Lord Slane held his Barony of a Subject Bartholomew Burghese one of the Heirs General of Hugh de Lacy whereas the Lord of Kerry held his Barony of the King in Capite To the third it is denied that the Lord of Gormanstown was at that Parliament of 48 Edw. 3. To the fourth That it is false and is objected because the Records of those times are lost but if true makes nothing in this Case and it is notorious that in the Parliament 33. Hen. 8. and 3. and 4. Philip and Mary the Lord of Kerry had his right place To the fifth that the Lord of Kerry was not Attainted but being impeach'd was Pardoned and so he forfeited nothing and if he had not an ancient Right to Sit in the Parliament the Lord Deputy could not Summon him a new having received no Orders from the King to do so But that which was most remarkable in this Tryal was That one Velden came in and depos'd that on St. George's day 1594 in the Cavalcade at Killkenny the Lord Slane had Precedence of the Lord of Kerry and his Horse was accordingly led before the others Horse but this 〈◊〉 Witness was contradicted by the Lord Chancellor the Earl of Thomond the Lord Dunboyn and the Marshall all which affirmed that they were then at Killkenny which Velden Confess'd and they protested that the Lord of Kerry was not there at all And so the next Year viz. in January 1615. the Earls of Suffolk Paenox Lib. G. Worcester and Pembrooke who by Commission excented the Marshals Office in England did confirm the Sentence in Ireland and by their Letter to the Lord Justices determin'd the Lord of Kerryes Claim to be just This rub being removed the Parliament proceeded to business and notwithstanding the insolence of the Popish Lawyers in the House of Commons and all the Obstructions they could give these following Bills were at last passed into Acts viz. 1. An Act of Recognition reciting that Ireland which before his Majesties Access to the Crown had been subject to 〈◊〉 Rebellions Rapines and Oppressions was by his Majesties gracious Government 〈◊〉 to better Order and that he has establish'd his Government in the Hearts of his People by the General Proclamation of 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 Actions for Trespassis done in the War between Subject and Subject at his first coming by his special Charters of Pardon by Name freely granted to many Thousands by remitting many great Debts 〈◊〉 of â—ent and Forfeitures and by strengthning defective Titles and re-granting the Lands to them on Surrenders by erecting Court-houses and enlarging the number of the judges and by 〈◊〉 a Civil Plantation in the forfeited Paris of Ulster formerly the Neâ—â— of Rebellion to the great Security of the Commonwealth 2. An Act that all Crimes committed 〈◊〉 the Sea or within the Jurisdiction of the Admirally shall be Tried in any County according to the Rules of the Common Law by Commission to the Admiral or his Deputy and Three or Four more or any Four of them 3. An Act for taking away Benefit of Clergy in certain Cases 4. An Act for the Attainder of the Earls of Tyrone and Tyrconell Sir Cahir O 〈◊〉 and several others 5. An Act to Repeal some former Acts prohibiting Trade or Commerce with the 〈◊〉 Enemies or to Marry or Foster with them and commanding to seise them as 〈◊〉 6. An Act of Repeal of a former Statute against bringing in retaining or marrying with Scots 7. An Act for Repairing and Mending Highways and Cawseys c. 8. An Act for avoiding Private and Secret 〈◊〉 9. An Act of Obliviâ—â— and General Pardon 10. An Act for One Subsidy Analact Hib. lib. 2. Which amounted to no more than 26042 l. and yet the Irish complain'd of it as a heavy Tax tho' they did not pay
Drink as the People can afford IV. That laying of any Burthen upon Our Subjects for Payment of Soldiers be forborn except in Cases of inevitable necessity V. Concerning the Grant for selling of Aquavitae and Wine in regard it is complained of as a great Burthen to the Country without any Profit to Us We are pleased that the Patentee or his Assigns shall be restrained from all Proceedings whatsoever to the Charge or Vexation of any of Our Subjects for or concerning that Grant until the Assembling of the next Parliament and that it be taken into consideration by the Houses of Parliament and regulated as may best agree with the Ease and Convenience of the Commonwealth and the advancing of Our Profit in the Subsidies VI. For the Licensing to sell Ale and Beer forasmuch as it appears that the same hath no Ground of Law That the Grant thereof shall be presently resum'd into our Hands and that all Proceedings thereupon shall cease until the next Parliament and that in the Parliament such Course be laid down for Licensing and Selling of Beer and Ale from that time forwards as shall be most convenient Wherein Consideration must be taken that a Profit in the Subsidies may thereby be advanced and in the mean time no Process or Warrant to Issue to the Charge or Trouble of any Our Subjects touching that Grant VII That the late Proclamation of the First of February last concerning the Fees of the Clerk of the Market and all other Fees mentioned in the said Proclamation shall be suspended until further Order And because there appears nothing here but that the Grant of the Clerk of the Market and Gauger complained of is lawful only there is question of the Fees That Our Chancellor two Chief Justices Master of the Rolls and Chief Baron there taking to their Assistance Two or more of the Principal Gentlemen of the Country shall regulate the Fees to be taken by those Officers according to the Law And for the Measure of the Cask to be exported into any Foreign Parts you Our Deputy and Council are to take it into your Consideration and upon Conference with the Officers of Our Customs and the Merchants such as you shall think fit to call before you to limit them to such a certain Gage for the same as shall be most advantagious to the Merchants in their Traffique without prejudice to Us in Our Customs leaving the Gage of Cask that shall be vented within the Land to be ruled by the Standard there And in regard it is alledged That the Packers Office is not ancient nor grounded upon Law We require you and Our Council to take Consideration thereof and to set down such Orders as may take away the Abuses VIII For Reforming of the barbarous Abuse of the Short Ploughs We are pleased that the Penalty now imposed thereon shall be presently taken away and that hereafter an Act of Parliament shall pass for restraining of the said Abuse upon such a Penalty as shall be thought fit IX That all Grants for Places assigned for Tanning of Leather by Sir Henry Sidney according to the Statute 1â— Eliz. enacted in Ireland shall stand good and also all other Grants or Licences past in Fee-simple or Fee-farm under Our Great Seal for Tanning of Leather in Cities Corporations Towns Mannors or other particular Places shall likewise stand good But that all Grants or Licensing concerning Tanning of Leather throughout Counties Baronies or Hundreds past or to be past to any particular Person for Life Years or otherwise by pretence whereof any Licence or Toleration is or may be made by the said particular Person or Persons to any the Inhabitants of the said Counties Baronies or Hundreds shall be called in and suppressed And to supply any Defect that may be for want of Liberty to Tan Leather in convenient Places We require and authorize you Our Deputy and Council for the time being to pass Letters Patents under Our Great Seal there for Tanning of Leather in Places where you shall think convenient without payment of any Fine with a Clause of Non obstante of the Statute aforesaid And in the next Parliament We are pleased that a further Course shall be taken therein and likewise for the Inhibiting of the Barking of Trees X. And for the furtherance of Traffick and bringing in of Coin into that Our Kingdom We are graciously pleased that Corn may be transported without License into any of Our Dominions and other Countries in Amity with Us when Wheat shall not exceed the price of Ten Shillings English a Bristol-band Barrel and likewise That Living Cattel may be brought into Our Dominions without Restraint or Licence and that Wooll also may be transported provided that it be into Our Kingdom of England only and paying the Ordinary Customs and Duties In which Three last Particulars We require you to take Order by Act of State or otherwise as shall be most expedient XI The Patent for Linen Yarn shall be resumed to the end the whole Profit may come to Us and Our Crown as well that which the Patentee doth receive as that which We now have And the Patentee shall receive such Recompence as We think fit and Our Subjects also shall be secured for so much as concerneth the Transportation of the said Linen Yarn and consequently not to be compelled to take Licence Nevertheless it is Our Pleasure That the Patentee continue his Grant and receive the Profit as hitherto he hath done until he be Compounded with and receive Recompence for it XII We are graciously pleased That Tallow and Hides and Fish Beef and Pork in Cask may be freely transported into Our Dominions and all other States in Amity with Us and that all such Pipe-staves as are already made may be transported into any of Our Dominions paying the Customs and Duties XIII The Bishops and Patentees of Dissolved Abbies and other Religious Houses in or near Cities and Towns of Ireland pretending Liberties and Freedom are to contribute towards the Lodging of Soldiers and to bear such other Publick Charges according to indifferent Assessment to be made and laid upon them by the Sheriffs and other Magistrates of Counties and Cities and the proper Officers of those Places And to that purpose you are to publish a General Order to avoid any Dissension that may arise thereout and for other Matters they are to be left to the Law And if any unjust Charge in what kind soever shall be laid on any of Our Subjects of that Our Kingdom they shall have Access unto Us and gracious Hearing XIV Creation-Money for the Nobility is to continue according to the Letters Patents thereof and the Impost-Wines is likewise to be continued to such of the Nobility and Council as shall reside or bear Principal Offices in that Kingdom And the Two Presidents of Munster and Conaught are to enjoy the same although they be absent because they keep Tables for their several Councils XV. The Subjects of
and Oliver Castells 1. That the Nobility wer over-taxed in the Subsidies 2. And were kept Close Prisoners tho' not Impeach'd of any Capital Crime 3. And could not get Licence to absent unless they leave their Proxy with one of the Chief Governors naming 4. That some have Titles of Honour that have no Lands in the Kingdom 5. That the Nobility were stop from going to Petition the King 6. That Trade is decayed by Illegal Taxes as Twelve pence apiece on Hides 7. That Causes are arbitrarily decided at Council-board and in other improper Judicatories 8. That Paâ—ents are made void extrajudicially on private Opinions 9. The Monopolies of Tobacco Starch Sope Glass Tobacco-pipes c. 10. The Procedings of the High-Commission 11. The exorbitant Fees and pretended Customs exacted by the Clergy 12. The Proclamation against buying Gunpowder but out of the Store and restraining Hunting within Seven Miles of Dublin 13. That the Parliament in its Members and Actions hath not had its natural Freedom 14. That the Subject is denied the Benefit of the Act of Limitation 15. The taking excessive Fees 16. The Seizing of Linen Yarn and Cloth for not being exact according to Rule 17. The Oppressions of Officers And in this Parliament on the Fourth of March Captain Audley Mervin brought up an Impeachment of High-Treason from the Commons to the Lords against Sir Richard Bolton Lord Chancellor John Lord Bishop of Derry Sir Gerrard Lowther Lord Chief Justice of the Common-Pleas and Sir George Ratcliff and made an eloquent Speech on that Occasion The Charge consisting of Three Articles was General for subverting the Laws and introducing Arbittary Government by extrajudicial and unjust Decrees for inflicting infamous Punishments by Pillory c. on Persons of Reputation and subverting the Rights of Parliament But it seems there was a Dispute raised Whether the House of Lords in Ireland had Power of Judicature in Capital Cases Whereupon Captain Audley Mervin made a most excellent Speech in the Lords House in Parliament 24 May 1641. And afterwards he Impeached Sir George Ratcliff then in the Gate-house Westminster in the Parliament of England of the aforesaid Articles and adds That he joyned with the Earl of Strafford in taking out Eighty thousand Pounds out of the Exchequer to buy Tobacco and that he countenanced Papists to build Monasteries c. On the Sixteenth of March 1640. Secretary Vane sent the Lords Justices the following Letter by His Majesty's Command Right Honorable HIS Majesty hath commanded me to acquaint your Lordships with an Advice given him from abroad and confirm'd by His Ministers in Spain and elsewhere which in this distemper'd Time and Conjuncture of Affairs deserves to be seriously considered and an especial Care and Watchfulness to be had therein Which is That of late there have passed from Spain and the like may well have been from other Parts an unspeakable number of Irish Churchmen for England and Ireland and some good old Soldiers under pretext of asking leave to raise Men for the King of Spain whereas it is observed among the Irish Fryars * * In Spain there a Whisper runs as if they expected a Rebellion in Ireland and particularly in Connaught Wherefore His Majesty thought fit to give your Lordships this notice that in your Wisdoms you might manage the same with that dexterity and secrefie as to discover and prevent so pernicious a Design if any such there should be and to have a watchful Eye on the Proceedings and Actions of those who come thither from abroad on what pretext soever And so herewith I rest Your Lordships most humble Servant HENRY VANE In the mean time the Earl of Strafford came to his Tryal in England and it was the most Solemn that ever was in that Kingdom and at length he was Attainted by Act of Parliament and accordingly beheaded on the 12th day of May 1641. and the Earl of Leicester was the same day appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in his stead His Tryal is excellently wrote at large by Mr. Rushworth to which I must refer the curious Reader but because every Man has not that Book by him I have Cursorily extracted so much of it only as I thought pertinent to his History wherein if I have not been very exact it was because the Inquisitive may easily inform themselves as well as I by having recourse to the Original which I had not leisure to examine more carefully than I have done The Third Article which is the First relating to Ireland is that he should say That Ireland was a conquer'd Nation and that the King might do with them what he pleased and that the Charters of the Corporations were worth nothing and did bind the King no farther than he pleased To which the Earl Answers That he never spoke those words and that the Scope and Intent of what he did say was to ingratiate his Majesties Government to the People and that his words were well accepted at that time however they come to be resented now That the Charters of Dublin were Anno 1634. brought before the Council and still are in the hands of the Clerk of the Council because besides other Abuses the Papists of that City engrossed all the Trade and denied Liberty to such as came out of England to set up there which he hath so far remedied as that there are Three Englishmen now in Dublin for One that was there when he came to the Government and the Charters are not Condemned but enjoyed to this day so that he aim'd at a Reformation in favour of the English but did not design the Destruction of the Charters The Fourth Article was That the Earl of Cork having begun a Suit at Law to recover a Possession he had lost by Colour of an Order from the Lord Deputy and Council the Lord Deputy threatned to imprison him unless he would surcease his Suit saying That he would have neither Law nor Lawyers dispute or question his Orders and that he said upon another the like Occasion That he would make the Earl of Cork and all Ireland know that so long as he had the Government there any Act of State there made or to be made should be as binding to the Subjects of that Kingdom as an Act of Parliament and that he question'd that Earl in the Castle-Chamber upon Pretence of a Breach of an Order of Council-Table To this the Earl of Strafford answered That the Council-Table was a Court of Record in Ireland wherein they proceeded formally by Bill Answer Examination of Witnesses c. and therefore the Orders of it are binding and ought to be obey'd he denies he compar'd it to a Parliament and denies that the Earl of Cork was prosecuted for disobedience of an Order of Council only The Fifth Article was That in time of Peace 12th of December 1635. he did give and procure to be given Sentence of Death against the Lord Mountnorris at a Council of War for saying of an Accidental
Bishops Vicars-General Abbots and all others exercising Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction by the Popes Authority and in particular Peter Talbot pretended Archbishop of Dublin for his notorious Disloyalty to Your Majesty and Disobedience and Contempt of Your Laws may be commanded by Proclamation forthwith to depart out of Ireland and all other Your Majesties Dominons or otherwise to be prosecuted according to Law And that all Convents Seminaries and publick Popish Schools may be dissolved and suppressed and the Secular Priests Commanded to depart under the like Penalty 4. That no Irish Papist be admitted to inhabit in any part of that Kingdom unless duly Licensed according to the aforesaid Acts of Settlement And that Your Majesty would be pleased to recal Your Letters of the 26 th of February 1671. and the Proclamation thereupon whereby general license is given to such Papists as Inhabit in Corporations there 5. That Your Majesties Letters of the 28 th of September 1672. and the Order of Council thereupon whereby Your Subjects are required not to prosecute any Actions against the Irish for any Wrongs or Injuries committed during the late Rebellion may likewise be recalled 6. That Collonel Talbot who hath notoriously assumed to himself the Title of Agent of the Roman Catholiks in Ireland be immediatedly dismissed out of all Command Military and Civil and forbidden Access to Your Majesties Court. 7. That Your Majesty would be pleased from time to time out of Your Princely Wisdom to give such further Order and Directions to the Lord Lieutenant or other Governor of Ireland for the time being as may best conduce to the Encouragement of the English Planters and Protestants Interest there and the Suppression of the Insolencies and Disorders of the Irish Papists there These our humble Desires we present to Your Majesety as the best means to preserve the Peace and Safety of that Your Kingdom which hath been so much of late in Danger by the Practices of the said Irish Papists particularly Richard and Peter Talbot and we doubt not but Your Majesty will find the happy Effects thereof to the great Satisfaction and Security of Your Majesties Person and Goverment which of all earthly Things is most dear to Your Majesties most Loyal Subjects But on the 5 th day of August 1672. 1672. Arthur Earl of Essex was Sworn Lord Lieutenant and in September his Excellency and the Council made Rules and Orders for Regulating of Corporations pursuant to a Clause in the Act of Explanation to that purpose And during his Government the Kingdom was very quiet in publick Appearance 1674. for whatever Designs were form'd in favour of Popery were private 1675. and in England and were so dexterously countermined by this Lord Lieutenant that there was but small effect of them perceived in Ireland but his Excellency went for England the day of 1675. leaving the Lord Chancellor and the Lord Granard 1676. Lords Justices who continued so until the return of the Earl of Essex who resumed the Goverment on the day of 1675. But in the beginning of the year 1675. Peter Fox and five more pretending to be Passengers in a very rich Ship in Holland called the St. Peter of Hamburgh bound for France did Murder the Master and three of his Crew and brought the Ship into Ireland but by the Wisdom and Diligence of Robert Southwell Esq Vice-Admiral of Munster five of the Malefactors were taken and executed and a great part of the Cargo preserv'd and secur'd for the right Owners But the Earl of Essex being recalled 1677. James Duke of Ormond was Sworn Lord Lieutenant on the day of August 1677. and that year there was a Popish Regiment raised in Ireland in pretence of Foreign Service but the Duke would give them no Arms so that they were forced to Exercise with Sticks But I should have mentioned That the St. David and forty East-India-Ships and forty Merchant-men arrived at Kingsale in July 1673. where they found a secure Sanctuary until they had Convoy sent them from England and this perhaps might be one motive to the Duke of Ormond the next time he took the Sword to consider the Importance of that Place which is the best Chamber for Shipping in His Majesty's Dominions There it was that the Spaniards landed in the year 1601. and there Sir Jeremy Smith and his Fleet sound a safe retreat Anno 1667. and therefore His Grace founded that Royal Structure of the New Fort of Rincorran which he visited in August 1678. and named Charles Fort and it seems that King James and the French had no less value for this important Place since they chose to land there in March 1688. In September the News of the Popish Plot arrived in Ireland 1678. and thereupon Peter Talbot Titular Archbishop of Dublin was apprehended and made close Prisoner in the Castle of Dublin and on the 11th of October the Lord-Lieutenant Ormond came to Dublin and on the 14th of October His Grace and the Council issued a Proclamation for all Officers and Soldiers to repair to their respective Garisons and Quarters and not to depart from thence without license And on the 16th of October there came out another Proclamation requiring all Titular Archbishops Bishops Vicars-General Abbots and other Dignâ—aries of the Church of Rome and all other exercising Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction by Authority from the Pope as also all Jesuits and other Regular Priests to depart the Kingdom by the 20 th of November and that all Popish Societies Convents Seminaries and Popish Schools should dissolve and separate themselves c. And that they may have convenience of Transportation all Ships outward-bound were by Proclamation of the 6th of November commanded to give timely notice of their departure and to take on board such of the Popish Clergy as desired to go with them And on the 2d of November the Papists were by Proclamation required to bring in their Arms by a certain day which being expired that the Justices c. should search for them And that all Papists that had above one Pound of Powder should send in an Account of their Store On the 20 th of November a Proclamation issued forbidding the Papists from coming into the Castle of Dublin or any other Fort or Cittadel and ordering the Markets of Droghedagh Wexford Cork Limerick Waterford Youghall and Galloway to be kept without the Walls and that no Papists should be suffered to reside or dwell in any Garison except such as had been Inhabitants there by the space of twelve months before and that the Papists should not meet in unusual Numbers or at unreasonable times And the same day issued another Proclamation for a reward of 10 l. for every Commission'd Officer 5 l. for every Trooper and 4 s. for every Foot-Soldier that can be discovered to have gone to Mass since he took the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance And here it will be but Justice to the memory of the Duke of Ormond to
side was urged a contrary proceeding to the utter cutting off all the English Protestants where to the Instances of the dismissed Moors it was answered that that was sole act of the King and Queen of Spain contrary to the Advice of their Council which howsoever it might gain that Prince a name of Mercy yet therein the event shewed him to be most unmerciful not only to his own but to all Christendom besides That this was evident in the great and excessive charge that Spain hath been since that time put unto by these Moors and their Posterity to this day All Christendom also hath and doth still groan under the miseries it doth suffer by the Piracies of Argiers Sally and the like Dens of Thieves That all this might have been prevented in one hour by a general Massacre applying that it was no less dangerous to expel the English That these Robbed and Banished men might again return with Swords in their hands who by their hard usage in spoiling might be exasperated and by the hope of recovering their former Estates would be incensed far more than strangers that were sent against them being neither in their Persons injured nor grieved in their Estates that therefore a general Massacre was the safest and readiest way for freeing the Kingdom of any such fears 3. In which diversity of Opinions howsoever the first prevailed with some for which the Franciscans saith this Fryer one of their Guardians did stand yet others inclined to the Second some again leaned to a Middle way neither to dismiss nor kill And according to this do we find the event and course of their proceedings In some places they are generally put to the Sword or to other Miserable ends some restrain their Persons in durance knowing it to be in their hands to dispatch them at their pleasures in the mena time they being reserved eitheir for profit by their Ransom or for exchange of Prisoners or gaining their own Pardons by the lives of their Prisoners if Time would serve or by their death if the worst did happen to satisfie their fury The Third sort at the first altogether dismissed their Prisoners but first having spoiled them of their Goods and after of their Raiment exposed the miserable wretches to Cold and Famine whereby many have perished by deaths worse than Sword or Halter Hitherto of their Councils and the effects of them Now for their intentions all being reduced which God forbid into their Power and thereof they do as by some Law give such peremptory conclusions that it may well be wondred the thoughts of men professing themselves wise should be so vain and herein I do still follow mine Informer First Their Loyalty to his Majesty shall be still reserved Thus say they of the modest sort but both his Revenues and Government must be reduced to certain bounds His Rents none other than the antient Reservations before the Plantation and the Customs so ordered as to them shall be thought fitting Secondly For the Government such as would be esteemed Loyal would have it committed to the hands of two Lords Justices one of the antient Irish race the other of the antient British Inhabitants in the Kingdom Provided that they be of the Romish profession Thirdly That a Parliament be forthwith called consisting of whom they shall think fit to be admitted wherein their own Religious men shall be assistants Fourthly Poinings Act must be Repealed ☜ and Ireland declared to be a Kingdom Independent on England and without any reference unto it in any case whatsoever Fifthly All Acts prejudical to the Romish Reiligion shall be abolished and it to be Enacted That there be none other Profession in the Kingdom but the Romish Sixthly That only the antient Nobility of the Kingdom shall stand and of them Such as shall refuse to conform to the Romish Religion to be removed and others put in their room howsoever the present Earl of Kildare must be put out and another put in his place Seventhly All Plantation Lands to be recalled and the anuient Proprietors to be Reinvested in their formere Estates with the limitations in their Covenant expressed That they had not formerly Sold their Interests on valuable considerations Eightly That the respective Counties of the Kingdom be Subdivided and certain Bounds or Baronies assigned to the chief Septs and others of the Nobility who are to be answerable for the Government thereof and that a standing Army may be still in being the respective Governors being to keep a certain Number of men to be ready at all Risings out as they term it They also being to build and maintain certain Fortresses in places most convenient within their Precincts and that these Governors be of absolute Power only responsible to the Parliament Lastly For maintaining a correspondence with other Nations and for securing the Coasts That also they may be rendred considerable unto others a Navy of a certain number of Ships is to be maintained That to this end five Houses are to be appointed one in each Province accounting Meath for one of them That to these Houses shall be allotted an Annual Pension of certain Thousands of Pounds to be made up of part of the Lands appropriate to Abbies and a further contribution to be raised in the respective Provinces to that end That these Houses are to be assigned to a certain Order of Knights answerable to that of Malta who are to be Seamen And to maintain this Fleet that all prizes are to be appointed some part for a Common Bank the rest to be divided to which purpose the felling of Woods serviceable for this use is to be forbidden The House for this purpose to be Assigned to the Provice of Leinster is Kilmainham or rather Howth the Lord of Howth to be otherwise accommodated provided that he joyn with them that place being esteemed most convenient in respect of Situation For effecting of all which they cast up the Accounts of the whole Forces of this Kingdom ☜ that it is able to make up readily Two hundred thousand able men wanting only Commanders and some expert Soldiers for the present with Arms and Ammunition of all which they expect a speedy supply out of Flanders their own Regiments there Exercised being to be sent over and some Ships from Spain allotted for Service That this Kingdom being setled There are Thirty thousand men to be sent into England to joyn with the French and Spanish Forces and the Service in England performed jointly to fall upon Scotland for reducing both Kingdoms to the obedience of the Pope which being finished they have engaged themselves to the King of Spain for assisting him against the Hollanders And for drawing their followers to some Head and for giving the fairer Gloss to their foul Rebellion it is to be admired what strange and unlikely rumours of their own devising they cast abroad sometimes that many Sail of Spaniards are Landed now at one Port then at another that Drogheda
any of them shall joyn with us in this Act following J. A. B. Do in the Presence of Almighty God and all the Angels and Saints in Heaven and by the Contents of this Bible promise vow swear and protest to bear Faith and true Allegiance to Our Soveraign Lord King Charles and the Heirs and Successors of His Body begotten and will defend Him and Them as far as I may with my Life Power and Estate against all Persons that shall attempt any thing against His or Their Persons Honours Estates or Dignities and that I will in exposing my Self Power and Estate joyn with the Irish Army or any other to recover His Royal Prerogatives forcibly wrested from him by the Puritans in the Houses of Parliament in England and to maintain the same against all others that shall directly or indirectly endeavour to suppress or do any Act contrary to real Government as also to maintain Episcopal Jurisdictions and the Lawfulness thereof in the Church-Power Priviledges of Prelates the lawful Rights and Priviledges of the Subjects and I will do no Act or thing directly or indictly to prejudice the Publick Exercise of the Roman Catholick Religion in any of His Majesties Dominions and that I will joyn with and be assisting to the Members in the Common-weal for Redresses to be had of the Grievances and Pressures thereof in such Manner and Form as shall be thought fit by a lawful Parliament and to my Power as far as I may ☜ I will oppose and bring to condign Punishment even to the loss of Life and Liberty and Estate all such as shall either by Force or Practice Councels Plots Conspiracies or otherwise do or attempt any thing to the contrary of any Article clause or thing in this present Oath Vow and Protestatation contained and neither for Hope of Reward of Fear of Punishment nor any respect whatsoever shall relinquish this Oath and Protestation So help me God This Declaration and Oath was entred in the Counsel Book of Kilkeny and this a true Copy thereof Witness my Hand this Ninth of May 1644. Hierome Green Cler. Counsel Kilkeny Appendix XII The Protestation and Declaration of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons in Parliament Assembled against the Irish Rebellion the 17th of November 1641. 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 Tranquility thereof who contrary to their Duty and Loyalty to His Majesty and against the Laws of God and the fundamental Laws of this Realm have traiterously and rebelliously raised Arms seized upon His Majesties Forts and Castles and dispossessed many of his faithful Subjects of their Houses Lands and Goods and have slain many of them and committed other cruel and inhuman Outrages and Acts of Hostility within this Realm The said Lords and Commons in Parliament Assembled being justly moved with a right Sense of the said disloyal Rebellious Proceedings and Actions of the Peesons aforesaid do hereby protest and declare that the said Lords and Commons from their hearts do detest and abhor the said abominable Actions and that they shall and will to their utmost Power maitain the Rights of His Majesties Crown and Government of this Realm and the Peace and Safety thereof as well against the Persons aforesaid their Abbetters and Adherents as also against all foreign Princes Potentates and other Persons and Attempts whatsoever And in case the Persons aforesaid do not repent of their aforesad Actions and lay down Arms and become humble Suitors to His Majesty for Grace and Mercy in such convenient Time and in such manner and form as by His Majesty or the chief Governour or Governours and the Councel of this Realm shall be set down The said Lords and Commons do further protest and declare that they will take up Arms and will with their Lives and Fortunes suppress them and their Attempts in such a way as by the Authority of the Parliament of this Kingdom with the Approbation of his Excellent Majesty or of His Majesties chief Governour or Governours of this Kingdom shall be thought most effectual Appendix XIII His Majesties Proclamation against the Irish Rebellion By the KING WHeras divers lewd and wicked Persons have of late risen in Rebellion in our Kingdom of Ireland surprized divers of our Forts and Castles possessed themselves thereof surprized some of our Garrisons possessed themselves of some of our Magazines of Arms and Ammunition dispossessed many of our good and loyal Subjects of the British Nation and Protestants of their Houses and Lands robbed and spoiled many Thousands of our good Subjects of the British Nation and Protestants of their Goods to great values Massacred multitudes to them imprisoned many others and some who have the Honour to serve us as Privy Councellors of that our Kingdom We therefore having taken the same into our Royal consideration and abhorring the wicked Disloyalty and horrible Acts committed by those Persons do hereby not only declare our just Indignation thereof but also do declare them and their Adherents and Abettors and all those who shall hereafter joyn with them or commit the like Acts on any of our good Subjects in that Kingdom to be Rebels and Traitors against our Royal Person and Enemies to our Royal Crown of England and Ireland And we do hereby strictly charge and command all those Persons who have so presumed to rise in Arms against us and our Royal Authority which we cannot otherwise interpret than Acts of high Rebellion and detestable Disloyalty when therein they spoil and destroy our good and loyal Subjects of the British Nation and Protestants that they immediately lay down their Arms and forbear all further Acts of Hostility wherein if they fail we do let them know that we have authorized our Justices of Ireland and other our chief Governour or Governours and General or Lieutenant-General of our Army there and do hereby accordingly require and authorize them and every of them to prosecute the said Rebels and Traitors with Fire and Sword as Persons who by their high Disloyalty against us their lawful and undoubted King and Sovereign have made themselves unworthy of any Mercy or Favour whereinour said Justices or other Governour or Governours and General or Lieutenant-General of our said Army shall be countenanced and supported by us and by our powerful Succours of our good Subjects of England and Scotland that so they may reduce to Obedience those wicked Disturbers of that Peace which by the Blessing of God that Kingdom hath so long and so happily enjoyed under the Government of our Royal Father and Us. And this our Royal Pleasure We do hereby require our Justices or other chief Governour or Governours of that our Kingdom of Ireland to cause to be published and proclaimed in and throughout our said Kingdom of Ireland Given under our Signet at our Palace of Westminster the First Day of January in the 17 th Year of
Protestant Subjects And that all the Laws and Statutes established in that Kingdom against Popery and Popish Recusants may continue of Force and be put in due Execution 3. That Restitution be made of all our Churches and Church Rights and Revenues and all our Churches and Chappels re-edified and put in as good Estate as they were at the breaking out of the Rebellion and as they ought to be at the charge of the Confederate Roman-Catholicks as they call themselves who have been the occasion of rhe Deftruction of the said Churches and possessed themselves of the Profits and Revenues thereof 4. That the Parliament now sitting in Ireland may be continued there for the better settlement of the Kingdom and that all Persons duly Indicted in the said Kingdom of Treason Felony or other Heinous Crimes may be duly and legally Proceeded against Outlawed Tryed and Adjudged according to Law and that all Persons lawfully Convicted and Attainted or to be Convicted and Attainted for the same may receive due Punishment accordingly 5. That no man may take upon him or execute the Office of a Mayor or Magistrate in any Corporation or the Office of a Sheriff or Justice of Peace in any City or County in the said Kingdom until he have first taken the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance 6. That all Popish Lawyers who refuse to take the Oath of Supremacy and Allegiance may be Suppressed and Restrained from Practice in that Kingdom the rather because the Lawyers in England do not here practise until they take the Oath of Supremacy and it hath been found by Woful Experience that the Advice of Popish Lawyers to the People of Ireland hath been a great cause of their continued disobedience 7. That there may be a present absolute Suppression and Dissolution of all the Assumed Arbitrary and Tyrannical Power which the said Consederates exercise over your Majesties Subjects both in Causes Ecclesiastical and Temporal 8. That all the Arms and Ammunition of the said Confederates be speedily brought into your Majesties Stores 9. That your Majesties Protestant Subjects Ruined and Destroyed by the said Confederates may be Repaired for their great Losses out of the Estates of the said Confederates not formerly by any Acts of this present Parliament in England otherwise disposed of whereby they may the better be enabled to re-inhabit and defend the said Kingdom of Ireland 10. That the said Confederates may Rebuild the several Plantation-Houses and Castles Destroyed by them in Ireland in as good state as they were at the breaking out of the Rebellion which your Majesties Protestant Subjects have been bound by their several Patents to Build and Maintain for your Majesties Service 11. That the great Arrears of Rent due to your Majesty out of the Estates of your Majesties Protestant Subjects at and since Michaelmas 1641 may be paid unto your Majesty by such of the Consederates who have either received the said Rents to the uses of the said Confederates or destroyed the same by disabling your Majesties Protestant Subjects to pay the same and have also destroy'd all or the most part of all other Rents or means of support belonging to your said Protestant Subjects And that your said Protestant Subjects may be discharged of all such Arrears of Rents to your Majesty 12. That the said Confederates may give satisfaction to the Army for the great Arrears due unto them since the Rebellion and that such Commanders as have raised Forces at their own charges and laid forth great Sums of Money out of their own Purses and engaged themselves for Money and Provisions to keep themselves their Holds and Soldiers under their Commands in the due necessary defence of your Majesties Rights and Laws may be in due sort satisfied to the encouragement of others in like times and cases which may happen 13 That touching such parts of the Confederate Estates as being forfeited for their Treasons are come or shall duly come into your Majesties Hands and Possession by that Title your Majesty after the due satisfaction first made to such as claim by former Acts of Parliament would be pleased to take the same into your own Hands and Possession And for the necessary encrease of your Majesties Revenue and better security of the said Kingdom of Ireland and the Protestant Subjects living under your Gracious Government there to plant the same with British and Protestants upon reasonable and honourable Terms 14. That one good Walled Town may be Built and kept Repaired in every County of the said Kingdom of Ireland and Endowed and Furnished with necessary and sufficient means of Legal and Just Government and Defence for the better security of your Majesties Laws and Rights more especially the true Protestant Religion in time of danger in any of which Towns no Papist may be permitted to Dwell or Inhabit 15. That for the better satisfaction of Justice and your Majesties Honour and for the future Security of the said Kingdom and your Majesties Protestant Subjects there exemplary Punishment according to Law may be inflicted upon such as have there Traiterously Levied War and taken up Arms against your Majesties Protestant Subjects and Laws and therein against your Majesty especially upon such as have had their hands in the shedding of Innocent Blood or had to do with the First Plot or Conspiracy or since that time have done any notorious Murder or Overt Act of Treason 16. That all your Majesties Towns Forts and places of Strength destroyed by the said Confederates since the said Rebellion may be by them and at their Charges Re-edified and delivered up into your Majesties hands to be duly put into the Government under your Majesty and your Laws of your good Protestants and that all Strengths and Fortifications made and set up by the said Confederates since the said Rebellion may be slighted and thrown down or else delivered up and disposed of for Protestant Government and Security as aforesaid 17. That according to the Presidents of former times in cases of general Rebellions in Ireland the Attainders which have been duly had by Outlawry for Treason done in this Rebellion may be established and confirmed by Act of Parliament to be in due form of Law transmitted and passed in Ireland and that such Traitors as for want of Protestant and indifferent Jurors to Indict them in the proper County are not yet Indictd not Convicted or Attainted by Outlary or otherwise may upon due proof of their Offences be by like Acts of Parliament Convicted and Attainted and all such Offenders forfeit their Estates as to Law appertaineth and your Majesty to be adjudged and put in possession without any Office or Inquisition to be had 18. That your Majesties Protestant Subjects may be restored to the quiet Possession of all their Castles Houses Mannors Lands Tenements Hereditaments and Leases and to the quiet possession of the Rents thereof as they had the same before and at the time of the breaking forth of this Rebellion and from whence
without due process and Judgment of Law they have since then been put or kept out and may be answered of and for all the mean profits of the same in the interim and for all the time until they shall be so restored 19. That your Majesties said Protestant Subjects may also be restored to all their Monies Plate Jewels Houshold-stuff Goods and Chattels whatsoever which without due Process or Judgment of Law have been by the said Confederates taken or detained from them since the contriving of the said Rebellion which may be gained in kind or the full value thereof if the same may not be had in kind and the like restitution to be made for all such things which during the said time hath been delivered to any Person or Persons of the said Confederates in trust to be kept or preserv'd but are by colour thereof still withholden 20. That the establishment and maintenance of a compleat Protestant Army and sufficient Protestant Soldiers and Forces for the time to come be speedily taken into your Majesties Prudent Just and Gracious Consideration and such a course laid down and continued according to the Rules of good Government that your Majesties Right and Laws the Protestant Religion and Peace of that Kingdom be no more endangered by the like Rebellions in time to come 21. That whereas it appeareth in Print that the said Confederates amongst other things aim at the Repeal of Poyning's Law thereby to open an easy and ready way in the passing of Acts of Parliament in Ireland without having them first well considered of in England which may produce many dangerous consequences both to that Kingdom and to your Majesties other Dominions your Majesty would be pleased to resent and reject all propositions tending to introduce so great a diminution of your Royal and necessary Power for the confirmation of your Royal Estate and protection of your good Protestant Subjects both there and elsewhere 22. That your Majesty out of your grace and favour to your Protestant Subjects of Ireland would be pleased to consider effectually of answering them that you will not give order for or allow of the transmitting into Ireland any Act of general Oblivion Release or Discharge of Actions or Suits whereby your Majesties said Protestant Subjects there may be barred or deprived of their legal Remedies which by your Majesties Laws and Statutes of that Kingdom they may have against the said Confederates or any of them or any of their Party for and in respect of any wrongs done unto them or any of their Ancestors or Predecessors in or concerning their Lives Liberties Persons Lands Goods or Estates since the contriving and breaking forth of the said Rebellion 23. That some fit course may be considered of to prevent the filling or overlaying of the Commons House of Parliament in Irelaâ—d with Popish Recusants being ill affected Members and that provision be duly made that none shall vote or sit therein but such as shall first take the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy 24. That the proofs and manifestations of the truth of the several matters contained in the Petition of your Majesties Protestant Subjects of Ireland lately presented to your Majesty may be duly examined discussed and in that respect the final conclusion of things respited for a convenient time their Agents being ready to attend with proofs in that behalf as your Majesty shall appoint In Answer whereunto it was replyed by the Committee of Lords and others of Irish affairs at Oxford 1. THat their Lordships did not think that the Propositions presented by the Protestant Agents to his Majesty and that Morning read before their Lordships were the sense of the Protestants of Ireland 2. That those propositions were not agreeable to the Instructions given the said Agents by the Protestants of Ireland 3. That if â—hose Propositions were not withdrawn they would lay a prejudice on his Majesty and his Ministers to posterity these remaining on Record if a Treaty should go on and Peace follow which the Kings necessity did enforce and that the Lords of the Committee apprehended the said Agents did flatly oppose a Peace with the Irish 4. That it would be impossible for the King to grant the Protestants Agents desires and grant a Peace to the Irish 5. That the Lords of the Committee desired the Protestant Agents to propose a way to effect their desires either by Force or Treaty considering the condition of his Majesties affairs in England To the First Note the Paâ—â—liament of Iâ—eland was interogated on the point and did declare their concurrence with what their Agents had done the Protestant Agents replyed That they humbly conceived that the Propositions which they had presented to his Majesty were the sense of the Protestants of Ireland To the Second That the Propositions are agreeable to the instructions given to the said Agents by the Protestants of Ireland and conduced to the well settlement of that Kingdom To the Third that they had no thought to draw prejudice on his Majesty or their Lordships by putting in those Propositions neither had they so soon put in Propositions had not his Majesty by his Answer to the Protestant Petition directed the same To the Fourth The said Agents humbly conceived that they were imployed to make proof of the effect of the Protestant Petition to manifest the Inhumane Cruelties of the Rebels and then to offer such things as they they thought fit for the security of the Protestants in their Religion Lives Liberties and Fortunes that the said Protestants had not disaffection to Peace so as Punishment might be inflicted according to Law as in the Propositions are expressed and that the said Protestants might be repaired for their great Losses out of the Estates of the Rebels not formerly by any Acts of this present Parliament in England otherwise disposed of which the said Agents desired might be represented to his Majesty and the Lords of the Committee accordingly To the Fifth that the said Protestant Agents were Strangers to His Majesties affairs in England and conceived that part more proper for the Advice of his Councils than the said Agents and therefore desired to be excused for medling in the Treaty further than the manifesting of the Truth of the Protestant Petition and purposing in the behalf of the Protestants according to the Instructions given them which the said Agents were ready to perform whensoever they should be admitted thereunto Touching which and other particulars there were many motions but the proofs they would have insisted upon by the importunity of other affairs never came to their due discussion Appendix XXII Instructions for the Agents who are to attend His Most Sacred Majesty on the behalf of His Majesties Protestant Subjects of Ireland 1. FIrst most humbly to represent unto His Most Sacred Majesty the Remonstrance or Petition of his truly obedient and loyal Subjects the Protestants of this his Kingdom of Ireland intituled To the King 's Most Excâ—llent Majesty
The humble Petition of divers of your Majesties Protestant Subjects in your Kingdom of Ireland as well Commanders of your Majesties Army here as others whose Names are subscribed in the behalf of themselves and others your Protestant Subjects in this your Kingdom and to manifest by all good ways and means the Truths thereof in every particular and to solicite the obtaining the humble Desires therein requested and to refel and disprove the Untruths of the scandalous Aspersions laid by the confederate Roman Catholicks c. of Ireland upon the most gracious Governments of our most Royal late Sovereign Queen Elizaheth and King James of ever Blessed Memory and also of our most gracious and dread Sovereign King Charles and also the extream Falshoods by the said confederate Roman Catholicks published and imposed upon by His Majesties said Protestant Subjects of this Realm 2. And also to offer unto His Majesties Royal and most tender Consideration the barbarous Usage Inhumanity cruel Tortures and bloody Murthers committed and done upon His Majesties Protstant Subjects ☞ in the several parts of the Kingdom without Provocation and that commonly after Quarter given Passes Promises and Oaths for security or safe Convoy especially in that glorious Plantation of King James of ever Blessed Memory in the Province of Vlster which terrible Effusion of innocent Blood crieth to Almighty God and His Sacred Majesty for Justice 3. In like manner to present unto His Sacred Majesty the true and entire Faith and Allegiance of His Majesties Protestant Subjects of this Kingdom unto his Royal Person Crown and Dignity their cheerful and constant Acknowledgment of his Supremacy in all Causes and over all Persons their Universal Obedience to all his Laws and gracious Government and their continual Desires and Endeavours even to the uttermost hazard of their Lives and Fortunes for the preservation of all his Rights and just Prerogatives and to present to His Majesty in what Estate and Condition the Kingdom was in at the Time of the breaking out of this horrid Rebellion 4. And most humbly to desire the Preservation and Establishment of the true Protestant Religion in this Realm and the Suppression of Popery according to the Laws and Statutes to that End established 5. Most humbly to desire His Sacred Majesty that the great Losses of his Protestant Subjects now utterly ruined by the Rebellion of the said confederate Roman Catholicks c. may be repaired in such manner and measure as his Highness in his Princely Wisdom shall think fit whereby His Majesties said Protestant Subjects may be enabled to subsist and reinhabit in the said Kingdom 6. Most humbly to present to His Sacred Majesty all other things that may conduce to the Glory of God to the Advancement of the true Protestant Religion according to the Laws the Honour and Profit of His Majesty the just Prerogatives of his Crown the Preservation of the Laws and just Liberties of the Subject the securing of this Kingdom to His Majesty and His Royal Posterity and future Safety to His Majesties Protestant Subjects in their Religion Lives and Fortunes that they may no longer nor hereafter be liable to such and the like Evils and Destructions on them committed as they have now suffered from those who fell upon them spilt their Blood and destroyed their Estates unprovoked and even when they lived together in full Peace 7. And for avoiding mistakes that you present or propound nothing to His Majesty but what shall be first well debated amongst your selves and maturely considered of and agreed upon in writing by the major part of you and subscribed with your hands 8. That from time to time you give an Accompt of your proceedings unto those who are here appointed to negotiate this Affair Which said Instructions being read the Protestant Petitioners were required to withdraw who after debate had on the Instructions at the Council-board were called in again and exceptions were taken to the first second third fourth and sixth Articles of the Instructions and they were told by the Lords of the Council That they could nor would not recommend them as the Instructions were now drawn and while the third Article of the Instructions remained in respect that they knew that there were many Protestants in the Province of Vlster in Ireland that were not obedient to His Majesties Laws and the Lord Chancellor moved that these words in the second Article aforementioned might be omitted out of the Instructions viz. commonly committed after Quarter given Passes Promises and Oaths for security of safe Convoy especially in that glorious Plantation of King James of ever Blessed Memory in the Province of Ulster which effusion of innocent Blood crieth to Almighty God and His Sacred Majesty for Justice And the Lord Lieutenant and Council further gave the Protestant Petitioners the particulars in writing which they would have added and omitted in the said Instructions otherwise they would not recommend the Protestant Agents nor the Cause to His Majesty And thereupon the Protestant Petitioners consented to the Alteration of their Instructions as hereafter followeth In the second Article of the first Instruction Quarter given is left out In the former part of the third Article these words are left out Viz. In like manner to present unto His Sacred Majesty the true and entire Faith and Allegiance of His Majesties Protestant Subjects of this Kingdom unto His Royal Person Crown and Dignity their cheerful and constant Acknowledgment of his Supremacy in all Causes and over all Persons their Vniversal Obedience to all his Laws and gracious Government and their continued Desires and Endeavours even to the uttermost hazard of their Lives and Fortunes for the Preservation of all his Rights and just Prerogatives In the fourth is added in Doctrine and Discipline In the sixth is added and Statutes in this Kingdom established and now of force Appendix XXIII The Propositions of the Confederate Irish Agents at Oxford and the Answer of the Protestant Irish Agents thereunto 1. Prop. THAT all Acts made against the Professors of the Roman Catholick Faith whereby any Restraint Penalty Mulct or Incapacity may be laid upon any Roman Catholicks within the Kingdom of Ireland may be repealed and the said Catholicks to be allowed the Freedom of the Roman Catholick Religion Answ To the first we say that this hath been the pretence of almost all those who have entred into Rebellion in the Kingdom of Ireland at any time since the Reformation of Religion there which was setled by Acts of Parliament above eighty Years since and hath wrought good effects ever since for the Peace and Welfare both of the Church and Kingdom there and of the Church and Kingdom of England and Protestant party throughout all Christendom and so hath been found wholsome and necessary by long experience and the repealing of rhose Laws will set up Popery again both in Jurisdiction Profession and Practice as that was before the said Reformation and introduce among other
touching Universities and Inns of Court We humbly conceive that this part of the Proposition savoureth of some desire to become independant upon England or to make aspersion on the Religion and Laws of the Kingdom which can never be truly happy but in the good Unity of both in the true Protestant Religion and in the Laws of England for as for matter of charge such of the Natives that are desirous to breed their Sons for Learning in Divinity can be well content to send them to the Universities of Lovane Doway and other Popish places in foreign Kingdoms and for Civil Law or Physick to Padua and other places which draws great Treasure yearly out of your Majesties Dominions but will send few or none of them to Oxford or Cambridge where they might as cheeply be bred up and become as Learned which course I conceive is holden out of their Pride and Disaffection towards this Kingdom and the true Religion here professed And for the Laws of the Land which are for the Common Law agreable to England and so for the greatest part of the Statutes the Inns of Court in England are sufficient and the Protestants come thither without grudging and that is a means to civilize them after the English Customs to make them familiar and in love with the Language and Nation to preserve Law in the Purity when the Professors of it shall draw from one original Fountain and see the manner of the practice of that in the same great Channel where His Majesties Courts of Justice of England do flow most clearly whereas by separation of the Kingdoms in that place of their principal Instruction where their Foundations of Learning are to be laid a degenerate Corruption in Religion and Justice may happily be introduced and spread with much more difficulty to be corrected and restrained afterwards by any Discipline to be used in Ireland or punishment there to be inflicted for departing from the true Grounds of things which are best preserved in Unity when they grow out of the same Root than if such Universities and Inns of Court as are proposed should be granted all which we humbly submit to your Majesties most pious and prudent Consideration and Judgment 8. Prop. That the Offices and Places of Command Honour Profit and Trust within that Kingdom be conferred upon Roman Catholick Natives in equality and indifferency with your Majesties other Subjects Answ We humbly conceive that the Roman Catholicks Natives of Ireland may have the like Offices and Places as the Roman Catholicks Natives of England have here and not otherwise howbeit we conceive that in the generality they have not deserved so much by their late Rebellion therefore we see not why they should be endowed with any new or farther Capacities or Priviledges than they have by the Laws and Statutes now in force in that Kingdom 9. Prop. That the insupportable Oppression of your Subjects by reason of the Court of Wards and Respit of Homage be taken away and certain Revenue in Lieu thereof setled upon your Majesty without Diminution of your Majesties Profits Answ We know of no Oppression by reason of the Court of Wards and we humbly conceive that the Court of Wards is of great use for the raising of your Majesties Revenues the preservation of your Majesties Tenures and chiefly the Education of the Gentry in the Protestant Religion and in Civility and Learning and good Manners who otherwise would be brought up in Ignorance and Barbarism their Estates be ruined by their Kindred and Friends and continue their depending upon their Chieftains and Lords to the great prejudice of your Majesties Service and Protestant Subjects and there being no colour of exception to your Majesties just Title to Wardships we know not why the taking away of your Court concerning the same should be pressed unless it be to prevent the Education of the Lords and Gentry that fall Wards in the Protestant Religion For that part of this Proposition which concerns Respit of Homage We humbly conceive that reasonable that some way may be setled for that if that standeth with your Majesties good Pleasure without prejudice to your Majesty or your Majesties Protestant Subjects 10. Prop. That no Lord not estated in the Kingdom or estated and not resident shall have vote in the said Parliament by proxy or otherwise and none admitted to the House of Commons but such as shall be estated and resident within the Kingdom Answ We humbly conceive that in the Year 1641 by the Graces which your Majesty then granted to your Subjects of Ireland the matter of this Proposition was in a fair way regulated by your utter abolishing of blank Proxies and limiting Lords present and attending in the Parliament of Ireland that no one of them should be capable of more Proxies than two and prescribing the Peers of that Kingdom not there resident to purchase fitting Proportions of Land in Ireland within five Years from the last of July 1641 or else to lose their Votes till they should make such purchases which purchases by reason of the Troubles hapning in the Kingdom and which have continued for two years and a half have not peradventure yet been made and therefore your Majesty may now be pleased and may take just occasion to enlarge that time for five Years more from the time when that Kingdom may again be setled in a happy firm peace And as to Members of the House of Commons the same is most fit as we humbly conceive to be regulated by the Laws and Statutes of that Kingdom 11. Prop. That an Act be passed in the next Parliament declaratory that the Parliament of Ireland is a free Parliament of it self independant of and not subordinate to the Parliament of England and that the Subjects of Ireland are immediately subject to your Majesty as in right of your Revenue and that the Members of the said Parliament of Ireland and all other the Subjects of Ireland are independant and no way to be ordered or concluded by the Parliament of England and are only to be ordered and governed within that Kingdom by your Majesty and such Governours as are or shall be there appointed and by the Parliament of that Kingdom according to the Laws of the Land Answ This Proposition concerns your Majesties High Court of Parliament both of England and Ireland and is beyond our Abilities who are not acquainted with the Records and Presidents of this Nature to give an Answer thereunto and therefore we humbly desire your Majesties pardon for not answering unto the same 12. Prop. That the assumed Power or Jurisdiction in the Council Board of determining all Manner of Causes be limited to Matters of State and all Patents Estates and Grants illegally and extrajudicially avoided there or elsewhere be left in State as before and the Parties grieved their Heirs or Assigns till legal Eviction Answ The Council-Table hath always exercised Jurisdiction in some Cases ever since the English Government
was setled in that Kingdom and is of long Continuance in Cases of some Nature as the beginning thereof appeareth not which seemeth to be by Prescription and hath always been armed with Power to examine upon Oath as a Court of Justice or in the Nature of a Court of Justice in Cases of some Nature and may be very necessary still in many Cases especially for the present till your Majesties Laws may more generally be received in that Kingdom and we conceive that Board is so well limited by printed Instructions in your Majesties Royal Father's Time and by your Majesties Graces in the Seventeenth Year of your Reign that it needeth for this present little or no regulating at all howbeit they refer that to your Majesties great Wisdom and Goodness to do therein as to Law and Justice shall appertain 13. Prop. That the Statutes of the Eleventh Twelfth and Thirteenth Years of Queen Elizabeth concerning the Staple Commodities be repealed reserving to His Majesty lawful and just Poundage and a Book of Rates be setled by an indifferent Committee of both Houses for all Commodities Answ The matter of this Proposition is setled in a fitting and good way by your Majesty already as we conceive amongst the Graces granted by your Majesty to your People of Ireland in the Seventeenth Year of your Majesties Reign to which we humbly refer our selves 14. Prop. That insomuch as the long continuance of the chief Governor or Governors of that Kingdom in that place of so great Eminency and Power hath been a principal Occasion that much Tyranny and Oppression hath been used and exercised upon the Subjects of that Kingdom that your Majesty will be pleased to continue such Governours hereafter but for three Years and that none once employed therein be appointed for the same again until the Expiration of six Years next after the End of the first three Years and that an Act pass to disanual such Governor or Governors during their Government directly or indirectly in Vse Trust or otherwise to make any manner of Purchase or Acquisition of any Mannors Lands Tenements or Hereditaments within that Kingdom other than from your Majesties own Heirs and Successors Answ We humbly conceive that this Proposition tendeth to lay a false and scandalous Aspersion on your Majesties gracious Government over Ireland and that it toucheth very high upon your Wisdom Justice and Power and under Colour of supposed Corruptions pretended to be in the greatest Officer that commandeth under your Majesty there if he continue so long in his Government as may well enable him to find out and discover the true State of the Kingdom and the dangerous Disposition and Designs of the Popish party there to prevent him therein and to turn him out from doing Service before or as soon as he is throughly informed and experienced how to do the same and then to hold him excluded so long that in all likelyhood he shall not live to come to that place the second time which we humbly conceive will be a great Discouragement to any Person of Honour and Fortune to serve your Majesty in that high Trust And for their purchasing Lands in that Kingdom your Majesty may be pleased to leave them to the Laws and punish them severely if they commit any Offence or exercise any Oppressions under Colour of purchasing of any Lands or Estates whatsoever 15. Prop. That an Act may be passed in the next Parliament for the raising and setling of Trained Bands within the several Counties of that Kingdom as well to prevent foreign Invasion as to render them the more serviceable and ready for your Majesties Service as Cause shall require Answ The having of Train-Bands in Ireland for the present cannot under favour be for your Majesties Service or the Safety of that Kingdom for that the Protestants by the said sad Effects of the late Rebellion are so much destroyed that the said Bands must consist in effect altogether of the Confederates Catholicks and to continue them in Arms stored with Ammunition and made ready for Service by Mustering and often Training will prove under Colour of advancing your Majesties Service against foreign Invasions a meer Guard and Power of the Popish Confederates and by force of Arms according to their late Oaths and Protestations to execute all their cruel Designs for extirpation of the Protestant Religion and English Government both of which they MORTALLY HATE however in cunning they dissemble it and to prevent the setling an Army of good Protestants without which your Majesties good Subjects cannot live securely there 16. Prop. That an Act of Oblivion be passed in the next free Parliament to extend to all your Majesties said Catholick Subjects and their Adherents for all manner of Offences Capital Criminal and Personal and the said Act to extend to all Goods and Chattels Customs Mesne Profits Prizes Arrears of Rent taken received or incurred since these Troubles Answ We humbly pray that the Laws of force be taken into consideration and do humbly conceive that your Majesty in Honour and Justice may forbear to discharge or release any Actions Suits Debts or Interests whereby your Majesties Protestant Subjects who have committed to Offence against your Majesty or your Laws shall be barred or deprived of any of their legal Remedies or just Demands which by any of your Majesties Laws and Statutes they may have against the Popish Confederates who are the only Delinquents or any of their party for or in respect of any Wrongs done unto them or any of their Ancestors or Predecessors in or concerning their Lands Goods or Estates since the contriving or breaking forth of the Rebellion the said Confederates having without provocation shed so much innocent Blood and acted so many Cruelties as cannot be parallelled in any Story And we conceive it to be high presumption in them upon so weak Grounds to propound an Act of Oblivion in such general Terms some of the Comederates having been Contrives or Actors of such cruel Murthers ☞ and other Acts of Inhumanity as cry to God and your Sacred Majesty for Justice and they having of your Majesties Revenues Customs Subsidies and other Rights of your Crown in their hands are disbursed by them to the Value of Two Hundred Thousand Pounds and more 17. Prop. For as much as your Majesties said Catholick Subjects have been taxed with many inhuman Cruelties which they never committed your Majesties said Suppliants therefore for their Vindication and to manifest to all the World their desire to have all such hainous Offenders punished and the Offenders brought to Justice do desire that in the next Parliament all notorious Murthers Breaches of Quarter and inhuman Cruelties committed of either Side may be questioned in the said Parliament if your Majesty think fit and such as shall appear to be guilty to be excepted out of the said Act of Oblivion and punished according to their Deserts Answ We conceive this Proposition is made but for a flourish
and if the Confederates be so desirous to try their innocency as they pretend they need not stay for another Parliament in Ireland but submit to that which is now in being which is an equal and just Parliament as in some of our Reasons touching that point is expressed ☞ and the offering to draw it to a new Parliament is in effect to desire that they may be their own Judges For as that Kingdom is now imbroiled and wasted the chief Delinquents or their Confederates will be so prevalent a Faction in the next Parliament that they will be able and doubtless will clear all the Popish Party how guilty soever and condemn all the Protestants how innocent soever These Answers to the high and unexpected demands of the Confederates we have framed in humble obedience to your Majesties directions but being very sensible as of the weight and great importance of the business so also of our own weakness and want of time and well knowing that some of your Majesties Privy-Counsellors Judges and Officers of that Kingdom are now in Town sent for over and here attending by your Majesties Command who by their long observationsâ— and experience of the aâ—aâ—rs and state of Ireland are better ablâ— to give your Majesty morâ— full and satisfactory answers touching the premises than we can and conceiving that the Collection in answer to the said Confederates Remonstrance which we humbly presented to your Majesty the Seventeenth of the last Month of April may in many things give your Majesty more light than these our answers do or can We humbly beseech your Majesty that the said Privy-Counsellors Judges and Officers as occasion shall require may be called upon and heard to give your Majesty the more satisfaction in these particulars and that to the same purpose the Book of the said Collections may be perused and considered of as your Majesty shall find most requisite Append. XXIV Articles of Peace made concluded accorded and agreed upon by and between his Excellency James Lord Marquess of Ormond Lord Lieutenant General and General Governour of his Majesties Kingdom of Ireland for and on the behalf of His most Excellent Majesty of the one part And Richard Lord Viscount Mountgarret Donogh Lord Viscount Muskery Sir Robert Talbot Baronet Dermot O Bryen Patrick Darcy Geffery Brown and John Dillon Esquires Appointed and Authorised for and in the behalf of His Majesties said Roman-Catholick Subjects on the other part 1. IT is concluded accorded and agreed upon by his Majesties said Commissioner for and on the behalf of His most Excellent Majesty and the said Richard Lord Viscount Mountgarret Donogh Lord Viscount Muskery Sir Robert Talbot Baronet Dermot O Bryen Patrick Darcy Geffery Brown and John Dillon Esquires on the behalf of the said Roman Catholick Subjects and his Majesty is graciously pleased that it shall be provided by Act of Parliament to be passed in the next Parliament to be held in this Kingdom That the Professors of the Roman Catholick Religion in the said Kingdom or any of them be not bound or obliged to take the Oath expressed in the Statute of Secundo Eliz. commonly called the Oath of Supremacy and that the said Oath shall not be tendred unto them and that the refusal of the said Oath shall not redound to the prejudice of them or any of them they taking the Oath of Allegiance in haec verba I A. B. do truly acknowledge confess testify and declare in my conscience before God and the World That our Sovereign Lord King CHARLES is Lawful and Rightful King of this Realm and of other His Majesties Dominions and Countries and I will bear Faith and true Allegiance to His Majesty and His Heirs and Successors and him and them will defend to the uttermost of my power against all Conspiracies and Attempts whatsoever which shall be made against His or their Crown or Dignity and do my best endeavour to disclose and make known unto His Majesty His Heirs and Successors or to the Lord Deputy or other Governour for the time being all Treasons or Trayterout Conspiracies which I shall know or hear to be intended against his Majesty or any of them and I do make this recognition and acknowledgement heartily willingly and truly upon the true faith of a Christian So help me God c. So as by the same Act it be further Provided and Enacted that if any Roman-Catholick happen to be promoted presented or advanced to any Ecclesiastical Promotion Dignity or Benifice according to the form now used in the Protestant Church of Ireland that the freedom and exemption aforesaid shall not extend to any such Roman-Catholick Or if any being a Protestant be advanced promoted or presented to any Ecclesiastical Benefice Dignity or Promotion shall afterwards happen to become a Roman-Catholick that the freedom and exemption aforesaid shall not so far extend to any such Roman-Catholick but that upon tender of the said Oath and refusal thereof he be for that cause left subject to privation of the said Benefice Dignity or Promotion according to the said Statue and it is further concluded accorded and agreed by and between the said Parties that for all matters concerning the first Proposition of the said Catholicks viz. That all Acts made against the Professors of the Roman-Catholick Faith whereby any restraint penalty mulct or incapacity may be laid upon any Roman-Catholick within the Kingdom of Ireland may be Repealed and the said Catholicks to be allowed the freedom of the Roman Catholick Religion That His Majesties said Roman-Catholick Subjects be referred to His Majesties gracious Favour and further Concessions and that no clause in these Articles shall or may hinder His Majesties said Roman-Catholick Subjects or any of them from the benefit of His Majesties further Graces and Concessions and that no use shall be made of the Papers past on this Treaty or any of them concerning the said first Proposition which may in any sort hinder the said Roman-Catholick Subjects or any of them from His Majesties further Concessions And that His Majesties said Commissioner and other chief Governour or Governours of this Kingdom for the time being shall cause whatsoever shall be further directed by His Majesty to be passed in Parliament for and on the behalf of His said Roman Catholick Subjects to be accordingly drawn into Bills and transmitted according to the usual manner to be afterwards passed as Acts in the said Parliament 2. It is further concluded accorded and agreed upon by and between the said Parties and his Majesty is graciously pleased to call a new Parliament to be held in this Kingdom on or before the last day of November next ensuing and that all matters agreed on by these Articles to be passed in Parliament shall be transmitted into England according to the usual form to be passed in the said Parliament and that the said Acts so to be agreed upon and so to be passed shall receive no alteration or diminution here or
agreed upon by and between the said Parties and His Majesty is further graciously pleased that all Incapacities imposed upon the Natives of this Kingdom or any of them as Natives by any Act of Parliament Provisoes in Patents or otherwise be taken away by Act to be passed in the said Parliament and that they may be enabled to erect one or more Inns of Court in or near the City of Dublin and that such Students Natives of this Kingdom as shall be therein may take and receive the usual Degrees accustomed in any Inns of Court they taking the Oath already mentioned And that they may erect one or more Universities to be Governed by such Rules and Orders as His Majesty shall appoint And it is further concluded and agreed by and between the said Parties and His Majesty is graciously pleased that the said Roman-Catholick Subjects may erect and keep Free-Schools for education of Youth in this Kingdom any Law or Statute to the contrary notwithstanding all the matters of this Article to be passed as Acts of Parliament in the said next Parliament 8. It is further concluded accorded and agreed upon by and between the said Parties and His Majesty is graciously pleased That Places of Command Honour Profit and Trust in His Majesties Armies in this Kingdom shall be upon perfection of these Articles actually and by particular instances conferred upon His Roman-Catholick Subjects of this Kingdom and that upon the distribution conferring and disposal of the Places of Command Honor Profit and Trust in his Majesties Armies in this Kingdom for the future no difference shall be made between the said Roman-Catholicks and other His Majesties Subjects but that such distribution shall be made with equal indifferency according to their respective Merits and Abilities And that all his Majesties Subjects of this Kingdom as well Roman-Catholicks as others shall for his Majesties Service and their own security arm themselves the best they may wherein they shall have all fitting encouragement And the Places of Command Honour Profit and Trust in Civil Government in this Kingdom shall be upon passing of the Bills in these Articles mentioned in the next Parliament actually and by particular instances conferred upon his Majesties Roman-Catholick Subjects of this Kingdom and that in the distribution conferring and disposal of the places of Command Honour Profit and Trust in the Civil Government for the future no difference shall be made between the said Roman-Catholicks and others His Majesties Subjects but that such distribution shall be made with equal indifferency according to their respective merits and abilities and that in the distribution of Ministerial Offices or Places which now are or hereafter shall be void in this Kingdom equality shall be used to the Roman-Catholick Natives of this Kingdom as to other his Majesties Subjects That the Command of Forts Castles Garrisons Towns and other Places of Importance in this Kingdom shall be conferred upon His Majesties Roman-Catholick Subjects of this Kingdom upon perfection of these Articles actually and by particular instances and that in the distribution conferring and disposal of the Forts Castles Garrisons Towns and other places of Importance in this Kingdom no difference shall be made between his Majesties Roman-Catholick Subjects of this Kingdom and other his Majesties Subjects but that such distribution shall be made with equal indifferency according to their respective Merits and Abilities 9. It is further concluded accorded and agreed upon by and between the said Parties and his Majesty is further Graciously pleased that His Majesty will accept of the Yearly Rent or Annual Sum of Twelve Thousand Pounds Sterling to be applotted with indifferency and equality and consented to be paid to His Majesty his Heirs and Successors in Parliament for and in lieu of the Court of Wards in this Kingdom Tenures in Capite common Knights service and all other Tenures within the Cognizance of that Court and for and in Lieu of all Wardships primer Seisins Fines Ousterlemains Liveries Intrusions Alienations Mesne-rates Reliefs and all other Profits within the Cognizance of the said Court or Incident to the said Tenures or any of them or Fines to accrew to His Majesty by reason of the said Tenures or any of them and for and in lieu of Respites and Issues of Homage and Fines of the same And the said Yearly Rent being so Applotted and consented unto in Parliament as aforesaid then a Bill is to be agreed on in the said Parliament to be Passed as an Act for the securing of the said Yearly Rent or Annual Sum of Twelve thousand pounds to be Applotted as aforesaid and for the Extinction and taking away the said Court and other matters aforesaid in this Article contained And it is further Agreed that reasonable Compositions shall be accepted for Wardships fallen since the 23 d. of October 1641. and already granted And that no Wardships fallen or not granted or that shall fall shall be past until the Success of this Article shall appear And if His Majesty be Secured as aforesaid Then all Wardships fallen since the said 23 d. of October are to be included in the Agreement aforesaid upon Composition to be made with such as have Grants as aforesaid which composition to be made with the Grantees since the time aforesaid is to be left to indifferent Persons and the Umpirage to the said Lord Lieutenant His Majesties Commissioner 10. It is further concluded accorded and agreed by and between the said Parties and His Majesty is further graciously pleased that no Nobleman or Peer of this Realm in Parliament shall be hereafter capable of more Proxies than two and that blank Proxies shall be hereafter totally disallowed and that if such Noblemen or Peers of this Realm as have no Estates in this Kingdom do not within Five Years to begin from the conclusion of these Articles Purchase in this Kingdom as followeth viz. A Lord Baron two hundred pounds per annum a Lord Viscount four hundred pounds per annum and an Earl six hundred pounds Ster per annum shall lose their Votes in Parliament until such time as they shall afterwards acquire such Estates respectively And it is further agreed that none be admitted into the House of Commons but such as shall be Estated and Resident within this Kingdom 11. It is further Concluded Accorded and Agreed by and between the said Parties and His Majesty is further graciously pleased that as for and concerning the Independency of the Parliament of Ireland on the Parliament of England His Majesty will leave both Houses of Parliament in this Kingdom to make such Declaration therein as shall be agreeable to the Laws of the Kingdom of Ireland 12. It is further Concluded Accorded and Agreed by and between the said parties and His Majesty is further graciously pleased That the Council Table shall contain it self within it's proper bounds in handling matters of State and weight fit for that place amongst which the Patents of Plantation and the Offices
take notice of and pursue the said Act of Oblivion without Pleading or Suit to be made for the same And that no Clerk or other Officers do make out or write out any manner of Writs Processes Summons or other Precepts for concerning or by reason of any Matter Cause or Thing whatsoever Released Forgiven Discharged or to be Forgiven by the said Act under pain of Twenty pound Sterling And that no Sheriff or other Officers do Execute any such Writ Process Summons or Precept and that no Record Writing or Memory do remain of any Offence or Offences Released or Forgiven or mentioned to be Forgiven by this Act And that all other causes usually inserted in Acts of General Pardon or Oblivion enlarging His Majesty's Grace and Mercy not herein particularized be inserted and comprized in the said Act when the Bill shall be drawn up with the Exceptions already expressed and none other Provided always that the said Act of oblivion shall not extend unto any Treason Felony or other Offence or Offences which shall be committed or done from or after the Date of these Articles until the First day of the before mentioned next Parliament to be held in this Kingdom Provided also that any Act or Acts which shall be done by vertue pretence or in persuance of these Articles or any of them after the Publication of the said Articles or any Act or Acts which shall be done by Vertue Colour or Pretence of the Power or Authority used or exercised by and amongst the confederate Roman Catholicks after the Date of these Articles and before the said Publication shall not be Accounted Taken Construed or be Treason Felony or other Offence to be excepted out of the said Act of Oblivion Provided likewise that the said Act of Oblivion shall not extend unto any Person or Persons that will not Obey and Submit unto the Peace Concluded and Argeed on by these Articles 16. It is further Concluded Accorded and Agreed by and between the said Parties and His Majesty is further graciously pleased that an Act be Passed in the next Parliament prohibiting that neither the Lord Deputy or other Chief Governor Governors Lord Chancellor Lord High-Treasurer Vice-Treasurer Chancellor or any of the Barons of the Exchequer Privy Council or Judges of the four Courts be Farmours of His Majesty's Customs within this Kingdom 17. It is further Concluded Accorded and Agreed by and between the said Parties and His Majesty is further graciously pleased that an Act of Parliament Pass in this Kingdom against Monopolies such as was Enacted in England 21. Jacobi Regis with a further clause of Repealing all Grants of Monopolies in this Kingdom and that Commissioners be Agreed upon by the said Lord Lieutenant and the Lord Viscount Mountgarret c. or any Five or more of them to set down the Rates for the Custom or Imposition to be laid on Aquavite Wine Oyl Yarn and Tobacco 18. It is further Concluded Accorded and Agreed by and between the said Parties and His Majesty is further graciously pleased that such Persons asshall be Agreed on by the said Lord Lieutenant and the said Lord Viscount Mountgarret c. or any Five or more of them shall be upon conclusion of these Articles Authorized by Commission under the great Seal to Regulate the Court of Castle-Chamber and such causes as shall be brough into and censured in the said Court 19. It is further Concluded Accorded and Agreed by and between the said Parties and his Majesty is further graciously pleased that two Acts lately Passed in this Kingdom prohibiting the Plowing with Horses by the tail and the other prohibiting the burning of Oats in the Straw be Repealed 20. It is further Concluded Accorded and Agreed by and between the said Parties and His Majesty is further graciously pleased that upon perfection of these Articles such course shall be taken against such who have disobeyed the Cessation and will not submit to the Peace if any shall Oppose it as shall be just and for the Peace of the Kingdom 21. It is further Concluded Accorded and Agreed by and between the said Parties and His Majesty is further graciously pleased forasmuch as upon application of Agents from this Kingdom unto His Majesty in the Fourth Year of his Reign and lately upon humble Suit made unto His Majesty by a Committee of both Houses of the Parliament of this Kingdom Order was given by His Majesty for redress of several Grievances and for so many of those as are not expressed in these Articles whereof both Houses in the next ensuing Parliament shall desire the benefit of His Majesty 's said former directions for Redresses therein that the same be afforded them yet so as for prevention of inconveniencies to His Majesties Service that the warning mentioned the 21 st Article of the Graces in the Fourth Year of His Majesties Reign be so understood that the Warning being left at the Persons dwelling Houses be held sufficient Warning and that as to the 22 d. Article of the said Graces the Process hitherto used in the Court of Wards do still continue as hitherto it hath done in that and hath been used in other English Courts but the Court of Wards being compounded for so much of the aforesaid Answer as concerns Warning and Process shall be omitted 22. It is further Concluded Accorded and Agreed by and between the said Parties and His Majesty is further graciously pleased that Maritime causes may be determined in this Kingdom without driving of Merchants or others to Appeal and seek Justice elsewhere and if it shall fall out that there be cause of an Appeal the Party grieved is to Appeal to His Majesty in the Chancery of Ireland and the Sentence thereupon to be given by the Delegates to be Definitive and not to be questioned upon any further Appeal except it be in the Parliament of this Kingdom if the Parliament shall then be Sitting otherwise not This to be by Act of Parliament 23. It is further Concluded Accorded and Agreed by and between the said Parties and His Majesty out of His abundant Grace and Goodness to His Subjects of this Kingdom is graciously pleased to Assent that his said Subjects be eased of the increase of Rents lately raised on them upon the Commission of Defective Titles in the Earl of Straffords Government This to be by Act of Parliament 24. It is further Concluded Accorded and Agreed by and between the said Parties and His Majesty is further graciously pleased that by Act to be Passed in the next Parliament all the arrears of Interest of Mony which did accrew or grow due by way Debt Mortgage or otherwise and yet not satisfied since the 23 d. of October 1641. until the perfection of these Articles shall be fully Forgiven and Released And that for and during the space of Three Years next ensuing no more shall be taken for Use or Interest or Mony than Five Pounds percent and in all Cases of Equity arising
and his Majesty is graciously pleased that two Acts lately passed in this Kingdom one prohibiting the Plowing with Horses by the Tail and the other prohibiting the burning of Oats in the Straw be repealed 23. Item It is further concluded accorded and agreed upon by and between the said parties and his Majesty is further graciously pleased for as much as upon application of Agents from this Kingdom unto his Majesty in the fourth year of his Reign and lately upon humble suit made unto his Majesty by a Committee of both Houses of the Parliament of this Kingdom order was given by his Majesty for redress of several grievances and for so many of those as are not expressed in the Articles whereof both Houses in the next ensuing Parliament shall desire the benefit of his Majesties said former directions for redress therein that the same be afforded them yet so as for prevention of inconveniences to his Majesties Service that the warning mentioned in the 24. Article of the graces in the fourth year of his Majesties Reign be so understood that the warning being left at the persons dwelling Houses be held sufficient warning and as to the 22. Article of the said graces the Process hitherto used in the Court of Wards do still continue as hitherto it hath done in that and hath been used in other English Courts but the Court of Wards being compounded for so much of the aforesaid answer as concerns warning and process shall be omitted 24. Item It is further concluded accorded and agreed upon by and between the said parties and his Majesty is further graciously pleased that Maritine causes may be determined in this Kingdom without driving of Merchants or others to appeal and seek Justice elsewhere and if it shall fall out that there be cause of an appeal the party grieved is to appeal to his Majesty in the Chancery of Ireland and the sentence thereupon to be given by the deligates to be definitive and not to be questioned upon any further appeal except it be in the Parliament of this Kingdom if the Parliament shall then be sitting otherwise not this to be by Act of Parliament and until the said Parliament the Admiralty aâ—d Maritine causes shall be ordered and settled by the said Lord Lieutenant or other chief Governor or Governors of this Kingdom for the time being by and with the advice and consent of the said Thomas Lord Viscount Dilion c. or any seven or more of them 25. Item It is further concluded accorded and agreed upon by and between the said parties and his Majesty is graciously pleased that his Majesties Subjects of this Kingdom be eased of all Rents and increase of Rents lately raised on the Commission of defective Titles in the Earl of Straffords Government this to be by Act of Parliament and that in the mean time the said Rents or increase of Rents shall not be written for by any process or the payment thereof in any sort procured 26. Item It is further concluded accorded and agreed upon by and between the said parties and his Majesty is further graciously pleased that by Act to be passed in the next Parliament all the arrears of Interest mony which did accrue and grow due by way of debt mortagage or otherwise and yet not satisfied since the 23. of October 1641. until the perfection of these Articles shall be fully forgiven and be released and that for and during the space of three years next ensuing no more shall be taken for use or interest of mony then five pounds per centum And in cases of equity arising thro' disability occasioned by the Distempers of the times the considerations of equity to be a like unto both parties but as for mortgages contracted between his Majesties Roman Catholick Subjects and others of that party where entry hath been made by the mortgagers against Law and the condition of their mortgages and detained wrongfully by them without giving any satisfaction to the mortgages or where any such mortgagers have made profit of the lands mortgaged above country charges yet answer no rent or other consideration to the mortgagees the parties grieved respectively to be left for relief to a course of equity therein 27. Item It is further concluded accorded and agreed upon and His Majesty is further graciously pleased that immediately upon perfection of these Articles the said Thomas Lord Viscount Dillon c. shall be authorized by the said Lord Lieutenant to proceed in hear determine and execute in and throughout this Kingdom the ensuing particulars and all the matters thereupon depending and that such authority and other the authorities hereafter mentioned shall remain of force without revocation alteration or diminution until Acts of Parliament be passed according to the purport and intent of these Articles and that in case of death miscarriage disability to serve by reason of sickness or otherwise of any the said Thomas Lord Viscount Dillon c. His Majesties Lord Lieutenant or other Chief Governour or Governours of this Kingdom for the time being shall name and authorize another in the place of such as shall be so dead or shall miscarry himself or be so disabled and that the same shall be such person as shall be allowed of by the said Thomas Lord Viscount Dillon c. or any seven or more of them then living And that the said Thomas Lord Viscount Dillon c. or any seven or more of them shall have power to applot raise and leavy means with indifferency and equality by way of Exercise or otherwise upon all his Majesties Subjects within the said Kingdom their persons Estates and Goods towards the maintenance of such Army or Armies as shall be thought fit to continue and be in pay for his Majesties service the defence of the Kingdom and other the necessary publick charges thereof and towards the maintenance of the Forts Castles Garrisons and Towns of both or either party other than such of the said Forts Garrisons and Castles as from time to time until there shall be a settlement in Parliament shall be thought fit by his Majesties chief Governour or Governours of this Kingdom for the time being by and with the advice and consent of the said Thomas Lord Viscount Dillon c. or any seven or more of them not to be maintained at the charge of the publick provided that his Majesties Lord Lieutenant or other chief Governor or Governors of this Kingdom for the time being be first made acquainted with such Taxes Levies and Excises as shall be made and the manner of levying thereof and that he approve the same and to the end that such of the Protestant party as shall submit to the peace may in the several Counties where any of their Estates lieth have equality and indifferency in the Assessements and Levies that shall concern their Estates in the said several Counties It is concluded accorded and agreed upon and his Majesty is graciously pleased that in the
others had so often and so solemnly made to Us of giving Us and procuring for Us all possible Compliance and Obedience the Result whereof appears in their Declaration Yet it is very well known that when-ever the Enemy drew towards the Shannon-side We drew together all the Men We could to the defence of the Passages which otherwise the Enemy had gained And whatever our Play and Merriment was We had certainly as great cause to grieve at the loss of a Kingdom to his Majesty as these Declarers who have not carried themselves so towards him as to expect a greater proportion of his Favour than We. In Answer to the 13th Article The Answer to the 13th Article We say that Drogheda was put into the Hands and Trust of Sir Arthur Ashton a Roman-Catholick and that of the Souldiers and Officers of that Garison the greater part were of that Religion That for Trym it was governed by Mr. Daniel O-Neil who though a Protestant was yet a Native of this Kingdom and one that had manifested great Affection to the Nation That the greater part of the Officers and Souldiers with him were Roman-Catholicks and that the Lord Viscount Dillon a Roman Catholick had Command over the said Daniel O-Neil For Dundalk it is known that Place was given up through the good Affection to his Majesty of divers Officers and Souldiers rather than forced by Siege or otherwise with some of whom We conceived it fit to leave the Charge thereof What Actions or Expressions of Ours they were that disheartned the Roman-Catholicks to fight or be under our Command is not here set down So that We can no otherwise answer to this than that We never did any such Action or let fall any such Expression but were indifferent in our Actions and Expressions of Civility and Respect to all the Officers of the Army What these Catholicks and many Thousands of the People with the Commissioners of Trust or the greater part of them might fear if We had mastered the Kingdom We are not to answer for But if they feared We would in case We had mastered the Kingdom have infringed any of the Articles of Peace their Fear was unjust and groundless nor have We ever before heard there was such a Fear in them To the 14th Article The Answer to the 14th Article We answer That they have in Truth no reason to speak of any particular Corruptions and Abuses in this Article generally mentioned that which they instance in Secretary Lane's having a Custodium of Kilbeggan being so false that he never had any thing to do with it If they had a true Instance We suppose they would not have spared to make use of it What Daniel O-Neil had they set not down nor till they do are We able to answer it If these pretended Grievances whereof most are disproved The Answer to the 15th Article and some confessed and proved to be no Breaches of the Peace were delivered to the Commissioners of Trust in February last We never saw them till September after the meeting at James-Town in August last And if hereby be meant that Paper of pretended Grievances without Title or Subscription whereunto We have sent you Our Answers We never saw them till the 17th of August last The Conclusion of their Declaration is a general Recapitulation of the Miseries and Desolation fallen upon the Kingdom and People in tragical and passionate Expressions Answer to the Conclusion endeavouring to infuse into them a belief that all those Afflictions are through Our means fallen upon them whereas We suppose We have made it evident That next to the good Pleasure of God to chastise the Nation the Reason thereof may most reasonably be attributed to the Sedition Disloyalty Pride Covetousness and Ambition to Rule of these Declarers whom We challenge to instance whom We have born down that would have fought for them or whom cherished or advanced that would or did betray them And where they say that some are inclining to submit to those they call the Parliament perswading themselves that there can be no safety under Our Government attended by Fate and Disaster as they express themselves more like Heathen-Poets than Christian-Bishops and Church-men it is known to some there that to Our certain knowledg divers Persons and Places of consideration would have submitted to the Enemy if We had gone rather than live under the Tyranny and Confusion of the Government projected by these by these Declares which was the principal Reason of Our stay as will We fear be too evidently verified when We are gone unless that Assembly prevent it by more prudent temperate and solid Determinations than these Men are capable of giving or receiving Next they say that for Prevention of those Evils and that the Kingdom should not be utterly lost to his Majesty and his Catholick Subjects they found themselves bound in Conscience to declare against the Continuance of his Majesty's Authority in Us and accordingly in their own Name and in the Name of the rest of the Catholicks of the Kingdom they do declare against the Continuance of his Majesty's Authority in Us having by Our Misgovernment and ill Conduct of the Army and Breach of Publick Faith rendred our Self uncapable of continuing that great Trust any longer To which We answer ☜ That to prevent the Loss of the Kingdom to his Majesty they take the Kingdom to themselves and without so much as making any Address to him or pretending to have received any Direction or Commission from him they declare to the People that they are no longer obliged to obey any Orders or Commands of the Person by Commission authorized from Him but until a General assembly may conveniently be called or until upon application to his Majesty he settle the same elsewhere to observe the form of Government the said Congregation shall prescribe Whereby is to be observed that as they take it upon them when they please and in the highest Temporal Affairs in the World to declare the Sense of the People without their Consent a thing that We have never read or heard was ever till now pretended to by King Pope or Clergy so they evidently assume the Power of dissolving and erecting the Temporal Government of the Kingdom And this they say they found themselves bound in Conscience to do Which being a pretence inscrutable and at all times readily to be taken up can only be answered by the Laws of the Land the will not allow the Excuse of Conscience for taking a Purse on the Highway or to come home to this Matter for Acts of High-Treason For the Clause viz. or until upon application to his Majesty he settle the same elsewhere it is inserted with purpose to abuse the People with a belief of their Loyalty ☜ when they have first incited them to Rebellion Touching the Complaint they say they will make against Us to his Majesty it should in Reason and Justice have
bonds recognizances or any Record or acts office or offices inquisitions or any other thing depending upon or by reason of the said indictments attainders or outlawries shall in any sort prejudice the said Roman Catholicks or any of them but that they and every of them shall be forthwith upon perfection of these Articles restored to their respective possessions and hereditaments respectively provided that no man shall be questioned by reason hereof for measne rates or wastes saving wilful wastes committed after the first day of May last past 5. Item It is likewise concluded accorded and agreed and his Majesty is graciously pleased that as soon as possible may be all impediments which may hinder the said Roman Catholicks to sit or vote in the next intended Parliament or to choose or to be chosen Knights and Burgesses to sit or vote there shall be removed and that before the said Parliament 6. Item It is concluded accorded and agreed upon and his Majesty is further gratiously pleased that all debts shall remain as they were upon the 23. of October 1641. Notwithstanding any disposition made or to be made by vertue or colour of any attainder outlawry fugacy or other forfeiture and that no disposition or grant made or to be made of any such debts by vertue of any attainder outlawry fugacy or other forfeiture shall be of force and this to be passed as an act in the next Parliament 7. Item It is further concluded accorded and agreed upon and his Majesty is graciously pleased that for the securing of the Estates or reputed Estates of the Lords Knights Gentlemen and Free-holders or reputed Free holders as well of Connaght and County of Clare or Country of Thomond as of the Counties of Limerick and Tipperary the same be secured by Act of Parliament according to the intent of the 25. Article of the graces granted in the fourth year of his Majesties Reign the tenor whereof for so much as concerneth the same doth ensue in these words viz. We are graciously pleased that for the Inhabitants of Connaght and Country of Thomond and County of Clare that their several Estates shall be confirmed unto them and their Heirs against us and our Heirs and Successors by Act to be passed in the next Parliament to be holden in Ireland to the end the same may never hereafter be brought into any further question by Us or Our Heirs and Successors In which Act of Parliament so to be passed you are to take care that all tenures in capite and all Rents and Services as are now düe or which ought to be answered unto us out of the said Lands and premises by any Letters Pattents past thereof since the first year of King Henry the Eight or found by any Office taken from the said first year of King Henry the Eight until the 21. of July 1645. whereby our late dear Father or any his Predecessors actually received any profit by wardship liveries primer-seisins measne rates ousterlemains or fines of alienations without License be again reserved unto Us Our Heirs and Successors and all the rest of the premises to be holden of our Castle of Athlone by Knights service according to Our said late Fathers Letters notwithstanding any tenures in capite found for Us by Office since the 21. of July 1615. and not appearing in any such Letters Patents or Offices within which Rule his Majesty is likewise graciously pleased that the said Lands in the Counties of Limerick and Tipperarie be included but to be held by such Rents and Tenures only as they were in the fourth year of his Majesties Reign provided always that the said Lords Knights Gentlemen and Freeholders of the said Province of Connaght County of Clare and Country of Thoâ—â—â—â— and Counties of Tipperarie and Limerick shall have and enjoy the full benefit of such composition and agreement which shall be made with his most Excellent Majesty for the Court of Wards Tenures Respits and issues of Homage any clause in this Article to the contrary notwithstanding and as for the Lands within the Counties of Kilkennie and Wickloe unto which his Majesty was intituled by Offices taken or found in the time of the Earl of Straffords Government in this Kingdom his Majesty is further graciously pleased that the State thereof shall be considered in the next intended Parliament where his Majesty will assent unto that which shall be just and honourable and that the like act of Limitation of his Majesties Titles for the security of the Estates of his Subjects of this Kingdom be passed in the said Parliament as was enacted in the 21. year of his late Majesty King James his Reign in England 8. Item It is further concluded accorded and agreed upon and his Majesty is further graciously pleased that all incapacities imposed upon the Natives of this Kingdom or any of them as Natives by any Act of Parliament Provisoes in Patents or otherwise be taken away by Act to be passed in the said Parliament and that they may be enabled to erect one or more Innes of Court in or near the City of Dublin or elsewhere as shall be thought fit by his Majesties Lord Lieutenant or other chief Governour or Governours of this Kingdom for the time being and in case the said Innes of Court shall be erected before the first day of the next Parliament then the same shall be in such place as his Majesties Lord Lieutenant or other cheif Governour or Governours of this Kingdom for the time being by and with the advice and consent of the said Thomas Lord Viscount Dillon or any seven or more of them shall think fit and that such Students Natives of this Kingdom as shall be therein may take and receive the usual degrees accustomed in any Inns of Court they taking the insuing Oath viz. I. A. B. Do hereby acknowledge profess testifie and declare in my Conscience before God and the world that our Sovereign Lord King Charles is lawful and rightful King of this Realm and of other His Majesties Dominions and Countries and I will bear Faith and true Allegiance to His Majesty and His Heirs and Successors and Him and them will defend to the uttermost of my power against all conspiracies and attempts whatsoever which shall be made against his or their Crown and Dignity and do my best endeavour to disclose and make known to His Majesty His Heirs and Successors or to the Lord Deputy or other His Majesties Chief Governour or Governours for the time being all Treasons or Traiterous conspiracies which I shall know or hear to be intended against His Majesty or any of them and I do make this Recognition and acknowledgment heartily willingly and truly upon the true Faith of a Christian So help me God c. And his Majesty is further graciously pleased that his Majesties Roman Catholick Subjects may erect and keep free-Schools for Education of youths in this Kingdom any Law or Statute to the contrary notwithstanding and that all
the matters assented unto in this Article be passed as Acts of Parliament in the said next Parliament 9. Item It is further concluded accorded and agreed upon by and between the said parties and his Majesty is graciously pleased that places of command honour profit and trust in his Majesties Armies in this Kingdom shall be upon perfection of these Articles actually and by particular instances conferred upon his Roman Catholick Subjects of this Kingdom and that upon the distribution conferring and disposing of the places of command honour profit and trust in his Majesties Armies in this Kingdom for the future no difference shall be made between the said Roman Catholicks and other his Majesties Subjects But that such distribution shall be made with equal indifferency according to their respective merits and abilities and that all his Majesties Subjects of this Kingdom as well Roman Catholicks as others may for his Majesties service and their own security arm themselves the best they may wherein they shall have all fitting incouragement and it is further concluded accorded and agreed upon by and between the said parties and his Majesty is further graciously pleased that places of command honour profit and trust in the civil Government in this Kingdom shall be upon passing of the Bills in these Articles mentioned in the next Parliament actually and by particular instances conferred upon his Majesties Roman Catholick Subjects of this Kingdom and that in the distribution conferring and disposal of the places of command honour profit and trust in the civil Government for the future no difference shall be made between the said Roman Catholicks and other his Majesties Subjects but that such distribution shall be made with equal indifferences according to their respective merits and abilities and that in the distribution of ministerial offices or places which now are or hereafter shall be void in this Kingdom equality shall be used to the Roman Catholick Natives of this Kingdom as to others his Majesties Subjects and that the command of Forts Castles Garrisons Towns and other places of importance in this Kingdom shall be conferred upon his Majesties Roman Catholick Subjects of this Kingdom upon perfection of these Articles actually and by particular instances and that in the distribution conferring and disposal of the Forts Garrisons Towns and other places of importance in this Kingdom no difference shall be made between his Majesties Roman Catholick Subjects of this Kingdom and other his Majesties Subjects but that such distribution shall be made with equal indifferences according to their respective merits and abilities and that until full settlement in Parliament fifteen thousand foot and two thousand and five hundred Horse of the Roman Catholicks of this Kingdom shall be of the standing Army of this Kingdom And that until full settlement in Parliament as aforesaid the said Lord Lieutenant or other Chief Governour or Governours of this Kingdom for the time being and the said Thomas Lord Viscount Dillon c. or any seven or more of them shall diminish or add unto the said number as they shall see cause from time to time 10. Item It is further concluded accorded and agreed upon by and between the said parties and his Majesty is further graciously pleased that his Majesty will accept of the yearly rent or annual sum of of twelve thousand pounds sterling to be apploted with indifferencey and equality and consented to be paid to his Majesty his Heirs and Successors in Parliament for and in lieu of the Court of Wards in this Kingdom tenures in Capite Common Knights service and all other tenures within the cognizance of that Court and for and in lieu of all Wardships primer-seisins fines ousterlemains liveries intrusions alienations measne rates releases and all other profits within the cognizance of the said Court or incident to the said tenures or any of them or fines to accrew to his Majesty by reason of the said tenures or any of them and for and in lieu of respits and issues of homage and fines for the same And the said yearly rent being so applotted and consented unto in Parliament as aforesaid then a Bill is to be agreed on in the said Parliament to be passed as an Act for the securing of the said yearly Rent or annual sum of twelve thousand pounds to be applotted as aforesaid and for the extinction and taking away of the said Court and other matters aforesaid in this Article contained And it is further agreed that reasonable compositions shall be accepted for Wardships fallen since the 23 of October 1641. and already granted and that no wardships fallen and not granted or that shall fall shall be passed until the success of this Article shall appear and if his Majesty be secured as aforesaid than all Wardships fallen since the said 23 of Octob. are to be included in the agreement aforesaid upon composition to be made with such as have grants as aforesaid which composition to be made with the grantees since the time aforesaid is to be left to indifferent persons and the umpirage to the said Lord Lieutenant 11. Item It is further concluded accorded and agreed upon by and between the said parties and his Majesty is further graciously pleased that no Nobleman or Peer of this Realm in Parliament shall be hereafter capable of more proxies than two and that blank proxies shall be hereafter totally dis-allowed and that if such Noble Men of Peers of this Realm as have no Estates in this Kingdom do not within five years to begin from the conclusion of these Articles purchase in this Kingdom as followeth viz. A Lord Baron 200 l. per annum a Lord Viscount 400 l. per annum and an Earl 600 l. per annum a Marquess 800 l. per annum a Duke 1000 l. per annum shall loose their Votes in Parliament until such time as they shall afterwards acquire such Estates respectively and that none be admitted in the House of Commons but such as shall be Estated and resident within this Kingdom 12. Item It is further concluded accorded and agreed upon by and between the said parties and his Majesty is further graciously pleased that as for and concerning the independency of the Parliament of Ireland on the Parliament of England his Majesty will leave both houses of Parliament in this Kingdom to make Declaration therein as shall be agreeable to the Laws of the Kingdom of Ireland 13. Item It is further concluded and agreed upon by and between the said parties and his Majesty is further graciously pleased that the Council-Table shall contain it self within its proper bounds in handling matters of State and Weight fit for that place amongst which the Patents of plantation and the Offices whereupon those Grants are founded to be handled as matters of State and to be heard and determined by his Majesties Lord Lieutenant or other chief Governour or Governours for the time being and the Council publickly at the Counsel-Board and not otherwise but