whilst we are placed in the light to the Court will sufficiently verifie that the prime Engeniers and Masters of this infernall plot had not religious but politick ends therein and those not peculiar to Ireland but common to all the three Kingdomes and such as I have already intimated But I must not frame a meere narrative or play the Historian I have to doe with a shameles and lying generation with whom Authorities themselves are scarce authenticall wherefore for my cheife fundamentall I will insist upon that confession which was made and penned by the Lord Macqueir himself This confession was voluntarily written by the said Lord about June 1642. whilst he was a prisoner in the Tower and it was afterwards avowed by him at the day of his death in the presence of the Leiutenant of the Tower of the two Sheriffes of London and many others And because it seemes something concise in some passages and a little too darke in others and hitherto hath not beene printed in so exact a Coppy as it might I shall now publish it more perfect and more punctually agreeing with the originall which still remaines in Master Becks hands of Lincolnes Inne and for the better understanding of such as are not so inquisitive or inspective I shall adde some Observations and give a few unquestionable Illustrations of mine owne The Confession followes in haec verba JUNE 1642. BEing in Dublin Candlemas Terme last was twelve moneth the Parliament then sitting Master Roger More did write to me desiring me that if I could in that spare time I would come to his house for then the Parliament did nothing but sit and adjourn expecting a commission for the continuance thereof their former commission being expired and that some things he had to say to me that did neerely concerne me and on receipt of his Letter the new Commission for continuing the Parliament landed and I did returne him an answer that I could not fulfill his request for that present and thereupon he himselfe came to towne presently after and sending to me I went to see him to his lodging and after some little time spent in salutations he began to discourse of the many afflictions and sufferings of the Natives of that Kingdom and particularly in those latter times of my Lord of Straffords Government which gave distast to the whole Kingdom and then he began to particularize the suffering of them that were the more ancient Natives as were the Irish how that on the severall Plantations they were all put out of their Ancestours estates which sufferings as he said did beget a generall discontentment over all the whole Kingdome in both the Natives to wit the old and new Irish and that if the Gentlemen of the Kingdom were disposed to free themselves furtherly from the like inconveniency and get good conditions for themselves for regaining their Ancestours or at least a good part thereof estates they could never desire a more convenienter time then that time the distempers of Scotland being then a foot and did aske me what I thought of it I made him answer that I could not tell what to think of it such matters being altogether out of my element then he would needs have an oath of secrecie from me which I gave him and thereupon he told me that he spoke to the best Gentlemen of quality in Lemster and a great part of Conaught touching that matter and he found all of them willing thereunto if so be they could draw to them the Gentlemen of Vlster for which cause said he I came to speake to you then he began to lay down to me the case that I was in then overwhelmed in debt the smalnesse of my estate and the greatnesse of the estate my Ancestors had and how I should be sure to get it againe or at least a good part thereof and moreover how the welfare and mainteining of the Catholique Religion which he said undoubtedly the Parliament now in England will suppresse doth depend on it for said he it is to be feared and so much I heare from every understanding man the Parliament intends the utter subversion of our Religion by which perswasions he obtained my consent and so demanded whether any more of Vlster Gentlemen were in Town I told him that Master Philip Rely Master Torrilagh O Neile brother to Sir Phillim O Neile and Master Colloe Macmahone were in town and so for that time wee parted The next day he invited Master O Rely and me to dine with him and after dinner he sent for those other Gentlemen Mr. Neale and Mr. Macmahon and when they were come he began the discourse formerly used to me to them and with the same perswasions formerly used to me he obtained their consent And then he began to discourse of the feazebility and easines of the attempt considering matters as they then stood in England the troubles of Scotland the great number of able men in the Kingdome meaning Ireland what succours they were more then to hope for from abroade and the Army then raised all Irish men and well armed meaning the Army raised by my Lord Strafford against Scotland then of the manner how it ought to be done First that every one should indeavour to draw his owne freinds into that act and at least those that did live in one Countrey with them and when they had so done that there should be a set day appointed and every one in his own quarters should rise out that day and seize on all the Armes he could get in his countrey and send to the Irish in the low Countreis and Spaine to let them know of the day and resolution so that they be over with them by that Day or soone after with supplyes of Armes and Ammunition as they could and this Day to be neere winter so that England could not be able to send forces into Ireland before May and by that time there was no doubt to be made but that they themselves would be supplyed by the Irish beyond Seas who he said could not misse of help from either Spaine or the Pope But that his resolution was not in all things allowed For first it was resolved nothing should be done untill first they had sent to the Irish over Seas to know their advice and what hope of succour they could give for in them as they said all their hope of releife was and they would have both their advice and resolution before any further proceedings more then to speake to and try the Gentlemen of the Kingdome every one as he could convenietly to see in case they would at any time grow to a Resolution what back and strength they might trust to Then Master Moore told them that it was to no purpose to spend much time in speaking to the Gentlemen for there was no doubt to be made of the ancient Irish that they would be ready at any time And that all the doubt was in the Gentlemen of the
THE IRISH MASSACRE OR A true Narative of the Unparallell'd Cruelties exercised in IRELAND upon the BRITTISH Protestants c. THat causelesse Antipathy which uses to administer unavoidable endlesse matter of dispute betwixt Magistracy and Populacy betwixt those which command and those which obey hath in all ages and countries proved fatall and productive of sad events This is imputed almost by all Polititians being no other commonly then Court Parasites to the fault of those many whose lot it is to be subjected to government upon pretence that these never think their liberty loose enough but for my part my reason rather leades me to impute the fault hereof to those few which are intrusted with government forasmuch as these scarce ever thinke their authority full enough For that end which the diffusive body of the people aimes at is probably its owne weale and this is no improper or just end nor is it at all inconsistent with the true weale and happinesse of those which are placed above them but that good which Commanders in cheefe aime at oftentimes extends no further then to their owne persons or families and this ever remaines improper or unjust because it cannot stand with the welfare of those which are placed below them Irrationall creatures by instinct of Nature are directed to that which is their peculiar good wherefore if we degrade the multitude to a brutish condition if we deny them reason and if under the name of multitude wee comprehend also all that are not invested with supreame power yet unlesse we will deny them naturall instinct too we cannot suppose them utterly uncapable of that benefit and assurance which a well tempered polecy holds forth to them And if the grosse number be not held so intelligent as authority makes those which sit at the Sterne yet this hinders not but that the grosse number may act as regularly and pursue as just ends as those which are deeper read in politicks And as for story and antiquity in all my reading I could never yet finde one precedent where the generality of a State convened or represented in an orderly forme did unjustly quarrell or unlawfully capitulate with their Lords but the contrary is most remarkeable every where Quicquid delirant reges c. In these Civill warres which now infest England Scotland and Ireland much hath beene pleaded in behalfe of the Kings Prerogative and much Rhetorick hath beene used to lay the blame upon the Subjects disloyalty and some thinke that in this warre there is an intervention of some new matter never before precedented or paralleld in any Age. But in my conceite the first moving cause which imbroyles us all is the same pretence of Soveraignity which hath always produced the like effects else where and though the King seeme to disowne the Irish as not Instrumentall to his purpose and the Irish disownes us as not concurring with their projections yet still there is no Novelty in the businesse besides a more artificiall and darke disguise then formerly peeces of this nature have been covered with Diversity of Religions hath beene a wicked meanes to heighten enmitie amongst our Nations and is become an expedient which the Court makes great use of for a vizard to its designes but diversitie of Religions hath beene long favoured at Court and therefore we may conclude it is but subordinate to that cause for which it was so favoured The Irish now murder us for aspiring to that liberty which they themselves claime with lesse moderation then we doe not that they thinke us enemies to their liberty but to their Religton nor because they are enemies in truth to our libertie but to our Religion Neverthelesse Religion as Religion is not the supreame motive or incentive of the Irish n this deadly feude for the true Religion which is but one and contented with a small traine may be loved for it selfe by such as are truly zelots to it whereas all false religions and all false professors of the true Religion have other ingagements then meere conscience To passe by the vulgar therefore or common herd of people which are but passive as the waves are under the winds and which doe but borrow Religion from education meerely and naturally are most docile in that religion which is accompanied with the greatest present temporall emoluments if we looke upon the primary active party in Ireland whatsoever their nugatory simulatory pretexts were for the Kings Prerogative the true intent of their insurrection was the inlargement of the Romish faith and their zeale to that faith was onely inflamed by the many civill advantages which seemed attendant upon it Popery hath now long since beene discovered to be an imposture or nothing else but a slie sophisme to establish Empire in the long Robe and wrest it from such as they account secular men and as the Preists and Jesuits have beene the maine Incendiaries in all our differences so we well enough know what their particular Interest was therein T is strange that any Princes especially such as are capacious and intelligent should think it any addition of Royallty to them in the State to admit of a Superiour in the Church and to stoop to any rivallity of dominion though distinguisht and blancht over with the Epithite of spirituall but t is more prodigious in Protestant Princes Yet we must take notice Popery is an intoxicating potion mingled with all the force and skill of Magick and as it sometimes soothes and smoothes the people by curbing Princes for the Churches better accomodation so also at other times and most constantly it saddles and bridles the people for both Preists and Princes satisfaction And least protestant Princes should wholy abominate it as adverse to their Grandour with extraordinary professions of devotion to them it labours to infuse and insinuate these fragments of Machavell First that Subjects in generall are enemies to Authority nay the cheifest enemies that they ought to countermine and plot against Secondly that this enmity is best broken by breeding and maintaining divisions among them Then having laid these grounds its next superstructions are first that of all Subjects none are particularly so malignant to Royallty as Protestants and of all Protestants the British hold their Kings to the most narrow limits Secondly that none are so fit to be opposed to British Protestants herein as those which are the profest Vassalls of the Sea of Rome and are now in a state of persecution How far these poysonous cursed suggestions have prevailed with our King may be read in characters of bloud all over our three Nations and it is my intent at this time more fully to relate The Irish Rebellion which with so much horrid fury slaughter broke forth upon the 23 of October 1641. is my maine subject and I doubt not but that discovered as it is already though very much of it remaine as yet in obscurity in regard that the Court ever stood as in the darke to us
what degrees of cruelty they did at last arrive These particulars being truely and cleerely laid open together with some other additionall evidences of the like authority conclusions will issue of themselves acquainting us with the causes of all our miseries and amounting to no lesse then what I have already premised and presumed 1. First therefore we see here a difference is to be noted betweene the most eminent plotters and the most violent executours of this mischeife the Lord Macquir gives a good relation of the executours but not being acquainted with the conspiracy it selfe till it had beene matured by others and was communicated to him by Roger Moore about nine moneths before the generall eruption He saies nothing thereof but t is plaine that these Councells were laid long before by the Popish Clergy for by the connivence of our Governours in Ireland that Countrey had its Titular Arch-bishops Bishops Vicar-generals Provincial Consistories Ecclesiasticall Deanes Abbotts Priors Monkes Nunns Jesuits Preists and Fryars without number besides all Hierarchicall Officers and as well in Townes as in the Countrey had free use of the Masse Dr. Jones had it from the mouth of a Fransciscan that before the dismall day of October there was a great meeting at a religious house in Westmeath of the Romish Clergy and some others whereat the question was debated what course should be taken with the English and how the government of the State should be new moulded And in May 1642. there was a generall congregation held at Kilkenney wherein the Church of Ireland was annexed to the Sea of Rome and the State made no lesse in effect then purely Democraticall and one Act was passed for sending Embassadours in behalfe of the whole Kingdome to the Pope the Emperour the King of France and Spayne and those to be of the Church Prelates with one of the Nobility and a Lawyer Moreover all the acts of Kilkenney were onely subscribed by three Archbishops sixe Bishops and twenty others either of the Clergy or some holy orders or officers belonging to the Hierarchy whereby it appeares that the Nobility Gentry and Commonalty of Ireland though the adventurous and active part of the warre be left to them have as yet but very little or no share in the directive or gubernative part much lesse had they whilst the matter was but in consultation Besides we know the Ecclesiasticks were ranged into fit stations and as there was a just number appointed to attend at home for managing of businesse in Ireland so there was as vast a proportion distributed abroade into the Court of Rome and all other Courts of Europe for forraigne Agency and correspondency Wherefore if the Apostolick sea ever did lively represent the bottomles pit reeking forth thick fumes or darkening the skye with swarmes of odious Locusts doubtlesse at this time by the emission of so many Regulars and Seculars upon such confounding messages it did verify and explaine that dimme prediction Well but after the Jesuits and Preists had beene long in conjuration about this woefull tragedy at last the troubles of Scotland have occasioned a Parliament in England and raised an Army of Papists in Ireland and now all advantages concurring such of the Lords Gentry as are most apt for innovation are to be sollicited and rightly instructed how to draw in other concurrent partyes in all the foure severall Provinces The common people are not to be trusted with the knowledge of any thing till the very night it selfe approaches nay the very Gentry themselves except some few chosen ones are not to receive this secret till all things are ready for execution the Sacraments of the Masse and of Confession which are made Vmbrages to draw the multitude together and mysterious attractives to engage in this hellish sacrifice are not to be solemnized before the day appointed There was feare that the multitude could not be prepared without discovery but there was no feare that the multitude would not consent without preparation At a meeting therefore in Dublin 8 monthes at least before this infamous October when one of the Conspiratours advised to imploy time in speaking to and trying the Gentry of Ireland till advertisement could be received from the other undertakers beyond the seas Master Moore replyed that it was to no purpose to spende much time in speaking to the Gentry for there was no doubt to be made of the Irish that they would be ready at any time but all the doubt was in the Gentry of the Pale Howsoever for his part his affirmation was that he was really assured when the Irish were up the Pale Gentry would not stay long after He further proceeded also to intreate that the Lord of Maye who was very powerfull in command of men in those parts of Connaught wherein he lived had beene spoken to by himselfe and that his consent was granted yet not without an oath for concealement of the same But I will goe on with the Lord Macquir to mention the principal Lay-conjuratours who were not onely taken in by the Ecclesiasticks for meere action but were also admitted to some part of the contrivance at least nine monthes before and we shall see some use may be made of the same The first instanced in is Roger Moore alias Roei Morace of the family of the Moraces of Leix in Lemster which County together with the Territories of Offali were escheated to the Crown by Act of Parliament and were planted with English in the Raigne of Queen Mary Neverthelesse also the father of this Roei being civill and of peaceable disposition though a Papist was by Queene Elizabeth cherisht and sufficiently provided for by a grant of faire and large possessions in the County of Keldare and Meath to him and his heires in fee and the same did descend to this Roei Here was Justice done long since by a Popish Queene to his dammage here is grace shewed lately by a Protestant Queene to his advantage what pretence of quarrell therefore can this afford to R. Moore for Papists against Protestants or for former times against latter The Lord Macqueir himselfe and his family may next take place and we must take knowledge that Sir Conor Ro. Macqueir his Grandfather was divested of the dignity of Macqueir and the County of Termanagh and unable to right himselfe was reinstated by the aide of the English after which also he had not onely the Barony of Maghere staffana but also a yearely pension for life granted out of the Exchequer by King James And not long since Bryan the Sonne of Sir Connor and father of this Lord obtained a Patent from King Charles of the Barony of Eviskillim if these offices be accounted disobligations or provoke the Irish against the English or stirre up Papists against Protestants certainely either the Irish differ from other Nations and Popery differs from other Religions or else the nature of ingratitude must needs be changed from what it was Philip O Rely comes now in view and his Father Captaine Hugh Mac-shane O Rely had from King James a grant and confirmation in fee of a faire estate in Lands lying within the County of Oavan one of the escheated Counties of Vlster Of all the Rebels none scarse ever did pursue the English and the Reformed Religion more perfidiously and desperately then this Philip and his family yet here is to be seene what it cost King James to incense him so deeply against us Sir Phelim O Neale and his brother Torilah may present themselves after the O Relies and these in their minority being left Orphans by Oge O Neal their father were liberally bred up in learning and carefully recommended by our State to the tuition of the Lord Calfield and when they had attained to full yeares their fathers inheritance with some additions was settled upon them Yet 't is conjecturable that for as much as the Province of Vlster did escheat by the severall treasons and attaindors of the Earles Tyrone Tyrconell and others if Tyrone had againe restored himselfe according to the designe of these O Neales the titles and possessions of this Family in Vlster would have been shrewdly shaken or at least their power ecclipsd Neverthelesse the O Neales now for such offences as these butcher a thousand of English and for their first sacrifice slay the yong Lord Calfield their old Guardians son and yet it must passe by the laws of Popery for a very faire equitable and gratefull retaliation Colonell Mac-Mahon and his Family next in order never could complaine of any molestation or disinherison by English plantations but all the Mac-Mahons of Farny and their chiefe had been extirpated by the O Neales if the power of the English had not supported and preserved them Sure such meritorious obligations upon any other then either Irish or Catholicks would have procured some other acknowledgement We may now conclude with Sir Con. Mageniis and his brethren and Sir Arthur his Father and 't is apparant that upon the settlement of Vlster though he was in actuall rebellion with the Earle of Tyrone whose daughter he had married yet he obtained from King Iames a grant and confirmation of the territory of Ireagle in the County of Doune to himselfe and his heires in fee. Had an Indian or Mahometan been so treated we may well expect he would have studied some other requitall then the totall extirpation of those which so treated him or he would have thought something else had appertained to gratitude besides murther and revenge I thus ranke these conspiratours by themselves because their taske was domesticall and most of them were of Vlster and therefore policy required that where the greatest difficulty was most industry was to be used For 't is to be noted that in Munster and in Conaght where the English were thinner planted and lesse fortified there was not that feare of opposition as in Vlster and Lemster where the Scots and English were closer embodied and surer garrisond but especially neare Dublin where the Seate of Justice was and the five adjacent Counties