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
had a skirmish with Tyrone wherein both the Norrises were wounded and though Tyrone was forced to retreat yet the success of this encounter is not much to be boasted of for if the Rebels lost most Men the English lost most Horses But Connaught being also enflamed some Forces were sent thither to the valiant Governour Sir Richard Bingham and that the Deputy might be nearer to assist either in Connaught or Vlster as the Exigency of their respective Affairs should require he removed to Kelles where he staid some time but Norris having reliev'd and recruited Monaghan the Army was dispersed into Winter Quarters and both the Deputy and the General returned to Dublin the 11th of October How averse soever the Queen was in her own mind from pardoning Tyrone because she was taught by long experience of him that he was not to be retain'd in obedience any longer than the necessity of his Affairs oblig'd him to it yet upon the importunity and advice of Ormond Norris and others she did give a Commission to treat with him and several ineffectual Parleys were had thereupon but at length Camb. Eliz. 510. on the 27th of October they made a Truce to the first of January in expectation of his Pardon and he made a conditional Submission In the mean time Pheagh Mac Hugh came in and submitted to the Deputy upon his Knees and was pardon'd and the next day Captain Richard Wingfield was Knighted in Christ-Church 9. November 1595. and was the worthy Ancestour of the Viscounts of Powerscourt On the 10th of November the Deputy set out toward Galway to receive the Submission of the Burks and hear the Complaints against Sir Richard Bingham but O Donell full of expectations of aid from Spain dissuaded the Burks from coming but they sent their Complaints in writing as did many others and the Deputy returned to Dublin the 15th of December But let us return to the most hypocritical Traitour that ever was in the World the famous Tyrone who in his last submission had offered to renounce the name of O Neale and to be a good Subject for the future if he might have a Pardon for what was past but being now puft up with hopes of Spanish assistance he did not only neglect sueing out his Pardon but also suffered his Son Con and O Donell and Mac Mahon to break the Truce he and they had so lately made by surprizing the Castle of Monaghan however on the eighth of January a new Commission issued to Sir Robert Gardiner and Sir Henry Wallop to conclude a peace with them This Treaty was very solemn and all the Irish Potentates made their Complaints and Petitions Camb. Eliz. 511. which are recited at large by Fienes Morison pag. 113. The Commissioners were very desirous to establish a Peace if possible and therefore offered to relieve them in their real Grievances and to redress their just Complaints but the Irish interpreting this condescention to be the effect of Weakness and the ill condition of the English Affairs insisted upon very unreasonable Terms viz. 1. A general Liberty of Conscience although none of them had ever been prosecuted or disturbed about Religion before that time 2. A general Pardon for all 3. That no Garison Lib. M. Lam. Sheriff or Officer should remain in any of their Countries Newry and Carigfergus excepted Nay they were so stiff that they refused to come to Dundalk on the Oaths and Protection of the Commissioners so that five of a side were necessitated to meet in the open Field their respective Troups being half a mile distant and two of the adverse Party between the Commissioners and the several Troups to prevent Treachery so that all this trouble and charge produced nothing but a Truce to the first of April 1596. But Tyrone would not drop his design so his aim was to spin out the time in fruitless Treaties whereby the Queen's Army and Treasure would be wasted in Garison to no purpose and his own Forces be better disciplin'd and encourag'd and as he hoped supplied and increased by the Accession of the Spaniards he therefore wheedled the General to that degree that Norris procured a new Commission to himself and Fenton Secretary of State to make a final end with all the Rebels which bears date the Ninth day of March 1595. In the mean time Surlyboy came to Dublin and submitted to the Deputy on the 11th of February and on the 22d the Lord Deputy and Council gave him a Velvet Mantle laid with Gold lace and the controversy between the Earl of Ormond and Sir Charles Carâ—ll was then debated at the Council Board Connaugh was now in an ill condition and the Abbey of Boyle besieged by the Irish and Scots who were so numerous that 400 of them passed the Shenin and prey'd and spoil'd Mac Coghlan's Country so that the Deputy was oblig'd on the sixth of March to draw part of the Army that way on the tenth his Lordship sent 100 Shot and some Kerne to attack a party of Scots that were burning the Country in view of the Army and they had the good luck to kill sevenscore of the Rebels and the next day the Deputy summoned O Madden's Castle of Losmage and received for answer That if all the Army were Deputies they would not surrender however the next day he took the Castle with the slaughter of six and forty Rebels and returned to Dublin the 24th On the 18th of April 1596. The Lord Deputy and Council made very good and necessary Orders for the Army viz. 1. That on their march they shall not stay above one night in a place and then without exaction give money or ticket for their diet 2. That there shall be but six Women and they Soldiers Wives permitted to be Landresses to a Company and but one Boy to two Soldiers and that neither Women or Boys be any charge to the Country 3. No false Musters or any charge on the Country for more men than really are 4. That they shall be content with such Food as is reasonable and with a Breakfast and Supper without exacting Capury encreason or Capury ne hairk And 6. They shall not take up the Country Garons without order or payment nor depart from their Garison without leave And lastly Shall have their Quarters assigned by the Civil Magistrate but General Norris was not pleased with the strictness of these orders and therefore refus'd to sign them On the 19th of April Norris and Fenton began their Journey towards Tyrone and at Dundalk concluded a Peace with him on the 24th on these Conditions Morison 37. That he should desist from aiding the Rebels or intermedling with the nighbouring Lords and make his Country a Shire and admit of a Sheriff and upon his Pardon confess his foreign Intelligences and rebuild the Fort and Bridg of Black-water and relieve the Garison for ready Money at all times and dismiss his Forces and give in sufficient
Men and desired that he would hasten thither in Person And â—â—on after by their Proclamation they ordered that Dublin be fortified But it is time to return to Sir Philemy O Neal who having taken Dundalk and in it a Foot Company which surrendred upon the first Summons and all their Arms as also the Town of Ardee marched his Victorious Rabble of Four thousand Men to Lisnegarvy and on the Twenty second day of November attempted the Town but the Garison being Four hundred Foot and One hundred and eighty Horse under Sir Arthur Tyringham repulsed him with the loss of many Irish and Six Colours Another Party of the Rebels sat down before Melifont Novemb. 24. and found a brisk Defence from the Garison being Fifteen Horse and Twenty four Musquetiers but their Powder being spent the Horsemen forced their Way through the Irish Camp to Tredagh and the Foot surrendred upon Articles which the Rebels perfidiously broke and butchered several of them in cold Blood because they had kiâ—â—ed 140 Irishmen in defence of the Place By this Remora the intended Siege of Tredagh wâ—s delayâ—â— and therefore on the Twenty seventh day of November the Lords Justices sent Six hundred new-rais'd Foot and a Troop of Horse to reinforce the Garison there but the Lord Gormanston's Groom by his Masters privity gave notice of their March to the Irish who being three time their Number 2 Temple 16. fell upon them at Gellingstown-Bridge on the Twenty ninth of November and by the Folly or Treachery of a Captain that commanded a Countermarch and the Unexperience of the Men they were disordered and above Five hundred of them slain at which the Popish Inhabitants of Dublin did very much rejoyce and the Lords of the Pale did thereupon take off their Vizard But much better Success had Sir Charles Coot who marched from Dublin the same 27th of November to relieve the Castle of Wicklow and to quel the insolence of those Rebels that had come in Hostile manner within two miles of the City for on the 29th of the same Month he beat Luke Toole and One thousand Rebels and put them to a shameful Flight and thereby became so terrible to the Irish that they seldom afterwards made any resistance where he was Nevertheless the Irish were so elevated by the Victory at Gellingstown-bridge and the delay of Succours from England that the Lords of the Pale who were really the first Contrivers of this Rebellion and whose Tenants and Servants were openly or secretly concern'd in it from the beginning and they themselves had hitherto looked on whilst the English were robbed and had given no help or Assistance to the State having now drawn the Rebels into the Pale 2 Temple 18. believing it impossible to dissemble the Matter much longer began to unmask themselves and appear Bare-faced insomuch that the Lord Gormanston on the Second of December Mr. Dâ—â—dal's Examination Burlace 39. issued a Warrant to the Sheriff of Meath to Summon the Popish Lords and Gentry of that Country to meet at the Hill of Crofty and above One thousand of them met and Colonel Mac Mahon Philip O Rely Roger Moor c. came to them with a Guard of Musketeers whereupon the Lords of the Pale rode towards them and as formally as the Lord Mayor expostulates with the Privy Council at Temple-Bar demanded of them why they came Armed into the Pale They reply'd That they took up Arms for Liberty of Conscience and maintaining of his Majesties Prerogative in which they understood he was abridged and to make the Subjects of this Kingdom as Free as Those of England were But says the Lord Gormanstown Are not these Pretences and not indeed the true Grounds of your taking Arms and have you not some private ends of your own To which they answered That they had no private ends but did it upon the aforesaid Reasons and professed great Sincerity to his Lordship whereupon he told them That seeing those were the true ends of their Insurrection he and all the rest would joyn with them and immediately it was proclaimed that whosever denied to joyn with them or refused to assist them therein they would Account him an Enemy and to the utmost of their Power labour his Destruction and thus Valence and Brabant were joyned as Sir Philemy O Neal phrased it and the Lords of the Pale Confederated with their ancient and hereditary Enemies and became so barbarously Cruel that they bragged afterwards That they had killed more Protestants in Fingall only than were Slain in some other whole Counties But on the Third of December the Lords Justices and Council dissembling their knowledge of these Transactions wrote to the Lords of the Pale to come to Dublin and consult for the safety of the Kingdom whereupon the Lords of Kildare-Merion and Hoath came but the other Lords had another meeting at the Hill of Taragh on the Seventh of December and by Advice of their Lawyers sent the following Answer to the Lords Justices May it Please your Lordships WE have received your Letters of the Third instant intimating that you had present Occasions to confer with us concerning the present State of the Kingdom and the safety thereof in these Times of Danger and requiring us to be with you there on the Eighth of this instant We give your Lordships to understand That we have heretofore presented our selves before your Lordships and freely offered our Advice and Furtherance towards the Particulars aforesaid which was by you neglected which gave us cause to conceive that our Loyalty was suspected by you We give your Lordships further to understand That we have received certain Advertisement That Sir Charles Coot Knight at the Council-board hath offered some Speeches tending to a Purpose and Resolution to execute upon those of our Religion a general Massacre by which we are all deterr'd to 〈◊〉 on your Lordships not having any Security for our Safety from those threatned Evils or the Safety of our Lives but do rather think it fit to stand upon our best Guard until we hear from your Lordships how we shall be secur'd from those Perils Nevertheless we all protest That we are and will continue faithful Advisers and resolute Furtherers of His Majesty's Service concerning the present State of this Kingdom and the Safety thereof to our best Abilities And so with the said Tender of our humble Service we remain Your Lorship humble Servants Fingall Gormanstown Slane Dunsany Nettervill Oliver Louth Trimletstowne In like manner Luke Nettervill in the beginning of December upon three days Summons assembled Twelve hundred armed Men at Swords within Six Miles of Dublin and arrayed them under the Captains Golding Russell Travers Holywood c. which would have been impossible to have done on so short warning if they had not been privy to the Conspiracy long before and had not made Preparations for it The Lords Justices sent a Message to them ro disperse but they return'd for Answer
Error proceeded from the Excess of his Loyalty and that all this was done to hasten the Considerable Succors of Ten thousand Men unto him That it was to no purpose to consult Ormond in the Point since it was manifest and he had often declar'd as much when the like Articles were formerly propos'd that he would rather quit the Government than consent to Articles so prejudicial to the Protestants That the Earl had done it with all the Caution and Secresie imaginable even to the enjoyning it by Oath so that it did not come to be discovered but by an extraordinary Accident and that His Majesty remain'd not positively obliged because of the Defeasance mentioned also Appendix 27 So that the Penalty was only That the Army should not serve him till he did ratifie the Agreement and when the Army was once in England the Earl thought that the Articles would easily have been moderated by mutual Consent rather than it should go back again re infecta All these things being considered His Majesty was at length reconcil'd to the Earl and on the Eighth of July 1646. by Mr. Walsingham sent his Lordship a most kind and gracious Letter containing great Assurances both of Favour and Friendship On the other side the Confederates were netled at Glamorgan's Commitment and the Supreme Council by their Agents did on the Third of January offer to engage for his Appearance and suggested that Three thousand Men were ready to be sent to the King so that nothing was wanting but Shipping for their Transportation and the Liberty of their design'd General And on the 36th they renew their Solicitation and refuse to resume the Treaty until he be releas'd and urge that his Consinement retards the Succors intended for Chester And so on the 21th of January on his own Recognizance of 20000 l. and the Earls of Kildare and Clanrickard of 10000 l. apiece that he should appear on Thirty days notice he was enlarg'd and soon after went to Kilkenny where these Three things were recommended to his Care viz. 1. To hasten the Commissioners to conclude the Peace 2. To expedite the 3000 Men to the Relief of Chester And 3. To get 3000 l. to help pay the Army To which he return'd these Answers viz. To the First That they will renew the Treaty as soon as the Assembly hath digested Matters for the Commissioners To the Second That they are ready and shall be sent as soon as the Peace is concluded And to the Third That it cannot yet be done But Glamorgan's Peace being thus discovered and thereupon disownd and dissolv'd the Confederate Commissioners began to think seriously of making a more firm and lasting Agreement with the Marquis of Ormond who to hasten the Peace aâ—d consequently the Succors had sent his Assent to the Articles in the very Terms propos'd and acquiesc'd in by the Irish Commissioners at the last Meeting But the Case was altered and the Nuncio and the Clergy and their Party who would not be contented with any thing less than Glamorgan's Concessions thinking His Majesty's Condition to be so low and distressed that he would be necessitated to purchase their Assistance at their own Rate gave all the Obstruction they could to the present Agreement This unexpected Opposition to the Peace Nihil se quod alicujus esset momenti in rebus pacis que belli inconsulto Nuncio esse facturos decreverint Beling 15. very much embroil'd the Confederates so that they knew not what to do for on the one side they saw the Advantages yea even the Necessity of the Peace and yet it was against the Grain to determine a Matter of that Importance without the Consent of the Nuncio In this Strait they had recourse to a General Assembly which met in January following and the Nuncio representing his Master sate as President of it and they sent a Letter of Thanks to the Pope for the great Favour of sending them an Embassador The greatest and wisest Part of the Assembly were for the Peace and therefore did assert That the King had granted all the Temporal Conditions they desired and such as would infallibly render the Popish Party triumphant in that Kingdom and that it would be easy to get more on a fitter Season or when they should find occasion to ask again that even as to Spirituals they had Liberty of Conscience and all that was necessary to the Exercise and Enjoyment of Religion and that nothing was wanting but what served for Pomp or Ostentation and since His Majesty's Circumstances could not admit the granting of that publickly they ought to trust the King 's good Inclinations manifested to them as well by the Earl of Glamorgan as otherwise They own'd that they ought to obey the * * Summi Pontificis nutus arbitrii rationem ut par est se habere omnes prâ—fitebantur Ibid. 21. Pope's Pleasure in this matter but they denied that the Pope was against their Opinion on the contrary when his Holiness asked Mr. Beling How the Queen was enclined to the Irish and was told That he thought Her Majesty was well affected to them for that she had lately wrote a Respectful Letter to the Supream Council of the Confederate Catholicks of Ireland by that Title the Pope replied That it was no wonder if the most Serene King thought it unsafe publickly to grant the Irish the Conditions they demanded lest it might disoblige His Protestant Subjects and therefore A CONNIVANCE ought to content them for the present And accordingly the Pope did approve of the first Cessation and the continuance of it On the other side the Popish Clergy who will never be satisfied without the * * Nisi concessis tam Basilicis quam prediis Ecclesiasticis Ib. 18 177. Ecclesiastical Revenues and the Patrimony of the Church did as stifly urge That the Lord-Lieutenant should be beaten into better Terms and that if his Quarters were streightned and some few of his Garisons taken he must be forced to comply with their Demands In a word they sacrificed the Publick Peace to their Private Interests and Ambition and shewed but small regard either to His Majesty's Emergencies or the publick Tranquillity and with these sided the beggarly Nobility and Gentry and the deluded Multitude who are easily deceived by specious Pretences especially of Religion and the sooner if they are made under the umbrage of Apostolical Authority However the major Vote had then prevailed if the Nuncio had not again come into the Assembly and protested as his manner was upon the word of a Prince That an * * Sir Kenelm Digby Ambassador from the Queen was even by the ††Etiam rege consentiente Beling 24. King's consent at that instant treating a Peace with the Pope for the Irish and therefore conjured them not to precipitate any thing in so important a matter nor by concluding a dishonourable Agreement so scandalous to the Church to prevent a more glorious
March that way he also went to Graig and thence ordered his Forces to march forward to Ross whilst himself went to Duncannon to view that considerable Fort and the same night he came to the Army to Ross and from thence sent the Lord of Castlehaven to conduct a Regiment into Wexford which he accomplished as hath been related but that Recruit not being enough Ormond himself marched to the Ferry on the North side of Wexford and sent in Sir Edmond Butler with more Supplies as hath been said And having notice that Lieutenant-General Jones lay about Iniscorfy to intercept him in his return he marched round through the Mountains of Wicklow and came to Leighlinbridge where Lieutenant-Collonel William Butler brought him the News of the loss of Wexford Hereupon his Excellency leaving the Horse to refresh themselves in the Counties of Carlow and Kilkenny ordered the Foot to march to the Banks of the River over-against Ross and went himself with his Life-guard to Duncannon where he left them under Collonel Edward Wogan whom he made Co-ordinate with the former Governour Roch believing that Cromwell's next attempt would be upon one of these two places And accordingly Cromwell did march from Wexford to Ross whereupon the Marquess of Ormond sent in Major-General Taaf and 1500 Men into the Town in view of the English Army who by reason of the River could give no opposition thereunto But before this Governor would take charge of the Town he desired an Order from the Lord-Lieutenant To Surrender the Place whenever he and his Officers should judge it could be no longer Defended And it was granted him and although he was a Papist and a principal Man amongst the Confederates yet did the Popish Clergy afterwards make this one of their Complaints That Ormond gave the Governour Orders to Surrender the Town And it is certain that he could not have made a less considerable Resistance if he had had such Orders for as soon as the Great Guns began to play the Governor began to Capitulate and having amongst other things desired Liberty of Conscience for such as should stay He was answered by Cromwell That he medled with no Man's Conscience but if by Liberty of Conscience he meant a Liberty to exercise the Mass he judg'd it best to use plain dealing and to let him know that where the Parliament of England had power that would not be allowed And so the Governour finding he could get no better Conditions was content to march out with Bag and Baggage carrying with him 1500 Men over the River to Kilkenny and the other 600 staid behind and took pay under Cromwell Upon this prodigious Success without fighting Cromwell sent a strong Detachment to attempt Duncannon but that place being well provided made a vigorous Defence so that it was thought fit to raise that Siege and return to Ross where Cromwell was busie building a Bridge of Boats over the Barrow with design to march into the County of Kilkenny and he perform'd it to the Admiration of the Irish who never had heard of such a thing before and soon after it was finished Collonel Abbot with a Party of Horse and Dragoons took Enisteig a small walled Corporation which was deserted by the Irish upon his approach to the Gates and the whole Army marched thither leaving Cromwell sick at Ross and finding that Ormond was retired to Kilkenny they detach'd Collonel Reynolds with twelve Troops of Horse and three of Dragoons to attack Carrick which succeeded to their mind for he divided his Detachment into two parts and whilst he amused the Garrison with one party the other entred at another Gate and took the Town and in it a hundred Officers and Souldiers and the rest made their escape over the River In the mean time the Marquess of Ormond being joyn'd with the Lord of Insiquin who was again return'd from Munster was pretty strong in Horse but exceeding weak in Foot However he propos'd to fight the Enemy but there was one good reason and one ill accident that diverted that design the reason is that Lieutenant-General Farrell with some Regiments of Owen Roe's Foot was daily expected and the accident was that Sir Luke Fitz Girald sent them word that a Party of Cromwell's sick Men were marching from Dublin to Wexford whereupon it was resolv'd by the Council of War and the Commissioners of Trust that Insiquin should march with 1500 Horse to attack them and accordingly he overtook them on Wexford-strand but was received so warmly that his Irish Horse ran away after the first Charge and though the rest staid to a second Assault yet having lost many Officers and Men they also thought fit to retreat to the Marquess of Ormond who was then at Thomastown And if there were any opportunity of fighting Cromwell since his arrival it was at this time when his Army was near Thomastown but even then no wise General would have atempted it first because there was no right understanding between the Protestants and Papists in the Royal Army Secondly because the Horse were lately baffled and much harass'd And thirdly because Lieutenant-General Farrell and his Foot were not yet come up But there was a greater reason than all this which was That Ormond had intelligence that Cromwell designed for Kilkenny and therefore he retired thither to save the City and to joyn Farrell who came to him there and then it was unanimously resolv'd to fight the Enemy And altho' no more then seven days Victuals could be got together yet the Lord-Lieutenant with that slender Provision march'd out of Kilkenny to find out Cromwell but that General had upon notice of the taking of Carrick a 22 October march'd thither and had passed over the Shure to the Siege of Waterford whereupon it was resolved that the Lords of Insiquin and Taaf should storm Carrick and the Lord-Lieutenant should conduct Lieutenant-General Farrell and 1500 Ulster-men and put them into the City of Waterford And this latter was done but the former miscarried for want of Spades Pickaxes and other Materials so that above 1000 Men were b 24 Octob. slain under the Walls of Carrick by Collonel Reynolds and the small Party he had there in Garrison being but 150 Foot six Troops of Horse and a Troop of Dragoons Nevertheless the Marquess of Ormond once more attempted the Relief of Waterford and brought some of his Forces on the North-side of the Shure opposite to the City whereupon Cromwell who had c 25 Octob. taken Passage-Fort finding that he had lost more Men by Sickness in this Winter's Siege than he could well spare drew off his Army towards Dungarvan And though Ormond ferried over to Waterford and courted that City to send Boats to waft over his Men to fall upon Cromwell's Rear yet the Citizens being afraid they would make that place their Winter-quarters refused to admit any more then some few more of the Ulster-men into that City And it is observable that though
are so well assured of yours and our Councils entire confidence in the Justice and Piety of our Resolutions in what concerns the maintenance of the true Protestant Religion and particularly of the Church and the Revenues thereunto belonging and our constant care of our good Subjects of the same in that our Kingdom as we do not think it needful to say any more to you upon that Subject than what hath been sufficiently declared by the practice and profession of our whole life yet to the end that your zeal may be the better interested in that particular whereby to certify such of our Subjects as might be apt to be misled by the subtilty and malice of our Enemies we thought fit to let you know the whole truth of what hath passed from us to the said Earl whereby he might in any wise pretend to the least kind of Trust or Authority from us in what concerns the Treaties of that Kingdom The truth is that the pressing condition of our affairs obliging us to procure a Peace in that Kingdom if it might be had upon any Terms safe to our Honour and Conscience and to our Protestant Subjects there and finding also that the said Peace could not be gained but by some such Indulgence to the Roman Catholicks in the point of freeing them from the penalties imposed upon the exercise of their Religion which although justly and duly we might grant yet happily in a publick transaction could not be without some scandal to such of our good Subjects as might be apt to be wrought on by their Arts who have continually watched all advantages to blast the integrity of our actions we thought fit over and above our publick powers and directions to our Lieutenant to give our private instructions and powers to assure the Roman-Catholicks in a less publick way of the said exemption from the penalties of the Law and of some such other Graces as might without blemish to our honour and conscience or prejudice to our Protestant Subjects be afforded them With the matter of these Instructions to you we thought fit to acquaint the Earl of Glamorgan at his going to Ireland and being confident of his hearty affections to our Service and withal knowing his interest with the Roman-Catholick Party to be very considerable we thought it not unlikely that you might make good use of him by imploying that interest in perswading them to a Moderation and to rest satisfyed upon his engagement also with those above mentioned Concessions of which in the nice condition of our affairs you could give them no other than a private assurance To this end and with the strictest Limitations that we could enjoyn him meerly to those particulars concerning which we had given you private instructions as also even in that to do nothing but by your special directions ☞ it is possible we might have thought fit to have given to the said Earl of Glamorgan such Credential as might give him credit with the Roman-Catholicks in case you should find occasion to make use of him either as a farther assurance to them of what you should privately promise or in case you should judge it necessary to manage those matters for their greater confidence apart by him of whom in regard of his Religion and Interest they might be the less Jealous This is all and the very bottom of what we might possibly intrust to the said Earl of Glamorgan in this affair which as things then stood might have been very useful to our Service in accelerating the Peace and whereof there was so much need as well for the preservation of our Protestant Subjects there as for hastning those necessary aids which we were to expect from thence had we had the luck to imploy a Wiser man but the truth is being very confident of his affection and obedience we had not much regard to his abilities since he was bound up by our positive Commands from doing any thing but what you should particularly and precisely direct him to ☞ both in the matter and manner of his Negotiation wherefore our pleasure is that the charge begun by the Lord George Digby our Secretary according to his duty be throughly and diligently prosecuted against the said Earl and so no way doubting of your and our Councils farther care there to correspond to your beginning in a matter so highly concerning us We bid you heartily farewel Given the One and Thirtieth of January 1645. Append. XXIX The Determination of the Popish Clergy about restoring the Churches c. to the Protestants In the Name of God Amen WHere a question of most high concernment and meerly touching the publick profession subsistence and safety of the Roman Catholick Religion throughout this Kingdom of Ireland was proposed to us the undernamed Prelates Dignitaries and others of the secular and regular Clergy of the Convocation House in Killkenny viz. whether supposing the known approved and applauded Justice and Lawfulness of this our present Catholick War in this and Foreign Kingdoms upon a Treaty of Peace now to be concluded between us and the other Party adhering to His Majesty by his Majesties special Commission for the safety of Lives Liberties and Estates of our Confederate Catholicks the said Confederate Catholicks be bound in conscience by vertue of their Oath of Association or other tye to make an express Article with the Protestant Party for keeping in our Hands such Churches Abbies Monasteries and Chappels now in our Possession and recovered by us for the true Worship of God where it is to be observed that it is suggested that if any such Article be made his Majesty will break off and consent to no Peace between us and the above specified Party to the great danger of the Estates Lives and Liberties of all our Party And as it is further urged and suggested that in not demanding such an express Article as above his Majesty will grant us Toleration of our Religion We therefore after invocating the assistance of the Holy Ghost and after mature deliberation of the said question and all circumstances thereof do answer declare and resolve with an unanimous assent and consent of us sitting together in the said House of Convocation that conformable to the tenour and true meaning of the said Oath of Association the principles of Laws and Divinity the said Confederate Catholicks are bound in conscience absolutely expresly and clearly to set down in the said Treaty of Peace a special Article to the effect meaned in the case and in case the said Article be not consented unto and that the said Confederate Catholicks proceed to agreement for other temporal points without such Article as above we do declare them to be Violaters of the Oath of Association and Transgressors of the Divine Law Witness our Hands the First of June 1645. Appendix XXX By the Assembly Ecclesiastical of the Superior and Inferior Irish Clergy met in the Holy Ghost at Waterford before the most Illustrious Lord