met with on that Subject which will at least lead towards an Answer if not satisfie your first Inquiry Know then that the English footing in Ireland did not Commence upon a publick but private undertaking For Mac-Murogh King of Leinster having been driven from his Kingdom gave his only Daughter in Marriage to Richard Strongbow Earl of Chepstow and Pembroke and with her his Kingdom after his Death on condition he should assist and restore him The Earl pursuant thereunto incouraged his Relations Fitz-Stephens and Fitz-Gerald to joyn in that undertaking who with near 400 brave Men put off from Milford and Landed near Wexford in Ireland in May Anno. 1170. They were soon followed by Legross with 130 more and in August following by Strongbow himself with 1200. Many of these Parties were Persons of good Quality great Valour and attended with wonderful success For notwithstanding the smart opposition made by the Natives Strongbow in a short time restored Mac-Murogh and inlarged his Dominions to such a Degree as rendred him suspected by Henry II. who by Prohibiting all Commerce with Ireland c. constrained the Earl to yield him all his Acquisitions in that Kingdom The King granted back to Strongbow the Principality of Leinster reserving all the Port-Towns and certain Tracts of Land about them to the Crown King Hen. himself some write with 4500 others that were amongst 'em say but with 500 Knights Landed in October 1172. near Waterford his Presence and Fame with the Terror and Success of Strongbow's Arms so intimidated the Natives in Leinster Munster and Conaught that Five of their Kings on Notice of his Arrival did him Homage and became his Tributaries The greatest part of his Charge was spent in Royal Entertainments and his time for the five Months he stayed there in endeavours so to settle matters as wholly in future to cut off from France the usual assistance afforded by the Irish when Attacqued by the Arms of England He had experimented the benefit the Crown received without Charge by Strongbow's private undertaking Therefore he wisely resolved by like Methods to make that part he had gained bear the charge of Conquering the whole To that end he distributed large Scopes of Land to the great Men that attended him As to Hugh Lacy the Kingdom of Meath finding 100 Knights for his Service for ever c. About four Years after the Irish yielded him or the King imposed a Tax of Twelve Pence on every House or Yoak of Oxen there which amounted to no small Summ in those days After the Death of Strongbow the King at Oxford made his Son John King of Ireland and as our own Writers tell us he divided the Lands of that Kingdom to his Subjects as well of England as Ireland to be held of him and his Son John he gave Miles Cogan and Robert Fitz-Stephens the Kingdom of Cork to whose Relief soon after Arrived there Richard Cogan with a Troop of Horse and a Company of Foot Anno. 1184. Philip de Breos as fore-runner of the young King went into Ireland with a small Party of Horse and Foot the next Year the young King followed with no Army yet Honourably attended and with some Treasure This young Counceller like Rechoboam's handled the Irish Princes that Congratulated his Arrival so roughly that they were provoked to Rebel Whereupon Eight Months after his Arrival he left that Kingdom in a much worse condition than he found it King Henry's Wars in France the unnatural Rebellion of his Sons and his other troubles permitted him not to relieve it yet to pursue his former Method he committed the Government of that Kingdom to the Renowned John de Courty and gave him a Grant of the whole Province of Vlster then unsubdued the Irish Princes thereof having not hitherto owned any subjection to England The Valiant Courcy with 3 or 400 of his friends and followers with the Forces then in Ireland not only reduced the Rebels in the other three Provinces to their former subjection but also brought Vlster under the English Yoak Richard I. was so taken up with his expedition to the Holy Land the perfidy of the French King and his unhappy detention by the Emperor That he concerned not himself with the Affairs of Ireland that I find further then that he Married Isabel the Sole Heiress of Strongbow to William Maxfield Earl-Marshal of England who was also in right of his Wife made Earl of Pembroke and P. of Leinster This Earl left Issue of that Marriage five Sons who succeeded each other to their Fathers Honours and Estate yet Died Issueless and five Daughters whose Fortunes in Ireland and Wales recommended them to the greatest Pears of England As Joyce the Eldest to Earl Warren who had with her the County of Wexford of whom came the Earls of March c. Matilda the second had the County of Catherlow and Married Hugh Bigod Earl of Norfolk Isabel the third Daughter had the County of Kilkenny and Married the Earl of Gloucester and Hereford Sybilla the fourth had the County of Kildare and Married William Ferrars Earl of Ferrars and Darby Eva the fifth Daughter had the Mannour of Dunmas now called the Queens County and Married the Lord Bruise of Gower whereby the Revenue of those five Counties became transmittable annually into England These Ladies Cambden tells us enriched their Husbands with Children Honour and Possessions King John having received 1000 Marks from Volois Lord Justice of Ireland to discharge him without account for the Revenue he had received of that Kingdom Soon after committed the Government thereof to Walter and Hugh Lacy who abused his Authority not only to the Oppression of the Irish but to the subversion of many of the best English Families also to that degree that our Writers say their Exactions Oppressions and Tyranny Murders might be added was intolerable yet King John instead of easing those Pressures if we believe Grafton and Fabian imposed Taxes on the People of Ireland towards his Wars with France much greater than they were able to bear So that by overstretching he crackt the strings of the Irish Harp whereon for sometime after was only heard the discordant sound of Revolt Rapin and War in every Corner To quell which the 25th of May 1210. The King himself landed near Waterford with an Army their number no where given us The Irish Kings and great Lords immediately appeased him by Submissions Homage and Tributes He granted the English Subjects in Ireland the benefit of Magna Charta and the Laws of England He setled twelve Counties appointed Courts Judges Circuits and Corporations as in England he granted vast Scopes of Land to his great English Lords in Knight Service for small Rents For 2500 Marks he restored Walter Lacy and for 4000 Marks Hugh Lacy and returned into England in August the same year In the year 1213 being threatned with an Invasion from France he received from Ireland 500 men at Arms well appointed and a great
Ireland granted this King 1700 Marks at several times towards the maintenance of his Wars The English in Ireland being wasted with the Supplies they had yielded to England against Scotland Wales and France and the frequent Rebellions there the Parliament there represented the ill Condition thereof in 1442 to Hen. VI. and that by reason thereof the Publick Revenue was 1456 l. per Annum less than the necessary Charge The Cardinal of Winchester the better to engross the King and that he might rule at Pleasure caused Richard Duke of York Earl of Vlster to be sent Lord Lieutenant thither to induce his Acceptance he gained the King to promise the Duke all the certain and casual Revenue of Ireland and 2666 l. 13 s. 4 d. for the first year to be paid out of of England and 2000 l. sterling per Annum for seven years more but this was ill paid However he had several Successes against the Rebels gained the Hearts of the English made good Laws and governed so worthily That out of Gratitude and Inclination to him he was assisted in his Pretentions to the Crown by Kildare and several great Parties out of Ireland as was the King by another Party thence under the Earl of Ormond in the 34th and 38th years A great Party thence was cut off and fell with him at the Battel of Wakefield as many from Ireland did on the other side at Mortimer's Cross these great Losses furnished the Natives with opportunities to enlarge their Borders and streighten the English About Anno 1474. the 14th of Edward IV. The Parliament of Ireland erected the Fraternity of St. George consisting of Thirteen Noblemen who were yearly to chuse of themselves a Captain of the Brotherhood who for his year was to command 120 Archers on Horseback at 6 d. per diem forty Horsemen at 5 d. per diem forty Pages at four Marks per annum to be paid out of a Subsidy of 12 d. per pound laid on all Merchandize Imported or Exported And these were all the standing Forces in pay at this time Six years after Richard Duke of York being Lord Lieutenant the Earl of Kildare his Deputy did undertake to keep that Kingdom in peace with eighty Archers and twenty Spear-men all on Horseback for 600 l. per annum The Infancy of Edward V. gave his unnatural Unkle the opportunity of Murthering him together with his Brother in the Tower whom he succeeded under the Title of Richard III. Anno 1483. but a period was put to his Tyranny Usurpation and Life in 1485. Henry VII held himself under no obligation to do much for Ireland because two walking Spectres thence Lambert and Warbeck disquieted a great part of his Reign yet in 1487. he sent over 500 Men under Sir Richard Edgcomb some write that he carried no Forces with him and about fifty more Anno 1492. The next year after the King by Act of Parliament there resumed all the Crown Lands that had been granted away since the first of Henry VI. In the Ninth year of his Reign he sent over Sir Edward Poyning his Deputy and with him 940 Men. He by his Policy rather than force did more Service to his Prince and good to the English there than any of his Predecessors by gaining that Parliament to Enact That all the Publick Statutes of England made before that time should be in force in Ireland That no Parliament be held there until the Bills be first certified to the King under the great Seal there and those Bills be affirmed by the King and his Council to be expedient for the Land and Power be given under the great Seal of England to call a Parliament and many other beneficial Statutes He gained the King a Tax of 26 s. 8 d. out of every 120 Acres Arable Land in Lieu of Purveyance and a Resumption of all Grants made since the first of Edward III. which in Anno 1409. was followed with a Subsidy of 12 d. per pound on Imported Commodities and a Subsidy from the Clergy and Laity and in Anno 1508 he had 13 s. 4 d. granted him out of every 120 Acres Arable Land In Anno 1515. The Parliament of Ireland granted Henry VIII a Subsidy In Anno 1520. The Earl of Surry was sent Lord Lieutenant with 200 Men some say 900 more but whatever the number was they all returned for England with him the next year The Souldiers pay at this time was 4 d. per diem In 1524. The Earl of Kildare undertook the Government and to defray the whole Charge of the Kingdom with its own Revenue which he and his Deputy held with little interruption for near ten years Anno 1529. Sir William Skeffington carried over 200 Men according to some 500. In 1534. he carried over 750 to suppress the Rebellion of the Fitz-Geralds as did the Lord Grey 200 more the next year who ended it upon which 750 of the Army was disbanded This Rebellion is said to cost the King above 20000 l. The Revenue of the Kingdom by reason of that Rebellion being but 5000 l. per annum To repay which or prevent the like charge in future The King had the first Fruits then the twentieth part of all Ecclesiastical Livings then the first Fruits of all Abbeys Priories and Colledges in that Kingdom given him Kildares Estate of 893 l. per annum and many great Estates of those concerned in that Rebellion were all given to the King as also all Lands belonging to all Abbeys Priories and Colledges there And the Estates of many Absentees Hitherto the Wars in Ireland was mostly between the English and Native Irish on the Score of Civil Interest But from the time of this Kings first Divorce and Kildares Rebellion the degenerate English joined with the Irish and pretended Religion for their subsequent Rebellions which thenceforth became more frequent and more formidable being fomented and abetted sometime by the Emperor sometime by France sometime by Spain mostly by the Pope especially from the time of the Kings assuming the Supremacy Henceforward they have been no longer Loyal than whilst they have been compelled to be so In 1539. Sir William Brereton carried over 250 Men. In 1542 the Parliament gave Henry VIII the Title of King of Ireland all his Predecessors having only had the Title of Lord thereof In Anno 1543. the Irish Revenue besides Customs first-Fruits Tributes and some other particulars amounted but to 8700 l. per annum and the whole charge to but 10500 l. The Chief Governour upon all Warlike Expedition by an antient usage in that Kingdom did Tax each County with a certain Summ of Money to defray the charge thereof So that it is not easie to apprehend that Ireland at this time could be a charge to England The standing Army was but 375 Horse and 150 Foot In 1544. 700 Men were sent from Ireland into France who greatly damnified the French and by pretty Stratagems contributed to the supply of the Army with
l. for three years to the Irish Revenue he would engage with both to defray the whole Charge of the Kingdom maintain 2000 Foot and 400 Horse Wall Seven considerable Towns Erect Seven great Bridges and Build Seven strong Castles But she comply'd not therewith However in 1585. In order to put that Kingdom into a good posture of Defence and of little Charge to the Queen the Lord Deputy appointed a gross Survey to be taken of the Province of Conaught and Thomond whereby they were found to contain 8095. Plow-Lands profitable the Proprietors of which agreed to pay the Queen a chief Rent of about 4000 l. per Annum and to find 1254 Foot and 264 Horse for the Queens Service within that Province and 347 Foot and 108 Horse at any time for 40 days in any part of Ireland A Militia also was settled in Munster of 4500 Bill-Men and 900 Shot And the Queen being Intituled to near 600000 Acres of Land by the Forfeitures of Desmond and his Accomplices his particular Rents being above 7000 l. per Anmum She granted those in Kerry Conilagh and Limerick together at 2 d. per Acre Those in Waterford and Cork at 3 d. per Acre per Annum Quit-Rent Every 300 Acres finding a Horseman and every 200 Acres a Foot-Man Armed for her Service A Militia being thus settled the Queen in 1587. Remanded 1000 Soldiers out of Ireland which she sent into Holland and that Kingdom enjoyed a kind of tranquillity for above Twelve Years In 1597. Tyrone and others broke but into Rebellion Whereupon General Norris with 3000 Men were sent thither But the successes of the Rebels required greater Forces so that 100 Horse and 2000 Foot more were sent thither Three Years after In 1598. The Government of that Kingdom was committed to Robert Earl of Essex with Power from England to encrease the Army there which were about 8000 men unto 20000 Horse and Foot Yet this Brave but Unfortunate Earl effected little The Lord Mountjoy succeeded in that Government who with 15200 Horse and Foot that he found there and 2000 Men that were sent him in 1601. from England expelled the Spaniards suppressed the most general and formidable Rebellion that untill then had happened in that Kingdom And therewith finished the entire Conquest of that Kingdom wherein this Queen imployed more Forces and spent more Treasure than all her Progenitors For we are told that it cost her Eleven Hundred Ninety one Thousand two Hundred Forty Eight Pounds Sterling besides the Revenue of that Kingdom Cambden suggests it was the ill choice of Officers Lenity and Parsimony of the Queen and some about her that occasioned her great Expence for that had the work been effectually set upon with competent Force and Treasure it might have been perfected with a quarter of the Charge The English in Ireland at this time being generally Papists were very backward in granting Supplies against such as broke out into Rebellion For tho' by the vigilance of the Government many of them were awed and hindred from joyning with those in open Rebellion yet were their Hearts so much with them that they not only obstructed the granting of Money to the Queen but parted with much to Rome where they purchased Pardons for not Actually and Openly joyning with the Rebels The Principles of that Religion Teaching them that it was Sin not to Rob Murther and Rebel However the chief Governour and Protestant Party prevailed so far as to gain their Parliaments in the Second of the Queens Reign to grant her the First Fruits and Twentieth Part of all Ecclesiastical Livings In her 11th Tear a subsidy as also a Custom on Wines and at several times many large Scopes of Lands on the Attainders of Arch-Rebels The chief Governour there indeed by Antient usage did on every March of the Army c. Cess the Country discretionarily for their support which was some help The Result of what hath been hitherto said is this That Strongbow Conquered most of the Province of Leinster Hugh De Lacy Conquered Meath Cogan Fitz-Stephens Bruce and Poer the Province of Munster Bourke and De Claro part of Conaught and Thomond Sir John De Courcy Conquered much of Ulster That all this was done with little or inconsiderable Charge to the Crown for the first 400 Years which reached to the middle of Queen Elizabeths Reign except in those expeditions of Henry II. King John and Richard II. the last of whom only carryed over an Army capable of doing any considerable Service The most part of that there was no standing Army kept in that Kingdom at the Charge of England except what was paid by the Irish Revenue That when Armies were Raised they seldom exceeded a Regiment or two and were only kept up during the chief Governours being upon Service against some particular Rebels for at his Return to Dublin or in the beginning of Winter they were usually Disbanded That the whole Charge of the Civil List of which I have the particulars in Edward III. his time was but 308 l. per Annum Towards the latter end of whose Reign in a time of Rebellion when an Army was sent thither the whole Charge of both Civil and Military Lists were but 11213 l. 6 s. 8 d. per Annum That in 1442. That Kingdom being weakned drained and impoverished by the supplies afforded thence to England Their Parliament represented it to Henry VI. as a mighty evidence of the deplorable condition of that Kingdom That the expence thereof in that wasted condition surmounted the Revenue 1456 l. per Annum That in Edward IV. his time that Kingdom was Defended only by the Fraternity of St. George who were wholly paid out of the Customs there That in the latter end of that Kings Reign the Earl of Kildare did undertake for 600 l. per Annum to keep the whole Kingdom in Peace That in 1543. The standing Army was but 525 Horse and Foot and the whole Charge of the Kingdom but 10500 l. per Annum The certain Revenue thereof was then 8700 l. per Annum besides Customs First Fruits Tributes c. which could not but make up the Revenue so as to surmount that Charge That considering the numerous and frequent Supplies of Men Provisions and Money that our Kings from time to time received from Ireland against France Scotland and Wales it is not easie to determine whether Ireland received much more from England than England received from the English Planters of Ireland That for a great part of the first 400 Years the Revenues were great that our English Land-Lords Yearly drew thence for the Rents of the vast Scopes of Land that they were seized of in that Kingdom That Ireland being almost from the first Conquest to the end of Queen Elizabeths Reign in a State of War was wholly supplied with all Commodities in a way of Trade from England whereby this Kingdom received considerable advantages That if we Allow that the Government of England hath been
where given us He undertook for 11213 l. 6 s. 8 d. per Annum to bear the whole Charge of that Kingdom both Civil and Military During his Government he obtained 5000 l. of the Parliaments of that Kingdom towards maintenance of the Kings Wars which I presume was those with France Richard II. Anno 1384. committed the Government of Ireland to Robert Vere Earl of Oxford and Duke of Ireland during his Life with Power to receive the whole Revenue without Account and to keep an Army of 1000 Archers and 500 men at Arms for two years But I do not find that either he or his men went thither for the Kings Affections to him were such that he would not bear his absence Yet he continued Lord Lieutenant seven or eight years during which he constituted several Deputies and received most of the Profits of that Government to his own use The King being reproach'd abroad That he could neither rule England keep his part in France nor finish the Conquests of Ireland he resolved to retrieve his Reputation in respect of the last To that end he took Shipping in October 1394 and landed at Waterford with an Army of 34000 Men but to little purpose partly for that he suffered himself to be cheated as were his Predecessors by the feigned Submissions of most of the Irish Princes and great Lords who on his arrival humbled themselves Some of whom quitted all Title to their Estates in Leinster and conditioned with their Swords under the Kings Pay to carve out Estates for themselves in other parts of the Kingdom with which the King was constrained to be satisfied by reason of the Clamour and Importunity of the Clergy of England Whose constant hatred of Reformation and fear that the Enormities of their Lives and Corruption of their Doctrines should be exposed by the Wickl fits caused them to send the Bishops of York and London to hasten the Kings return The truth is they wanted the Royal Authority for persecution of the Innocent and suppression of the Truth To gratifie their Importunity the King returned at Shrovetide or Easter following having sufficient Power but not time to do any thing considerable At his departure he left Roger Mortimer Earl of March his Lord Lieutenant who in right of his Wife was Earl of Vlster Lord of Conaught Meath and Clare and next Heir to the Crown He was murdered there four years after It was customary until near this time for the Lord Chancellor to pay annually 2000 Marks into the Exchequer for the use of the great Seal which went a great way towards bearing the charge of that Kingdom in peaceable times But the Fees being much abated that branch of the Revenue did so too In Revenge of the Murder of the Earl of March King Richard went thither again in April 1398. with such an Army as with their Necessaries and Followers took up a Fleet of 300 Ships The Irish generally mollified him by their old Method of Submissions The obstinate he intended to have subdued But the Tidings that the Duke of Lancaster afterwards Hen. IV. was landed in England and claimed the Crown called him back so that he landed in England the 24th of June following and soon after for his Male-administration lost first his Crown and Liberty by Order of Parliament and then his Life by the hands of Villains The Clergy nor Parliaments of those times had not imbibed the Doctrine of Non-resistance or Passive Obedience or that the Crown could not be forfeited by Male-administration or that it could not for the good and Preservation of the Community be transferred or that any Legal Possessor of it might disseize the Subject of his Liberty or Franchises or take away and dispose their Estates at Pleasure You must know that from the time of King Hen. II. his Expedition into Ireland until this time Ireland was of the same use to the Crown that Tangier and the pretence of a War with France was to Charles II. Richard II. had often and now Hen. IV. began to desire Money from the Parliament of England for supply of Ireland and had a Subsidy granted for three years of 50 s. for every Sack of Wool Skins and Woolfels from every Denison and 4 l. from every Stranger Also one Tenth and one Fifteenth for support of his War with Scotland relief of Calais and Ireland but he found so much use for it in England that I do not find that one Penny of it went thither But on the other side being in War with Scotland the English of Ireland fought the Scots in his quarrel at Sea where many of the first were killed and drowned In 1405 They took three Scotch Ships and their Commander and twice in Favour of England invaded Scotland with good Success and the same year invaded Wales did much harm to the Welch and carried away good Booty This King made the Duke of Lancaster Lord Lieutenant of Ireland for seven years He went thither in 1401. and returned into England in 1403. his Entertainment or Salary was but 666 l. 13 s. 4 d. per Annum And it was because he was the Kings Son that it was so much So inconsiderable were the Armies that were kept up in Ireland that it was an honour placed on this Duke that he was permitted to have an Army of 1500 men in all Ireland though many of the Irish were in Rebellion and so frugally were the Affairs of that Kingdom managed that this Duke was limited to keep up that Army but for three years About Lammas 1408. The Duke Of Lancaster went into Ireland a second time and narrowly escaped being killed by some of the Rebels At his arrival there he compelled the Earl of Kildare to pay him 300 Marks for his Male-administration He had a Tallage granted him by the Parliament of Ireland and returned into England next March after his landing in Ireland Whoever looks into the Troubles of this Kings Reign will see that he could supply Ireland neither with Men nor Money Hen. V. was so fully taken up with his Conquests in France that he minded Ireland no further than to draw Supplies thence which he did Anno 1412. under the Earl of Ormond And in 1417 the Prior of Kilmainham with 1600 in Mail with Darts and Skeyns all tall nimble men arrived at the Camp before Rouen and joyfully accepted the most dangerous Post wherein they so acquitted themselves that our Writers tell us no men were more praised nor did more harm to their Enemies For by their Agility of Body and swiftness of Foot they did more mischief the Enemy than their barded Horses did hurt to the nimble Irish And in the seven years of his Reign the French Historians tell us that the Irish did over-run all the Isle of France did innumerable damages to the French and daily brought Victuals and Preys to the English Army which so terrified the French about Paris that they fled and left the Country desolate The Parliament of
Provisions And in obedience to the Kings commands 3000 Men were sent from Ireland against Scotland In 1547. Edward VI. to secure that Kingdom upon the Reformation of Religion sent thither 600 Horse and 400 Foot under Sir Edward Belingham who with the Forces there subdued the Demseys Connors and Moores then in Rebellion whereby Offailie and Leixe were forfeited to the Crown This King being incumbred with Wars with France and Scotland and many Rebellions at Home did as Haywood tells us draw much people from Ireland to serve him in his Wars To replenish which in the fourth year of his Reign he sent thither 400 men and 8000 l. And the next year the English from Ireland Invaded the Isles of Scotland In 1556. Queen Mary committed the Government of that Kingdom to the Earl of Sussex who carried Sir Henry Sidney with him and 25000 l. in Cash by whose assistance he finished what Belingham had so Worthily begun in breaking the power of the Demseys Connors Moores c. whereby Leixe and Offailie were Vested in the Crown and English Plantations settled in those parts now called the King 's and Queen's Counties The Irish Parliament then gave the Queen a Subsidy of 13 s. 4 d. out of every Plough-Land for ten years which was a great addition to the Revenue In 1558. This Earl had 500 men out of England with whom and the Forces of that Kingdom he Invaded the Isles of Scotland took some and sacked several others of them the standing Army there in this Reign when most was less than 1700. and sometimes less than 1100. In 1560. which was two years after Q. Elizabeth's Accession to the Crown there was 500 Foot sent into Ireland to recruit the Army In 1565. The Army in the Queens pay was but 1200 Horse and Foot The Charge of the Civil List about 1500 l. per annum The Revenue of Ireland surmounted 10000 l. per annum besides large Summs frequently gained from the Irish Lords on their Submissions and Tribute imposed on them so that the Queens Charge could be but small considering that all the Freeholders on every occasion of Marching the Army against any Rebels were obliged to send certain numbers of Horse and Foot with Provisions to attend the Chief Governour or Commander in Chief of the Army This Parsimonious Queen to avoid Expence and the sending men for Ireland ordered that every Tenant there that paid her 40 l. per annum Rent should be obliged to find a Horseman and every one that paid 6 l. 13 s. 4 d. per annum a Footman Armed for her Service to be ready on all occasions About this time O Donnel submitted to the Queen and conditioned to pay 200 l. per annum and to attend her Army on all occasions with a number of Horse and Foot as did many others of the Irish who submitted on like conditions of Compositions and Assistance which not only augmented the Revenue and lessened the Charge of the Army but helped much towards paying for their Fetters This O Donnel five years after paid the Queen 1200 l. for Delinquency and Arrears of his Composition In 1565. The Valiant Captain Randolph Landed at Derry with a Troop of Horse and 700 Foot to settle a Plantation he did great Service although at last he lost his Life in the Improvement of a memorable Victory which he obtained against the Rebels In 1569. Captain Ward with 400 Souldiers were sent into Ireland he landed at Cork The Queens great Study was to inlarge and firm her Conquest in Ireland without Charge In order thereunto she attempted to tread in the steps of Henry II. and several of his Successors who gained most of their Interest in that Kingdom at the charge of a few of their Subjects with little charge to the Crown or Kingdom of England In order thereto the Queen in 1572. incouraged Sir Tho. Smith at his own Charge to settle an English Colony in the Ards. She granted every Footman 120 Acres and every Horseman 240 Acres which then was as much as 500 Acres in England paying her one penny per Acre per annum And the year following she Lent the Earl of Essex 10000 l. on a Mortgage and gave him half the Clandeboys on condition that he should Plant 200 Horse and 400 Foot each Horseman was to have 400 Acres and each Footman 200 Acres paying 2 d. per Acre Quit-Rent Where that Noble Lord did perform many brave Exploits and had done much better had he not been countermined by the enmity and opposition of several Great Men both here and there In 1576. An Antient Tax called the Cess of five Marks on each Plow-Land which had been discretionarily levyed by the Chief Governours there from Edward III's time to this under pretence of Prerogative had by this time been Arbitrarily stretched to eight or nine pounds a Plow-Land being now complain'd of as a publick grievance was reduced within its first Bounds Yet notwithstanding this and other Regulations the worthy Sir Henry Sidney who governed there augmented the Queen's Revenue 11000 l. per annum above what he found it Until this time according to the best of our Writers England gained and maintained its footing in Ireland with very inconsiderable Charge to the Publick But henceforward the Charge became much greater mostly occasioned by the Queens great Parsimony who always employed incompetent force for subduing the Rebellions that were raised whereby they were lengthened to trebble the time and charge that would else have served I know not whether it ought to be reckoned as expended for the Conquest of that Kingdom tho' that was the Issue of it because the greatest part of it was occasioned by the King of Spain The Queen to divert that King from attempting England employed and fought him in the Netherlands mostly at the cost of the Dutch and he to divert her from assisting the Dutch or Invading his Dominions fomented Rebellions in Ireland and assisted them with Men and some Money yet fought her mostly at the cost of the Irish In 1579. There was 600 Men sent out of Devonshire into Ireland yet they made up the Army there in the Queens pay but 1100 Horse and Foot But the Rebellion of Desmond and others and the Spaniards that joined them did require the augmentation of the Army To that end three Companies were sent from Berwick and 150 Horse under Capt. Norris And in 1580. Six Companies under Capt. Berkley and 150 Horse under C. Russel which in 1582. were followed with 400 under the Earl of Ormond These with the Militia of that Countrey killed Desmond destroyed his Confederates in that Rebellion expelled the Spaniards and restored such measure of Peace to the Kingdom that the publick Revenue of it for the year 1583. amounted to about 24000 l. and thenceforward it encreased mightily by the firm Settlement of Estates and Enlargement of Trade insomuch that in 1584. the Lord Deputy proposed to the Queen that if she would add but 50000
having the advantage of the Exchange we receive in Ireland 106 l. or 108 l. for every hundred Pounds we part with in England So that at 6 per Cent. for exchange we part but with 37600 l. and yet receive 4000 l. per Annum Interest thence Of the same Nature and Advantage is the Rent that our Noblemen Gentlemen and Merchants yearly receive for their Lands in Ireland which are yearly transmitted thence hither Instances of this kind are too many to be enumerated I will set before you some considerable Instances of Profit that we receive from Ireland and which that Kingdom particularly yields us in three Schedules First by Rent of Lands in Ireland belonging to Persons that wholly or for the most part live in England and are therefore frequently transmitted hither  per Ann. Rents of the Lands posssessed by the Duke of York the late K. 7000 l. City of London and the 12 Companies 6000 l. Erasmus Smith 2400 l. Ald. John Smith deceased 400 l. Sir Charles Lloyd 0800 l. Sir Wil. Barker Brewen and others 2500 l. Maurice Thomson 400 l. Several Adventures 5000 l. Sir Will. Temples Estate and Office 1400 l. Heirs of Earl of Essex 1200 l. Sir Will. Courtney 2000 l. Lord Fitz-Harding 1000 l. Lord Berkely 800 l. Lord Arlington c. 2000 l. Earl Anglesey 4000 l.  36900 l. Earl Strafford 1800 l. Darcy of Platton 700 l. D. Albemarl 1500 l. Lord Conway 2000 l. D. Buckingham 2500 l. Sir 〈◊〉 Wandesford 1200 l. Mr. Pugh 250 l. D. Ormond 17000 l. Lord Ranelagh and Lady Dowager 3000 l. Sir James Shane 500 l. Lord Lisburne 2000 l. Earl Thomond 3500 l. Sir Edward Scot 300 l. Earl Cork 14000 l. Earl Londonderry 1000 l. Earl of Kildare 3500 l.  54750 l.  36900 l.  91650 l. The second List of Persons resident in England that did receive Pensions out of the Revenue in Ireland in 1685. and since  per Ann. Lord Lisburn 300 l. Earl Sunderland 5000 l. Lady Fr. Keightly 400 l. Countess of Portland 500 l. Mrs. Hublethorn 100 l. Earl of Rochester 1600 l. Earl Dorset and Tho. Felton 800 l. Sir Edward Scot 500 l. Tho. Sheridan 550 l. Cha. Laburn 100 l. Capt. Beversham 117 l. Mrs. Knight 200 l. Mrs. Cusels 200 l.  10367 l. The third List is of other Advantages that we receive by that Kingdom  per Ann. For Students that come thence to the Universities and Inns of Court 8000 l. Attendants and Expectants at Court and Travellers hither 8000 l. Profit made by the Chief Governours that are sent hence thither above their Expence 6000 l. We usually have three Commissioners of the Revenue there that are sent hence at 1000 l. per Annum each allowing 1000 l. for their Expence 2000 l. Profit by the Post-Office 6000 l. Interest of 40000 l. that is put out by our People in Ireland 4000 l.  34000 l. The Revenue there in 1686 was in the total 334575 l. 17 s. 6 d. Allow for Insolvencies 10912 l. 11 s. 3 d.  323663 l. 6 s. 3 d. Total of the Establishment viz. the Charge of that Kingdom 243663 l. 6 s. 3 d. Remains 80000 l. This overplus was transmittable to England The overplus for Anno 1683. was but 40000 l. Insolvencies allowed as above in Anno 84. and 85. but 60000 l. I will therefore reckon it communibus Annis but 40000 l. Brought from above 34000 l.  74000 l. If in the first List the Estate of any man be over valued 't is most certain that many of the others are under-valued and that there are several Persons of less quality not named whose Estates are in Ireland and that spend them in England I have not wilfully erred I have a List of Particulars in my Hands drawn up by the Council of Trade in Ireland in 1672. whereby the Absentees Estates then living in England are valued to 116040 l. per Annum Nor is this a late Advantage that England reaps by Ireland for both the Histories and Laws of this and that Kingdom do complain That from the first Conquest they have been impoverished by their Nobility and Gentry's spending their Estates in England As to the Second List of Pensioners I do not find that there hath less than 10000 l. per annum been paid for many years past to Persons in England Upon the Establishment Anno 1676. The Pensions then payable to Persons in England was 10500 l. per annum All the Persons mentioned in this List but three were certainly in England and I am informed the other three were resident here also However the Summ payable to those three amounts but unto 5â—0 l. in all As to the Third List it depends on Estimates wherein as to the two first Articles and the fourth fifth and sixth I have been careful to keep much within what they really are As to the third Article 't is certain that the Annual Profits our Noblemen make of that Government doth much exceed what I have set down And as to the last which concerns the Surplusages of the Revenue whoever consults the Establishment of that Kingdom will find that for many years past there has been an Article in it appointing a considerable Summ to be returned Annually into England In 1676. it was but 20000 l. per annum In Charles II. time there was great Summs raised in that Kingdom that never came into the Exchequer there nor as I am informed is there any account how they were disposed Whether they were distributed to Irish Rebels as a reward for cutting Protestants Throats in 1641 or transmitted for England I cannot say but possibly it may one day prove worth his present Majesties Enquiry when once that Kingdom tends towards a Settlement if he thinks good to have a retrospect so far Here I am likewise to take notice that when Forces have been sent from Ireland hither or to Tangier they have constantly been paid thence By the particulars of this last instance it is evident That we not only reap the common advantages usually made in the course of Trade between one Kingdom and another but that we also make many other considerable ones by Ireland which that Kingdom peculiarly yields us and is like yet to do to a greater degree if we put it into a better condition of Trade and Improvement which I shall hereafter make out The three Lists I have set down before you do shew That we receive 176017. l. per annum in those particulars 75000 l. that they pay us annually for Fraight of our Ships which makes 245017. enough of itself for ever to Cure us of our Jealousie That that Kingdom will be prejudicial to us in point of Trade for these very Out-lets of their Treasure will infallibly keep them low And the very encrease of their Trade and Consumption will encrease the Revenue there and make them liable to send so much more as that shall happen to be annually to England which helps