uncertainely and falsly grounded are worthie of no answer at all having all along the plain marks of insoliditie and sedition upon them yet to satisfie the doubts of such judicious and upright men as onely desire to know the truth and com not with a minde pre-occupate and suborned by injurious principles I shall indeavor to lay open the Querist's errors and delirements resolve the Queres hee makes and discover the truth in the things hee most harp's upon for his advantage and becaus I conceiv the Jesuit's first Quere though not in plain words yet implicitely by insinuation intend's principally Ireland and the pretended interest of the Irish as hee in som of them after expresseth And although also my short and weak wings are farr deficient to soar so high a pitch as to cite all or neer the sum of all authentick Authors and Records manifesting the proprietie right and interest of the Land of Ireland to be originally in the British yet becaus those of the Nation of England already led away with the aërie and vain pretenses of the Irish and who never yet scrutinized the English interest may bee undeceived made sensible of their former errors possessed with the English right bee acquainted with the iterated rebellions of the Irish in manie ages the often reducing and bringing them to subjection by the British or English and with other things by these Queres made disputable I shall freely contribute my Talent to this so necessarie work and first set down the Queres in order and then answer them severally AN ANSWER TO THE Irish Queres The first Quere WHether the Land or inheritance that a Nation hath for som hundreds or thousands of yeers enjoyed and possessed without any others laying claim to have a more special right to the same bee not their special right which God and nature hath given them The first Answer IN this first Quere the Querist desire 's to have it inferred and also granted that the Irish Inhabitants as they now stand in opposition to England are an entire Nation and that they were the first and sole Proprietors of Ireland as given unto them by God and nature whereas in truth they are a people composed partly of the old Britains the first Inhabitants thereof partly of Scythians and Gothes sent thither out of Biscaie in Spain partly of Danes and other Easterlings som sent in by the Kings of Britain and others intruding themselvs and principallly of English sent thither by the Kings of England in several ages as in the ensuing discours shall appear so as the fraud and fallacie of this first Quere being cleerly laid open strike's farr to the answering of all the rest And first to say somthing of the soil and Island now called Ireland which by several ancient writers hath been rendred by several other names signifying for the most part that it is a Western part of Britain which the very name now given unto it by the Irish viz. Eirin signifying a western Countrie doth much demonstrate and besides at this day a part of Mounster in Ireland is called Hiermoun in English West-Mounster which shew the name Eirin to bee derived from Hier which is west as appear's plainly by Mr Cambden a faithful relater of the best antiquities extant the ancient Geographer writeth in these words of Islands for greatness the Indian Taprobane is prime and principal next after it Britain and in third degree another British Island called Hibernia that is Ireland whereupon Ptolomie in his writings of Geographie call's it in plain words Britannia parva the old Geographers called it the Britains Island Strabo called the Inhabitants Britains Diodorus Siculus termed Irin a part of Britain and Aristotle in his book de mundo Cap. 3. hath these words as they stand translated viz. Ibi sunt Insulae quae quantitate maximae habentur numero verò duae sunt Britanicae dicuntur Albion Hibernia By all which it fall's cleer that by the most ancient and authentick writers the Island of Ireland was ever taken and accounted a British Island only belonging to great Britain neither is it found in any approved Writer or Record that ever any King or Potentate claimed right or interest in the soil or Land of that Island save only the Kings of great Britain in right of their Kingdom now called England which in several ages they have not failed to doe by reducing and subduing the unjust rebellion and usurpation of those unrulie Inhabitants and if you look into Monuments or Records of later time you shall never finde it called a Kingdom or a Realm till in the reign of Henrie the 8. when by Act of Parlament it was made and styled a Kingdom and that King declared and confessed King thereof unanimously agreed by all the Inhabitants of that Island But that by all Acts of Parlament in that Land and other Records it was alwaies till then for 400 yeers or thereabouts called the King's land of Ireland and by several Acts of Parlament viz. one Act in the twentie eighth yeer of that King Henry the 8 reign Cap. 2. That Land is declared to be appending and belonging to England And by another Act there made in that King's reign the said Island is declared to be a Member appending and rightfully belonging to England and united to the same and in severall other Acts there the same in substance is asserted and ordained and all this agreed and assented unto by the very Ancestors of those now in Arms there against England and the Governors thereof and yet by this Querist it is esteemed to bee an Original entire Nation distinct from any Conqueror yea such as hee scruple 's to have them call'd Rebels Thus having given you the opinion and report of the ancient and som modern proofs of the denomination and full relation of that Island to Great Britain it will bee requisite that by the like ancient and modern evidence the just right and proprietie of the English to that Land and to the dominion thereof and to the naturall subjection of all the Inhabitants thereof to England bee also manifested and avowed the better to let the world see the Querist's fraud and subtiltie in this general vast Quere and indeed throughout all the rest of his abusive Queres and insinuations Mr Cambden that faithfull searcher into Antiquities affirmeth that most of the best approved and knowing Writers out of Antiquities do determin that the first known Inhabitants of Ireland were Britains sent thither by the Kings of Great Britain of which opinion he conclude's himself to bee but that they could not send sufficient Inhabitants to replenish such a Continent and that by a great mortalitie happening among them they were much diminished and you may perceiv by a Statute made in Ireland in the 11. yeer of Queen Elizabeth that Gormond by som Writers called Gorgund Son to Belin King of Great Britain was Lord of Biscaie in Spain as his posteritie long after him
their homage to him who thereupon came and performed the same accordingly which was don in the year after our Saviour's nativitie 579 and this prove's a claim at least made by the Kings of great Britain to the Island of Ireland as part of their dominions Afterwards as is known to all men of anie reading the Saxons and Angles out of Germanie invaded great Britain and by manie contests in Arms and bloudie Battels obteined the Dominion thereof dividing it into several Kingdoms amongst themselvs which continued for manie years In all which times the Irish Inhabitants took more Libertie to root themselvs in their barbarous usurpation and tyrannie for wee cannot finde that then before or since they established anie certain Government either regal or otherwise neither are there extant anie authentick memories of anie certain or passable Laws ordeined by them for the regulating of anie Christian people yet soon after the Saxon's Heptarchie was reduced into an Entire Monarchie It is manifest by good Historie and Record that Edgar King of great Britain then and now called England not unmindful of that Kingdom 's ancient right and interest in Ireland labored and obteined another reducement and had the possession of most of that continent as appear's by the Books of that excellent writer Judg Cook extracted out of Records of the Tower Afterwards when the Danes obteined the Rule and power in great Britain they so little forgot the ancient and just challenge to Ireland as that they sent thither good numbers of men who gained large footing in several places of the best parts of the Island of whom there yet remain manie visible Monuments as their intrenchments and Fortifications to this daie called Danes Mounts or Rathes in Irish Lisses and round slender high Towers yet called Danes Steeples or Danes Towers yea the best and largest Suburbs about Dublin is yet called Ostmantown which term the Saxons gave to the Danes as Easterlings and doubtless it is their then access and som former incursions made by them as aforesaid which left manie of them there fixed who were the ancestors to the now pretended original Nation as pretended to bee given to them by God and Nature Afterwards the Norman William the Conqueror became possessed of the Dominions of England it is universally known what business hee had aswel to settle that so gained Land as to content his Allies and parties brought with him and to preserv what hee left behind him in France to which retrospect hee was enforced by manie disturbances and attempts neither is it unknown how unwarrantably his three next successors came to the Crown in England and against what counterworkings and heart-burnings they held Regencie there besides their distractions in their affairs and from their neighbors of France beeing not free from incumbrances of Scots and Welsh whereby all judicious men may conclude that none of them could safely embrace the restitution of Ireland howsoever it concerned them But assoon as one lineal descent had setled the Crown of England upon King Henry the second who was great Granchilde of the said William the Norman and who is recorded to bee the most powerful English Monarch both in England and France since the Normans coming in That King applied to the Pope for his consent to regain his said Land of Ireland who consenting thereunto to the end it might bee brought into orderly Government as well Ecclesiastical as Civil Hee yet suspended all action thither for som years beeing interrupted by his affairs in France and the disobedient combinations of his sons But after an occasion hapning by the invocation of one of the Irish pettie Kings hee permitted manie of his Subjects of England and Wales to pass thither who by their valor possessed themselvs of a good part of that Island Then in the year 1172 did that King with a competent Armie repair thither in person and resumed into his hands his ancient right of Dominion and interest there without much bloudshed and was therein confirmed by the absolute and free submissions of all the pettie Kings and other Rulers aswel Ecclesiastical as Temporal and by all others then of anie value there which they delivered unto him under their Seals There did hee also receiv the Homage Fealtie Allegiance and subjection of all those pettie usurping Princes and others as his Liege Subjects There did hee hold a great Council or general Assmblie of all the Prime inhabitants of that Island at Lismore which they called a Parlament and gave them the English Laws Vbi Leges Angliae ab omnibus sunt gratanter receptae juratoriâ cautioone praestitâ confirmatae There did hee send his Mandats to the Archbishops Bishops and Clergie of Ireland to assemble in a Synod at Cashel wherein Cbristianus Bishop of Lismore was President in which Synod that King's entrance actions and atchievments there were declared to bee lawful and it was there also concluded that it was most meet that as Ireland by God's appointment had recovered a lawful Lord and King from England so also they should from thence receiv a better from of living they also then established that all Divine Offices of holy Church should from thenceforth bee handled in all parts of Ireland according as the Church of England did observ them In that Synod also they made divers other Canons concerning the Church-Government there which Acts were ratified by the Regal Autoritie of the same Henrie the second To the same purposes another general Synod was soon after held at Armagh in Vlster where the same things and others for right ordering of that Government were resolved and agreed upon There was also placed Hugh Lacie Justice of Ireland for the Government of that Land wherein that Land then seemed to bee formally setled in a peaceable subject condition to England as it ought to bee Thus may the Querist and all others see that that Land and supposed original Nation did not continue manie hundreds or thousands of years nor was enjoied till these times without anie others laying claim to have right to the same It may bee demanded though standing thus how might King Henrie the second seiz all that Land into his own hands and grant it to adventurers as after hee did To this the answer is easie For in a short time after that King and the greatest part of his Army withdrew into England Then did all those pettie Kings Rulers and men of value and the other Inhabitants falsly and traiterously join in a Confederacie and action to extirpate and expuls all the English and Welsh then left there and did cast aside their dutie and obedience to England and the good order and Laws so freely and lately entertained by them breaking all Faith and Allegiance to him to whom they had formerly sworn it they murthered as manie as they could take at advantage and at last besieged Dublin and other Towns intending to destroie all the English But the valor of those men left there and the
the Irish Partisans fell into the more northern parts of Connaght as the Counties of Sligo and Leitrim and also the Northern parts of the Countie of Roscomon who so fully accomplished the expulsion of the English as in the time of King Charls an intention beeing to plant that Province upon Inquirie made into everie particular man's holding there could not bee shewed anie antient Evidence for anie Land holden amongst them as in the other Provinces of Mounster and Leimster are to bee shewed in great numbers About the twentie fifth year of King Edward the third was Richard de Clare murthered by the men of Thomond at what time and after the Irish so insulted there as the English were either in short time massacred or forced into other parts for their more safetie And thus is plainly evidenced in brief part of the means of the great incroachments of the Irish upon the English possessions especially in the remote parts and now were the English Lords and such of the English Freeholders as they could draw or force with them arrived at a great height of degeneration Now had they for the most part betaken themselvs to the Brehan or Tanistree Law as they called it and other Irish usages and customs so destructive to themselvs and repudiated the English Laws brought with them under which they happily lived and under which the people of England had and have so manie ages florished and been famous through providence except what remained in the five shiers of the Pale and in som small circuits about the walled-Towns which reteined in som measure the English Laws Now did they generally embrace the Irish garb of licentiousnes and tyrannie over the inferiors They erected amongst themselvs Captain-ships in their Countries after the Irish fashion and unwisely suffered the Irish to do the like where they had gotten footing applauding them in all things whereby the Irish were raised into a kinde of Dominion they little obeied or regarded the Governors sent out of England though for their onely good and manie times to rescue them from the Irish outrages and furie and reconcile their own unnatural jars they suffered not the King's Writs to run in their Countries but they would undertake in a summarie waie to answer for their followers as they now call them for what wrong or crime soever committed they assumed Irish nicknames as the chief of the Burks Mr William Brimingham Mr Yoris Mangle Mr Costelo Dexeter Mr Jorden Archdeacon Mr Odo Condon Mr Maiog one of the Garaldines Mr Gibbon and som hundreds the like in that Land and this they did in contempt of the English name and Nation They went to the wars in Irish furniture to their horses and Irish arms defensive and offensive shearing their horses mains after the Irish manner Insomuch as afterwards there was necessitie by Laws to enforce them to ride in saddles the Irish riding onely on small quilted pillions fastned onely with a sursingle they combined in sull complacencie for cours of life with the Irish in all things even to rebellious actions several times yea so far were they sunck in this base degeneration and defection as the Earl of Desmond claimed privilege never to com to Parlament or within walled Town but at his own pleasure which privilege hee in Queen Elizabeth's time surrendred and renounced And it was resolved amongst them that becaus they by violence and oppression had intruded into the Lands of the inferior English and given the Irish libertie to dwell there first at will though it proved otherwise after and finding the power out of England slack to controul them by reason of other imploiments They at length judged it most preservative to incorporate with the Irish and so cast off the English Law and Loialtie presuming thereby the better to keep what they had so ravished knowing well that if the English Law gained concurrencie amongst them the parties wronged or their descendents removed as aforesaid would doubtles recover their own and so shorten the great revenues and cuttings wherein they thought they had ascertained a compleat interest by those waies of confusion But it fell out otherwise in shor time for by God's just avengement on their wickedness the Irish who manie years lived in the Island as aforesaid by their sufferance neither of force nor anie waie deterred by the English daily increasing in numbers actuated in Martial Discipline possessed also though but at will of great quantities of Land they as opportunities offered part whereof is after herein expressed rose up against their Lords especially in the Woodland Countries and called the Lands their own and in short time became formidable to the English who began now to finde their error in so prodigiously forgetting themselvs their noble ancestors and originals and the glorious Kingdom from whence they came putting themselvs in a manner into the hands of their slavish enemies and as may bee said were transformed into another people These disorders fractures and insolencies and the great pressures and detriments of the English crying loud into England at last the noble and victorious Prince King Edward the third pitying their deformed and lapsed condition in the thirtie sixth year of his reign though his forrein engagements were great and heavie at that time sent thither as his Lieutenant Lionel Duke of Clarence his third son above mentioned with a competent strength to reduce things to some better form this young Lord continued there for the most part seven yeers brought with him a good and honorable Council both for peace and warr set himself with all zeal and affection specially to reorder the English Colonies if it might be to reintegrate them in their pristin estates freedom and government himself having good interest there as is above touched To this Livetenant manie of the Irish made submissions as they had manie times don before to King Henrie the second King John and after to King Richard the second and others authorised by the Kings of England he had sundrie conflicts with the Irish verie manie of the English after a short time siding with him About the 40 yeer of King Edward the third he held that famous Parlament at Kilkenny wherein plainly appear's by the Lawes made there and som others formerly enacted by Rockesby Justice of Ireland 25 E. 3 the great degeneration and deformitie of the old English above specified Laws and Statutes being the best Dictates of the maladies of times and that the principal labour was to reform and bring into temper and rule of Law the old English Colonies Som particulars of which Laws were viz. Against Parlies with the Irish without leave That Chieftains should assist and apprehend Felons Against barbarous Fees and extortions of the Lord's Officers called Marshals Against the English calling the Irish to help them in their quarrels Against the Lords distreining contrarie to the English Law That the English should only use the English Law and not the custom called the Brehan Law
intruded upon the Irish there they need no repentance The fourteenth Quere WHether if they shall still pursue the same it will not maintain a lasting chargeable war to bee a large and strange footing for the enemies to England's peace to stand upon to render the Nation to bee no true lovers of freedom but of domination give occasion to the enemies to blaspheme make our Religion odious and by perpetual piracie even utterly spoil all our trade by Sea and so bee at the last our own ruine and whether the gain at the last by a perfect conquest over them which is uncertain will equipoiz all that charge and blood that must bee spilt for the obteining of the same especially considering their eternal loss dying in the prosecution of so unjust a caus The fourteenth Answer IF they the English now in the nick of time pursue the Irish Rebels considering the present power and posture that England is in and the great number of its able bodies fit for emploiment which on a setled peace at home cannot bee better imploied or bestowed then in so conscionable a service conducing to the honor and glorie of God the peace and quiet of all the Dominions of England the advance of Trade the terror of England's enemies the gaining of a most fruitful and plentiful receptacle for a flowing off-spring if now so enabled they shall effectually pursue the service against the Rebels in Ireland beeing so disseminated and scattered as they now are it will not maintein a lasting chargeable war For now but a competent number to bee sent out of England with those faithful and noble ones their Commilitants now there will doubtless by God's gracious assistance do the blessed work of reducing them and remove the largest and strongest footings the enemies of England have gotten render the Nation of England to bee true Lovers of Freedom and the noble preservers of that part of their bodie and dominion This also will take away all occasion from the enemie to blaspheme since the true worship and service of God will bee advanced in place of idolatrous Popetie so much of late years hazarding the peace of England make our Religion that true one indeed beautiful lovely and delightful free our Seas from the brood of Dunkirkers Pickaro's and others of the like stamp Irish Pirats when they shall have no place of harbor or retirement amongst us whereby trade will bee advanced And so in a short time may a firm and lasting peace and safetie bee acquired the gain whereof will not onely equipoiz but out-ballance all the charge that can bee spent for obteining of the same The blood that may bee spilt therein is in the dispofing of the Lord Armipotent the God of Battel from whom our small handfuls of men have not onely met with glorious and most strange and often deliverances far transcending the thoughts of natural man in all their former ingagements but maie doubtless exspect it still and for those that fall in the Lord's baâ—â— they die not but to live eternally in and with him the true knowledg of whom teacheth us that all our daies are numbred and that not one life shall bee lost but by his fore purpose and divine appointment who will still especially in our greatest weakness cover us with his shield in the daie of battel and enable us to trample on the necks of his and our enemies and which is far more excellent they shall surely bee members of the Church and live amongst the Saints triumphant whose death shall happen in a caus so just God's caus And here it may bee noted that the Irish Rebels by their last immane cruelties filling up the measure of their iniquitie seem to bee a people adopted by providence to an utter exstirpation Whereunto all faithful English-men have a call from Heaven in vindication of that innocent bloud there most profusely spilt without leaving that detestable brand of Astorgism upon the English Nation to perpetuitie The Fifteenth Quere VVHether it bee not the dutie of the State and Trustees of the Nation rather to minde seek and preserv the general peace safetie and welfare of the whole Nation then the honors and profits of particular men And whether particulnr men may not in an humble and peaceable manner present their thoughts to the State for a general good The fifteenth Answer THe whole Quere is affirmatively confessed and therefore it is hoped that Ireland a Countrie appropriate to this Nation and the major part of Inhabitants there of English descent will bee looked on not as the honors and profits of particular men but as a general concernment the desertion whereof will redound to the honors and profits of particular men enemies to the peace and welfare of England the most malignant of its enemies the Papists and therefore particular peaceable wel-affected men ought in an humble and peaceable manner to present their thoughts thereof to the State for a general good The sixteenth Quere WHether if the State of England should now in their full strength proclaim Ireland a free State repenting of all the evils that themselvs have acted and intended and that our King hath formerly acted against that Nation and that they will not further act to their prejudice but onely sit down by them as a neighbor-State as Holland doth and that they onely desire that they may bee in mutual league and as friends to seek the peace and welfare of each other that they will not countenance assist or protect each other's enemies nor anie that shall disturb the peace or safetie of anie of the Nation and onely require som considerable Sea-Port-Towns as securitie and bond to tie the Irish to the performance of the Covenants I saie whether this may not bee everie waie as advantagious to the State and people of England as a conquest over them the charge considered The sixteenth Answer IF the State of England should now in their full strength proclaim Ireland a free State and do further as in the Quere is propounded yet our true knowledg and experience of the Rebel's disposition promonisheth that they will bee still especially upon anie occasion of advantage forward and readie to the uttermost of their powers and malice to cut their benefactor's throats besides it would bee the most prejudicial act that could bee imagined against the State and people of England For set aside the honor due to almightie God in giving up that Countrie from his true worship and service to Idolatrie and prophaneness set aside their guilt of the innocent blood of our brethren kindred and Nation there barbarously poured out which will doubtless hang over the heads of the Pardoners set aside the utter overthrow and loss of manie thousands of Families their goods and Estates and the giving up the poor yet considerable remain of the English Protestant partie there to the disposition of their most cruel enemies Set aside the bloud and treasure there spent out of England since the
rebellion wherein not a Family in England but is interessed and which they exspect not to bee rendered fruitless to the dishonor of the whole Nation Set all these aside yet humane reason and policie dictate's that the Hous cannot bee safe so long as the back door is open The father wrong's his posteritie if hee lavishly give away halfe his inheritance the regaining whereof hereafter may bee a cause of ten fold loss of blood and treasure to what it may cost in preservation that it is neither safe or just in the Law of Nature to fling away anie part of our Arms or defence though at present cumbersom which may advantage the enemie by taking possession of and using as the popish partie will against us And saie the right and interest of England to Ireland were not so great cleer and undeniable as it is yet the late revolutions considered England must never exspect to bee advantaged or anie waie bettered by deserting Ireland and giving it up to the Rebellious Inhabitants A people so foully and lately treacherous to the Protestants and later English Which people are neither so formidable in their best arms defences and power to keep themselvs in such a proclaimed condition or freedom Nor is it the aim or mark of their new Grandees to effect and maintein it whose divisions and contrarie inclinations amongst themselvs are and will ever bee a readie and open gap for anie England's enemies to enter in at And saie they have no realitie in them to a kingly claim as without doubt they have not they having now of late made amongst them so manie new Kings yet it were an Act of destructive and dangerous consequence to give Ireland to the disposal of the Pope and hee to the Spaniard his dear childe which the Inhabitants of Ireland are not much against but contrariwise manie of them desire it and which undoubtedly if not prevented would happen And so that bit bee brought into the mouth of the Spaniard which hee hath so long gaped after to swallow and devour And admit that Ireland were of the Protestant Religion as well as England and thereby the above inconveniencies avoided yet were it neither safe nor commendable to quit the dependance of that Island on England by proclaiming the Inhabitants thereof a free State since what such a State might do upon verie slender grounds and mistakes let Scotland witness The resolution therefore is that to do as this Quere propound's is extreme loss hazard and disadvantage to the people of England and the reducement of that Countrie to its lawful dependance and Government of England by a full conquest of the present Rebels let the charge bee what it will is more honorable safe profitable and advantagious to England then to proclaim them a free State who are not in a capacitie to make and keep themselvs so nor are or ever were a distinct Nation as is before said and here take notice how the Querist propound's a suitable reward indeed for the State of England to bestow upon the Reâ—â—â—â—â— of Ireland for murdering their kindred and allies acknowledging the said Rebels a free State and in amitie with them and thereby for ever to quit their own undoubted interest establish the worst of their enemies becom guiltie of the unparalel'd murthers of those that were flesh of their flesh and bone of their bone and leav the remnant of the poor English there continually open to the rapine of those whose mercies are cruelties So as the Querist would work the State of England into an impious unprovident and unnatural desertion of the caus of God their own interest and National quarrel The seventeenth Quere VVhether Ireland were not altogether as like to accept of protection safetie and defenâ—e from the State and people of England as from Spain or any other Nation especially would they not rather then from Prince Charles Rupert or from such like forlorn Soldiers how would they then style the malignant Partie inconsiderable And whether they were not then likelie suddenly to recall their Sea-Pirats and so suddenly set open all Trade by Sea The seventeenth Answer BEcaus the Rebellious Inhabitants of Ireland have cast off their obedience to the government of England and as is too well known have plotted and as farr as they could indeavored the utter exâ—tirpation of the English Protestants have in coolness of bloud and without any provocation given them maliciously and most barbarously murthered som hundreds of thousands of them driven the rest from their habitations robbed them of their Estates wounded maimed and most miserably intreated great numbers of others have burned their houses Casiles and Churches and have elected and made to and amongst themselvs several new Kings viz. the Pope the King of Spaine Owen M c Art O Neil Sr Phelim O Neil The Lord Maguire since deceased O Conner Dun of Sligoh Philip M c Hugh M c Sane O Rely Dermot M c Doolin Cavenagh and one O Shergil as doth and will fully appear in the examinations taken in that behalf and becaus also those rebellious Irish have declined all English government returned to their barbarous manners and customs have set up a new government have vowed and many of them taken the Sacrament to destroy not only all the men women and children of the English Protestants but also all irrational Creatures of the English breed and becaus also they have in a most high manner as farr as they could prophaned the Churches books and daies of God's true worship have brought to death as many Professors of his truth as they could possiblie surprise and have dilated their power and strength in the acting and perpetrating of any crime destructive to the English Protestants and which might render themselvs uncapable of mercie protection or safetie from the people of England therefore none ought to be given them nor ought the sword now justly and upon necessitie drawn out against them be returned to the Scabbard before that destruction they denounced and resolved to execute upon the English be retaliated upon themselvs least such mercie be recompenced with a curs as the holie Ghost by the Prophet in a case such semblance pronounced Jer. 28.10 Cursed bee bee that doth the work of the Lord negligently and cursed bee hee that keepeth back his Sword from bloud But I wonder from what the Querist mean's they should be protected saved or defended if hee intend it to bee from that punishment they have so justly merited by their Rebellion and wickedness past according to that protection and those Concessions they lately had by Compact with Ormond grounded upon a Commission from the late King Charle To that I answer That if the indulgent English should grant it to them no doubt they would accept and make use of it so long as they should finde it to promote and be consistent with their own ends and surely they would to themselvs take up no little glorie to meet with such a color of justification as they might thereby transferr their odious guilt upon the Protectors so much elevate the policie and wit of the old Serpent their dread Lord and Master above the English Protestant genius and bee thereby also the further enabled to destroy the remaining Partie of the Protestants in Ireland too precious wee hope to bee the price of their securitie But for further resolution These rebellious Inhabitants of Ireland are so contemptuous to the English laws so opposite in profession to the English Protestant so hardned in their wickedness envie and hatred against God's truth and them for the truth's sake and so wil ully bent to persist as till suppressed they will not omit but contrariwise with greediness draw into their confederacie countenance and assistance any whether forreign Prince or other person and never think themselvs in good condition or safetie until if possible they have sounded the dreinings of the English veins to their abyss through their deepest lakes of bloud and have brought the undestroied part of the English to the lowest ebb of tranquilitie which they will endeavour to effect and hasten on as well by Sea as Land and have in most esteem all malignant Parties lending a hand and enabling them to effect it But the Lord prevent them Something may bee said concerning Edmond Gawre who delivered the formerly recited and answered cavilling Queres to Mr Theodore Jennings who delivered them over to the Lord President of the Council of State as that it is verie like lie he is an Irishman and one whom by credible information doth or lately did covertly cnnningly shelter among the soldierie in or about Londor and is a Jesuitical Papist for the verie Queres themselvs smel of the breath of a Jesuit the truth whereof may do well if found out by inquisition after his present being parentage and education which is left to the discretion of those eminent persons in anthoritie the Impostorâ—s then present drift being to retard and hinder if possible forces and succors from our Partie in Ireland at that time when the Land was in greatest danger to bee â—ent and taken from us FINIS