of the Regiments and the numbers in each to be 39320 Foot 3471 Horse and 2480 Dragoons which in all make an Army of 50271. besides their Rapparees in all the Corners of the Countrey but these were all that they had to man the whole Garisons of Ireland so that they were not above 27000 at the Boyn besides the French But to return About the 8th or 9th of July it was known abroad That His Majesty had an Account of the Misfortune of the English and Dutch Fleets at which time he divided his Army and marched himself towards Kilkenny with the greatest part of it For though His Majesty was sensible that going with his whole Army towards Athlone and so into Connaght was the readiest way to reduce the Irish yet having some Reasons to apprehend that the French after the Battel of Flerus might send off Detachments from their Army and so disturb England or at least send part of their Fleet and burn his Transport-Ships he made hast to secure Waterford Haven for them since the Bay of Dublin is no Place of safety Sending at the same time Lieutenant-General Douglas with three Regiments of Horse two of Dragoons and ten of Foot towards Athlone Ffty miles to the Northwest from Dublin before which Place he came on the 17th with the aforesaid Party Twelve Field-pieces and two small Mortars The Irish burnt and deferted that part of Athlone on Leinster side the Bridge called the English Town But seeing our Party and our Train not suitable to such an Undertaking and having three Regiments of Foot nine Troops of Dragoons and two of Horse in and about the Town with a fresh supply of Forces not far off they positively refused to deliver up the Place which Lieutenant-General Douglas seeing no hopes of forcing them to on Friday the 25th early in the morning he raised his Siege and marched to join the King's Army again having not lost above Thirty men before the place but near Three hundred by Sickness and other Accidents Our rising from before that Town did so puff up the Irish that one Malady the Late King 's High Sheriff for the County of Longford got at least Three thousand of the Rabble or such like People together near Mullingar where they hectored and swaggered for some days but Collonel Woolsley with his own Horse and two Regiments of Foot being sent back to secure that part of the Countrey about Forty of his Horse being an Advance Guard fell in with a Party of the Irish towards the Evening which giving the Alarm to the rest they immediately began to disperse and every man to shift for himself and Night coming on our Party had only the opportunity of killing about Thirty of them High Sheriff Malady himself being wounded and never since able to raise such another posse Commitatus But to return to His Majesty's Camp which on the 9th he pitched at a place called Cromlin two miles to the West of Dublin where the King setled the method A Commission about Forfeited Goods of granting Protections according to his Declaration And then gave a Commission to Francis Earl of Longford Anthony Lord Bishop of Meath Robert Fitz-Gerald Esq Sir Henry Fane Doctor Gorge William Robinson Esq Joseph Coghlin Esq Edward Corker Esq and Henry Davis Esq or any five of them to enquire into seize and secure all Forfeitures to the Crown by the General Rebellion of the Irish Nation This Commission empowered them to appoint Deputies to summon and swear Witnesses to call the Justices of the Peace and Deputy-Lieutenants to their Assistance to let Leases for a year and in doubtful Cases to consult the Judges learned in the Law and this Power of theirs to continue until a more legal method could be put in practice when the Courts of Judicature were open The Bishop of Meath whether his Lordship was sensible of the Defect of the Commission at first or else did not like the Proceedings of some of the rest he soon forbore his attendance at their Meetings but several of the rest proceeded in their Business and took possession of Goods of all sorts as well in the Hands of Roman-Catholicks and on their Grounds as in the hands of Protestants where they had been left by their Catholick Neighbours upon which account those Gentlemen had the misfortune to be much censured afterwards as well by some in the Countrey where they made Seisures as by the Commissioners of Their Majesty's Revenue who complained of the small Returns made into the Exchequer This occasioned several of the above-named Gentlemen who had been imployed to make a representation of their Case afterwards to the Lords Justices which I have seen and it was to this effect That amongst a great many Discouragements in so troublesome an Imployment their Commission it self was so defective that it seemed a perfect Snare to them contrary to the intent or Interest of His Majesty in that it gave them power to seize upon all Forfeitures but not to dispose of any except of Lands by lease for a year by which means the Goods seized by the Commissioners and their Deputies were often either stole or forced away sometimes by the Army and at other times by the Rapparees after they had been at great charge about them And a great many other things they have to say for themselves by which it appears that those Aspersions cast upon some of them were groundless though others of them or where-ever the fault else laid some I say there were who did Their Majesties Affairs no great Advantage nor themselves much Credit by their management But this being a matter of publick Concern is none of my business to look into His Majesty then marched forwards and from a Wexford secured Place called Castledermot sent Brigadier Eppinger with a Party of One thousand Horse and Dragoons to secure Wexford which before his Arrival was deserted by the Irish Garison The King all along upon his march was acquainted with the Disorders and Confusion of the Irish Army and of their speedy marches to Limerick and other Strong Holds The 19th His Majesty dined at Kilkenny a Walled Town wherein stands a Castle belonging to the Duke of Ormond which had been preserved by Count Lauzun with all the Goods and Furniture And next day His Majesty Clonmel quitted by the â—ish understood that the Enemy had quitted Clonmell whither Count Sconberg marched with a Body of Horse Monday the 21st The Army marched to Carrick where the King received an Account of the state of Waterford and whither Major-General Kirk went Waterford and Duncannon Fort surrendred next morning with a Party to summon the Town wherein were two Regiments of the Irish who submitted upon condition to march out with their Arms As did also the strong Fort of Duncannon in a day or two after which gave His Majesty sufficient shelter for all his Shipping When Waterford was surrendered His Majesty in Person went to view it where
Sligo to view the Posture of the Enemy thereabouts and it being reported that Lieutenant General Sheldon's Horse were in that part of the Country two hundred Horse and Dragoons were sent abroad to discover the Truth of it Lieutenant Colonel Ramsey with the rest of the Party marched to Ballysedara Bridge four Miles from Sligo where he found old Sir Teague O Regan with eighty Horse and about two hundred Foot very Advantageously posted to hinder our passage that way but our Party attacking them they gave ground after some time and Sir Francis Hambleton with some of the Militia and a Troop of Colonel Winn's Dragroons coming in the mean time the Enemy were pursued almost to the Fort of Sligo about thirty of them killed and ninteen taken Prisoners amongst whom were two Lieutenants and an Ensign and the Store-keeper of Sligo Sir Teague himself narrowly escaping for his mean Appearance was the reason that a Lieutenant was seized instead of him The Earl of Drogheda's Regiment had now Orders to march from the Queens County to Mullingar where the men were daily imployed to improve and strengthen the Works my Lord himself marched always with his Regiment and then took a great deal of pains as well in seeing the Works compleated as in forwarding the Stores and also in hearing and redressing Complaints and Grievances relating as well to the Army the Country A Party of the Militia bring in some Prisoners from the Island nigh Lanesborough who were afterwards sent to Dublin Seventeen Rapparees were killed in the County of Kildare by two Parties of the Militia and three hanged at Edenderry five hundred of the Militia of the County of Cork under the Command of Colonel Beecher met with about four hundred of the Irish beyond a place called Shibbareene and after a small dispute the Enemy were put to flight by which means our Party had almost surpriz'd Mackarty Moore and Colonel O Donavan who were not far off the Enemy lost nigh sixty and the Militia got a considerable Booty of Cattle and nigh the same time one Barry a Captain with ten of his men deserted from the Enemy On the Thirtieth of July part of the Militia of the County of Wickloe being two Troops of Horse two of Dragoons and five Companies of Foot rendezvoused on the Murrough five Miles from Wickloe where they were viewed by Major Brooks and Captain Phillips appointed by the Government as Superintendents of the Militia of that County And thus ended this active month of July in Ireland where more execution was done then in all Europe besides notwithstanding the great Preparations CHAP. VII Several fresh Regiments ordered towards the Camp to Recruit the Army Brigadier Leveson sent with a Party towards Nenagh that place deserted by long Anthony Carol. A Treaty with Balderock O Donel. The Army marches to Cariganlis The General with a Party views Limerick News of the Death of my Lord Tyrconel Irish Lords Justices act after my Lord Tyrconels death A Party sent to meet our Guns Colonel Lumnley goes with a Party towards Charlevil A Spy returns with an account of the Estate of Limerick An Order about the Rates of Provisions Another prohibiting the buying Cattle without the Generals License Our Army goes to Limerick Iretons Fort taken then Cromwels Fort. Col. Donep killed Our heavy Cannon came up A Party sent to Castle-Cannel Our Ships come up nigh the Town Batteries planted The Enemy afraid of our passing the River Brigadier Leveson sent into Kerry Some Protestants released from St. Thomas 's Island Major General Talmash commands in the Trenches A brief Account of what hapned in other places of the Kingdom during the Month of August THe General being assured that the Irish were Fresh Regiments sent for to the Camp using their utmost skill and industry to rally and re-inforce their shattered Army and not knowing how far despair might carry Men that were come now to their last Stake considering also that we had a strong Town before us which would be the work of some Time to reduce if the Enemy made what Resistance might justly be expected his own Troops being likewise harrassed by continual labour and toil suffering often through scarcity of Bread and other Necessaries by reason of continual marching Those and other Considerations prevailed with the General to send for all the Regiments that had been left in Munster and other places except Colonel Hastings at Cork and some Inniskilliner's in the North and some of them being already upon their march we were joyned on the First of August at Banoher The Army marched to Banoher Bridg. Bridge by Colonel Matthews Dragoons and Colonel Lloyd's Foot the latter upon further consideration being ordered back to Athlone for that Balderock's Party was still on foot Banoher is about fourteen miles from Athlone down the River towards Limerick and is a very strong Pass at which the Irish kept three Regiments all the precedeing Winter building small Huts to shelter thâ—mselves from the Weather The Bridge it self consists of seventeen large Arches one of which was broke down by the Irish and another is since fallen At the Bridge end on Leinster side had been a considerable Stone Fort built in the former Wars now demonished by the Irish but on the other side of the River they had cast up a Work close to the Bridge and there planted four Field peeces behind which stood an Old Castle not to be forced without Cannon and nigh that a very Regular Fort and well palisado'd so that it was not so easie a thing to force this place at any time during the former Winter as some Coffee-House Generals and pot valiant Souldiers made it but Men that have been bred up that way and are actually upon the Place are commonly best Judges of what is fit to be attempted in such a Case though it is not convenient they should alwayes give Reasons for what they do to every one who pretend to be concern'd Our Army encamped here on a narrow Neck of Ground left by the slopeing of the River on the Right and a vast Bog on the Left The Encampment being so strong that it had been impossible for any Army or numbers of Men to have forced us from our Ground August the Second the Army halted and a detachment Brigadier Leveson sent forwarwards with a Party of four Men out of each Troop of Horse with a Party of Dragoons making in all five hundred men under the Command of Brigadier Leveson were sent forwards to scowre the Country On the Fourth this Party went to Nenagh where stands the Remains of an Old Castle built by King John and now the Inheritance of the Duke of Ormond The Roof of this Castle was burnt by a Party of our Army at our decamping last year but the Walls and some other conveniencies remain still being possest all Winter by long Anthony Carol whose Party was now about five hundred Hearing therefore of Brigadier Levesons approach he
Muskery O Connor Roe Sir Francis Talbot Sir William Dungan and several others submitted upon those Conditions That they should abide a Trial for the Murders committed in the beginning of the Rebellion and those that only assisted in the War were to forfeit two Thirds of their Estates and to be banished And what I would further observe is this That when the General Assembly of the Popish Clergy and others at Loughreagh desired the then Marquess of Ormend's leave to treat with the Enemy for the Nation in general at the Surrender of Galway Cromwel's Army positively refused it being resolved not to admit of any Treaty for the whole but those that would capitulate should do it only for themselves or the Towns and Places they respectively belonged to By which means tho' the Town of Galway was the last considerable one that was surrendered being on the 12th of May 1652. yet it was the 26th of September 1653. before it was declared That the Rebels were subdued and the Rebellion appeased and ended And though His Majesties Proclamation about the ending of this present War was nigh six Months after the Surrender of Lymerick yet this was deferred only with respect to the poverty of the Country in forgiving the Kingdom half a years Quit-Rents and had not the least relation to any appearance of a further Disturbance as appears by the Proclamation it self Now if Lymerick had been no stronger Town when we last besieged it than it was some time after the first Conquest of Ireland when Earl Reymond Son-in-Law to Strongbow and General of the Army with David Walsh and others swam into the King's Island who taking the City without any sort of Cannon and plundering it they left a Garrison of their own men there or indeed if it had been in no better condition than in the former Wars when there appeared nothing like Works without the Walls themselves or if the Irish People were no better skill'd in Arms now than they have been heretofore even in the late times being most of them rather a confused Rabble than any thing that deserved the Name of an Army then it had been a Reflection upon an Army so well disciplin'd and in so good order as ours was not to have humbled them without any Terms But besides the natural strength of its Situation Lymerick is now improved by Art to that degree that it is very much stronger than it was when we laid Siege to it the former year the Enemy with extraordinary diligence and industry having since that cast up very strong new Works round the Irish Town with great Improvements in the King's Island and elsewhere And the Irish had not only the Advantages of being train'd up to the use of Arms by my Lord Tyrconnel and serving in an Army for some years past but several of them have been abroad in foreign Service besides the being for the most part in Action during the three Campagnes in Ireland and Custom it self is no doubt of it one Point of Courage But those who ever read the Story of Noteburg will not wonder at this Capitulation this they say is a Town built in an Island at the Entrance of the Lake Lagoda made by the Muscovites and encompassed with a strong Wâ—ll against the Attempts of the Suedes it standing upon their Frontiers This the Suedes took under the Command of James De la Garde but not till the Extremities of the Siege and a contageous Disease had consumed the whole Garrison to two Men who yet made a very advantageous Capitulation vid. Ambassadors of Hollands Travels into Muscovy and Russia And as to the Irish it must needs be acknowledged that they never had formerly so fair a Pretext as now nor had they ever been so unanimous since in the late Wars they had at least three different Armies on Foot at the same time they had now also the Assistance and Encouragement of France which is without question at present one of the most powerful Interests in the World and if they had held out till the following Winter they must needs have much fatigued our Army by continual Alarms and Watchings besides other Difficulties that would have attended us in a Blockade in which there 's no subsisting without continual Supplies of Money Ammunition and Victuals and especially near such a place as Limerick then was the Countrey thereabouts being ruined and exhausted in continuing the Seat of War for two Campaigns so that abstracting from the deepness of the Soil and the sharpness of the Winter as it afterwards proved unless we had been full as carefully supplied with Necessaries as ever we had been formerly the whole Design had been still in hazard besides the loss of Time and Treasure And though we had passed the River yet we were still as far from entring the Town as ever What might have been done some time before I am no competent Judge of but since the Irish had it still in their Power to give us the Town or keep it to themselves I see no Reason why they ought not to make a Bargain for it and expect the performance of their Contract which Their Majesties have been graciously pleased to ratifie under the Great Seal of England It may rationally be here demanded why the Irish would treat with us for the Town since they had full as many Foot within as we had in our Army without and and notwithstanding all the Stories told us by Deserters about the scarcity of Provisions they had a quantity of the finest French Bisket I ever tasted sufficient for the whole Garrison for two Months some of which I saw and Commissary-General Aspole assured my self and some other Friends that they had the rest Upon which I asked him the reason of giving us the Town And his Reply was That if they had been driven by necessity to yield they must then have accepted what Terms we had pleased to give them but since they were not they had stood upon such as were for the Advantage of their whole Party But the Truth of it is the Irish were either weary of the War or jealous of one another or it may be both it being no ill Policy on our side to foment their differences and make their private Quarrels advance our Publick Service And as for what happen'd at this Juncture it 's certain that the French Lieutenant-Generals were jealous of the Irish betraying or at least forsaking them And 't is without question they used their Interest in persuading the Irish to hold out till Relief came for they knew considering all things it had been very improper for us to endeavour the forcing the Town by a Breach But I imagine Monsieur D'Vssone's Case now was much the same as that of Don John de Aquila at Kinsale in the Year 1601. who finding the Town was like to be lost and that instead of conquering a Kingdom his Men and himself were like to become a Prey to the Enemy He then
delivering up their Arms a very small return being made through the whole Kingdom they keeping as yet some thousands of all sorts of Arms still concealed which I hope will effectually be taken care of in time The weather was now so violent that the Adventure of London was cast away going to Dublin and several other Ships lost in and about that Bay And the Swallow one of Their Majesties Ships was forced a ground nigh Charles-Fort at Kingsale and there foundred tho' all the Men were saved except two February the 12th John Stone Esq being dead and Captain South imployed elsewhere in the Army a new Commission was granted putting in their Places Colonel Foulks and William Palmer Esquires Commissioners for stating the Accounts of the Army And nigh the same time the Commissary General was sent into England with all the Muster Rolls February 16. the weather breaking up part of my Lord Oxford's Horse driven back by stress of weather Lieutenant General Ginckel's and Major General Ruvigney's Horse with the Princess Anns Foot were all Shipp'd for England The same day Lieutenant General Scravemore went on Board as did Brigadier Leveson in a day or two after Colonel Coy's Horse also are Shipp'd off at Belfast and the Garison of Athlone that had been very uneasie to the Officers and Souldiers all Winter by reason they had no shelter except some small Hutts of their own making was now relieved February the 20th the Commissioners of the Ordnance Arms and Ammunition sent for England had an Order directed to them to send all the Stores of Amunition and other Stores of War that cou'd be spared out of the Magazines for England to be employed elsewhere in Their Majesties Service and accordingly March 1692. a vast quantity of Arms and other Utensils of War were Shipt off February 28 Captain Townsend of the Earl of Meath's Regiment took eight or ten French Men Prisoners who had come a Shoar from a Privateer nigh Castle-Haven and we had an Account from England that His Majesty had Created Lieutenant General Ginckel Baron of Aghrim and Earl of Athlone February 26 An Order was directed to Colonel Foulk to break my Lord George Hambleton's Regiment which was done accordingly in some days after 150 ' of the Men being sent for England and the rest entertained in the Earl of Drogheda's Brigadier Stuart's Sir Henry Ballasis and Colonel Foulk's Regiments March the first a Pass was given out for a Ship to The Hostages go from Cork to France go to France with the Hostages left at Cork and other sick Officers and Souldiers according to the Articles of Limerick And on the third another Order was granted to Colonel Foulk for the raising five Companies of 100 Men in each of the Irish all the subaltern Officers to be of those Reformed in Colonel Wilson's and O Donnel's Battalions and the whole to be commanded by my Lord Iveigh and employed in the Emperor's Service And March the fifth an Order was directed to Mr. Foliot Sherigly chief Deputy Commissary to Disband the Troop of Provoes which was done accordingly March the 17th Lieutenant-General Ruvigny Landed Lieutenant General Ruvigny lands in Ireland from England being made Commander in chief of the Army left in Ireland and Created by his Majesty Lord Viscount Galway and two days after his Lordship and the Lord Viscount Blessington were Sworn of Their Majesties Privy Council as the Bishop of Kildare had been some time before And March the 23 d. the following Proclamation was Published declaring the War of Ireland to be at an end 1692 WILLIAM REX WHEREAS by An Act made in Our Parliament A Proclamation declaring the Wars of Ireland ended at Westminster in the First Year of Our Reign Intituled An Act for the better Security and Relief of Their Majesties Protestant Subjects of Ireland it was among other things Enacted that all and every Person and Persons whatsoever of the Protestant Religion should be absolutely Discharged and Acquitted of and from the Payment of all Quit-Rents Crown-Rents Composition-Rents Hearth-Money Twentieth Parts Payments and other Chief Rents arising or Payable out of any Houses Lands Tenements Hereditaments Rectories Tyths or Church-Livings incurring or becoming due to us at any time after the Five and Twentieth Day of December in the Year of Our Lord One Thousand Six Hundred Eighty Eight until the said Kingdom of Ireland shou'd be by us declared to be reduced and the War and Rebellion there ended We have now pursuant to the said Act of Parliament thought fit by and with the Advice of Our Privy Council to Issue this Our Royal Proclamation hereby Declaring that the said Kingdom of Ireland is reduced to Our Obedience and the War and Rebellion there ended And We do hereby Will and Require that all and Singular such Rents and Payments and all other Duties payable to the Crown which shall henceforth grow incur and become due be duely answered and payed to us in such manner and under such Penalties and Forfeitures as if the said Act had not been made Given at Our Court at Kensington the Third Day of March 1691 2. in the Fourth Year of Our Reign God save the King and Queen After which time little of moment happened save March 1692. that the Lords Justices by Directions from Their Majesties appointed a time for those that pretended to the Benefit of the Articles of Limerick or Galway to give in their Names and make good their claims by the 20th of February which time was by Proclamation enlarged to the first of April and afterwards to the 15th Wednesday the sixth of April was appointed the first Day to begin upon those Claims all those concerned being to enter their Names sometime before with the Clerk of the Council which Names were to be posted up at least ten Days before their Cause was to be heard their Claims being to be made out by at least three Credible Witnesses one of which was to be a Protestant Accordingly on the sixth of April the Council met upon this Affair and continued every Monday Wednesday and Friday so to do which was a much easier way and more to the Interest and Advantage of the Irish than any Court of Claims erected only for that purpose cou'd have been CHAP. XI A brief Account of the former and present Circumstances of Ireland The Division of it into Provinces and Counties Bishopricks and Parishes The Soil of Ireland Sir John Davis his Reasons why Ireland was so long in being entirely subjâ—cted to the Crown of England What Tanistry is This a reason why the Irish did not improve their Country Of Fosterings and Cosherings A Brief Estimate of the Expence of the former Wars of Ireland An Essay towards the reckoning the Charge of this last The former evils still remain The Interest of the King and People of England in general to advance the Power and Trade of the English in Ireland The Interest also of the Roman Catholicks
Officers desired might be made good after the coming of the French Fleet And first it was but reasonable seeing it was within the intent of the Articles Secondly It was Prudence not to deny it since the French Fleet being Eighteen Men of War Four Fireships and Twenty Ships of Burden were certainly too hard for Captain Coal and his Squadron then in the Shannon and might have put what Men and Provisions they pleased into the English Town our Army also being gone to Quarters we had only Five Regiments in the Irish Town with my Lord Drogheda's and my Lord Lisburn's Encamp'd without the Walls Provisions also were so scarce with us that our Men had only a Pint of Meal a Day allowed them and the Irish in the other Town were not only more in number but better provided so that if Justice could not have obliged the General to the Confirmation of that Clause yet discretion at that Juncture would In a Day or Two after the Articles were Signed we had News that the French Fleet was come to Dingle Bay with Ammunition and all sorts of Provisions for the Relief of the Town this made the Irish Great Officers hang their Heads to think they should so easily part with a place of that importance or rather how they could Answer it to the French King who had been at all that expence and hazard in order to their Relief but the opportunity was lost in doing it no sooner which some have look'd upon since as one of the falsest steps made in France of a long time our King being now at leisure to visit them instead of their supporting his Enemies in Ireland And tho' the French Fleet came too late to Relieve the Some Objections against the Articles of Limerick Answered Town yet I hope it may not be impertinent to endeavour the Answering some Objections that have been since made against the Capitulations of Limerick As if the Lords Justices and the General had condescended too far in granting the Irish any Terms at all at least such as they did which put them into a Condition of Revolting again whensoever an opportunity offered it self That therefore Providence seem'd now to have given the Irish up as the Barbarous Nations were formerly to the Jews and that if this occasion was neglected of putting it out of their power for ever hereafter to endanger the English Interest Or if it was not made a right use of by which they understood destroying of them Root and Branch then we might certainly expect that all the Expence and Blood it has cost England in their Reduction will in a small time signifie nothing since it 's observed that the Irish of themselves are a sloathful People naturally inclined to Spoil Rapine Stealth and Oppression bred in no Trades Manufactures or other ways of Civil Industry to live by in times of Peace wherein they never did nor can endure to continue long loving always a savage and unbridled kind of Life And therefore when one opportunity is neglected of destroying them it will be the Justice of God to make them afterwards the Instruments of our punishment as they have been hitherto And thus Argue a great many People of that Countrey who pretend good experience and that very lately for what they say But as to those Comparisons between us and the Jews the Irish and the Barbarous Nations formerly Inhabiting Judea there can be no just proportion made to draw any reasonable Conclusions from since the Irish are Christians as well as we tho' misled and abused in a great many points and have a natural right to their Countrey which several of them have never forfeited by any Rebellions how forward soever others may have been And for my own part I must own my self of the Opinion that any Policy that is founded in Blood and tends to the destruction of Mankind is not so warrantable by the Law of God as some people endeavour to make it excepting that one Instance of the Jews which is no precedent to any other People And what means soever may be used for the procuring of Unity or Settlement in a Countrey Men must at the same time be careful not to deface and dissolve the Bonds of Christian Charity nay of humane Society since acting the contrary is but to dash the second Table against the first and so to consider others as of this or that Persuasion and treat them ill upon that account is to forget that they are Men as my Lord Bacon has formerly observed And indeed to me it seems full as unreasonable to destroy other People purely because they cannot think as we do as it is for one man to ruine another because the outward Figure and Shape of his Body is not the same with his own Nor can I imagine that the destruction of those men if they really had been in our power could any way have contributed either to the profit or further advancement of the Interest of that Country since the Act of Settlement of the Crown of England upon their present Majesties very deliberately provides That no Papist or any one marrying a Papist shall for ever hereafter be capable to inherit the Imperial Crowns of these Kingdoms And the late swearing Act relating to Ireland entituled An Act for abrogating the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy in Ireland and appointing other new ones are both very considerable Advantages to the Protestant Interest in that Kingdom and no doubt it will be easier for the Government to observe and keep their part of those Articles than for the Irish themselves to do their duty which will be seen in time and there are other convenient Maxims to be observed which being things out of my way I do not pretend to consider them what I have to offer upon this Head being rather Matter of Fact than Argument and that by comparing the state of the Irish at Lymerick and other Places of the Kingdom at the making of these Articles with their Condition at their surrendring up all in the former Wars In the former Wars of Ireland the City of Lymerick was surrendered to Ireton on the 29th of October 1651 upon severe Articles the Governour the Titular Bishop of Lymerick and twelve more being excepted by name and some of these were afterwards executed but during the Siege the Irish lost 5000 men of whom the Plague destroyed many more than the Sword 1300 only marched out and about 4000 Irish remained within Cox Vol. 2. p. 69. Then Galway was surrendered on the 12th of May following to Sir Charles Coot and on the 27th of June Major General Ludlow frighted the Garrison of Ross in Kerry into a Surrender by a small Vessel that he was bringing over the Hills to put into the Lough that surrounds Ross-Castle Rosscommon and James-Town had surrendred to Col. Reynolds on the 27th of April before and Inchylough surrendred to Col. Zanchy on the first of August at what time the Lords of Westmeath and