cum Haereticis whose principles are steept bloud tolerating Rebellion against King and Kingdome murdering of Princes blowing up of Parliament sowing seeds of division betweene Confederate Kingdomes as those two Handfasted and Troth-plighted Nations in a League of love indissoluble blessed be God can testifie blowing up coals of Division hotter then coals of Juniper in the same Kingdome where they live in too much peace Witnesse England who hath had wofull experience of their plottings to breake Union betweene King and people King and Parliament But now behold these bloudy Papists with their Vizard puld off and now acting their plots like incarnate Devils as our Saviour cald their brethren the Scribes and Pharisees For the works of their father they doe I say now acting their Devillish designe on the State of Ireland our sister Nation ayming no lower then the death and ruine of the whole Kingdome at one blow For had their plot on Dublin Castle taken which they had laid with so much subtilty and secrecie as in probability it had had not the keeper of Israel which slumbers not prevented it in a most miraculous manner they had beene by the morning light at work cutting off man woman and child till they had not left one remayning among them that bore the name of a Protestant Blessed be God their snare was broken and that poore City designed to destruction delivered the relation of which Tragedie now begins Oh that our eares may tingle and our bowels yern at the relation of this horrid designe and at the relations of those cruelties and tortures exceeding all parallel unheard off among Pagans Turks or Barbarians except you would enter into the confines of Hell it selfe to see the Devils those Engineers of cruelty acting of their parts I know not where you will find their fellows making it their sport to torture and to vex those poore distressed Protestants he that is most cruell merits most of their bloudy Jesuits Those firebrands of Hell preach to them in their Massings and Conventicles as is truly related by Gentlemen of Ireland of good worth who like Jobs Messengers are escaped their mercilesse hands relating nothing but what they have heard with their eares upon examination of witnesses or seen with their eyes that so men might not be deluded with false and idle Pamphlets but reade and see the truth of things that all men may behold what bloudy Tigres and Vultures these Popish Spirits are how perfidious and basely treacherous to those Nations that succour them never any Kingdom being long at peace where they were tolerated as this fresh bleeding Nation of Ireland can sadly relate you in this ensuing Narration Here begins the bloudie attempts upon the Kingdome of Ireland in the generall and on Dublin in particular UPon the three and twentieth day of October last 1641 the Castle of Dublin should have surprized as at that time it might easily have beene for there was no feare or suspition of Treachery there being at that time foure hundred Irish Papists elected out of most parts of Ireland desperate persons designed and appointed for that bloudy and desperate attempt all lodging and sculking in severall places of the City and Suburbs waiting and expecting the time and watch-word when to give the onset But that God that keepeth Israel saw their bloudy intentions to overthrow and ruinate all the professours of the true Religion disapointed their wicked hopes and to their owne shame and confusion discovered and laid open their hellish plot to succeeding ages that the Lord alone might be admired and they confounded And this he did by moving in the heart of one of their own Countrimen at that time an abhorring of so foule and detestable a Treason and to reveale it to Sir William Parsons Knight and Baronet Master of the Court of Wards and Liveries and Sir John Borlase Knight Master of the Ordnance both Lords Justices of the Kingdome of Ireland The party who discovered the plot had been formerly a servant to Sir John Clotworthy a godly and religious Gentleman but at time when hee revealed their designe hee served one Captaine Mack-Mahowne an Irishman who lodged at the signe of the Artichoake vulgarly called Saint Maries Abbey in the Suburbs of the City of Dublin The servants name was Owen Mack-Connel who being with his Master Captain Mack-Mahown in a house in Cookstreet at the Lodging of the Lord Mack-Gueere also and Irishman in the City of Dublin Upon the two and twentieth of October being the night afore his Master did then and there reveale the whole plot unto him in the presence of the Lord Mack-Gueere and others Owen Macke-onell who discouered the plot of takinge Dublin had a Pistoll Charged with too Bullets the pane primed with powder Brimstone twice offered against him tooke not fire so the Rebells said God will not suffer him to be killed he will be on our side I warrant you Owen Macke-onell leapinge ouer a wall escaped was sent to our Parlament with letters was rewarded 500 lb 200 per Annum At the first the Lord Parsons did seem to slight it but Owen Mack-Counel confidently affirmed the thing to my Lord in the hearing of his servants to be true and withall told him thus viz. My Lord my Lord I have discharged my duty and my conscience look you to it I will goe backe to my Master because neither hee nor the rest shall suspect me Your Lordship shall find my Lord Mack-Gueere at Master Cadowgans house in Cookstreet and Captaine Mack-Mahown at the Artichoke in the aforesaid Maryes Abbey to which place I am going now This Owen Mack-Connel going homewards to his Masters lodging takes up dirt in his hands and besmuts and dirties his face that he might appear to them to have tumbled over and over in the dirt whose approach and entrance into the roome where a great many of them were assembled together drinking and making merry for they intended not to goe to bed was so ridiculous that the company burst out into such a loud and sudden laughter with shouting and hollowing that the place rung of them round about and to welcome him home the company fell to their old course to make him drinke more but at last he told them that he must needs goe down into the yard so they suffered him to goe but commanded two of his companions to attend him and bring him up againe but they let him goe into the yard by himselfe not suspecting what he had done nor what hee meant to doe no sooner was he in the yard but knowing the place leaped over the pale and so escaped from them Great search they made in the yard for him and up and downe the house thinking hee had been crept to bed or hid himself in the barn of stable so that they were amazed to think what should become of him because they generally believed him to be so drunk and in such a pickle they refrained
as matters did then stand but should oblige them when it might be put in execution so they wait for a time and I pray God their eyes may sinke in their heads while they wait But Reader doe not think there is nothing done against us Is not Ireland our sister Nation Doe not our flesh and our bloud suffer there Doe we not heare of their threatnings breathed against us That when they have finished their worke there they intend England for the Aceldama the seat of war and field of bloud I will not stay thee longer still in the porch Enter in and behold the miseries of Ireland and if thou findest cruelties unexampled remember they are Papists and have as I am informed ten thousand Priests in the head of their armies who besides their tyranny towards our bodies would was it in their power send our souls in fiery chariots into hell So Hoffeus the Jesuite Well reade and bestow some pitty prayers relief on poore Ireland prayses for England increase in the love of Christ and hatred of the Pope I rest Thine I. Cranford Irelands warning to England LOok on me your sister Nation and pitty me I am your bone and your flesh I am wounded by them that I have too long trusted and harboured in my bosome I mean bloudy Papists rather then better friends take warning by me on sad experience Was there ever sorrow like my sorrow Look on me Repent Amend let my sins be your summons my judgements be your feare and learne righteousnesse by them When thy judgements are on the earth the inhabitants thereof shall learne righteousnesse Look on me pray and fight my enemies are yours my cause is yours wee have one God one Christ one Gospel one Religion united under one King if we fail one another now the proud enemy will blaspheme our God dishonour our Royall King scorne our Religion Hold out faith and prayer surely the victory is yours you pray and the enemy blasphemes up and be doing and the Lord shall be with you Shall wee be lesse zealous for the Lord of hosts then they are for their wooden Idols Solicit my Cause to his Majesty to the Parliament make my case yours be with mee as in the body stir now or never Helpe the Lord against the mighty your work will be glorious You shall be called the repairers of our breaches Look on me and adventure you that are Gods Stewards who knows but God intrusted thee with an estate for this Designe The Designe is honourable your purchase a Kingdome for Christ Back your selves with friends weaken the bloud-thirsty enemies secure your selves better try God if hee will not be your Ensurer double and treble Cast thy bread on the waters and after many dayes thou shalt finde it They are bloudy men The bloudy men shall not live out halfe their days They are cruell to the faint to the weary cruell to women to poore children mark what God threatned against Amaleck for the same thing Remember what Amaleck did unto thee c. how hee smote the hindermost even all that were feeble behind thee when thou wast faint and weary and hee feared not God Therefore when the Lord thy God shal give thee rest from all thine enemies round about in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possesse it that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amaleckfrom under heaven thou shalt not forget it Deut. 25. 17 18 19. To confirme the truth of these ensuing Tragick Stories you may be pleas'd to reade this Letter the Copy whereof was read the fourteenth of December in the Honourable House of Commons and also read againe before the right Honorable the Lords at a Committee of both Houses and desired to be entred into the journals of both Houses It was also read in a publike Congregation in London by an eminent Minister on the Fast day for Ireland to stir up bowels of pitty towards them SIR ALL I can tell you is the miserable estate wee continue under for the Rebels daily increase in men and munition in all parts except the Province of Munster exercising all manner of cruelties and striving who can be most barbarously exquisite in tormenting the poore Protestants wheresoever they come Cutting off their privy members eares fingers hands plucking out their eyes boyling the heads of little Children before their Mothers faces and then ripping up their Mothers Bowels stripping women naked and standing by them being naked whilst they are in Travell killing the Children as soon as they are born and ripping up their Mothers bellies as soone as they are delivered driving men women and children by hundreds together upon Bridges and from thence cast them down into Rivers such as drown'd not they knock their brains out with poles or shoot them with Muskets that endeavour to escape by swimming out ravishing wives before their husbands faces and Virgins before their Parents faces after they have abused their bodies making them renounce their Religion and then marry them to the basest of their fellows Oh that the Lord who hath moved the Kingdomes of England and Scotland to send reliefe to these afflicted Protestants would likewise stirre them to effect their undertaking with all possible expedition lest it be too late Some of the persons particularly mentioned to have suffered who are knowne unto you are Master Jerome Minister of Brides his body mangled and his members cut off Master Fullerton Minister of Lughall Simon Hastings his eares cut off Master Blandry Minister hanged his flesh pull'd off from his bones in the presence of his wife in small pieces he being hang'd two dayes before her in the place where shee is now prisoner Abraham Iames of Newtowne in the Diocesse of Clohor cut in pieces and it is reported that the Bishop of Clohor is turned to the Rebels thus moving pardon in presuming to trouble you at this time in your publike imployments doe with humble remembrance of his best respects to you and your vertuous Lady remayn Novemb. 27. 1641. Your Servant to command Thomas Partington A true Relation of the bloudy Massacre and damnable Treason of the cruell Papists intended against Dublin October 23. 1641. desperatly acted in most parts of the Kingdom of Ireland tending to the utter ruine and extirpation of all the Protestants there With a list of the severall tortures cruelties outrages on the bodies of poore Christians related by persons of good credit who are fled from those bloudy men to tell us what they have seen with their eyes and heard with their eares on examinattions of divers of the Actors in this Tragedy illustrated by Pictures BEhold as in a Map of bloud the unwearied plottings and restlesse contrivements of bloudy men only skilfull to destroy whose Religion is founded in bloud whose obedience will not be bounded with oaths asseverations nay execrations as the ensuing Story of cruelty relates who are true as steel to their damned Principles Nulla fides
back to looke them and as he returned hee met the Rebels crying Kill all Kill all the head Rebels command Thereupon hee fled over a Mountain was up to the breast in cold snow water and so scaped to Dublin very hardly with his life Three thousand six hundred poore souls fled naked into Dublin and starved with hunger came to eat something and died with eating twenty in a day lay dead in the open streets as men smitten with the plague Sir James Crag being in his Castle having many with him was besieged with the Rebels and almost famished the Knight was constrained to put forty out of the Castle which else must have beene famished with the rest behold the crnelty of these bloud-sucking Papists when they were turned out and left to their mercie they made quicke dispatch set on them and slue every man Another as savage of that Bloud-hound Rory Macqueere at the beginning of the Rebellion who came into an English Gentlemans house and found him in his bed and there began to cruciate and torture his naked body that hee might extort of him a Confession where his treasure lay which when this poore distracted Gentleman acknowledged in hopes to be eased they cruelly killed him and then stript his wife naked and turned her out of doors as if they would make all savage like themselves and lastly Makqueere took his daughter being a proper Gentlewoman and satisfied his beastly lust on her deflouring her as if this was too little to kill her father turn her mother out of doores and abuse her himselfe but like an inhumane Villain cut off her garments by the middle and then turned her to the mercy of the common Souldiers to be abused at their pleasure The Preestes Iesuites anointe the Rebells with there Sacrament of vnction before they goe to murther robe ashuringe them that for there meritorious Seruice if they be killed he shall escape Purgatory go to heauen immediatly They do usually mangell there dead Carcases layng wagers who shall cut deepest into there dead flesh with there Skeyns they destroy our English Sheepe in detestation of us although one is better then 4 of theirs they haue vowed to roote out the name of the English They doe usually mangle their dead carcasses laying wagers who shall cut deepest into their flesh with their skeins At Carvagh neere Colerant the Rebels came to begirt the Towne Master Rowly Brother to the worthy Knight Sir John Clotworthy came forth with a small Company about three hundred men to prevent them they came upon them with a very great company and slue all but eight of the Protestants base cowardize where they want courage they make it up with heaps and multitudes of frighted Hares and the more fearefull and cowardly ever the more cruell upon any advantage All their cruelties have been usually on disarmed men in small Villages where was no strength to resist them there they have tyrannizd over the weaker sex women they have basely triumphed over little children their rage hath beene exercised Oh base cowardise if they have ventured sometimes on pur men it hath beene when they were naked as they have bin flying from those Furies which their party have newly stript naked by and by they met with more of those White-livered Villaines in companies They would likewise abuse those poor naked Protestants like Dogs adding to their misery beating them and bruising their naked bodies with cudgels breaking the heads of some and wounding others that if they have not died they have beene dangerously sicke with the inhumane usage of those merciless wretches nay rather then they will be no body they will shew their manhood in abusing dead bodies as this story declares by very credible testimony from their own Countrimen Here I shall acquaint you with a remarkable Story which I received from a Citizen of Dublins testimony of good repute there and here wherein you may behold the promise made good to the Protestant side which the Lord himselfe made to his People Israel that five should chase a hundred It pleased God by one man and few with him to out-dare about thirty thousand of those cowardly Rebels whose cause is base whose Religion is but a meere pretence for their bloudy designes and thus it was as that Citizen related A very great Army of about thirty thousand Rebels besieged Drohedah wherein was that valiant and religious Commander Sir Henry Tichbourn with a few of the Protestant party with him in comparison of those multitudes of Rebels trusting to their great Army boldly demanded the Towne if they would yield no question but they should have faire quarter but Sir Henry knowing them its likely very well how perfidious they were and the lesse to be believed the more they swore and execrated themselves resolutely replyed and sent the Rebels this Answer Be it knowne to you I am a Souldier bred and wil never yield but upon three conditions 1 Before I surrender I will kill all the Papists in the Town 2 I will destroy all the Nunneries 3 I will fire the Towne and march in the light of it by the help of God to Dublin Nay rather then I will give up I will feed on a piece of a dead horse and if that faile I will eat the shoulder of an old Popish Alderman This bone hee threw among those hungry wolves and you may imagine how they relished it And that remarkable instance which was published by order of the Right Honorable the House of Lords concerning this Noble and Religious Knight Sir Henry Tichbourn how it pleased God to honour him with a succesfully victory against the Rebels now very lately they being driven in Drohedah to eat horse flesh for want of other provision The Rebels having chained up the River in hope to keepe out provision by Sea that no reliefe might come from Dublin it pleased God to raise such a storme that broke the chain and scattered the enemies boats and opened a free passage from Dublin whereby they were relieved blessed be God Thus the Lord fought for them by winds and Seas As the windes and Seas obey him and hee rules in them so on the land he rules It is not by many but by few one shall chase a hundred when God sights for his people Pulling them about the streetes by the haire of the head dashing the Childrens braines against the postes saynge these were the Pigges of the English Sowes Droghedah so bloked up that a bushell of wheate was fold for 23. Shill meate scarce to be had at any rate Ian 4. 1641. Here take notice of their cowardise againe attempted on a noble Lady by a Letter sent from seven of the grand Rebels with her resolute and undaunted answer to them as followâ— The Rebels Letter to the Lady Offalia in her Castle at Geshel To the honorable and thrice vertuous Lady the Lady Digby these give Honorable WE his Majesties loyall Subjects being at