attaynt many thousands of your Majesties most faithfull subiects of this kingdom they being never summoned nor having notice of those proceedings and Sheriffs made of obscure mean persons by the like practise appointed of purpose and poore Artificers common souldiers and mecanicall servants returned Iurors to passe upon the lives and estates of those who came in upon protection and publick faith 14 Therefore the said Catholicks in the behalfe of themselves and of the whole kingdom of Ireland Do protest and declare against the said proceedings in the nature of Parliaments and in the other Courts aforesaid and every of them as being heynous crimes against Law destructive to the Parliaments and your Majesties prerogatives and authority and to the rights and just liberties of your most faithfull subjects Forasmuch Dread Soveraign as the speedy application of apt remedies unto these grievances and heavy pressures will tend to the settlement and improvement of your Majesties revenue the prevention of further effusion of bloud the preservation of this kingdom from desolation and the content and satisfaction of your said subjects who in manifestation of their duty and zeale to your Majesties service will be most willing and ready to imploy 10000. men under the conduct of wel-experienced Commanders in defence of your Royall rights and prerogatives They therefore most humbly beseech your Majesty That you will vouchsafe gracious answers to these their humble and just complaints And for the establishment of your people in a lasting peace and security The said Catholicks do most humbly pray that your Majesty may be further graciously pleased to call a free Parliament in this kingdom in such convenient time as your Majesty in your high wisdome shall think fit and the urgencie of the present affaires of the said kingdom doth require and that the said Parliaments be held in an indifferent place summoned by and continued before some person or persons of honour and fortune of approved faith to your Majesty and acceptable to your people here and to be timely placed by your Majesty in this government which is most necessary for the advancement of your service and present condition of the kingdom in which Parliament the said Catholicks doe humbly pray these and other their grievances may be redressed and that in the said Parliament a statute made in this kingdom in the 10. yeare of K. Henry the 7. commonly called Poynings Act and all acts explayning or inlarging the same be by a particular Act suspended during that Parliament as it hath been already done in the 11. yeare of Q. Eliz. upon occasions of far lesse moment then now do offer themselves And that your Majesty with the advise of the said Parliament will be pleased to take a course for the repealing or further continuance of the said Statutes as may best conduce to the advancement of your service here and peace of this your Realme and that no matter wherof Complaint is made in this Remonstrance may debarre Catholicks or give interruption to their free votes or sitting in the said Parliament And as in duty bound they will ever pray for your Majesties long and prosperous Raign over them FINIS THis Remonstrance was delivered by the Lord Viscount Gormonstown Sir Lucas Dillon Knight Sir Robert Talbot Baronet and John Walsh Esquire thereunto authorised by the Confederate Catholicks of Ireland to His Majesties Commissioners at the Town of Trim in the County of Meath on the 17. of March 1642. to be presented to His most Excellent Majestie Printed at Waterford by Thomas Bourke Printer to the Confederate Catholicks of IRELAND Anno Dom. 1643. To the Kings most excellent Majestie YOur Majesties most loyall and obedient Protestant Subjects of Ireland groaning under the heavy pressures of the confederate Romane Catholiques of Ireland who to adde to all their other injuries have printed a booke intituled A Remonstrance delivered by the Lord Viscount Gormanstowne and others authorised by the said confederate Catholiques to Your Majesties Commissioners at Trym the 17. of March 1642. which came not to the knowledge of Your Majesties Protestant Subjects of Ireland till of late wherein they have endeavored by confounding of times and by other subtile conveyances to put a shew of reason upon their wicked and unnaturall acts We therefore beseech Your most sacred Majestie to cast your eye upon the ensuing Collection of some passages and unknown truths wherein will appeare part of the grievances of Your Majesties said Protestant subjects and part of the many untruths and scandalous aspersions by the said Remonstrants cast upon Your Majesties gracious government and upon Your said Protestant subjects And although these Collections in some measure answer the Remonstrance and come attired in round and plaine expressions as the wofull case requireth the just vindication of Your Majesties gracious government pressing also that all vizards and palliations be laid aside yet it is humbly prayed that nothing herein may be construed as to proceed of malice or desire of aggravation against any person therein concerned how intollerable soever the projects and actions of many of them have been or to be contrived to avert foreclose or shorten Your Majesties grace or clemencie which Your Majestie shall extend to any of them in Your Majesties abundant indulgence as a Princely parent to your people and may stand with Your Majesties honour and soveraignty and the peace and future security of Your Majesties Kingdome and good people of Ireland First to the Preface THat the Remonstrants were no way necessitated to take Armes for the preservation of their Religion for which long time before their taking arms they were not troubled nor so much as questioned having also in their actions varied from the rules of all Christiā Religion nor for maintenance of your Maties rights prerogatives there being no opponents in the kingdom of Ireland in that matter except the Remōstrants themselves who knew that Governours and Officers there have with all zeale and constancy from time to time maintained and with extreame hazard of their lives to maintaine the same and that none in the said Kingdome hath offered to oppose or diminish them save what these Remonstrants have done by laying aspersions on your Majesty in your Goverement and striving to abridge both your profit and Authority under that popular and specious pretence of grievances which is one of their maine ends in all their unruly actions and now having possessed themselves almost of all your Majesties Revenues both certaine and casuall and also of the estates of your Protestant Subjects doe undutifully assume unto themselves and exercise a Papall Iurisdiction in that Church and a tyrannicall power in that Common-wealth as well by sea as by land a presumption never adventured upon in any former rebellious times and which can be nothing but a ground-plot of insurrections hereafter They publish new Lawes for Government erect new Courts and Tribunalls of all kind of Iudicature they ordaine Magistrates Iudges and Officers of all
Kingdome of Ireland By His MAjESTIES Command Edward Nicholas After the receipt of which letter the Protestant Petitions proceeded and the 26 of Ianuary made choise of Sir Charles Coote Knight and Baronet and Captaine William Parsons to be added over and above the foure persons formerly nominated for agents and presented their names unto the L. Marquesse of Ormond then L. Lieutenant of Ireland to be transmitted to his Majesty Soone after viz on the 17 day of Febuary 1643 the said Petition of the Protestants was read in the Commons house of the Parliament of Ireland yet continuing who declared their concurrences therein and that the same day the Parliament was prorogued to a further time Shortly after the Protestant Petitioners humbly moved the Lord Lieutenant and Councell for a recommendation to His Majesty both of the cause and persons of their Agents And they were answered by the said Lord Lieutenant and Councell that by His Majesties letter of the sixth of November the Agents were to have fittting Instructions concerning their grievances and their desires mentioned in the petition of the Protestants unto His Majesty and therefore they were required by the Lords of the Councell to shew their Instructions without which they could not recommend the Agents or their cause Thereupon the 4th of March the Protestant Petitioners tendred a Copy of their Instructions for their Agents to the L. Lieutenant and Councell which followeth in haec verba Instructions for the Agents who are to attend His most Sacred Majesty on the behalfe of His Majesties Protestant Subjects of Ireland FIrst most humbly to represent unto His Sacred Majesty the Remonstrance or Petition of his truly obedient and loyall subjects the Protestants of this His Kingdome of Ireland intituled To the Kings most Excellent Majesty The humble petition of divers of Your Majesties Protestant subjects in Your Kingdome of Ireland aswell Commanders of Your Majesties Army here as others whose names are subscribed in the behalfe of themselves and others Your protestant subjects in this Your Kingdome and to manifest by all good wayes and meanes the truths thereof in every particular and to solicite the obteyning the humble desires therein requested and to refell and disprove the untruthes of the scandalous aspersions laid by the confederate Roman Catholiques c. of Ireland upon the most gracious Governments of Our most royall late Soveraignes Queene Elizabeth and King James of ever blessed memory and also of our most Gracious and dread Soveraigne King CHARLES and also the extreame falsehoods by the said confederate Roman Catholiques published and imposed upon His Majesties said protestant subjects of this Realme 2. And also to offer unto His Majesties royall and most tender confideration the barbarous usage inhumanity cruell tortures and bloudy murthers committed done upon His Majesties protestant subjects in the severall parts of the Kingdome without provocation and that commonly after quarter given passes promises and oaths for security or safe convoy especially in that glorious plantation of King James of ever blessed memory in the province of Vlster which terrible effusion of innocent blood cryeth to Almighty God and his sacred Majesty for Justice 3. In like manner to present unto his sacred Majesty the true and entire faith and alleageance of his Majesties protestant subjects of this Kingdome unto his royall person Crowne and Dignity their cheerefull and constant acknowledgement of his Supremacy in all causes and over all persons their universall obedience to all his Lawes and gracious government and their continued desires and endevours even to the uttermost hazard of their lives and fortunes for the preservation of all his rights and just prerogatives and to present to his Majesty in what estate and condition the Kingdoms was in at the time of the breaking out of this horrid Rebellion 4. And most humbly to desire the preservation and establishmant of the true protestant Religion in this Realme and the suppression of popery according to the lawes and statutes to that end established 5. Most humbly to desire His sacred Majesty that the great losses of his protestant subjects now utterly ruined by the Rebellion of the said confederate Roman Catholiques c. may be repaired in such manner and measure as his highnesse in his Princely wisdom shall think fit whereby his Majesties said protestant subjects may be enabled to subsist and re-inhabit in the said Kingdom 6. Most humbly to present to his Sacred Majesty all other things that may conduce to the glory of God to the advancement of the true Protestant Religion according to the Lawes the honour and profit of His Majesty the just prerogatives of his Crown the preservation of the Lawes and just Liberties of the subject the securing of this Kingdome to his Majesty and his royall posterity and future safety to His Majesties protestant subjects in their Religion Lives and Fortunes that they may no longer nor hereafter be liable to such and the like evills and destructions on them committed as they have now suffered from those who sell upon them spilt their blood and destroyed their estates unprovoked and even when they lived together in full peace 7. And for avoyding mistakes that you present or propound nothing to his Majesty but what shall be first well debated amongst your selves and maturely considered of and agreed upon in writing by the major part of you and subscribed with your hands 8. That from time to time you give an accompt of your proceedings unto those who are here appointed to negotiate this affaire 9. Which said Instructions being read the protestant petitioners were required to withdraw who after debate had on the Instructions at the Councell board were called in againe and exceptions were taken to the 1 2 3 4 6. Articles of the instructions and they were told by the Lords of the Councell that they could nor would not recommend them as the Instructions were now drawne and while the third Article of the Instructions remained In respect that they knew that there were many protestants in the Province of Vlster in Ireland that were not obedient to His Majesties Laws and the Lord Chancellor moved that these words in the second Article aforementioned might be omitted out of the Instructions viz. commonly committed after quarter given passes promises and oathes for security of fase convoy especially in that glorious plantation of King James of ever blessed memory in the Province of Vlster which effusion of innocent bloud cryeth to Almighty God and his sacred Majesty for justice And the Lord Lieutenant and Councell further gave the Protestant petitioners the particulars in writing which they would have added and omitted in the said Instructions otherwise they would not recommend the protestant Agents nor the Cause to His Majesty By reason whereof the Protestant petitioners were necessitated to the alteration of their Iustructions as hereafter followeth In the second Article of the first Instruction quarter given is lest out In the former part of the third
it evidently appear unto them that the said prorogation was against Law and humbly besought the Parliament might sit according to the former adiournment which was then the only expedient to compose or remove the then growing discontents and troubles of the land And the said Lords-Iustices and their party of the Counsell then well knowing that the Members of both houses throughout the kingdom a few in and about Dublin only excepted would stay from the meeting of both houses by reason of the said prorogation by proclamation two dayes before the time gave way the Parliament might sit but so limited that no Act of grace or any thing else for the peoples quiet or satisfaction might be propounded or passed and thereupon a few of the Lords and Commons appeared in the Parliament house who in their entrance at the Castle-bridge and gate and within the yard to the Parliament-house door and recesse from thence were invironed with a great number of Armed men with their match lighted and Muskets presented even to the breasts of the members of both houses none being admitted to bring one servant to attend him or any weapon about him within the Castle-bridge yet how thin soever the houses were or how much over-awed they both did supplicate the Lords-Iustices and Counsell that they might continue for a time together and expect the coming of the rest of both houses to the end they might quiet the troubles in full Parliament and that some Acts of security granted by your Maiesty and transmitted under the great Seale of England might passe to settle the minds of your Maiesties subiects To these requests so much conducing to your Maiesties service and the settlement of your people a flat denyall was given and the said Lords-Iustices and their party of the Counsell by their working with their party in both houses of Parliament being then very thin as aforesaid propounded an order should be conceived in Parliament that the said discontented Gentlemen took Arms in rebellious manner which was resented much by the best affected of both houses but being awed as aforesaid and credibly informed of some particular persons amongst them stood in opposition thereunto that the said Musquetiers were directed to shoot them at their going out of the Parliament house through which terrour way was given to that order Notwithstanding all the before mentioned provocations pressures and indignities the far greater and more considerable party of the Catholicks and all the Cities and Corporations of Ireland and whole provinces stood quiet in their houses whereupon the Lords-Iustices and their adherents well knowing that many powerfull Members of the Parliament of England stood in opposition to your Majesty made their principall application and addressed their dispatches full fraught with calumnies and false suggestions against the Catholicks of this kingdom to them and propounded unto them to send severall great forces to Conquer the kingdom those of the malignant party here were by them armed the Catholicks were not only denyed Arms but were disarmed even in the City of Dublin which in all successions of ages past continued as loyall to the Crown of England as any City or place whatsoever all other ancient and usuall Cities and Corporate Townes of the kingdom by means whereof principally the kingdom was preserved in former times were denyed arms for their money to defend themselves and expresse order given by the said Lords-Iustices to disarme all Catholicks in some of the said Cities and Towns others disfurnished were inhibited to provide Arms for their defence and the said Lords-Justices and Counsell having received an order of both houses of Parliament in England to publish a proclamation of pardon unto all those who were then in rebellion as they tearmed it in this kingdom if they did submit by a day to be limited The said Sir William Parsons contrary to this order so wrought with his party of the Counsell that a proclamation was published of pardon only in two Counties and a very short day prefixed and therein all free-holders were excepted through which every man saw that the estates of Catholicks were first aimed at and their lives next The said Lords-Iustices and their party having advanced their design thus far and not finding the successe answerable to their desires commanded Sir Charles Coot Knight and Baronet deceased to march to the County of Wickloe where he burnt killed and destroyed all in his way And in a most cruell manner man woman and child persons that had no appearing wills to doe hurt nor power to execute it soon after some foot-companies did march in the night by direction of the said Lords-Iustices and their said party to the Town of Sawntry in Fingall three miles off Dublin a Country that neither then nor for the space of four or five hundred yeares before did feel what troubles were or war meant but it was too sweet and too neare and therefore fit to be forced to armes in that town innocent husband-men some of them being Catholicks and some Protestants taken for Catholicks were murthered in their Inne and their heads carried triumphant into Dublin next morning complaint being made of this no redresse was obtained therein whereupon some Gentlemen of quality and others the inhabitants of the Country seeing what was then acted and what passed in the said last march towards the County of Wickloe and justly fearing to be all murthered forsook their houses and were constrained to stand together in their own defence though ill provided of Arms or Ammunition Hereupon a proclamation was agreed upon at the Counsell board on the thirteenth of December 1641. and not published or printed till the fifteenth of December by which the said Gentlemen and George King by name were required to come in by or upon the eighteenth of the said Moneth a safety was therein promised them On the same day another proclamation was published summoning the Lords dwelling in the English-pale near Dublin to a Grand-Counsell on the seventeeth of the said Moneth but the Lords-Justices and their party of the Counsell to take away all hope of Accommodation gave direction to the said Sir Charles Coote the said fifteenth day of the said Moneth of December to march to Clontarff being the house and Town of the said George King and two miles from Dublin to pillage burn kill and destroy all that there was to be found which direction was readily and particularly observed in manifest breach of publike faith by meanes whereof the meeting of the said Grand-Counsell was diverted the Lords not daring to come within the power of such notorious faith-breakers the consideration whereof and of other matters aforesaid made the Nobility and Gentry of the English-pale and other parts of the province of Leinster sensible of the present danger and put themselves in the best posture they could for their naturall defence and imployed Lieutenant Colonel Read to present their humble Remonstrance to your Sacred Majesty and to declare unto you the state
Armes This the Earle sent to the Lords Iustices the 23th of the same moneth which was long after the Irish Army was beaten from Drogheda and that your Majesties Army was fully Master of the field in all parts of the Pale And then the Lords Iustices and Councell thought not fit of themselves to harken unto it but forth with certified the same to the then Lord Lieutenant desiring your Maiesties directions therein And for their further proceeding on the 23th of March 1642. the Lord Montgarret sent to the Earle of Ormond then Lientenant Generall of your MaiesTies Army a paper of the grievances aswell concerning things done in England as Ireland and desired it might be shewed to the Lords Iustices and Councell that redresse might be given which lay not in their Lordships powers yet this also they sent to the then Lord Lieutenant to be shewed to your Maiestie About August one thousand six hundred forty and two the Remonstrants sent to the said Lieutenant Generall of your Maiesties Army a Petition directed to your Maiestie which his Lordship presented to the Lords Iustices who forthwith sent it away to your Maiesties principall Secretary and since then no other complaint hath beene heard of except that Remonstrance and except some particular motions hereafter mennoned By all which it fully appeares the Lords Iustices and Councell did no way frustrate any of their attempts to complaine to your Maiestie For the sense these Remonstrants seeme now to have of the late effusion of innocent bloud there T is well if they now beginne to be sensible of the effusion of the innocent bloud whereof indeed themselves only are guilty which will more plainely appeare by distinguishing the times which they causelesly confound Your Maiesties subiects being in full peace and trusting only to the protection of your Maiesties lawes these confederates and their bloudy instruments did in many parts of the Kingdome suddenly and treacherously assault and glut their long contealed malice in cruelly murthering by sundry kinde of tormenting deaths some hundred thousands of your Maiesties harmelesse Protestant subiects and dispoiling both them and all the rest of all their esTates and substance as is too manifest to the world nothing limiting their outragious aymes but professEd to all extirpation of all Brittish and Protestants All which time neither your Maiesties Governours nor your surprized subiects were able to make any considerable resistance And when afterwards your Maiesties forces out of England enabled your subiects to stand upon their defence and by your Maiesties Princely direction and authority to take due vengeance on their unparraleld wickednesse no man no not the confederates in their owne consciences can iustly charge your Maiesties Governours or protestant Subiects with bloud undeservedly shed in that necessitated way of their own defence and iust punishment of those former heynous acts But the confederates ought to bewayle the bloud of your Maiesties officers and servants fighting in your iust quarrell as an addition of waight to their former guilt Vid. Proclamation Octob. 3. 1641. Whereas on the other side aswell your Maiestie by your Princely Proclamation under your royall signature and privy Signer commanded them to lay downe Armes Vid. Proclamation 1 Novēa 1641. with intent doubtlesse to have mercy on them in a fit measure And your Maiesties Governours there partly by Proclamations promising in your Maiesties name mercy to all that should desist from force as hereafter is set downe And partly by imploying unto them a committee of Parliament there whom they scornefully reiected by tearing aswell the Committees Letters sent to them from Drogheda as the order of Parliament therewith sent And at another time by sending unto them certaine of their owne Clergy to treate and perswade with them whom they abused And partly by letters and faire messages moving them to cease and stay violence by appointing the Lord Moore and others to treate with them By appointing Sir Richard Barnwell and Patrick Barnwell to treate and perswade with them Did their utmost to induce them to returne to due obedience To come and submit their discontents to your Maties known Clemency and stop the issue of bloud which they so willfully had opened enraged And which gives further evidence of your Maties servants subjects peaceable inclination Your Majesties Iustices and Counsell did in the beginning of this Rebellion give severall Commissions to Lords and prime Gentrie of the Natives in the Pale and all the adjacent Counties authorising them to gather the Forces of the Countrey and to governe and command them for preservation of the Subjects in peace authorizing them in those Commissions to parley with Rebels protect and promise mercy to all that would returne to obedience so much confidence had the Lords Iustices in those old English and did desire to make them assured of their trust As the Lord Gormanston in Meath Lord Montgarret in Kilkenny Nicholas Barnwell in Dublin Walter Bagwell in Catherlagh Lord of Lowth in Lowth Sir Thomas Nugent in Westmeath Sir Robert Talbot in Wickloe Sir Iames Dillon in Longford and severall others as well in Munster as Conaught All which Commissions so issued even to so many of of the Remonstrants themselves were issued after the 23 of October and before the last of November 1641. In all which time or afterwards if they pleased they might have staid the spreading of the Rebellion if promise of mercy could have done it besides severall Commissions of Martiall Law to the Natives in each County But they contrary to all hope not only forbare to protect or reduce any but they soone after joyned with the Northerne and other Rebels to the confusion of the State and Government and destruction and banishment almost of all British and Protestants and as for those few Roman Catholicks who stood firme in loyaltie in those unseasonable times they have been embraced and used with that love and affection by your Majesties Governours and Protestant subjects which the Protestant subjects formerly shewed to them and as the Protestants have been As to their undutifull Challenge to your Majesties Princely and deeply merited expressions in your gracious Commission to your said Lieutenant Generall of your Army granted in compassion to these Remonstrants Your Majesties loyall subjects cannot observe their presumption without griefe of heart but doe in all humilitie leave the same to Your Majesties most discerning judgement Your Majesties Protestant subjects doe not beleeve nor ever could observe that any of Your Governours or Protestant subjects there have either directly or collaterally in adverse affection towards the Confederates advertised against or otherwise represented those Confederates to Your sacred Majestie then the truth urged and their bounden duty to Your Majestie and your service pressed them to doe To the first Article Artic. 1. It runneth upon generalls and is in substance generally untrue yet in further dutifull care to give Your Majestie satisfaction Instances herein are humbly offered to maintaine the
them to introduce law for the extirpation of Catholique Religion in the three Kingdomes at any time before these Remonstrants openly entred into this actuall Rebellion and bloudy assacination though those Remonstrants draw it in amongst their provocations to take up Armes Neither indeed did those Remonstrants feare any violence or sharpe prosecution from their quiet Neighbours the Protestants in Ireland there having been very great and as now appeares very dangerous patience used towards the Remonstrants aswell by Governours as all Officers and Protestants who would have beene glad to live among them in peace if the Remonstrants could have endured their company Lastly whereas they seeme grieved That the Parliament of England encroached against law and unjustly upon the Priviledges of Parliament in Ireland in sending for and questioning too and in the English Parliament the members of that Parliament They do wel now to expresse sence of it amongst the rest of their pretexts for their wicked acts But when Protestant members of this Parliament against whom that pretended encroachment most extended were sent for they imploring the aid of the Parliament of Ireland to defend them and their priviledges were not holpen therin by the Commons house but were answered by a leading Member of the Cōmons house now a Remonstrant that the House should do well not to take notice thereof least any variance should arise betweene the two Parliaments so unwilling they were to assist the Protestants or maintaine that right which now they so stoutly challenge though a good while afterwards both Houses tooke occasion to write to their Committee in England to sollicite concerning that particular And so little feare had they then of any pernicious purposes in that Parliament against them though they now make mention of that Parliaments unwarrantable invasion since made on your Majesties Rights and Prerogatives as a pretence for their wicked and abominable actions long before that begun In the seventh Article Those Remonstrants doe justly acknowledge your Majesties grace and Princely patience in hearing their grievances 7. Article which would have wrought upon any loyall or dutifull heart to returne love and obedience to so gracious a Soveraigne and at least neighbour-like demeanour towards your Majesties faithfull Subjects the Brittish and Protestants which how they performed their then immediately ensuing acts doe demonstrate But in this Article also they continue their untrue and malicious calumniations against your Majestie in your Governours and Officers who did never give any of them just cause of offence It cannot appeare that the Lords Justices and Counsell did give any untrue Information against them or the Committees of that Parliament neither is it true that any such thing was done for that they know the Counsell of whom the Lords Justices then were gave all the furtherance they could to the going of that Committee Hoping that what your Majestie should be pleased to grant might redound to the common benefit of your people Neither did any Privie Counsellours goe into England of purpose to crosse or give impediment to your Majesties Justice and graces But it is true that the late Lord Dillon afterwards Earle of Roscomon and Sir Adam Loftus your Majesties Vice-Treasurer were about that time sent for by your Majestie upon the motion of your Parliament of England as it seemed to testifie in the cause moved in that Parliament against the Earle of Strafford And if in their attendance there their advice or knowledge concerning any thing there propounded or handled by the Committee were required by your Majestie doubtlesse those Counsellours did faithfully discharge the duty of good servants to your Majestie and true wel-wishers to that Kingdome being both Natives thereof and members of that Parliament Neither did your Majesties Justices and Counsell transmit unto your Majestie or any of the State of England any misconstructions or misrepresentations of the proceedings and actions of that Parliament but rather it may justly be beleeved that those Remonstrants doe worke upon their owne evill imaginations in this as in the former Articles they have presumed to avouch severall knowne untruths Nay the Lords Justices were so farce from any such malevolence to that Parliament or any Members thereof as when they received your Majesties Commission dated the sourth of Ianuary 1640. authorizing them to continue prorogue or determine the Parliamnent as they thought fit They in confidence that the intent of all the Members of the Parliament was for the generall good of the Kingdome and your Majesties service did willingly continue it and gave all countenance and assistance to it which well appeares by a motion made by a noble Peere in the Lords House That the Lords Justices had alwayes chearfully received their requests and Messages and were ready to comply with them desiring it might be entred to the end it might remaine to posteritie It is also conceived that when your Majestie had given direction that all Letters from thence should be kept apart to the end the Committee might have recourse unto them if any such misrepresentations could have appeared to them they would have instanced the same in this Remonstrance and not have offered to your Majestie suppositions for certainties And touching the Parliament of Irelands power of Judicature in matters Capitall there was nothing written from thence concerning that matter untill your Majestie being advertized of the impeachment of the Lord Chancellour and others in the Lords House required the Lords Justices to search and certifie whether any presidents might be found there for such a proceeding Your Majestie then also graciously declaring that as your Majestie intended not to prejudice the Rights of the Lords House so your Majestie did expect that they should nto introduce any new president for that cause Thereupon the Lords Justices having searched and demanded of the two Houses of Parliament if any such presidents they could shew none were produced which the Lords Justices certified backe to your Majesties principall Secretarie as in duty they ought And it is beleeved that those Remonstrants would not now more earnestly presse for that power in Judicature then heretofore was done were it not by the exercise or terrour thereof if their partie could have prevailed to rid themselves of your Majesties English Judges and Officers whom they cannot endure to beare rule amongst them though they clearly saw the Kingdome prospered above any former times under their great labour and travell It is most untrue that your Majesties Protestant officers or subjects did envy the good union betweene the two Houses But the truth is they did labour to cherish and confirme it by their uttermost skill and industry And if your Majesties servants or your Protestant subjects did happen to oppose those Remonstrants in any their undutifull motions and projects either concerning Religion or your Majesties Protestant Clergie or concerning the derogation of your Majesties Prerogatives Rites and authories or malicious practise against your Majesties Officers Those Remonstrants did and now
Iournymen of the City went daily to the Rebels and joyned with them and that daily rumours were spread in the City aswell by words as by papers scattered and found that surprises and massacres were intended against your Majesties Subjects the Protestants of the City then was it thought fit and not before to disarme those Catholiques the better to secure the City for your Majesty and quiet the Catholiques who might well know that the strength of the Protestants was their security and from which Protestants the Catholiques never found any violence offered the Protestants profession abhorring such wickednesse the Lords Justices and Counsell also sent armes and powder to Drogheda delivered armes and powder for zoo men to Wexford they sent powder to Waterford and gave them licence to buy and import powder and armes for their defence though afterwards when they ioyned in the Rebellion the Lords Juces and Counsell restrained it as much as they could They sent powder to Trym they sent powder for Dondalke as far as Drogheda where it was staid because Dondalk was yeilded up to the Rebels before it could come thither they also wrote letters to the severall Townes of Wexford Waterford Gallway and Drogheda commending their then seeming forward affections and encouraging and perswading to stand constantly in duty and faith to your Majestie their Lord and King It is true that the Lords Justices and Counsell received an order of both houses of Parliament in England whereby they did commend to the Lord Leivtenant or in his absence to the Lord Deputy or Lords Justices according to the power of their Commission to bestow your Majesties gracious pardon to all such as were seduced on false grounds and within a convenient time to be declared by their Lordships should returne to their due obedience This Order the Lords Justices and Counsell printed at Dublin forthwith after receipt thereof the 12 of November 1641 and dispersed it into all parts of the Kingdom as farre as they could to try whether it might worke any relenting or application of those confederated Catholiques to the Lords Justices and Counsell to the end they might have further proceeded to have obtevned a more full direction for granting pardon if that could have beene likely to reclaime any of them The Lords Justices also found in their Commission and instructions no expresse warrant to pardon such pernitious Traitours and that in all late former pardons Treasons against your Majesty and murther was excepted and they daily expected the old Levitenants comming over with more ample authority and direction and considered also that on the 30 of October before the Lords Justices and Counsell had by publique Proclamation adventured so farre as to tender your Majesties grace to all seduced Rebels whereupon none then tendred themselves to the Lords Justices and Counsell or any other your Majesties Officers and afterwards on the first day of November 1641 the Lords Justices and Councell foreseeing the danger that the Inhabitants of Meath Lungford Westmeath and Lowth who of the Pale lay next to the Northerne Rebels might be first educed either by strange rumours spread abroad or by the false enticement of the Clergy and desirous to contayne and preserve as many of them as they could did by publique Proclamation advised and drawne by Mr. Plunket and others of the Commons house admonish all that were not Freeholders nor having their hands in blood within ten dayes to submit themselves before any Justice of Peace or cheif Officer of a Corporation and restore the Protestants goods which they had taken thereupon they should be received to mercy whereupon a few submitted in the County of Meath but never restored any thing nor proceeded further to give satisfaction of their loyalty but soone after returned to their former defection and ioyned in the said Rebellion All which advisedly considered the Lords Justices and Counsell thought not fit to prostitute your Majesties royall grace to men so ungratefull and deperded for they plainly saw that the confederacy and their perswasion to carry all by force was so strong as their actions gave no hope of any inclinations to submit themselves to your Majesties grace and mercy No not when your Majesties Proclamation under your royall Signature and privy signet was sent amongst them Commanding them to lay downe Arms nor untill they of the Pale and the Irish of Vlster were beaten from Drogheda and the seige wholly raised which was about the beginning of March and that your Majesties Levitenant Generall of your army was in the feild with a strong force of foote and horse able to March where he pleased in Meath Lowth and Dublin ready to burne and destroy their houses and eize on the former owners thereof if they could be found Then and not till then some and those but very few of Meath rendred themselves to the Leivtenant Generall of your Majesties army who received them as prisoners and a few others of that County rendred themselves at Dublin who were all imprisoned as was just to so notorious and obstinate offendors And it were criminall in the Lords Justices and Counsell not to commit them Neither did the Lords Justices and Counsell ayme at any of their estates but on the contrary alwayes shewed much regret at the unnaturall defection of the pale which had for the most part in other Rebellions stood firme and loyall And certainly they would have beene most glad to have preserved as many of them as they could as well appeared in their readinesse to embrace the Earle of Westmeath and his Familie upon timely application made though the Lords Justices and Counsell had Intelligence of Northerne Rebells resorting to his house They also upon Sir Morgan Cavanaghs false and feigned Protestations permitted him to returne to his house in hope of his good obedience though they had cause to suspect his and hsi sonnes comming to the Towne on the 22. of October one thousand six hundred fourty one They permitted Sir Luke Fitzgerald to depart quietly because he came to them soone after the beginning of the Rebellion though the Protestant Tenants dwelling on his land were despoiled of all their substance not without his privitie as since hath appeared They permitted Robert Harpoole of Frowle and necre Catherlogh to depart upon his faire protestations notwithstanding they had intelligence of his former being with the Rebells The Sheriffe of Longford and others of the Offarralls permitted backe againe though informed to have joyned in pillaging of the Protestants and many others in like manner because the Lords Justices thought fit to forbeare all manner of strictnesse at first hoping they would not so farre forget their duties as afterwards they all did and also divers others about Dublin who entertained Rebells some perhaps of necessity were permitted to be at libertie by the Lords Justices because they desired to retaine as many of them as they could comming in any time before they had openly joyned with the Rebells and committed the
horrible acts of hostilitie which put them out of the Lords Justices power to receive them without further allowance and direction from your Majestie which they writ for and desired to receive Touching Sir Charles Cootes journey into Wickloe who with such a small force of English and Irish as the Lords Justices and Counsell could then raise set forth from Dublin on the 27. of November 1641. the designe being to relieve your Majesties Castle of Wickloe and one other only Castle kept by a subject but both besieged by Rebells All the Irish of that Countie having many dayes before risen in open Rebellion surprized your Majesties Fort of Cairis Fort Arckloe Fort Chichester and all the houses of the English in that Countie The Lord Esmonds house and the adjacent parts of Wexford robbed all the Brittish Protestants threatned to assault Dublin having robbed and preyed within two miles thereunto and committed all amnner of acts of hostility as is before particularized Hee had also direction to kill and spoile by fire and sword those Irish Rebells so farre as he could But it is not true that any there dicd by his command save one woman one whose backe certaine of the Protestants spoyles were found and twelve or thirteene men who were proved to have committed the same rebellious acts and such as fought with him in open field with Banners displayed where the Rebells being as hee conceived a thousand strong were by him routed and put to flight Neither could that journey any way terrifie those of the Pale or give them occasion of suspition of any violence intended against them being principally intended to prevent incursions and spoyles of the Irish to bee committed on them as they had in former times often done and against whom they had with much effusion of blood often defended themselves yet now so plainely appeares their preceded generall conspiracie in this Rebellion as they are not abashed despising the honour of their birth and loyaltie to your Majestie to professe sence of those Rebells sufferings and to mention your Majesties just vengeance taken on those antient and in all former and later ages and now declared Rebells and Traitours as one of their motives to take up Armes or at least to stand on their guard as they call it Touching the Act of Santry three miles from Dublin seeming to worke so much upon the Remonstrants as to put them into open rebellion against your Majestie as if they could resolve of a generall Rebellion in all the Kingdome in twentie foure houres It is fit to open the truth of this supposed fearfull and as may be said miraculous accident being of force almost to raise a whole County into Armes in one day against your Majestie and your peaceable subjects though the said County during six weekes after the conspiracie against the Castle of Dublin and the state was discovered and prevented did not seeme able or rather being unwilling by all faire perswasions of the Lords Justices and Counsell used to them to put themselves into a posture of defence against the Rebells of Vlster to find any Armes to arme their men or agree upon Captaines to command them notwithstanding they had upon the twenty two of November after severall invitations thereunto received out of your Majesties stores Armes and all other Munition for three hundred men And not withstanding that the Lords Justices and Councell in October 1641. wrote Letters to the severall Counties of the Pale to name their Captaines gather their men and fetch out their Armes which they deferred sometimes seeming desirous to have all things agreed on in Parliament which they knew could not then meet and sometimes upon other pretences And notwithstanding that they saw the inferiour people of those Counties formerly to rise in multitudes to murther rob and spoile the Brittish and Protestant Inhabitants amongst them without resistance or controll And in particular they had murthered Derrick Hubbert a Protestant Gentleman in his owne house and some others of his familie in the County of Dublin And about ten miles from Dublin besides many other so used in other parts and had spoyled Protestants in severall Villages within three or foure miles of Dublin in Fingall where the Remonstrants doe say the Inhabitants had felt no warres or troubles for foure hundred yeares before yet could Luke Nettervile sonne to the Lord Nettervile who dwelt but seven miles from Dublin in that County of Fingall and the other Gentrie of that County Arme and Muster at Swoards about six miles from Dublin about twelve hundred men on the seventh day of December 1641. to affront your Majesties Authoritie upon this only accident as they alledge to the killing of foure Catholiques or supposed Catholiques because called Catholiques as they would have it and for no other cause or reason at Santry aforesaid On Tuesday at night the fifth day of December by some Troopes of horse and foot Companies marcht out of Dublin by direction as the Remonstrants pretend of the Lords Justices and Counsell and their supposed partie which partie the Remonstrants would aswell have named if any such they had knowne for no such party was then heard of unlesse they meane your Majesties Counsell And before that time they suffered the Rebell Collonell Hugh Birne and many of the mountaine and Wickloe Rebells to enter into that Countrey and spoile the Brittish and Protestants which they had power to hinder and might have done if they had not beene of the Confederacy Whereas the truth of that accident is That on the said fifth day of December intelligence being brought to a Lievtenant in Dublin That his informer could bring him upon some of those that had murthered the said Derrick Hubbert and robbed and spoiled other Protestnats as aforesaid Hee by allowance of his Captaine as he afterwards upon examination declared without the privity or command of the Lords Justices or any of the Counsell or any other Commander authorized to that purpose tooke with him fourtie souldiers that night in pursuit of those murtherers and other Malefactors and comming to Santry hee found there foure persons lately come thither with such Armes as they could get in the Country whom he slue in the place and who as hee was informed were offenders And after this done hee passed somewhat further into the Countrey Note there were many Papists then dwelling in that Towne whom he did not hurt in search of the rest of the Malefactors but could not find them there having issued no other Troopes of horse or foot This rash act was the next day voyced in Dublin and the Lords Justices and Counsell hearing of it sent for the said Lievtenant who upon examination justified the Act affirming them to be Rebells And no man prosecuting the matter against him it there rested And as to the rest of the particulars in this Article pretended to bee motives to the Rebellion of the Pale and the other parts of Leinster whereas before that severall parts
of Leinster and many in the Pale were in open Rebellion as shall herein further appeare True it is that about the later end of November 1641. The said Luke Nettervile without any Warrant for the same caused Proclamation to bee made in the Market place at Luske about twelve miles from Dublin That all the Gentrie of the Countrey upon paine of death should within three or foure dayes after meet at Swoards within six miles of Dublin which was before the killing at Santry which meeting was held and there the said Nettervile of his owne authoritie made everall Captaines viz. Richard Golding Thomas Russell Francis Russell Robert Travers Christopher Hollywood Peter Cruâ—â— and Michael Murphy and others many of them men of estate and the rest branches of the Gentrie and there commanded them to bee with their Companies armed at the same Towne of Swoards on the seventh day of December following which was a short time for such a levie if they had not beene formerly combined and prepared to that Summons They observed it as fast as they could many of them comming thither on the seventh day of December aforesaid and on the eighth day of the said moneth they were there gathered together in bands about one thousand two hundred men armed as was informed to the Lords Justices and Counsell Their Lordships therefore on the ninth day of December aforesaid sent a Warrant to the said Nettervile and the rest in milde manner signifying to them the unseasonablenesse of the time chosen for such an act that howsoever a construction might be made thereof to their disadvantage yet their Lordships were unwilling to make an indulgent interpretation of their actions in regard of their good opinion they had of their loyaltie and conceiving there was some mistake in that enterprize they did choose rather to command them on their dutie of allegiance forthwith to separate themselves and no more to unite in that manner without direction from their Lordships And that the said Nettervile and six others of the principall of them should appeare before their Lordships the then next morning to shew cause for their so assembling and thereof not to faile at their extreame perils All which notwithstanding the said Nettervile and the rest did neither separate nor any of them appeare as was commanded but holding the Messenger as in restraint that night did on the enxt day write a mutinous Letter to the Lords Justices and Counsell acknowledging the receipt of the said Warrant and setting forth their feares by reason of the said killing at Santry and other rumours of unexpected attempts and desired to be secured of their lives which security was also granted them but they despised it Their intention being from another roote and of a higher nature then to meet in merriment in a Market towne and shake hands These men continued at Swoards and other Villages thereabouts till about the tenth of Ianuary following robbing spoyling and imprisoning all your Majesties Subjects that either lived thereabouts or that offered to passe that way being the roade to Drogheda then straitly besieged and soffering no provisions to be brought to Dublin that way threatning also daily to assault Dublin on the North side from thence and from other great Companies of the same confederacie out of Wickloe and Kildare setled on the South side of the Citie performing like hostile acts and giving out on all sides that they would have Masse in Christ-Church of Dublin on Christmas day next after All which time the Lords Justices and Counsell were nor able to send sufficient forces against them About the fourteenth day of that December those Rebells being encreased in numbers from other parts sent two severall strong parties to Santry and Finglas where they continued till the twenty second of the same December when they were beaten thence by your Majesties Forces Neither of which two places are above three miles from Dublin there to bee the more ready to annoy and set upon the Citie when the rest of the parties to the designe might bee ready which neere approaches much straitned all things in the Citie On the same fourteenth day of December those Rebells at Swoards sent another partie to Clantarffe about a mile and halfe from Dublin which Village belonged to George King who lay in garrison with the said Nettervile at Swoards and whose hand was to their Answer formerly mentioned And there gathering together from the other Villages on the Sea side about three hundred men they shewed themselves on a high ground neere Clantarfe to the open view of the Citie those Inhabitants being furnished with store of strong fisher-boates and having a few dayes before robbed and spoyled two English Barkes lying at Anchor neere Clantarfe in the roade of Dublin and threatning by themselves and other Rebells which lay on the South side of the harbour where Irish Boats also were to seize on all the shipping in the harbour and either burne them or make use of them to block up the harbour so to cutt off all accesse to that Port which the Lords Justices and Counsell much feared having then no shipping of strength there Thereupon their Lordships found it of necessity to adventure on some of those parties to trie if they could disperse them And therefore they considered that those at Santry and Finglas came thither by open force That those lands belonged to honest subjects who had not then offended That the forementioned outragious act was committed by those at Clantarfe And that the lands belonged to one in open hostilitie who had given assistance or countenance to the aforesaid rebellious act of robbing the Barkes and of robbing other your Majesties Protestant subjects passing that way and judging that that place and party threatned most danger in respect of the harbour And lest other Fishermen on that coast who for the most part joyned with the Rebells should take encouragement to come and strengthen their designe against the shipping and harbour considering also that by the assistance of those Coasters the Rebells of the County of Dublin had formerly on the third day of December 1641. robbed an English Barke at Skirries about twelve miles from Dublin and that the goods were divided amongst the Gentrie thereabouts the principall part thereof being magazined at the Castle of Master Barnewell of Brimore a prime man and some of the English carryed prisoners to the Lord of Gormanston who sent them Prisoners to Balrothry Thereupon the Lords Justices and Counsell did order that the Lievtenant generall of the Army should and men against them at Clantarfe who accordingly did on the fifteenth day of that December send out Sir Charles Coote with such a party as could bee spared to fall on those men at Clantarfe with direction that if they could beat them to burne that Village and either destroy or bring away all the Boats This was well performed by Sir Charles who killed some of the Rebells in the place and put the rest to flight
where hee then found aswell in the house of the said King as other houses in the Towne divers of the goods taken out of the said two Barkes robbed at Clantarfe And by this meanes was strucken off much of that danger And to the end it may further appeare That the Lords of the Pale especially of Meath were in the same Confederacie with the Rebells at Swoards and other parts of Leinster and not forced to take up Armes for their owne safety nor fearing to bee murthered by any under the command of the Lords Justices and Counsell as in the Remonstrance is maliciously and scandalously urged the Lords Justices and Counsell seeing dangers thus multiplyed on all sides receiving Letters of intelligence from all parts of rebellious Acts done and hearing many strange rumours of the generall combination before the said meeting at Swoards or killing at Santry robberies and spoyles being before that time committed on the English in every County in Leinster Their Lordships thereupon desired in their great distresse to have the advice and assistance of those Lords of the Pale in whose fidelitie they formerly much confided as appeares by their comfortable expression thereof in October before aswell to the then Lord Lievtenant in England as to your Majesties principall Secretarie the effect whereof appeared in the Parliametn order sent thither thereupon soone after and printed the twelfth of November 1641. wherein they declared that they conceived the Massacre was intended aswell against your Majesties good Subjects Antient Inhabitants of English blood though of the Romish Religion who have in former Rebellions given testimonie of their fidelitie to the Crowne of ENGLAND as against the Protestants and that they intended to move your Majesty for the encouragement of those English or Irish that should raise Horse or Foote against the Rebells that they should bee honourably rewarded and therefore on the third of the same December the Lords Justices and Counsell did write severall Letters unto those and other Lords in and neere Dublin to meet together with the Lords Justices and Counsell at Dublin the eighth day of the same moneth to the end they might conferre with those Lords concerning the present state of the Kingdome and the safety thereof and specially of the Citie of Dublin in those times of danger to this the Earle of Fingall and the Lords of Gormanston Slane Dunsany Nettervile Lowth and Trimletstowne by their Letter dated the seventh of the same December answered That they had cause to conceive their loyaltie was suspected and that they had received advertisement that Sir Charles Coote at the Connsell Board had uttered some speeches tending to a purpose and resolution to execute upon those of their Religion a generall Massacre whereby they were deterred to come not having securitie for their lives but rather thought fit to stand on their guard till they might heare from the Lords Justices and Counsell how they should bee secured They well knowing that the Lords Justices and Counsell had no force or having force had no intent to hurt them unlesse much greater cause appeared in which Letter they did mention the killing at Santry which it seemes they had not then heard of and could not take that for a ground of their rebellion as now they urge and so they did forbeare to come as they were required but the Earle of Kildare the Lords Fitzwilliams and Houth came at the day appointed with whom Conference was had Thereupon the Lords Justices and Counsell desirous and labouring by all the meanes they could to cleare all erronious conceptions in those Lords and to prevent their hurt by any undutifull resolutions and asmuch as they might to provide against any breach with them least thereby greater extremities might bee drawne upon them and the Rebells at Swoards might be raised in stomacke did print and publish a Declaration dated the thirteenth day of the same December and sent it those Noblemen therein positively affirming That the Lords Justices and Counsell did never heare Sir Charles Coote or any other utter at the Councell board or else-where any such speeches tending to a purpose or resolution to execute upon those of their profession or upon any other a generall Massacre and that that board never intended or meant to dishonour your Majestie or that State or wound their owne consciences by harbouring the least thought of so odious impious and detestable a thing upon any persons whatsoever And that they were had would be ready to inflict due punishment upon any man against whom proofe shall be made of speaking the same therein likewise requiring those Lords to attend the Lords Justices and Counsell at the Board on the seventeenth day of the same moneth of December Thereby also giving to those Lords and every of them the word and assurance of the State for their safe repaire to the Board without danger of any trouble or stay whatsoever of or from the Lords Justices and Counsell or any under their Command who never had intention to wrong or hurt them neither in truth did they feare any such massacre there having never beene any such thing attempted against Papists either in England Scotland or Ireland notwithstanding their difference in Religion and the Protestants provoked by many strange plots in former times The same thirteenth day also of December the Lords Justices and Counsell printed and sent to the said Luke Nettervile and the rest at Swoards their manifest setting forth the truth of the aforesaid action at Santry and that they had no knowledge of it till it was done and their readinesse to give redresse it upon prosecution there were cause either at the Board or at a Counsell of Warre therein also laying before them their high and unsufferable Contempt in not separating according to former Command declaring also that there was no intent or purpose against the lives of them or any other your Majesties good Subjects Protestants or Papists who were not actors or abettors in the traiterous murthers and robberies lately committed but that their care and endeavour alwayes was and should bee to cherish and preserve all your Majesties good Subjects of what profession soever requiring them againe forth with to separate and forbeare further terrour and annoyance to your Majesties good Subjects and therein the Lords Justices and Counsell required the said Luke Nettervile and the rest who formerly signed the Letler to appeare before them at the Counsell board on the eighteenth day of the said moneth where they should receive due hearing and further gave unto them and every of them the word and the assurance of the state as to their persons for their safe repaire unto them without any trouble or stay from them whatsoever and that they had no intention to wrong or hurt any of them all which notwithstanding they did not separate but on the contrary sent men to Clantarfe as aforesaid which gave the Lords Justices and Counsell full assurance that they were resolved to run on
according to their rebellious beginnings and so necessitated their Lordships to attempt them at Clantarfe as is before related and this as is conceived will appeare sufficient to vindicate the Lords Justices and Counsell from any just cause given of such malicious and scandalous imputation of faith breaking and otherwayes as in their remonstrance is pressed and from the guilt of such provocations to the said Nobility and Gentry of the Pale and other parts of Leinster to put themselves in posture of defence against the State and other your Majesties Protestant subjects Whereas on the other side those Lords and Gentry had most apparant cause to doe the same against their Confederates of Vlster who as they pretended so much terrified them yet being most true that while they joyned with the State in former times the Earle of Tyrone in all his strength durst never attempt them besides is hath been since made evident partly by discoveries made and examinations taken of notorious acts committed and partly in that many of the Inhabitants in severall parts of the Pale and other adjacent Counties and generally all the Irish inhabitants in Vlster and many in some Counties of Connaught had declared themselves Confederates or committed open rebellious acts and cruelties against your Majestie and your Protestant Subjects before the above mentioned killing at Santry which was the first act favouring of force offered and that but pretended to be offered by the Lords Justices and Counsell to those of the Pale or any of them viz. on the 23. of October 1641. and so daily after all the Irish of the Province of Vlster viz. in the Counties of Cavan Fermanagh Donegall Tyrone London Derry Ardmagh Monaghane and most part of the County of Downe and the County of Leitrim with part of the County of Sligo and many of the County of Roscomon in Connaught declared themselves in open rebellion and committed the acts of murthers and cruelties else-where mentioned And to shew that the common people aswell as the chiefe Conspirators were acquainted with the maine plot in the cheife part thereof it now appears by very many examinations that on the twenty three of October 1641 the Rebels of Vlster and in Leytrim generally told the Protestants whom they robbed that the Castle of Dublin was taken howsoever they formerly concealed the plot on the thirtieth of October 1641. the Irish of the County of Longford next adjoyning to Meath and Westmeath began to murther and rob and spoile all the Brittish and Protestants among them the Sheriff also of that County a prime man of the Farrels soone after ioyned in the action and on the second of November the Lords Justices and Counsell did write to Sir Iames Dillon uncle to the Lord of Costilo to imploy against those Rebels of Longford and others in Cavan 2000 men which he had gathered together under pretence to carry them into Spaine he liked not of that motion notwithstanding he had by former letters offered the service of those men but soone after imployed them against your Majesty and your forces notwithstanding he had lately at his owne suite received Arms and Ammunition for fifty men foote and horse for his own defence On the last day of October 1641 the towne of Dundalke in the County of Lowth in the Pale wherein was a Company of the old Army was yeilded up to the Rebels without stroke and your Majesties Armes lost against which neither Shane O Neale with whom all the Irish of Vlster and many other Irish ioyned could prevaile by assault nor the Earle of Tyrone with all his strength being other wayes provided then Sir Phelomy O Neale both in numbers of trained men and armes durst ever attempt it seldome gayne a few Cattle from it though he lay often within two miles of it their faith then sufficiently arming them against the stoutest Rebels and Drogheda had bin yeilded up within few dayes had not Sir Henry Titchburne come thither about the fourth day of November about that time also was the town of Atherdy in the County of Lowth so yeilded up to the rebells before the end of October and about the beginning of November 1641 many of the inferior inhabitants in the bordering parts of the County of Meath in the Pale especially the inhabitants of Kells robbed and spoiled the Brittish and Protestants with whom also some of the gentry ioyned the rest looked on about the same time also they did the same about Trym in the heart of Meath in the County of Westmeath also in the Pale they did the same about the same time Vpon the tenth day of November 1641 the Lord of Lowth having formerly received Commission from the Lords Justices and Counsell to command the forces in the County of Lowth came and delivered up his Commission pretending offence that Sir Christopher Bellew was ioyned with him in command and soone after went into Rebellion On the twelfth day of the same November all the Irish of the County of Wickloe which adjoyned on the South side to the County of Dublin entred into open Rebellion and murthered robbed and spoyled all the Brittish and Protestants in that County burnt and pulled downe all their faire English buildings and preyed and robbed within two miles of the City of Dublin on the sixteenth day of the same November they surprised and forced your Majesties fort called Carisfort in the County of Wickloe On the one and twentieth of the same November the Irish of the Counties of Wexford and Catherlagh entred into rebellion and ioyned with those of Wiikloe they seized on the Lord Esmonds house and all other the late undertakers buildings in Wexford and murthered robbed and spoiled al the Brittish and Protestants on the hither side of that County of Wexford and spoiled the Brittish and Protestants in most parts of the County of Catherlagh Before the fifteenth of November the Irish in some parts of the Queens County and Kings County robbed and spoiled the Brittish and Protestants there and defaced their houses from which time forwards they proceeded to growt o great numbers robbing and spoiling the Brittish and Protestants wheresoever they came On the twenty fourth of the same November all the old English and other inhabitants in the County of Lowth one of the five shires in the Pale ioyned with the Northern rebels in pen rebellion and with them also ioyned the Sheriffe Iohn Bellew who was formerly sent into England privately in some negotiation concerning the Parliament of Ireland and returned thither again in February 1640 many of the Inhabitants of that County had also formerly spoiled and robbed most of the Brittish and Protestants in that County of Lowth and defaced their houses which Country being full of old Castles was formerly defended against all Irish insurrections and the Inhabitants might now easily have done the like against those barbarous and raw men of Vlster if the former confederacy had not wrought amongst them and if their old fidelity had remained
the truth is the Lords Justices had that morning before hee declared it sent away to have it done that night otherwise they had been taken and hee thinking that the Lords Justices and Councel could not so soon remove them and presuming besides in case they were so removed to have them within a few dayes in Drogheda whether hee moved they might bee convayed by taking that Towne whereof hee little doubted About the beginning of November aforesaid Arms and Munition for three hundred men were by the Lords Justices and Councell delivered to three Captaines appointed for the Guard of the County of Kildare And on the 2 of December aforesaid the whole Company of Mr. Nicholas White eldest Sonne of Sir Nicholas White did run away with their Armes to the Rebels and so did the other two Captaines and their Companies soon after and then did the Gentry and Inhabitants of the said County of Kildare appoint Officers of the Field and Captaines for the Catholique Army All which particulars are here specified together with the times of each action as many others might bee mentioned to the end that it appearing in what ease the Pale and other parts of Leinster stood before the killing at Santry and burning at Clantarfe your Majestie may the more clearly see the vanity and malignity of the Confederates in pretending to be terrified into Armes by those acts which they well know were subsequent to their taking Armes and by their other devised Provocations in England and Ireland no truer then the former And it is observable that in the beginning of the Remonstrance they in expresse and plaine termes doe affirme that they at first were necessitated to take Armes for preservation of their Religion the maintenance of your Majesties Rights and Prerogatives and defence of their Lives Estates and Liberties of the danger whereof there was not then so much as a shadow beside their generall avowment of their acts in Vlster in the beginning of the rebellion as done by authority which was most false and so afterward acknowledged by them and to the end it may appeare to all the world that the Lords Justices and Councell did not draw your Majesties sword upon jealousies or presumptions till the highest extremities and acts committed compelled them nor till the innumerable murthers spoiles and outrages comitted on the British and Protestants in so many places without stop or restraint by any of the Lords or Gentry nor till the horrid defamation of your Sacred Majestie nor till it fully appeared that all was done by Conspiracy and Designe there being a wide difference betweene malicious designe and Profession to doe evill and confession of acts done perhaps necessitated or by seducement And as to the Remonstrants unjust complaint of stopping Lieutenant Colonell * Note that this Read is now Sir John Read For hee being examined in Ireland by the State there as a plotter of that Rebellion was after-ward sent over hither and committed for High Treason Who to escape his Condigne punishment broke prison went to Oxford and was there Knighted and is now gone back into Ireland Read whom they say they imployed to your Majestie with Remonstrance of the state of their Affaires The truth of the matter stands thus In the foresaid moneth of December foure Lords and three Gentletlemen of the County of Meath framed a Petition to your Majestie of some particulars concerning them intending as they told Lieutenant Colonell Read to send him with it to your Majestie but deferred it for that time presuming on their strength to winne their ends another way and on the weake estate of your Majesties Forces to oppose And when severall times the said Lieutenant Collonell Read moved them to bee sent away They whiled it off it is Reads own phrase and the Lord Gormanston said that there would bee time enough for that matter all which the said Lieutenant Collonell Read declared on his Examination after his comming to the Lords Justices and Councell in the beginding of March 1641. when hee delivered the draught of the Petition amongst other papers but did not say hee was then sent by them or desired to bee sent on that businesse And to make this more manifest the said Licutenant Collonell Read on the tenth day of January 1641. wrote to the Lords Justices for their passe into England not mentioning any imployment from the Remonstrnats or any of them to whom their Lordships wrote that they desired to confer with him before his going into England and wished him to repaire unto them to the end they might conferre with him and consider of his request but hee would not come nor any other wayes make known any other imployment or trust hee had for the said Remonstrant By all which it is manifest their abusive tax on the Lords Justices and Councell in stopping or hindering their Petition by Lieutenant Collonell Read or his pretended imployment for them And for the racking of the said Lieutenant Collonell Read it was not without president it being for the discovery of things that might highly concern the safety of your Majesties Kingdom and good people there To the tenth Article THe Lords Justices did never give any such direction to the Lord President of Munster Art 10. as in this Article is most untruely offered much lesse would they do it while the Province stood quiet the peace whereof they by all meanes sought to provide for neither would hee have obeyed any such unrighteous and halfe command himselfe being a Native of the Kingdome allyed amongst the old English and Irish and in all things lovingly affected to the people so long as they by any means could bee contained in duty neither was hee provided wantonly to make a warre being soon after driven to great extremity by their unprovoked disloyalty True it is that from the 23 of October 1641. till about the end of November following that Province of Munster stood in appearance quiet whereof hee from time to time advertized the Lords Justices and Councell and from them hee received severall expressions by many Letters of their great joy and comfort to finde that people so well disposed and as the Lord President signified to them the constancy or merit of any particular person the Lords Justices and Councell wrote Letters of thanks and incouragement to them specially they wrote to the Lord of Muskery whom the said Lord President had used with all civility trust and respect from time to time acknowledging his zeale in your Majesties service and giving him thanks for it in your Majesties behalf praying and requiring him to apply himselfe to the Lord President and bee advised and directed by him for his own future good and the safety of the Countrey whose concurrence if hee had continued loyall as hee stood obliged by his severall corporall oathes to the said Lord President would have availed much to the generall peace The same was done to others both to the Nobility and Gentry of that
Article these words are left out viz. in like manner to present unto His sacred Majesty the true and entire faith and allegiance of His Majesties Protestant subjects of this Kingdome unto His Royall Person Crowne and Dignity their cheerfull and constant acknowledgement of His supremacy in all causes and over all persons their universall obedience to all His Laws and gracious Government and their continued desires and endeavour even to the uttermost hazzard of their lives and fortunes for the preservation of all His Rights and just Prerogatives In the fourth is added in Doctrine and Discipline In the sixth is added and Statutes in this Kingdome established and now of force And about the same time the Lord-lieutenant sent for the Protestant Agents and declared unto them that it would be for their better reception at Court that they should prepare their severall Companies under their commands to goe into England to serve His Maiesty Sir Charles Cootes excepted whose command lay in another Province And soone after Captaine Parsons Troope was casheered because they refused to goe into England Captaine Bridgeway and Sir Francis Hamiltons Companies notwithstanding divers of them refused to goe and that the Lord-lieutenant on his first motion promised not to impose that on them and that Captaine Bridgeway and Sir Francis Hamilton were desirous that their Companies might remaine there for their suture hopes of settlement there were ordered to goe with their Lieutenants which was very prejudiciall to the said Agents and souldiers most of the Souldiers being Lessees or under Farmers unto them and persons who expected satisfacton from the rebels for their losses and injuries sustained by them which course was the cause as Major Iones another of the said Agents declared that he declined the said imployment After which Captaine Ridgeway and Sir Francis Hamilton were imployed to the Lord Lieutenant and desired his Lordship that Sir Charles Coote and Captaine Wil. Parsons who were chosen and added as Agents by the Protestants might have liberty to goe along with them into England They received answer from his Lordship that he would acquaint the Board therewith The eighteenth of March the Protestant Petitioners petitioned the Lord-lieutenant and Councell for licence for Sir Charles Coote and Capt. Parsons to repaire into England to joyne with their other Agents in the behalfe of the Protestants in regard the petition limited the negotiation thereof to three or more of them and that Major Iones had formerly declined the Agency and that Mr. Fenton Parsons then at London was not acquainted with the choice of him made therefore it was doubtfull whether he could attend the same or no. Which request being denied by the Lords did very much discourage the Protestants untill they were revived by the arrivall of His Majesties Letter of the 27 of February 1643. which came to Dublin the 29 of March 1644. signifying his Majesties pleasure in approbation of Sir Charles Coote and Captaine William Parsons for their comming into England which followeth in haec verba CHARLES REX RIght trusty and right entirely beloved Cousin and Counsellor Right trusty and right wel-beloved Cousins and Counsellors and trusty and wel-beloved Councellors We greet you well We are very well pleased to observe in your Letter to Secretary Nicholas of the third of this moneth how dutifully the Earl of Kildare and the rest of our good Protestant subjects in Ireland acknowledged before you the confidence We gave them of Our Grace and Favour which We hope they will give Us cause more particularly to make good to every of them as occasion shall be offered And whereas they have further proposed the addition of Sir Charles Coote and Captaine William Parsons to those Gentlemen designed to attend Us We are well contented to give way to that addition and that you licence them accordingly to come over hither to attend Us with the rest for which these Our Letters shall be your sufficient Warrant Given at our Court at Oxford the twenty seventh of February 1643. To Our right trusty and entirely beloved Cousin and Councellor James Marquesse of O mond Our Lieutenant-Generall and generall Governour of Our Kingdom of Ireland and to the rest of Our Councell there By His Majesties command EDW. NICHOLAS whereupon the said Agents received Letters which were delivered them as Letters of recommendation from the Lord Lieutenant and Councell to Mr. Secretary Nicholas but what was the effect of the said Letters or of former Letters delivered to those agents formerly appointed neither the Protestant petitioners nor their Agents did ever know being refused to be communicated to the said Agents though they earnestly desired the same On the second of April 1644. the Protestant Agents tooke shipping at Dublin and on the seventeenth of April came to Oxford and that day they delivered to Mr. Secretary Nicholas the said Letters from the Lord Lieutenant and Councell formerly mentioned and desired him to let them know what time he thought fittest for the said Agents to waite upon His Majesty to present unto Him the petition from the Protestants of Ireland who appointed them the next day at nine of the clocke in the Garden at Christ-church in Oxford and then they were by him presented to His Majesty where after kissing His Majesties hands they presented unto Him the said petition to which afterwards they received an answer which petition and answer follow in haec verba To the Kings most Excellent Majesty The humble Petition of divers of your Majesties Protestant Subjects in your Kingdome of Ireland as well Commanders of your Majesties Army here as others whose names are subscribed in the behalfe of themselves and other your Protestant Subjects in this your Kingdome Sheweth THat this your Highnesse Kingdome reduced with the vast expence of Treasure and much effusion of Brittish blood to the obedience of the Imperiall Crowne of England hath beene by the Princely care of your Royall progenitors especially of Queen Elizabeth and of your Royall father of ever blessed memory and your sacred Majesty in many parts happily planted great sums of money disbursed in buildings and improvements Churches edified and endowed and frequented with multitudes of good Protestants and your Customes and Revenues raised to great yeerely summes by the industry of your Protestant subjects especially and great summes of money by way of Subsidies and Contributions cheerfully paid unto your Majesty by your said Subjects In which happinesse this your Kingdome hath flourished in a long continued peace and under your Highnesse most glorious and happy government untill that by the present generall conspiracy and rebellion raised out of detestation of your blessed government and for rooting out of the Protestant religion and so for the dispossessing of your Majesty of this your said Kingdome without the least occasion offered by your Majesty or your Protestant subjects And notwithstanding that your Majesty immediately before had enlarged beyond president your Royall favour and bounty to them in granting all that
be adjudged and put in possession without any Office or Inquisition to be had 18. That your Majesties protestant Subjects may be restbred to the quiet possession of all their Castles Houses Mannors Lands Tenements and Hereditaments and Leases and to the quiet possession of the rents thereof as they had the same before and at the time of the breaking forth of this rebellion and from whence without due processe and judgement of Law they have since then been put or kept cut and may be answered of and for all the meane profits of the same in the interim and for all the time untill they shall be so restored 19. That your Majesties said protestant subjects may also be restored to all their Moneys Plate Jewels Houshouldstuffe Goods and Chattels whatsoever which without due processe or judgement in Law have by the said Confederates been taken or detained from them since the contriving of the said rebellion which may be gained in kind or the full value thereof if the same may not be had in kind and the like restitution to be made for all such things which during the said time have been delivered any person or persons of the said Confederates in trust to be kept or preserved but are by colour thereof still withholden 20. That the establishment and maintenance of a competent Protestant Army and sufficient Protestant souldiers and forces for the time to come be speedily taken into your Majesties prudent just and gracious consideration and such a course laid down and continued according to the tules of good government that your Majesties rights and Laws the Protestant religion and peace of that Kingdome be no more endangered by the like rebellions in time to come 21. That whereas it appeareth in print that the said Confederates amongst other things ayme at the repeale of Poynings Law thereby to open an easie and ready way for the passing of acts of Parliament in Ireland without having them first well confidered of in England which may produce many dangerous consequences both to that Kingdome and to your Majesties other Dominions your Majesty would be pleased to recent and reject all propositions tending to introduce so great a diminution of your Royall and necessary power for the confirmation of your Royall estate and protection of your good protestant Subjects both there and elsewhere 22. That your Majesty out of your grace and favour to your Protestant subjects of Ireland would be pleased to consider effectually of assuring them that you will not give order for or allow of the transmitting into Ireland any act of generall Oblivion release or discharge of Actions or Suits whereby your Majesties said Protestant Subjects there may be barred or deprived of their legall remedies which by your Majesties Laws and Statutes of that Kingdome they may have against the said Confederates or any of them or any of their party for or in respect of any wrongs done unto them or any of their ancestors or predecessors in or concerning their lives liberties persons lands goods or estates since the contriving or breaking forth of the said rebellion 23. That some fit course may be considered of to prevent the filling or overlaying of the Commons house of Parliament in Ireland with popish Recusants being ill affected members and that provision be duely made that none shall vote or sit therein but such as shall first take the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance 24. That the proofes and manifestations of the truth of the severall matters contained in the Petition of your Majesties Protestant subjects of Ireland lately presented to your Majesty may be duely examined discussed and in that respect the finall conclusion of things respited for a convenient time their Agents being ready to attend with their proofes in that behalfe as your Majesty shall appoint Which Remonstrance Answer and Propositions His Majesty received from the said Agents the 27 of Aprill 1644. and the same delivered to Master Secretary Nicholas and then the said Agents desired him to move his Majesty that nothing might be concluded with the Irish Agents untill the said protestant Agents were fully heard and that they might have a Copy of the Propositions of the Irish The next day after Master Secretary Nicholas told them that his Majesty had referred the protestants petition their answer to the rebells Remonstrance and their propositions to the Committee for Irish affaires The 29th of April the protestant Agents were told by one of the Committee for the Irish affaires at Oxford that such of the Committee who were at the reading of the Answer to the Rebells Remonstrance and the Propositions of the protestant Agent said That those Propositions were drawne by the close Committee of London and that they wondered that His Majesty would receive so mutinous a Petition The same day the Protestant Agents being informed by divers persons of quality that the rebells Agents were upon dispatch they waited on the Lord Cottington chiefe of the Committee and desired his Lordship to be a meanes that they might have a Copy of the Rebells Propositions to His Majesty his Lordship seemed a stranger to the businesse and said he knew not any Propositions the Rebells had made and said further that he conceived they meant the Irish Remonstance whereunto they answered that the same was long since printed and that they were not strangers thereunto To which his Lordship replyed that if any such Propositions were made it were fit the same should be made knowne unto them but that he knew of none such Notwithstanding the said Lord Cottington was present at the Committee appointed by His Majesty for Irish affaires the 19 of April when the said Propositions from the Rebells of Ireland were read and by his Lordship and the rest on inviolable secrecy delivered unto Sir William Stewart and Sir Gerard Lowther Sir Philip Percivall and Mr. Justice Donuelland who were sent for out of Ireland and appointed by His Majesty to advise with him upon the Treaty and who received command from their Lordships not to communicate the said Propositions to any body which Injunction of secrecy was a great prejudice to the Protestant cause that those persons being persons of ability and integrity should be restrained from a free communication of all occurrences concerning that affaire with the said Protestant Agents and both they and the Agents were thereby prevented of satisfying severall persons that on false grounds and misinformation of the Rebells and their party who tooke liberty to discourse of the reasonablenesse of the Rebells desires and of the motives inducing the same were deluded with an opinion of the moderatnesse of the Rebells propositions and other their proceedings The same day the Protestant Agents being much troubled with the said Lord Cottingtons answer repaired unto Sir William Stewart Sir Gerard Lowther Sir Philip Percivall and Justice Donuellan and unto Sir George Radcliffe and Sir William Sambach who were added to them for that affaire and acquainted them that they were attending
with instructions from His Majesties protestant subjects of Ireland and had exhibited a petition and propositions to his Majesty who had promised them a gracious hearing and that they heard that the Rebells Agents were somewhat neare a dispatch and therefore entreated them who as they understood were to be admitted to attend the Lords of the Committee for Irish affairs that afternoone that they would move their Lordship that the protestant Agents who had diver a things of great consequence to offer to their Lordships might be admitted to a full hearing before matters proceeded too farce His Majesty having promised them a gracious hearing and they having attempted many other meanes to obtaine the same and that their Lordships would admit the said protestants Agents to see a copy of what was moved by the rebells being also ready to deliver a Copy of the Protestants Agents propositions The next day Sir George Radcliff sent for the Protestant Agents and in the presence of Sir William Stewart and the rest of the Gentlemen aforenamed he told them that they had acquainted the Lords of the Committee with their desires and that their Lordships commanded them to returne this answer that their Lordships tooke it ill that the said Agents were so forward in prejudicating the Kings Justice and their Lordships and that they should be heard at large before any conclusion were and said further that themselves were thought too forward to present such a request but as to the Protestants Agents desire of having a coppy of the rebells propositions they received no answer The first of May the Protestant Agents were commanded to attend the said Committee for Irish affaires at the audit Chamber in Oxford which accordingly they did The Lords of the Committee then present being the Lord Cottington the Earle of Bristol the Earle of Portland the Lord George Dagby Sir Edward Nicholas Sir Iohn Culpepper and Sir Edward Hade At which time their Lordships caused to be read the Protestants Petition and their propositions presented to His Majesty and the Instructions from the Protestants of Ireland and the order of the Commons house of the Parliament of Ireland of the 17 of February 1643. Declaring the concurrence of that house to the said petition but the Collections made in answer of the Remonstrance of the Irish which would have disproved their untrue pretences was not read Then the E. of Bristol told the said Agents that both the King and themselves were sensible of the prejudicate opinion which the said Agents had of their Iustice by their pressures to be heard and by their beliefe of vulgar reports That the said Agents could not be more carefull of the Protestants and Protestant Religion then their Lordships were To which the said Agents answered that if they had erred in pressing to be heard it was but out of their zeale to the service and for the preservation of the remnant of the poore Protestants of Ireland who intrusted them and out of a desire that His Majesty and their Lordships might be rightly informed of the past sufferings and present deplorable condition of the Protestants there which the said Agents humbly desired might be no otherwise represented to his Majesty and that they might be admitted to the proofe of the particulars contained in the said Protestant Petition which they humbly conceived to be of greatest concernment to them in discharge of their trust whereupon the said Agents were bidden to withdraw and soone after were called in againe and commanded to subscribe the propositions which they had formerly presented to His Majesty and were that day read before their Lordships which they did and the same day they were appointe in the afternoone to attend the Lord Priimate the Lord Bishop of Downe Sir Geo. Radcliff and others and there Sir George Radcliff cold them that they were commanded by the Committee for Irish affaires to let them know how ill they tooke the height and unreasonablenesse of their said Propositions and to deliver them this ensuing message First that their Lordships did not think that the Propositions presented by the pretestant Agents to His Majesty and that morning read before their Lordships were the sence of the Protestants of Ireland Secondly That those Propositions were not agreeable to the Instructions given the said Agents by the protestants of Ireland Thirdly That as those Propositions were drawn they would lay a prejudice on His Majesty and His Ministers to posterity these remaining on record if a Treaty should go on and a peace follow which the Kings necessity did enforce and that the Lords of the Committee apprehended the said Agents did flatly oppose a peace with the Irish Fourthly That it would be impossible for the King to grant the Protestant Agents desires and grant a Peace to the Irish Fifthly That the Lords of the Committee desired the protestant Agents to propose a way to effect their desires either by force or treaty considering the condition of His Majesties affaires in England To which Message the Protestant Agents gave Answer to this effect TO the first that they humbly conceived that the Propositions which they had presented to his Majesty were the sense of the Protestants of Ireland To the second that the propositions were agreeable to the Instructions given to the said Agents by the protestants of Ireland and conduced to the well settlement of that Kingdome To the third that they had no thought to draw prejudice on His Majesty or their Lordships by putting in those propositions neither had they so soone put in propositions had not his Majesty by his Answer to the Protestant petition directed the same To the fourth the said Agents humbly conceived that they were imployed to make proofe of the effect of the protestants Petition to manifest the inhumane Cruelties of the Rebells and then to offer such things as they thought fit for the security of the protestants in their Religion lives liberties and fortunes That the said Protestants had no disaffection to peace so as punishment be inflicted according to law as in the propositions are expressed and that the said pretestants might be repaired for their great losses out of the estates of the rebells not formerly by any Acts of this present Parliament in England otherwise disposed of which the said Agents desired might be represented to his Majesty and the Lords of the Committee accordingly To the fifth that the said protestant Agents were strangers to his Majesties affaires in England and conceived that part more proper for the advice of his Councells then the said Agents and therefore desired to be excused from medling in the Treaty further then the manifesting of the truth of the protestant petition and proposing in the behalfe of the protestants according to the Instructions given them which the said Agents were ready to preforme whensoever they should be admitted thereunto And having read them before their Lordships c. Sir George Radcliff told the said Agents that while they continued so
in that Kingdome for the encrease of Your Majesties revenues towards the defraying of Your Majesties necessary chage of that Kingdome the satisfying in some measure the arreares of Your Army in Ireland especially those who have laid great sums of money out of their owne purses and deeply engaged themselves for money and provisions to keepe themselves their holds and Souldiers under their commands in the necessary defence of Your Majesties rights and lawes and for the encouragement of others in like times and cases which may happen who otherwise will be totally ruined by their great engagements which we humbly submit to Your Majesties consideration And likewise that Your Majesty will be graciously pleased in the said plantations to erect and build some walled Townes in the said Kingdome of Ireland and endow and furnish them with necessary and sufficient meanes of legall and just government and defence for the better security of Your Majesties lawes and rights more especially the Protestant Religion in time of danger 11. That for the better satisfaction of Justice and Your Majesties honour and for the future security of the said Kingdome and Your Maiesties protestant subiects there exemplary punishment may be inflicted upon such of the principall offenders as have had their hands in the shedding of innocent blood or had to doe with the first plot or conspiracy or since that time have done any notorious murthers 12. That Your Maiesties Townes forts and places of strength destroyed by the said confederates since the said rebellion may be by them and at their charge reedified and delivered up into Your Maiesties hands to be duly put into the government under Your Maiesty and Your lawes of good protestants and that all strengths and fortifications made and set up by the said confederates since the said rebellion may be slighted and thrown down or else delivered up and disposed of for Protestant government as aforesaid 13. That Your Maiesties Protestant subiects may be restored to the quiet and peaceable possession of all their Castles Houses mannors lands Tenements hereditaments and leases as they had the same before and at the time of the breaking forth of this rebellion and from whence without due processe and Judgement in law they have since then been put out and kept 14. That Your Maiesties said Protestant subiects may also be restored to or satisfied for all their monies plate Jewells houshold Stuffe Goods or Chattells whatsoever which during the Rebellion have been delivered to any person or persons of of the confederates in trust to be kept and preserved which are yet detained from them without colour of law or Justice 15. That the establishment and maintenance of a compleat protestant Army and sufficient protestant Souldiers and forces for the time to come in Ireland be speedly taken into Your Majesties Prudent Just and Gracious confideration and such a course laid down and continued therein according to the rules of good government that Your Majesties rights and lawes and the protestant Religion and Peace of that Kingdome be no more endangered by the like Rebellion in time to come 16. That whereas it appeareth in print that the said confederates amongst other things aime at the repeale of Poynings Act thereby to open an easie and ready way for the passing of Acts of Parliament in Ireland without having them first well considered of in England which may produce many dangerous consequences both to that Kingdome and to Your Majesties other Dominions Your Majesty would be pleased to recent and reject all propositions tending to introduce so great a Diminution of Your royall and necessary power for the conservation of Your royall estate and protection of Your good protestant subjects both there and elsewhere 17. That Your Majesty out of Your abundant grace and favour to Your Protestant subjects of Ireland will be pleased to consider effectually of assuring them that if your Majesty shall thinke fit for the furtherance of your service to grant to the said confederates an Act of oblivion that your Majesty will not allow of discharge or release any actions suites debts or interests whereby your Majesties protestant subjects of Ireland may be barred or deprived or any of their party in respect of any wrongs done unto them or any of their ancestors or predecessors in and concerning their lands goods or estates since the contriving or breaking forth of the said rebellion 18. That some fit course may be considered of to prevent the filling or overlaying the Commons house of Parliament in Ireland with popish recusants and unlesse some course shall by due meanes be settled the popish faction may at some time or other get such an over-ruling power in that house as may endanger both your Majesties rights and royall prerogatives and the Protestants of that Kingdome And that provision may be made that none shall Vote or sit in any Parliament there but such as shall first take the Oaths of Supremacy and Alleageance 19. That the proofs and manifestation of the Truth of the severall matters contained in the Petition of your Majesties protestant subjects of Ireland and the collections made to disprove the scandalous aspersions cast on your Majesties gracious government and on your good and loyall protestant subjects by the confederates may be duly examined and discussed The seventh of May Sir William St Leger came from His Majesties Army to Oxford and being with the protestant Agents told them That that party of the Army that came out of Munster in Ireland were much discontented to heare that the protestant Agents received no better countenance and that he had told the Lord Digby so much and that the Lord Digby on discourse with the said Sir William said That The greatest favour he could doe the Protestants Agents was to call them mad men that he might not call them roundheads for that the said Agents had proposed mad propositions and wished him to prevaile with some of the Agents to come to him that he might confer with them which the said Agents did not the L. Digbies expressions then and before so little encouraging them thereunto The same day there was a report in Oxford grounded upon a letter that came out of Ireland signifying that it went for currant newes in Dublin that the Irish Agents were dispatched at Court and that they staid to procure the protestants pardons This being told to the L. Digby by the said Sir William St Leger his Lordship answered That the Protestant Agents had raised that report of purpose to cast an aspersion upon the King The eighth of May the Protestant Agents waited on Mr. Secretary Nicholas desiring to know what resolution was taken upon their second propositions who told them That the Lords sate not that day according to their appointment And the said Agents heard by others that some of the Lords desired to avoid sitting in counsell when the businesse of Ireland was debated The ninth of May the protestant Agents were commanded to wait at the
demands in our former Petition and humble motions to your Lordships exprest for the Licence and recommendation of our Agents and Petition to his sacred Majesty as that the cause of our Religion of our selves and our Posterity whereof his Majesty is so abundantly earefull his Majesties honour and service so much concerned therein may not suffer through delay or want of true and full information which your supplicants humbly conceive cannot bee without particular persons as Agents from the severall parts of this Kingdome to that end chosen by those who have now suffered to solicite and wholly attend the same And they shall ever pray c. 19 Octobris XIX Octob 1643. THe answer which on the twelfth of this moneth we gave to a former petition concerning this matter exhibited at this board In the name of divers of His Majesties protestant subjects of Ireland doth sully answer the requests of this your petition to which we can now adde That such is our care of the petitioners as that on the same day we gave them that answer We signed letters directed to Mr. Secretary Nicholas and inclosed therein their petition to Us and we have by those letters earnestly entreated Mr. Secretary that with all convenient speed we may understand His Majesties gracious pleasure therein which we shall readily obey and if the Petitioners shall think fit to send any to attend His Majesty as we shall not hinder them or any other from making their humble applications to his Majesty in any their occasions so we hold it agreeable with our duties to forbeare our recommendation for the reasons expressed in our said answer of the twelfth of this month untill we first understand his Majesties good pleasure therein Jo. Borlaso He. Tichborne Ormonde Roscomon Ant. Midensis Cha. Lambert Geo. Shurley Fra. Willoughbyâ— Ja. Ware Tho. Rotheram Whereupon Sir Sichard Bolton Knight Lord Chauncellor of Ireland upon the delivery of the said Copy at the councell board said that the Copy of the petition prepared to be sent to his Majesty was not a true copy because it wanted the names who had subscribed the originall petition which nicity was soon taken away by the protestants delivery of a perfect list of the names of such as had subscribed the petition intended to be presented to His Majesty The next day a Protestation was framed against the Protestant Petitioners and their agents by some ill affected to so good a worke and countenanced by the Earle of Roscomon and Sir James Ware two members of that board amongst others to draw scandall and prejudice on the Protestants and their petition which Protestation followeth in haec verba The sense of divers of His Majesties Protestant subjects who have signed to the late Petition directed to His Majesty Suffering under the misconstruction of our Petition we hold it fit to declare that we exhibited not the same through want of assurance of His Majesties care of the Protestant Religion and of his subjects Nor yet to divert any supplies that may be drawne from honce against such as in His Kingdome of England have taken up Armes against him but meerely in right to Gods Cause and in our right humbly to informe His Majesty when the Irish agents repaire unto him if the said Agents shall endevour to surprise or prejudice us in either this is the Commission We give and if any person or persons imployed by Vs shall goe further or otherwise busie themselves to the disturbance of His Majesties service against such we doe and shall protest as being in our intentions no parties thereunto which as it may serve to vindicate our faith to His most sacred Maiesty so it may shew how causelesse the Jealousies are of this addresse to Him And some ill affected persons were imployed unto severall of the subscribers to the Protestant petition desiring them to subscribe the said Protestation which tooke so little effect that not one man who had formerly subscribed the said Petion to his Majesty would be drawne to signe the said Protestation one Officer of the Army excepted who immediately after came to the Councell-Board divers of the Protestant petitioners being there present and desired that the Lords Justices and Councell would permit him to withdraw his name from the said Petition intended to be presented to His Majesty which he had formerly subscribed yet seeing the designe of the petition and other discouragements given the Petitioners tooke no other effect but that the protestant petitioners constantly presisted in their zeale to their Religion honour of his Majesty the vindication of the innocent blood of their brethren shed by the barbarous rebells and the preservation of the remainder of the poore protestants there They that favoured the said petition desisted from any further proceedings therein About the begining of Ianuary a letter from His Majesty dated the 6 of November 1643 arrived at Dublin licensing the protestant Agents to repaire to His Majesty which followeth in haecverba CHARLES REX RIght trusty and well beloved Counsellors and right trusty and right welbeloved Cousens and Counsellors we greet you well We have seene your letters to secretary Nicholas of the 18 of October 1643. with the copy of a petition to you presented the sixth day of that moneth by our cousens the Earle of Kildare and Lord viscount Ardes and divers others in the names of more of our protestant subjects in that our Kingdome and what answer you then made thereupon with a reservation till our pleasure should be signified concerning their requests We have likewise seene your letter to our said Secretary of the 28 of the same moneth with the coppy of a petition to us and a list of the subscribers in the name of divers our protestant subjects aswell Commanders as others in that our Kingdome and a Copy of their petition to you in pursuance of their former with your answer thereupon In all which we finde you have very prudently and carefully done what befits your duties to Us The foure persons nominated by the petitioners We are pleased may repaire hither over and above the persons by us formerly appointed with fitting instructions concerning the grievances mentioned in the petition aforesaid and that you permit them accordingly to come over when or before the persons to be sent from our Roman Catholique subjects of that our Kingdome shall come And if hereafter our said Protestant Subjects shall desire to add more to them upon Declaration of their names who are desired to be added to you and your advertizement thereof to Us you shall receive further direction and so we bid you heartily farewell Given at our Court at Oxford the 6 day of November in the Ninteenth year of our Raigne 1643. To our right trusty and welbeloved Counsellors Sir John Borlase and Sir Henry Titchborne Knights Lords Iustices and to our right trusty and right welbeloved Cousens Counsellors and trusty and welbeloved Counsellors the Lords and others of our Privy Councell of Our