him upon his knees And howsoever before this glorious work was fully accomplished it pleased God to put a period to her dayes yet lived she long enough to see just vengeance brought down upon the head of that unnaturall disturber of the peace of the kingdome himself in a manner wholly deserted his country most miserably wasted and a generall desolation and famine brought in mightily consuming what was left undevoured by the sword It is very easie to conjecture in what a most miserable condition Ireland then was The miserable condition of Ireland when K. Iames came to the Crown of England the English colonies being for the most part barbarously rooted out the remainders degenerated into Irish manners and names the very Irish themlelves most mightily wasted and destroyed by the late wars and thereby much of the kingdome depopulated in every place large monuments of calamity and undiscontinued troubles King James of blessed memory found it at his first accession to the Crown of England in this deplorable estate whereupon he presently took into his care the peaceable settlement of Ireland and civilizing of the people And conceiving that the powerfull conjunction of England and Scotland would now overawe the Irish and contain them in their due obedience His lenity towards the Irish rebels and his endeavours for a civill reformation He resolved not to take any advantage of those forfeitures and great confiscations which he was most justly intitled unto by Tyrone's rebellion but out of his Royall bounty and Princely magnificence restored all the Natives to the entire possession of their own lands A work most munificent in it self and such as he had reason to believe would for the time to come perpetually oblige their obedience to the Crown of England And in this state the Kingdom continued under some indifferent terms of peace and tranquility untill the sixth year of his raigne Then did the Earl of Tyrone take up new thoughts of rising in arms and into his rebellious designe he easily drew the whole province of Vlster then entirely at his devotion But his plot failed and he finding himself not able to get together any considerable forces he with the principall of his adherents quitting the kingdom fled into Spain leaving some busie incendiaries to foment those beginnings he had laid for a new rebellion in Ireland and promising speedily to return well attended with forraigne succours to their aid But by the great blessing of Almighty God upon the wise Councels of that King and the carefull endeavours of his vigilant Ministers the distempers occasioned by the noise of that commotion were soon allayed and Tyrone never returning the peace of the kingdome much confirmed and setled King James hereupon being now so justly provoked by the high ingratitude of those rebellious traitours caused their persons to be attainted their lands to be seized and those six Counties within the Province of Vlster which belonged unto them to be surveyed and all except some small parts of them reserved to gratifie the well-affected natives to be distributed in certain proportions among British undertakers who came over and setled themselves and many other British families in those parts By this meanes the foundations of some good Towns soon after encompassed with stone wals were presently laid severall castles and houses of strength built in severall parts of the country great numbers of British inhabitants there setled to the great comfort and security of the whole kingdome And the same course was taken likewise for the better assurance of the peace of the country in the plantation of severall parts of Lemster where the Irish had made incursions and violently expelled the old English out of their possessions But howsoever the King was by due course of law justly intitled to all their whole estates there yet he was graciously pleased to take but one fourth part of their lands which was delivered over likewise into the hands of British undertakers who with great cost and much industry planted themselves so firmly as they became of great security to the country and were a most especiall means to introduce civility in those parts so as now the whole kingdome began exceedingly to flourish in costly buildings K. Charles great readinesse to redresse the grievances presented unto him by the Irish Commissioners 1640 The Lords L. Vicount Gormanstone L. Vicount Kilmaloc L. Vicount Costeloe L Vicount Baltinglas Commons Lemster Nic. Plunket Digbie Richard Fitz-garret Nic Barnewall Esq Munster Sir Hardresse Waller Io. Welsh Sir Donnogh Mac Cartie Conaght Robert Linch Geffrie Browne Thomas Burke Vlster Sir William Cole Sir Iames Mongomerie and all manner of improvements the people to multiply and increase and the very Irish seemed to be much satisfied with the benefits of that peaceable government and generell tranquility which they so happily enjoyed ANd now of late such was the great indulgence of K. Charles our Soveraign that now reigneth to his Subjects of Ireland as that in the year 1640. upon their complaints and a generall Remonstrance sent over unto him from both Houses of Parliament then sitting at Dublin by a Committee of foure temporall Lords of the upper house and twelve Members of the house of Commons with instructions to represent the heavy pressures they had for some time suffered under the government of the Earl of Strafford He took their grievances into his royall consideration descended so far to their satisfaction as that he heard them himself and made present provisions for their redresse And upon the decease of Mr. Wandsford Master of the Rols in Ireland and then Lord Deputy here under the said Earl of Strafford who still continued Lord Lieutenant of this kingdome though then accused of high treason and imprisoned in the Tower of London by the Parliament of England His Majesty sent a Commission of Government to the Lord Dillon of Kilkenny west and Sir William Parsons Knight and Baronet Master of the Wards in Ireland Yet soon after finding the choice of the Lord Dillon to be much disgusted by the Committee he did at their motion cause the said commission to be cancelled and with their consent and approbation placed the government upon Sir William Parsons and Sir Iohn Borlace Knight Sir Will. Parsons and Sir Iohn Borlace made L. Iustices Master of the Ordnance both esteemed persons of great integrity and the Master of the Wards by reason of his very long continued imployment in the State his particular knowledge of the kingdome much valued and well beloved among the people They took the sword upon the 9. of Febr. 1640. And in the first place they applied themselves with all manner of gentle lenitives to mollifie the sharp humours raised by the rigid passages in the former government They apply themselves to give contentment to the people They declared themselves against all such proceedings lately used as they found any wayes varying from the Common Law They gave all due encouragement to the
without any further delay to march on and presently surprise the same These false rumours being unluckily spread and by some fomented out of evill ends exceedingly increased the present distractions of the people and raised such a panick fear among them as about seven of the clock at night the Lords Iustices and some of the Councel being then in the councel-chamber within the castle there came in to them a Gentleman of good quality who having not without much difficulty as he pretended recovered the gate of the castle caused the Warders then attending to draw up the bridge assuring them that the Rebels gathered together in great numbers had already possessed themselves of a good part of the Town and came now with great fury marching down the street that leads directly towards the castle gate But this feare was quickly removed by Sir Francis Willoughby who being that day made governour of the castle caused the draw-bridge to be let down and so found this to be a false alarum occasioned by some mistake fallen among the people who continued waving up and down the streets prepossessed with strange feares and some of them upon some slender accident drawing their swords others that knew not the cause thought fit to follow the example and so came to appeare to this Gentleman who was none of their company as so many Rebels comming up to enter the castle These were the first beginnings of our sorrows ill symptomes The Lords Iustices and Councell consult what course to take for the suppressing this rebellion and sad preparatives to the ensuing evils Therefore the Lords finding by several intelligences though some purposely framed that the power of the Rebels was suddenly swollen up to so great a bulk and likely so fast to multiply and increase upon them thought it high time to consider of the remedies and in what condition they were to oppose since they could not prevent so imminent a danger The rebellion now appeared without all manner of question to be generally raised in all parts of the North and like a torrent to come down most impetuously upon them besides it was no wayes improbable that all other parts of the kingdome would take fire and follow their example they had the testimony of Mac-Mahon positive therein The first thing therefore which they took into consideration was how they were provided of Mony Arms and Munition Then what Companies of Foot and Troops of Horse of the old Army they were able to draw presently together No money in the Exchequer as also what numbers of new men they could suddenly raise For the first they had this short accompt from the Vice-treasurer That there was no mony in the Exchequer And certainly it was a main policie in the first contrivers of this Rebellion to plot the breaking of it out at such a time when the Exchequer should be empty and all the Kings revenues both certain and casuall due for that half year as well as the rents of all the British throughout the kingdome should be found ready either in the tenants or collectors hands in the country and so necessarily fall under their power as they did to their great advantage For Arms and Munition the Stores were indifferently well furnished at this time Besides severall Peeces of Artillery of divers sorts most of them fitted for present service there were Arms for near 10000. men 1500 barrels of Powder with Match and Lead proportionable laid in by the Earle of Strafford late L. Lieutenant not long before and designed another way but so opportunely reserved for this service as the good providence of God did exceedingly appeare therein but principally in the miraculous preservation of them out of the hands of the Rebels who made the surprisall of these provisions then all within the castle of Dublin the common store-house of them a main part of their designe The old standing Army as appeares by this List consisted only of 41 Companies of Foot and 14 Troops of Horse A List of His Majesties Army in Ireland 1641. Before the Rebellion began Foot-Companies consisting of six Officers viz. Captain Lieutenant Ensign Chirurgion Serjeant and Drum and fourty four Souldiers each Company LORD Lieutenants Guard 45 Sir Robert Farrar 44 Sir Thomas Wharton 44 Sir George Saint-George 44 Cap. Francis Butler 44 Sir Wil. Saint Leguer 44 Lord Docwra 44 Lord Blaney 44 Sir Robert Steward 44 Lord Viscount Rannelagh 44 Lord Viscount Baltinglas 44 Sir John Vaughan 44 Cap. George Blount 44 Sir Hen. Tichbourne 44 Sir Frederick Hamilton 44 Lord Castle-Stewart 44 Sir Lorenzo Cary 44 Cap Chichester Fortescue 44 Sir John Gifford 44 Cap. John Barry 44 Sir John Neutervile 44 Cap. Thomas Rockley 44 Sir Arthur Tyringham 44 Cap. Philip Wenman 44 Cap. Charles Price 44 Sir Charles Coote 44 Cap. Thomas Games 44 Sir Francis Willoughby 44 Sir John Borlase 44 Cap. Robert Bailey 44 Sir Arthur Loftus 44 Cap. Wil. Billingsley 44 The Lord Esmond 44 The Lord Lambert 44 Sir George Hamilton 44 Lord Folliot 44 Sir Wil. Stewart 44 Cap. Robert Biron 44 Sir John Sherlock 44 The Earl of Clanricard 44 Cap. John Ogle 44 These Companies contain Officers 246 In all 2297 Souldiers 2051 In all 2297 Horse-Troopes THE Earl of Leicester Lord Lieutenant generall his Troop consisting of Captain Lieutenant Cornet and Horsemen 108 The Earl of Ormonds Troop like Officers and Horsemen 107 The Earl of Straffords Troop like Officers and Horsemen 58 Lord Dillons Troop like Officers and Horsemen 58 Lord Wilmots Troop like Officers and Horsemen 58 Sir Wil. Saint-Leguer Lord President of Munster the like 58 Lord Viscount Moore the like 58 Lo. Viscount Grandison the like 58 Lo. Visc Cromwell of Lecale the like 58 Cap. Arthur Chichester the like 58 Sir George Wentworth the like 58 Sir John Borlase the like 58 Lo. Viscount Conway the like 58 Sir Adam Loftus the like 58 These Troopes contain Officers 42 In all 943 Horsemen 901 In all 943 These were so strangely dispersed most of them into the remote parts of the kingdome for the guard of severall Forts and other places as it fell out to be in a maner most impossible to draw a considerable number of them together in any time either for the defence of the City or the making head against the Rebels in the North and besides it was much to be suspected the companies lying severally so remote and ill furnished with munition could with little safety march to Dublin Yet the Lords sent Potents presently away to require severall companies of Foot and some troops of Horse presently to rise and march up from their severall garrisons towards the city of Dublin And now it was held high time to give an accompt unto His Majesty then at Edenburgh in his kingdome of Scotland and to the Lord Lieutenant continuing still at London the Parliament still sitting there of the breaking out of this Rebellion Letters from the Lords Iustices and Councell to the Lord Lieutenant
chief persons of quality residing in the said Counties of the Pale and others adjacent to them to govern and command such forces as should be raised by them and armed by the state for the defence of the Countrey and issued out from the Councel-board severall Commissions of government unto them As one to the Earl of Ormond and the L. Viscount Montgarret for the county of Kilkenny to Walter Bagnall Esq for the county of Catâ—rlagh Sir Iam. Dillon the elder and Sir Iames Billon the yonger for the county of Longford L. Viscount Costeloe for the county of Maio Sir Robert Talbot and Garrat Birne for the county of Wiclow Sir Christopher Bellew for the county of Lowth Earl of Kildare for the county of Kildare Sir Thomas Nugent for the county of Westmeath Nicholas Barnewall for the county of Dublin L. Viscount Gormanston for the county of Meath All these were made choice of without distinction of religion the Lords holding it fit at that time to put the chief persons of power in the countrey into those places of trust hoping they might prove good instruments to oppose the threatning incursions of the Northern Rebels which they knew them well enabled to perform if they would really joyn in the service or at least be kept by this their great confidence in them from giving any entertainment or assistance to their rebellious designes The Commission directed to the L. of Gormanston I have thought fit here to insert It was found afterwards in his study by some of his Majesties army when he and all the rest of the Governours that were of the Romish religion thus chosen deserted their houses and openly declared themselves in actuall rebellion The other Commissions were all of the same tenour By the Lords Iustices and Councell W. Parsons John Borlase RIght trusty and well beloved We greet you well Whereas divers most disloyall and malignant persons within this Kingdome have traiterously conspired against His Majesty His Peace Crown and dignity and many of them in execution of their Conspiracy are traiterously assembled together in a warlike manner and have most inhumanely made destruction and devastation of the persons and estates of divers of his Majesties good and loyall subjects of this Kingdom and taken slain and imprisoned great numbers of them We out of our care and zeal for the common good being desirous by al means to suppresse the said treasons and traitors and to conserve the persons and fortunes of His Majesties loving Subjects here in safety and to prevent the further spoil and devastation of His Majesties good people here do therfore hereby require and authorize you to levie raise and assemble all every or any the forces as well Footmen as Horsemen within the county of Meath giving you hereby the command in chief of all the said forces and hereby further requiring and authorizing you as Commander of them in chief to arme array divide distribute dispose conduct leade and govern in chief the said forces according to your best discretion and with the said forces to resist pursue follow apprehend and put to death slay and kill as well by battell as other wayes all and singular the said Conspirators Traytors and their adherents according to your discretion and according to your conscience and discretion to proceed against them or any of them by martiall law by hanging them or any of them till they be dead according as it hath been accustomed in time of open rebellion and also to take waste and spoil their or any of their Castles Holds Forts Houses Goods and Territories or otherwise to preserve the lives of them or any of them and to receive them into His Majesties favour and mercy and to forbear the devastation of their or any of their Castles Forts Houses Holds Goods and Territories afore mentioned according to your discretion Further hereby requiring and authorizing you to do execute and perform all and singular such other things for examination of persons suspected discovery of Traitors and their adherents parlying with and granting Protections to them or any of them taking up of Carts Carriages and other conveniences sending and retaining espials victualling the said forces and other things whatsoever conducing to the purpose aforementioned as you in your discretion shall think fit and the necessity of the service require further hereby requiring and authorizing you as Commander in chief to constitute and appoint such Officers and Ministers respectively for the better performance and execution of all and singular the premises as you in your discretion shall think fit And We do hereby require and command all and singular His Majesties Sheriffs Officers and Ministers and loving Subjects of and within the county of Meath and the borders thereof upon their faith and allegiance to his Majestie and to his Crown to be aiding helping and assisting to you in the doing and executing of all and singular the premises This our Commission to continue during Our pleasure only and for the so doing this shall be your sufficient VVarrant Given at His Majesties Castle of DUBLIN Novemb. 1641. R. Dillon Io. Temple Ia. Ware Rob. Meredith To Our very good Lo. NICHOLAS Vic. Com. Gormanstowne IN these Commissions it is very observable that there was power given to these Lords and Gentlemen to whom they were directed not only to use fire and sword for the destruction of the Rebels and their adherents but also to preserve the lives of any of them to receive them or any of them into his Majesties favour or mercy This plainly shewes the very great confidence the Lords were pleased to repose in them as also their desires to make them instruments to deliver those multitudes of people that engaged themselves in this rebellion from the power either of his Majesties arms or civill justice They intended nothing but the reducing of a rebellious Nation and they at the first applyed lenitives which failing in the cure they were afterwards then enforced to have recourse to more violent medicines Arms and munition delivered out to the Lords and chief Gentlemen of the Pale by the Lo. Iustices and Councel That these Governours thus constituted might be the better enabled according to the authority and power given unto them by their severall Commissions to undertake the defence of the Countrey in this high extremity of the neare approaching dangers The Lords took order to have delivered unto them a certain proportion of arms to be imployed for the arming of some men to be raised in each county for the common safety besides the armes they gave them and other Gentlemen for the defence of their own private houses As to the Lord of Gormanstone there were delivered armes for five hundred men for the county of Meath There were also delivered armes for three hundred men for the county of Kildare Armes for three hundred men for the county of Lowth Armes for three hundred men for the county of West-Meath Armes for three hundred men for the
Garret Ailmer the Lawyer Cusake of Gormanston William Malone of Lesmullin Sedgrave of Kileglan Linch of the Knos Lynam of Adamstown Laurence Doudall of Athlumney Nicholas Doudall of Brownstown this Examinates brother and him this Examinate with a multitude of others to the number of a 1000 persons at the least whose names he this Examinate cannot for the present call to minde And after about two or three houres spent upon the said Hill of Crofty by the Lords and Gentry aforesaid There came towards them Colonel Mahowne Philip O-Rely Hugh Boy-Rely Roger Moore Hugh Birne and Captaine Fox attended on with a gard of Musketiers These were some of the chiefe Leaders among the Northern Rebels And this Examinate saith That as soone as the parties drew neare unto the said Hill the Lords and Gentry of the Pale rode towards them and the Lord of Gormanstone being one of the first spake unto them and demanded of them Why and for what reason they came Armed into the Pale Vnto which Roger Moore made present Answer That the ground of their comming thither and taking up Armes was for the freedome and liberty of their consciences the maintenance of his Majesties Prerogative in which they understood he was abridged and the making the subjects in this Kingdome as free as those in England were whereupon the said Lord of Gormanston desired to understand from them truly and faithfully whether those were not pretences and not the true grounds indeed of their so doing and likewise whether they had not some other private ends of their own which being by all denied upon profession of their sincerity his Lordship the Lord of Gormanston then told them Seing these be your true ends we will likewise joyn with you therein unto which course all agreed And thereupon it was publikly and generally declared that whosoever should deny to joyn with them or refuse to assist them therein they would accompt him as an Enemy and to the utmost of their power labour his destruction And this Examinate saith That after the agreement so made as aforesaid There issued another Warrant to the Sheriffe of the County of Meath to summon all the Lords and Gentry of the County of Meath to be at the Hill of Taragh about a week after and accordingly there met at the same place the Earle of Fingale the Lord of Gormanston and the rest of the Lords and Gentlemen aforenamed together with Sir Thomas Nugent and Nicholas Plunket the Lawyer Birford the Lawyer and a multitude of others and the work of that day was first to make Answer to a Summons made by the State for the calling of the Lords unto Dublin which Answer was brought ready drawn by the Lord of Gormanston and presented by his Lordship and being perused by the said Councell at Law was signed by the Lords In this manner was this great transaction most solemnly consummated betwixt Lemster and Vlster Valence and Brabant as Sir Phelim O. Neale stiles them in his Characteristicall Letter before mentioned sent to Owen Roe O-Neale in Flanders were now publickly united together in that great Assembly The Lord Viscount Gormanston on the one side and Roger Moore on the other had both been long tampering about the drawing of this most important work to the forme it now received they had at length brought it unto perfection they two had the glory of it and appeared the great publike instruments of this powerfull union The Lords and chiefe Gentlemen of the Pale having thus farre declared themselves became so high and presuming The endeavours of those of the Pale to strengthen their party against the power of the State as they little valued what was done or commanded by the State at Dublin they now wholly applyed their endeavours to make such preparatives towards the warre as might strengthen their party which as it now stood in conjuncture with the Northern Rebels they beheld as invincible and their power not to be resisted by the inconsiderable Forces drawn together by the Lords Justices and Counsell at Dublin Severall Gentlemen who in the severall Counties of the Pale were made Captaines and had received Arms from the State for their Companies departed from their obedience and addressed themselves and their Companies wholly to the service of the Rebels Nicholas White Esquire Sonne and Heire to Sir Nicholas White of Lislip was the first that gave the example about the second of December but he carried the matter so handsomely as his Company ranne away to the Rebels as he pretended without his consent or even his knowledge any longer time before their departure then to give him opportunity to come and acquaint the State therewith and his own disability to hinder the same The reasons why the State Summond the grand Counsell of all the Lords of the Pale and others then in the City of Dublin But before it was possible to use any meanes of prevention the men were all gone with their Armes and Munition to the Rebels Many of the other Captaines desired no such fine cover for their intentions but delivered themselves and their Armes up to be disposed as they should direct without any further scruple or complement to the State Whereupon the Lords finding how notoriously they were abused by the very great confidence reposed in such Gentlemen of the Pale as being made Captaines had received Armes from them and perceiving what course they began now to stear and how they were resolved to imploy their own Armes against them they took such order and with such celerity and diligence made stay of severall of those Armes which were delivered out for the use of the Pale as of the 1700 Armes distributed among the severall Counties thereof they recovered againe into their hands 950. And now by reason the Northern Rebels had settled their Camp within the River of Boyne and so lay betwixt Tredagh and the City of Dublin all entercouse in the Pale was interrupted the passages stopt up and the Lords Iustices and Councell understood very little or nothing of any proceedings held there They therefore finding their dangers daily to encrease through the near approach of the Rebels unto the City of Dublin the continuall affronts and new scornes the State daily received from them their own want of strength to represse their bold attempts or to preserve the poore English round about them out of their bloody hands resolved now in these their high extremities to try the effects of those large protestations and great professions of loyalty the Lords of the Pale had lately made unto them and to give them a faire opportunity of rendring a most acceptable service to his Majesty and the state here For this end therefore they determined to call a grand Councell of all the Lords which resided within any convenient distance of the City of Dublin clearly and freely to represent unto them the ill condition of their affaires and how highly it imported them in respect of their own
direct the Term to be adjourned to the first of Hillary Term excepting only the Court of Exchequer for hastning in the Kings money if it be possible We desire upon this occasion your Lordship will be pleased to view our Letters concerning the plantation of Conaght dated the 24 of April last directed to Mr. Secretary Vane in that part thereof which concerns the County of Monaghan where now these fires do first break out In the last place we must make known to your Lordship that the Army we have consisting but of 2000 Foot and 1000 Horse are so dispersed in Garrisons in severall parts as continually they have been since they were so reduced as if they be all sent for to be drawn together not only the places whence they are to be drawn and for whose safety they lye there must be by absence distressed but also the Companies themselves comming in so small numbers may be in danger to be cut off in their march nor indeed have we any money to pay the Souldiers to enable them to march And so we take leave and remain from his Majesties Castle of Dublin 25 of October 1641. Your Lordships to be commanded William Parsons John Borlase Richard Bolton Can. R. Dillon Anthony Midensis John Raphoe R. Digbie Ad. Loftus Ger. Lowther John Temple Tho. Rotheram Fran. Willoughbie Ja. Ware G. Wentworth Robert Meredith POSTSCRIPT THe said Owen Conally who revealed the Conspiracy is worthy of very great consideration to recompence that faith and loyalty which he hath so extreamly to his own danger expressed in this businesse whereby under God there is yet hope left us of deliverance of this State and Kingdome from the wicked purposes of those Conspirators And therefore we beseech your Lordship that it be taken into consideration there so as he may have a mark of his Majesties most royall bounty which may largely extend to him and his posterity we not being now able here to do it for him W. PARSONS To the Right Honourable our very good Lord ROBERT Earle of Leicester Lo. Lieutenant Gen. and Generall Governour of the Kingdome of Ireland THe dispatch sent to his Majesty was addressed to Sir Henry Vane Principall Secretary and carried by Sir Henry Spotswood who went by sea directly into Scotland And the Letters to the L. Lieutenant were sent to London by Owen O Conally the first discoverer of the Plot. The Lords now with all care and diligence applyed their further endeavours towards the preventing as much as was possible the destruction intended against all the Brittish inhabitants of the Kingdome The Lords Iustices cause the Proclamations to be dispersed Letters to be written and other means to be used for the prevention of the rising of the Irish in the North but all to no purpose as well as the security of the City and the places round about it A work of large extent and wherein they met with many difficulties by reason of their own wants both of men and money They having formerly sent away and dispersed the Proclamations into severall parts of the Countrey now sent Letters by expresse Messengers unto the Presidents of Munster and Conaght and to severall principall Gentlemen in those two Provinces as also to others within the Province of Lemster giving them notice of the discovery of the Plot and advising them to stand upon their guard and to make the best provision they could for the defence of the Countrey about them They sent another expresse to the Earl of Ormond then at his house at Caricke with Letters to the same effect and withall desired his Lordship presently to repair unto them at Dublin with his Troop of horse They sent likewise Commissions to the Lords Viscounts of Clandeboys and of the Ardes for raising of the Scots in the Northern parts and putting them into arms as they did also soon after to Sir William Stewart and Sir Robert Stewart and severall other Gentlemen of quality in the North. And as they gave them order for prosecution of the Rebels with fire and sword so they gave them power to receive such of them in as should submit to his Majesties grace and mercy But these dispatches they were enforced to send all by sea the Rebels having stopped up the passages and hindred all manner of entercourse with that Province by land The Lords of the English Pale repair to the Councell Board there declare their loyall affections to his Majestie The English Pale is a large circuit of land possessed at the time of the first conquest of Ireland by the English and ever since inhabited by them it contains severall Counties viz. the Counties of Dublin Meth Lowth Kildare c. The Lords of the Pale having been at the Councell Board and there declared to the Lords Justices with great protestations their loyall affections unto his Majestie together with their readinesse and forward concurrence with their Lordships in this service came unto them again within two or three dayes after with a Petition wherein they offered unto their Lordships the deep sense they had of an expression in the late Proclamation set out upon the discovery of this great Conspiracy intended as is there set down by some evill affected Irish papists which words they feared might be by some mis-interpreted and such a construction put upon them as might reflect upon their persons as comprehended under them Whereupon the Lords Justices and Councell thought fit to descend so far to their satisfaction as not only to remonstrate the clearnesse of their intentions towards them but that it might appear unto the world they entertained not the least jealous thoughts of them they caused a new Proclamation to be set out by way of explanation of the former which I have thought fit here to insert that it may appear how far they were from giving any of those Lords and Gentlemen occasion to break out into those rebellious courses they soon afterwards took to their own destruction By the Lords Iustices and Councell W. Parsons John Borlase WHereas a Petition hath been preferred unto Us by divers Lords and Gentlemen of the English Pale in behalf of themselvs and the rest of the Pale and other the old English of this Kingdome A Proclamation issued for the satisfaction of the Lords and Gentlemen of the English Pale shewing that whereas a late Conspiracy of Treason is discovered of ill-affected persons of the old Irish that thereupon a Proclamation was published by Us wherein among other things it is declared that the said Conspiracy was perpetrated by Irish papists without distinction of any and they doubting that by those generall words of Irish Papists they might seem to be involved though they declare themselves confident that We did not intend to conclude them therein in regard they are none of the old Irish nor of their faction or confederacy but are altogether averse and opposite to all their designes and all others of like condition We doe
whatsoever they had to cover their nakednesse taken from most of them as may appear by the examination of Adam Clover of Slonosy in the County of Cavan who being duly sworn deposeth inter alia That this deponent and his company that were robbed observed that 30 persons or thereabouts were then most barbarously murdered and slain outright and about 150 more persons cruelly wounded so that traces of blood issuing from their wounds lay upon the High way for 12 miles together and many very young children were left and perished by the way to the number of 60 or thereabouts because the cruell pursuit of the Rebels was such that their parents and friends could not carry them further And further saith that some of the Rebels vowed That if any digged graves wherein to bury the dead children they should be buried therein themselves So the poor people left the most of them unburied exposed to ravenous beasts and fowls and some few their Parents carried a great way to bury them And this deponent further saith that he saw upon the way a woman left by the Rebels stripped to her smock set upon by three women and some Irish children who miserably rent and tore the said poor English woman and stripped her of her smock in a bitter frost and snow so that she fell in labour under their hands and both she and her childe dyed there Thus did their mercy in sparing those miserable soules in this manner prove by much a far greater cruelty then if they had suddenly cut them off as they did afterwards many thousands of Brittish that fell into their hands For now they starved and perished in multitudes upon the wayes as they travelled along and to those that outlived the misery of their journey their limbes only served to drag up their bodies to christian buriall there denied unto them For many of the men and most of the women and children that thus escaped either to Dublin or other places of safety in the North not long outlived the bitternesse of their passage but either overwhelmed with grief or outwearied with travell contracted those diseases which furthered by hunger cold nakednesse ill lodgings and want of other necessaries struck deeply into bodies that had lived long at ease with much plenty and soon brought them with sorrow to their graves THese were the first fruits of this Rebellion which now began to dilate it self into the other Provinces having covered over the Northern Parts of the Kingdome with fearfull desolations The first Plotters were yet undiscovered but the great active instruments appointed for the execution of this horrid designe fully appeared and had already deeply imbrued their hands in the bloody massacres of the English Sir Phelim O Neale being the chief of that Sept Sir Phelim O Neales proceedings and now the person remaining of nearest alliance to the late Earl of Tyrone assumed to himself the chief power among the Rebels in Vlster and by his directions guided the rest of his complices on in the destruction of all the English there He was one of very mean parts without courage or conduct his education for a great part of his youth was in England he was admitted a Student of Lincolns Inne and there trained up in the Protestant religion which he soon changed after if not before his return into Ireland lived loosely and having no considerable estate by reason of the great engagement upon it became of very little esteem in all mens opinions Yet such were the over zealous affections of his Countreymen in this cause their secrecy in attempting their suddennesse in executing as by their forwardnesse to destroy the English and get their goods he quickly over-run that part of the Countrey He had prevailed so far within seven dayes after he first appeared in this Rebellion by seazing most treacherously at the very first upon Charlemont where the Lord Caufield lay with his Foot company the Forts of Dongannon and Montjoy as that in his Letter written to Father Patrick O Donnell his Confessor bearing date from Montjoy the 30 of Octob. he was able to brag of great and many victories And presently after he had gotten such a multitude of rude fellowes together though in very ill equipage as he marched down with great numbers of men towards Lisnagaruy near the chief Plantation of the Scots for that part of their plot to spare them as they did in the beginning they found now too grosse to take therefore they resolved to fall upon them without mercy and yet left sufficient forces to come up into the Pale to take in Dondalke in the County of Lowth Which was a Frontier Town in the last wars against Tyrone Dondalke taken by the Rebels about the beginning of Novemb 1641. and so well defended it self as with all the power he had he could never recover it into his hands There lay now a Foot company of the old Army but the Lieutenant who commanded it having neither his men in readinesse nor armes or munition made little or no resistance easily giving way to the forward affections of the inhabitants who delivered up the Town into the possession of the Rebels about the beginning of November 1641. The Rebels presently after their taking in of Dondalke marched on further into the County of Lowth and possessed themselves of Ardee The Rebels march up towards Tredagh a little Town within seven miles of Tredagh anciently called Drohedagh So as it was now high time to provide for the safety of that Town The Lord Moore had already retired thither from his house at Millifont and there remained with his troop of horse and two companies of foot One was under the command of Sir John Nettervile eldest sonne to the Lord Viscount Nettervile He discovered in the very beginning much virulency in his affections by giving false frights and raising false rumours and making all manner of ill infusions into the mindes of the Townsmen who as it afterwards appeared were but too forward to take part with the Rebels It is verily believed they had in the very beginning some plot to cut off the Lord Moore and seaze upon his Troop and that Sir John Netterviles part was to begin a mutiny which he attempted that night he was to be upon the watch by giving ill language and endeavouring to make a quarrell with his Lordship which he very discreetly passed over and so carefully looked to the guard of the Town as they could take no advantage to put on their designe Howsoever the Townsmen were extreamly frighted with the thoughts of their present danger and the greater part of them being Papists were ready to declare themselves for the Catholick cause only their desires were things might be so ordered The ill condition of Tredagh represented by the L. Moore to the L. Iustices as would administer unto them specious pretences of necessity for the same The L. Moore gave present advertisement unto the Lords Justices and
Councell of the ill condition and most imminent danger he found the Town to be then in that it was not possible to preserve it out of the hands of the Rebels without further strength both of horse and foot That in case the enemy should make any sudden approaches or attempt to surprize the Town he found such poor preparatives for defence within such apparant signes of disloyalty in the Townsmen and all things in such a desperate confusion as they should not be able by the best endeavours they could use to give any good account of that place Hereupon their Lordships presently resolved A Regiment raised by the Lo. Iustices at Dublin sent down under the command of Sir Henry Tichborne for the defence of Tredagh Novemb. 3. to leavy in the City of Dublin a Regiment of foot and to place them under the command of Sir Henry Tichborne for the defence of Tredagh And for this purpose there was very oportunely in the hands of the Vice Treasurer 3000 li. in a readinesse to be at that time sent over into England for the satisfaction of a publick engagement there This the Lords thought fit to make use of for the leavying and setting out of those men which Sir Henry Tichborne got together in very few dayes and having a Commission of government for the Town with some other private instructions he marched away with great alacrity and diligence the 3 of November and happily arrived next day at Tredagh A Regiment raised by Sir Charles Coot The Lords granted another Commission to Sir Charles Coot to levy a thousand men more which he most carefully endeavoured and within a very short time made up his Regiment wherein very many of the English who came up stripped and despoiled out of the North listed themselves for most of the men which escaped from thence with their lives being better able to suffer then the women and children outlived the miseries of their journey and putting themselves into severall companies some of them had the contentment to revenge the barbarous cruelty used by the Rebels towards them The second dispatch made by the L. Iustices and Councel into England Nov. 5. VPon the 5. of November the Lords made their 2d. dispatch unto His Majesty still at Edenburgh in Scotland At the same time they sent severall Letters into England to the L. Keeper Speaker of the house of Peers to the Speaker of the house of Commons to the Lo of his M ties most hon Privy Councel to the L. Lieutenant of Ireland in all which they did with much earnestnesse declare their present dangers together with the necessity of sending sudden relief In their Letter to the Lords of the Councel they did more particularly set down the miserable estate of the whole kingdom and the large progresse that the Rebellion had in few dayes made since it broke out They represented unto their Lordships the great outrages the Rebels had committed upon the British inhabitants in Vlster that they had seized upon all their estates and houses in five Counties of that Province possessed their Arms detained many of the principall Gentlemen prisoners That they had already slain many most barbarously hewed some to peeces that they have exposed thousands to want and beggery who had good estates and lived plentifully That the Rebellion began then to diffuse it self into the counties of Longford and Letrim and to threaten the English plantations in the King and Queens county that the inhabitants of the counties of Meath and Lowth began to fall upon the English near about them that they conceived there could not be lesse then 30000. who had already openly declared themselves in this Rebellion and were assembled together in severall great parties that they understood their designe was having got Dondalke to take in Tredagh and so to come up immediately to besiege the city and castle of Dublin that they gave out publikely their purpose was to extirpate the English and Protestants and not to lay down Arms untill the Romish religion were established the Government setled in the hands of the Natives and the old Irish restored to the lands of their supposed ancestors That they held it their duty to acquaint their Lordships with the lamentable estate wherein the Kingdome stood that his Majesty and the Parliament might understand it and so speedily provide for sending over to their relief 10000 Foot 1000 Horse together with some able Commanders 100000. l. in money and further provisions of Arms That unlesse these were presently sent to them they craved leave to repeat it again and again the Kingdom would be utterly lost all the English and Protestants in Ireland destroyed the peace of the kingdome of England disturbed by the Irish from thence and so England enforced to make a new conquest of it for that a Politique reformation would then be impossible But now before I passe further The proceedings of the Parliament of England upon the first advertisements brought unto them of the Rebellion raised in Ireland I shall here give an accompt of the arrival of these and the former Letters of the 25. of October addressed by the Lords Justices and Councel to the L. Lieutenant of Ireland Owen O Conally the happy discoverer of the first Plot who carried the first Letters over arrived at London the last day of October and late in the evening delivered those Letters to his Lordship who having read them over and received from him full information of all other parriculars within his knowledge repaired the next morning to the Councel-board and having there acquainted the Lords of His Majesties Privy Councel with them he was required by their Lordships to communicate them unto the Lords of the upper house of Parliament which he did accordingly the very same morning And they considering the high importance of them as soon as they had perused them Ordered that they should be presently sent down to the house of Commons by the Lord Keeper the L. Privy Seal L. High Chamberlain L. Admiral L. Marshal L. Chamberlain Earl of Bath Earl of Dorset Earl of Leicester Earl of Holland Earl of Berks Earl of Bristol L. Vicount Say E. Mandevile L. Goring L. Wilmot all of them being of His Majesties most honorable Privy Councel There were Chairs provided for these Lords in the house of Commons and they sate down there till the Letters were read and then having informed the house of such other parciculars as they had received concerning the generall Rebellion in Ireland they departed without any further conference or other debate upon them leaving the house of Commons to consider further of them Who presently Ordered That the House forthwith should be resolved into a Committee to take into consideration the matter offered concerning the Rebellion in Ireland as likewise to provide for the safety of the Kingdom of England This being done they fell into a most serious debate of this great businesse then before them they fully
soule circumstances which would make this Rebellion appeare farre more odious and detestable I shall now return to take up the publike affaires of the State where I left them in the hands of the Lords Justices and Councell who finding the City to grow daily more and more impestred with strangers by reason of the resort of great numbers of ill-affected persons that daily made repaire thereunto They issued out severall other Proclamations to prohibite the accesse of all strangers to the Town and to require such as remained in the City without calling or settled habitation to depart Sir Henry Tichborn being dispatched with his Regiment of foot to Tredagh as is formerly mentioned Some Troops of horse and Regiments of foot raised by the Lords Iustices and Councell the Lords Justices took further order for the present raising of other foot Companies as likewise some Troopes of horse which might serve for the defence of the City of Dublin now in most imminent danger by reason of the approaches made by the Forces of the Rebels Sir Charles Coot had a Commission for a Regiment which he quickly made up out of the poor stript English who had repaired from divers parts even naked to the Town and upon the engagements of the State procured cloaths for them The Lord Lambert to whom a Commission also was granted for the raising of an other Regiment began also to get some men together The Earle of Ormond was now arrived in Dublin and brought up with him his Troop consisting of 100 Curassiers compleatly armed Sir Thomas Lucas who had long commanded a Troop of horse in the Low-Countreys and Captaine Armestrong some time after yet very seasonably came thither Both of them had money imprested Sir Thomas Lucas to compleat his Troope already brought out of England Captaine Armestrong to raise a new Troop Captaine Yarner also arrived soon after at Dublin he was sent out of England by the Lord Lievtenant to raise and command his Troop which in a very short time he made up about 100 horse many persons then living in the Town being desirous to put themselves and their horses into that Troop Not long after Colonell Craford came over also and bringing with him Letters of Recommendations from the Prince Elector then attending his Majesty in Scotland under whom he had formerly the command of a Regiment of Dragoons in Germany Sir Charls Coot made Governnout of the City of Dublin The Lords Justices thought fit to give him a Regiment which they were then taking order to raise and arme out of such Townsmen as were fit to beare armes within the City of Dublin none were to be admitted into it but Protestants and out of them they made choyce not only of the Souldiers but of all the Officers belonging to the same And further for the repressing of the disorders daily appearing within the City and restraining the ill-affections of the Papists there inhabiting they made Sir Charles Coot Governour of the City and gave him an allowance of 40 s. per diem for the present Now while these Colonells and Captaines are bestirring themselves in getting their men together under their severall commands and in training them up to the use of their armes and the Governour of the Town taking strict order for constant Watches within and Guards without to restraine the repaire of all suspicious and ill-affected persons I shall in the meane time give an account of the adjournement of the Parliament according to the late Prorogation made by the Lords Justices which some of the ill-affected members of both Houses endeavoured to make use of for the raising of further troubles The adjournment of the Parliament In the Month of August before the Rebellion brake out the Parliament was adjourned to the 17 of November next ensuing Now upon the discovery of the late conspiracy for the surprise of his Majesties Castle of Dublin the ordinary place of meeting for both Houses of Parliament the Lords finding that the fire was begun in the North and fearing a generall revolt of all other parts of the Kingdome resolved as a matter highly tending to the safety and security of the City and Castle to prorogue the Parliament which they did by Proclamation then set out untill the 24. of February But two or three dayes before such of the Lords and Commons then in the Town were to meet of course in their severall House for declaring the said Prorogation it was generally noised abroad that the putting off the Parliament was extreamely ill taken by the Popish Members of both Houses Mr Burk who was one of the Committee lately employed into England came to the Lord Dillon of Kilkenny West and highly complaining of the injury which he said was done thereby to the whole Nation hindring them from expressing their loyall affections to his Majesty and shewing their desires to quell this dangerous Rebellion and that they had reason to resent it so farre as to complaine to the King thereof as a point of high injustice His Lordship having acquainted the Board herewith Mr Burk was presently sent for and he used the same language in effect there though with much modesty Hereupon the Lords fell into debate what was fit to be done and how farre it might be thought reasonable in them to condiscend to their desires The Popish party much discontented at it Some were of opinion that it was fit to disannull the Prorogation and to give them leave to continue the Parliament according to the first adjournment made the beginning of August They urged the very ill condition of the whole Kingdome in regard of the Northern Rebellion and that those of the Counties of Wiclow and Wexford as well as some other Counties in Conaght had already joyned themselves to them that this Prorogation might peradventure so irritate the Pale and have such an influence into Munster as might raise them into Armes and so put the whole Kingdome into a generall combustion Others of the Board Voted strongly for the holding of the Prorogation according to the time prefixed by the Proclamation grounding their opinion upon these reasons First that it would highly trench upon the gravity and wisdome of the Board to alter a resolution so solemnly taken up after a most serious debate and publikely made known thorough out the whole Kingdome by Proclamation that it would be of most dangerous consequence to bring so great a multitude of people to the City in such dangerous times that the Protestants and well-affected Members of both Houses were for the most part either destroyed dispersed or so shut up as they could not repaire to the present meeting and that therefore the Irish would be superiour in number and voyces and so wholly carry all things according to their own humour that considering the small Forces then in the City such great numbers as might take occasion under colour of comming to the Parliament to repaire thither could not be admitted without
apparent danger and disturbance and that peradventure they might there finde as ill affections as they brought and so both joyning together they might easily destroy the state with the poore remainders of the English Nation in these Parts Whereupon the Lords thought fit to hold to their Prorogation yet to endeavour so to attemper and sweeten it as those who were most averse might in some measure rest satisfied therewith And therefore after a long debate of all particular circumstances they came at length to this resolution that the Earle of Ormond the Master of the Rolls and Sir Pierce Crosby three Members of the Board should have a meeting with Mr Darcy Mr Burk and some others of the most active and powerfull Members of the House of Commons and that they should let them know from the Lords that they have understood of their good affections and desires to doe somewhat in the House that might tend towards the suppression of this present Rebellion that they approved extreame well thereof And that howsoever they could by no meanes remove absolutely the Prorogation yet that they would descend so far to their satisfaction as to limit it to a shorter time and that at present they would give them leave to sit one whole day in case they would immediatly fall upon the work of making a cleer Protestation against the Rebels As also that they should have liberty if they pleased to make choyce of some Members of their own House to send down to Treat with the Rebels about laying down of Arms And for their grievances that their Lordships would with all readinesse receive them and presently transmit them over to his Majesty for a speedy redresse All this was accordingly performed the meeting was in the Gallery at Cork House Those of the House of Commons seemed at first to be extreamly troubled when they found there was no possibility of altering the present Prorogation But upon a further debate when they came to understand how ready the Lords were to yeeld to their satisfaction and that the time of the Prorogation should be shortned they seemed to rest indifferently contented undertook to make the Protestation in such full and ample manner as was desired and that they would fall immediately upon it and make it the work of the whole day Upon the 17 of November the Lords and Commons met in Parliament which was held in the usuall place of his Majesties Castle of Dublin And for the better security of the place as well as of the persons of those that were to meet there was a Guard of Musketiers appointed to attend during the time of their meeting but such care taken that they should carry themselves so free from giving any offence as no manner of umbrage might be taken at their attendance there The Houses were both very thin there were only in the House of Peeres some few English Lords three or foure Lords of the Pale and some two or three Bishops In the House of Commons they took into their consideration upon their first meeting the framing of the Protestation against the Rebels But those of the Popish party spake so ambiguously and handled the matter so tenderly as they could not be drawn to stile them by the name of Rebels so as they sent up unto the Lords a very meager cold Protestation against them which being in their House taken into debate it was strongly contested by the Protestant Lords that they should be stiled Rebels but that as stiffely opposed by the others They therefore fell upon a meane betwixt both which gave a kinde of accommodation saying they had Rebelliously and Traiterously raised Armes and so both parties being reasonably satisfied the Protestation was drawn up and returned back to the House of Commons in this Tenour as followeth The Protestation and Declaration of the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and Commons in Parliament assembled WHereas the happy and peaceable Estate of this Realm hath been of late and is still interrupted by sundry persons ill-affected to the Peace and Tranquillity thereof who contrary to their Duty and Loyalty to His Majesty and against the Lawes of God and the fundamentall Lawes of the Realm have Trayterously and Rebelliously raised Armes have seized upon some of his Majesties Forts and Castles and dispossessed many of his Majesties faithfull Subjects of their Houses Lands and Goods and have slaine many of them and committed other cruell and inhumane Outrages and Acts of Hostility within this Realme The said Lords and Commons in Parliament assembled being justly moved with a right sense of the said disloyall Rebellious Proceedings and actions of the persons aforesaid doe hereby protest and declare that they the said Lords and Commons from their hearts doe detest and abhorre the said abhominable Actions and that they shall and will to their uttermost power maintaine the Rights of his Majesties Crown and Government of this Realm and Peace and Safety thereof aswell against the persons aforesaid their Abettors Adherents as also against all forreine Princes Potentates and other persons and Attemps whatsoever and in case the persons aforesaid doe not repent of their aforesaid Actions and lay down Armes and become humble Suitors to his Majesty for Grace and Mercy in such convenient time and in such manner and forme as by his Majestie or the chiefe Governour or Governours and Councell of this Realm shall be set down The said Lords and Commons doe further protest and declare that they will take up Armes and will with their Lives and Fortunes suppresse them and their Attempts in such a way as by the Authority of the Parliament of this Kingdome with the Approbation of his most Excellent Majesty or of his Majesties chiefe Governour or Governours of this Kingdome shall be thought most effectuall Copia vera Exam. per Phil. Percivall Cleric Parliament Both Houses of Parliament sate two dayes and the time of the Prorogation being shortned unto the 11. of Ian. The Lords made choyce of the Lord Viscount Costelo to goe into England to carry over their desires to his Majesty concerning the meanes they thought fit to be used for the quenching this present Rebellion And besides those instructions formerly mentioned he had as I heard from the Popish Lords some more private which were to negotiate the staying such Forces as were intended to be sent out of England for that end Both Houses joyned together to appoint certaine Lords and some Members of the House of Commons to goe down to the Northen Rebels The Houses of Parliament send to Treat with the Rebels to understand the cause of their rising in Armes and referred them to the Lords Iustices for their instructions which accordingly they received together with a Commission under the Great Seale But the Rebellion having a farre deeper root then was at that time discovered this Commission was of little operation and the intended Treaty soone vanished The Northern Rebels were then so puffed up with their late victories
particular safety as well as for the preservation of the whole Kingdome not only to contribute their best advice and councell but even all the Forces they could any wayes raise towards the beating of the Northern Rebels out of the Pale Severall Letters of Summons were accordingly writ and sent away to the Earle of Fingale the Lord Viscount Gormanston and the rest of the Lords of the Pale the tenour of them here ensueth AFter our very hearty commendations to your Lordships for as much as we have present occasion to conferre with you A Coppy of the Letter written by the Lords Iustices and Councell to the Lords of the Pale concerning the present estate of the Kingdome and the safety thereof in these times of danger We pray and require your Lordship to be with us here on the eight day of this Month at which time others of the Peers are also to be here And this being to no other end we bid your Lordships very heartily farewell From his Majesties Castle of Dublin the third of December 1641. Your very loving friends William Parson Iohn Borlacy Ormondossory Ant Medensis R Dilbon Ad Loftus Ge Shirley I Temple Rob Meredith To our very good Lord George Earle of Kildare The like Letters eodem die to these severall Persons following Earle of Ormond Earle of Antrim Earle of Fingale Vis Gormanston Vis Netervile Vis Fitzwilliam Lo Trimbleston Lord Dunsany Lord Slaine Lord of Hoath Lord Lowth Lord Lambert These Letters were presently sent away But the Lords of the Pale being otherwayes engaged and having before or much about the time they came unto their hands though the Lords knew very little and that very uncertainly of it made that publike combination with the Vlster Rebels before mentioned durst no more adventure their persons within the City of Dublin But after their meeting at the Hill of Crofty appointed an other meeting at the Hill of Tarah and from thence they sent an Answer unto the Lords which as Mr Dowdall testifies was brought thither by the Lord of Gormanston ready drawn up and there only signed and so sent away The Copy of the Letter here followeth May it please your Lordships VVEe have received your Letters of the third of this instant The Answer of the Lords of the Pale to the Lords Iustices intimating that you had present occasions to confer with us concerning the present state of the Kingdome and the safety thereof in these times of danger and requiring us to be with you there on the eighth day of this instant we give your Lordships to understand that we have heretofore presented our selves before your Lordsips and freely offered our advice and furtherance towards the particulars aforesaid which was by you neglected which gave us cause to conceive that our Loyalty was suspected by you We give your Lordships further to understand that we have received certaine advertisement that Sir Charles Coot Knight at the Councell Board hath uttered some speeches tending to a purpose and resolution to execute upon these of our Religion a generall Massacre by which we are all deterred to wait on your Lordships not having any security for our safety from these threatned evills or the safety of our lives but doe rather think it fit to stand upon our best guard untill we heare from your Lordships how we shall be secured from these perils Neverthelesse we all protest that we are and will continue both faithfull advisers and resolute furtherers of his Majesties service concerning the present state of the Kingdome and the safety thereof to our best abilities and so with the said tender of our humble service we remaine Your Lordships humble Servants Fingale Gormanston Slane Dunsany Nettervill Oliver Lowth Trimblestown Dublin Decem. 7. Received 11. 1641. To the Right Honourable our very good Lords the Lords Iustices and Councell of Ireland In Answer to this Letter the Lords Iustices and Councell out of their unfained desires to give unto those Lords all due satisfaction and to remove those jealousies and great misunderstanding now grown up between them A Proclamation issued out by the Lords Iustices and Councell for the satisfaction of the Lords of the Pale thought fit by way of Proclamation to publish and declare to them and all others of his Majesties good Subjects of the Romish Religion That they never heard Sir Charles Coot or any other utter at the Board or elsewhere any such speeches tending to a purpose or resolution to execute upon those of their profession or upon any other a generall Massacre or any Massacre at all and that they never intended so to dishonour his Majesty and this State or wound their own consciences as to entertaine the least thought of acting so odious impious and detestable a thing upon any persons whatsoever and that if any proofe can be made of any such words spoken by any person whatsoever that he shall be severely punished And therefore that they did pray and require the said Noblemen to attend them at the Board on the 17. day of December that they might conferre with them And for the security of their repaire unto them they did thereby give to all and every of those Noblemen the word and assurance of the State that they might then securely and safely come unto them without danger of any trouble or stay whatsoever from them who neither had nor have any intention to wrong or hurt them But now it began to appeare unto the Lords Iustices and Counsell how farre they were engaged with the Northern Rebels By the Examinations taken of some English who made their escape out of those parts the newes of their solemne contract and Association beforementioned was brought up to Dublin And they then well enough discerned the maine obstruction in their comming the cause of their tergiversations and what good reason they had to finde out excuses to palliate their disloyalty They then expected no other fruits of their Proclamation then what it produced Neither indeed had it any other effect and operation among them then that they did with great boldnesse and confidence by way of Answer thereunto write back a Letter to the Lords Iustices wherein they pretend themselves so justly affrighted with Sir Charles Coot severity and deportment Severall pretences of the Lords of the Pale to colour their refusall to repaire to the Lords Iustices and Councell as that they dare not adventure themselves within the confines of his government They heavily impose upon him the inhumane acts perpetrated as they terme them in the County of Wiclow the Massacre of Santry and the burning of Mr Kings house and his whole substance at Clantarfe and with a little kind of cunning they seeme to pretend a breach of the publike faith but would transferre the blame from the Lords Iustices to Sir Charles Coot and therupon desire no sinister construction may be made of their stay and that they may have some Commissioners appointed to conferre with
be designed in England to Land at that Port. Whereupon the Lords finding that the said King continued still with Luke Nettervile and those other Gentlemen at Swoords that they carried themselves with such high contumacy as that disdaining to render any obedience to their Warrant they neither made their departure from that place disbanded their men nor so much as pretended to repaire to them according to their commands at the time prefixed therein It was thought high time to take some other course with them And therefore about foure dayes after the day first set down by the Lords for their appearing before them and the very next day after another Proclamation published for their immediate separation the Lords Justices and Councell made this ensuing Order directed to the Earle of Ormond Lievtenant Generall of his Majesties forces in Ireland By the Lords Iustices and Councell William Parsons Io Burlace A Warrant from the Lords Iustices and Councell for the suppressing of the Rebels of the Pale FOrasmuch as divers of the Inhabitants of Clantarfe Raheny and Kilbarrock have declared themselves Rebells and having robbed and spoyled some of his Majesties good Subjects are now assembled thereabouts in Armes in great numbers mustering and training of their Rebellious multitudes to the terror and danger of his Majesties good subjects as well at Land as at Sea which their boldnesse is acted in such manner as to put scornes and affronts upon this State and Government they acting such depredations even before our faces and in our own view as it were in despight of us It is therefore ordered that our very good Lord the Earle of Ormond and Ossory Lievtenant Generall of the Army doe forthwith send out a party of Souldiers of horse and foot to fall upon those Rebels at Clantarfe and thereabouts who in such disdainfull manner stand to out-face and dare us and to endeavour to cut them off as well for punishment as terror to others and to burn and spoyle the Rebels houses and goods And to prevent their further anoying of the shipping going out and comming in and lying in harbour those Souldiers are to bring up or cause to be brought up to the new Crane at Dublin such of the Boats and Vessels now lying there as they can upon the sudden and to burn spoyle and sinke and make unserviceable the rest Given at his Majesties Castle of Dublin December 14. 1641. Ormond Ossory Rob Dillon Cha Lambart Ad Loftus Jo Temple Cha Coote Fran Willoughby According to their Lordships directions the Earle of Ormond gave present order to Sir Charles Coot to march out privately with some Forces unto Clantarfe which he did without any noise and meeting there with no opposition Sir Charls Coot Marches out with some Forces to Clantarfe he only suffered his men to pillage the Town whereof they burnt some part as also part of Mr Kings house in which much of the goods were found that had been taken out of the Bark before mentioned And this was the first expedition that the Forces newly raised in Dublin made after the defeat of the 600 men in their passage to Tredagh As for the Massacre at Santry mentioned in the Answer from the Lords of the Pale The true Relation of the pretended Massacre at Santry and obtruded to the World as a just pretence to deterre them from waiting on the Lords at Dublin it was no other then this Information was given to some of the Officers of the Army that there had been a robbery newly committed by certaine Rebels at the house of one Smith called the Buskin within five miles of the City And that if a Party of Souldiers might be sent forth the Informer offered to bring them upon those Rebels as also upon other Rebels who had lately murdered one Mr Derick Huberts a Dutch Merchant at the Skirries whereupon two Officers with 40 foot were sent out with direction to fall upon those Rebels They went directly to Santry and there finding some strangers with weapons lodged in suspicious places they slew foure of them who as was conceived were criminall Offendours and one of them after upon further enquiry found to be a Protestant But how fairely soever this matter was carried The proceedings held by the Lords and chiefe Gentlemen of the English Pale after they had joyned with the Northern Rebels yet they resolved to make use of it for the present by way of justification of their disloyalty And having so farre publickly declared themselves they held it not fit to sit idle any longer but began to put the whole Circuite of the Pale into a posture of Warre and to make all such preparatives as might enable them by the powerfull assistance they had out of the North presently to take in Tredagh and afterwards to march up to Dublin and there make themselves Masters of that City and Castle A work as now it stood represented unto them not likely to prove lesse glorious then successefull and easie to be atchieved They had for this end many publike meetings among themselves as also with the cheife Comanders of the Northern Rebels In the first place they declared the Lord Viscount Gormanstone Generall of the Forces to be raised in the Pale Hugh Birne Lievtenant Generall the Earle of Fingale Generall of the horse Then they gave power to those Lords to nominate Captaines in severall Baronies to be respectively appointed out of them and likewise to raise souldiers in every such Barony viz. eight souldiers out of a Plowland land which containes according to the ancient estimation 120 Acres and every Plowland to maintaine the Souldiers to be set out by them The Barony of Duleek was assigned to the Lord of Gormanston the Barony of Screene and Desse to the Earle of Fingale the Barony of Slaine to the Lord of Slaine the Barony of the Navan to the Lord of Trimblestone Kells to the Lord Dunsany Ratogh and Dunboine to Sir Richard Barnewall of Crickestown Baronite and Patrick Barnwell of Kilbrew and by these persons severall Captaines were appointed and numbers of Souldiers raised according to the orders set down at the general meeting There were also Warranrs issued out by the Lord Gormanston whereby those persons appointed to raise the men and to furnish them with provisions for their entertainment were required upon paine of death to send them out Other Warrants were likewise sent out to other persons who were appointed Overseers for the threshing out of all the Protestants corne which was assigned generally through the Pale to be applyed towards the maintenance of their Army The next work was to make a constant provision of all manner of necessaries for the entertainment of such Forces as were already brought down out of the North as well as those raised in the Pale and set down at the siege of Tredagh And for this service they sessed the whole Country thereabouts and ordered what proportions of corne and numbers of cattell should be
down to posterity the noble atchievements and great victories already obtained by small numbers of the English forces over huge multitudes of these Irish Rebels THE TABLE THe Oiginall of the Irish fol. 1. The first enterprize of the English for the conquest of Ireland made by private adventurers during the reign of King Henry the 2d. King of England fol. 3. Christian Religion setled in Ireland in the fourth Age after the birth of our Saviour fol. 4. The numbers of British and Protestants murthered or otherwise destroyed since the beginning of the Rebellion unto the time of the making of the first Cessation of armes with the Irish Rebels fol. 6. The ancient malice born by the Irish towards the English fol. 7. The royall endeavours of Queen Elizabeth for the reducing of Ireland fol. 8. The miserable condition of Ireland when King James came to the Crown of England fol. 11. The Irish Commissioners present their grievances to King Charles His great readinesse to redresse them fol. 12. The Earl of Leicester declared L. Lieutenant of Ireland fol. 14. The happy condition of Ireland at the time of the breaking out of the Rebellion fol. 16. The manner of the discovery of the Conspiracy of the Irish for the seazing upon the Castle and City of Dublin fol. 18. The rising of the Irish within the Province of Ulster fol. 24. A Letter from the Lords Justices and Councell to the Lord Lieutenant fol. 28. A Proclamation issued out for the satisfaction of the Lords and chief Gentlemen of the English Pale fol. 37. The names of the chief Rebels in Ulster severall Forts and places of strength suddenly surprized by them fol. 39 Severall policies used by the Irish to prevent the rising of the English against them fol. 41. Sir Phelim O Neals proceedings in Ulster fol. 44. The second dispatch of the Lords Justices and Councell into England fol. 46. The Proceedings of the Parliament in England upon the first advertisements brought unto them of the Rebellion raised in Ireland fol. 48. Order taken for victualling the Castle of Dublin and for the safety of the City fol. 53. The sad condition of the City of Dublin fol. 61. The particulars of the first plot of the Rebellion fol. 65. The plot for a generall Rebellion in Ireland of an ancient date fol. 66. The Plot for this late Rebellion first discovered to the Lord Mac Guire upon Mr. John Bellewes return out of England with Commission to continue the Parliament in Ireland fol. 69 That the Lords of the English Pale were engaged in the first Plot is very probable fol. 73. The Romish Clergy and the Irish Lawyers great instruments in raising the Rebellion fol. 76. The means used by them to stir up the people fol. 78. The resolution of the Irish to root out the British out of Ireland fol. 84. Vpon their first rising they seize upon all the English mens goods and cattell next strip them naked and so turn them out of their doors fol. 88. A particular enumeration of severall bloody massacres and horrid cruelties exercised upon the British all testified upon oath and taken out of severall examinations inserted in the margine fol. 90. The Remonstrance of the Protestants of Munster fol. 110. The examinations of severall persons inhabiting within the severall Provinces of this Kingdom taken upon Oath wherein are deposed severall particulars concerning the murders and cruelties used by the Rebels to the British in all parts of the countrey fol. 116. Severall examinations concerning the Apparitions at Portnedown Bridge fol. 133. The cruelties acted by the Irish upon the British were before any provocation given them fol. 1. Concerning the adjournment of the Parliament in Ireland fol. 4. The approach of the Rebels to Tredagh and the defeat of the English forces sent for the relief of that Town fol. 16. The defection of the Lords and chief Gentlemen of the English Pale fol. 18. The manner of their conjunction with the Northern Rebels fol. 19. Their refusall to repair to the Lords Justices and Councell fol. 24. Their proceedings after they had joyned with the Northern Rebels fol. 29. The Kingdome of Scotland sends Commissioners to treat with the Parliament of England concerning the relief of Ireland fol. 32. Their Propositions debated in the House of Peers fol. 34. The revolt of the Province of Munster fol. 35. A Letter from the Lords Justices and Councell to the Lord Lieutenant fol. 39 The Irish Rebellion OR An History of the beginnings and first progresse of the generall Rebellion raised within the Kingdom of Ireland in the Year 1641. THE Kingdome of Ireland which hath for almost five hundred yeares continued under the Soveraignty of the Crown of England was presently after the first conquest of it planted with English Colonies long since worn out or for the most part become Irish And therefore it hath again in this last Age been supplyed with great numbers of people drawn out of England and Scotland to settle their habitations in that Country Now the most execrable plot laid by the Irish for the universall extirpation of all these British and Protestants the bloody progresse of their Rebellion within the compasse of the first two moneths their horrid cruelties in most barbarously murdering or otherwaies destroying many thousands of men women and children peaceably setled and securely intermixed among them and that without any provocation or considerable resistance at first made I intend shall be the present subject of the first Part of this ensuing Story The originall of the Irish The Irish want not many fabulous inventions to magnifie the very first beginnings of their Nation Whether the Scythians Gaules Africans Gothes or some other more Eastern Nation that anciently inhabited Spaine came and sate down first in Ireland I shall not much trouble my selfe here to enquire If wee should give credit to the Irish Chronicles or their Bards who deliver no certain truths we might finde stuffe enough for an ancient pedegree made up out of a most various strange composure of the Irish Nation But to let them passe there are certainly a concurrence of divers manners and customes such affinity of severall of their words and names and so great resemblance of many long used rites and still retained ceremonies as do give us some ground to believe that they do not improbably deduce their first originall from some of those people It may very well be conjectured for infallible Records I finde none that as the Eastern parts of Ireland bordering upon England were first planted by the old Brittaines * Toole of the old Britein word Toll a hil-country Birne of Brin woods Cauvenagh of Cauve strong The view of Ireland by Spencer fol. 33. Toole Birne and Cauvenagh the ancient Septs and still inhabitants of that part of the country being old British words And as the Northern parts of Ireland were first inhabited by the Scythians from whom it was called ** Ireland is often called Scotia maior
the latter end of August and presently after their return they applied themselves to the Lords Justices and Councel desiring to have all those Acts and other Graces granted by His Majesty made known unto the people by proclamations to be sent down into severall parts of the country which while the Lords Justices took into their consideration and sate daily composing of Acts to be passed the next Session of Parliament for the benefit of His Majesty and the good of his Subjects They seemed with great contentment and satisfaction to retire into the country to their severall habitations that they might there refresh themselves in the mean season The discovery of the Conspiracie of the Irish to seize upon the Castle and City of Dublin and their generall Rising at the same time in all the Northern parts of this Kingdome The happy condition of Ireland at the time of the breaking out of the Rebellion Octo. 23 1641. SUch was now the state and present condition of the Kingdome of Ireland such the great serenity through the gentle and happy transaction of the publike affairs here As that the late Irish Army raised for the invasion of the kingdom of Scotland being peaceably disbanded their Arms and Munition by the singular care of the Lords Iustices and Councel brought into His Maiesties stores within the city of Dublin there was no manner of warlike preparations no reliques of any kind of disorders proceeding from the late levies nor indeed any noise of war remaining within these coasts Now while in this great calm the British continued in a most deep security under the assurance of the blessed peace of this land while all things were carried on with great temper and moderation in the present government and all men sate pleasantly enjoying the comfortable fruits of their own labours without the least thoughts or apprehension of either tumults or other troubles the differences between his Majesty and his Subjects of Scotland being about this time fairly composed and setled There brake out upon the 23. of October 1641. a most desperate and formidable Rebellion an universall defection and generall Revolt wherein not only all the meer Irish but almost all the old English that adhered to the church of Rome were totally involved And because it will be necessary to leave some monuments hereof to posterity I shall observe the beginnings and first motions as well as trace out the progresse of a rebellion so execrable in it self so odious to God and the whole world as no age no kingdome no people can parallel the horrid cruelties The first plot for the rebellion carried on with so great secresie as none of the English had notice of it before it was ready to be put in execution the abominable murders that have been without number as well as without mercy committed upon the British inhabitants throughout the land of what sexe or age of what quality or condition soever they were And first I must needs say howsoever I have observed in the nature of the Irish such a kind of dull and deep reservednesse as makes them with much silence and secresie to carry on their businesse yet I cannot but consider with great admiration how this mischievous plot which was to be so generally at the same time and at so many severall places acted and therefore necessarily known to so many severall persons should without any noise be brought to such maturity as to arrive at the very point of execution without any notice or intimation given to any two of that huge multitude of persons who were generally designed as most of them did to perish in it For besides the uncertain presumptions that Sir William Cole had of a commotion to be raised by the Irish in the Province of Vlster about a fortnight before this rebellion brake openly out and some certain intelligence which he received of the same two dayes before the Irish rise I could never hear that any English man received any certain notice of this conspiracy before the very evening that it was to be generally put in execution It is true Sir VVilliam Cole upon the very first apprehensions of something that he conceived to be hatching among the Irish did write a Letter to the Lords Justices and Councell dated the 11. of Octob. 1641. wherein he gave them notice of the great resort made to Sir Phelim O Neale in the county of Tyrone as also to the house of the Lord Mac Guiâ—e in the county of Fermanagh and that by severall suspected persons fit instruments for mischief As also that the said Lord Mac Guire had of late made severall journies into the Pale and other places and had spent his time much in writing Letters and sending dispatches abroad These Letters were received by the Lords Justices and Councell and they in answer to them required him to be very vigilant and industrious to finde out what should be the occasion of those severall meetings and speedily to advertise them thereof or of any other particular that he conceived might tend to the publique service of the State And for that which was revealed to Sir VVilliam Cole upon the 21. of Octob. the same moneth by John Cormacke and Flarty Mac Hugh from Brian Mac Cohanaght Mac Guire touching the resolution of the Irish to seize upon his Majesties castle and city of Dublin to murder the Lords Justices and councell of Ireland and the rest of the Protestants there and to seize upon all the castles Forts Sea-ports and holds that were in possession of the Protestants within the Kingdom of Ireland I finde by the examination of John Cormacke taken upon oath at Westminster Nov. 18. 1644. That the said Sir VVilliam Cole did dispatch Letters to the Lords Justices and councell the same day to give them notice thereof But I can also testifie that those Letters whether they were intercepted or that they otherwaies miscarried I cannot say came not unto their hands as also that they had not any certain notice of this generall conspiracy of the Irish untill the 22. of Octob. in the very evening before the day appointed for the surprize of the castle and city of Dublin Then the conspirators being many of them arrived within the city and having that day met at the Lion Tavern near Copper Alley and there turning the Drawer out of the room ordered their affairs together drunk healths upon their knees to the happy successe of their next mornings work Owen O Conally discovers the conspiracy of the Irish to the Lord Parsons the very evening before it was to be executed Owen O Conally a Gentleman of a meer Irish family but one that had long lived among the English and been trained up in the true Protestant religion came unto the Lord Justice Parsons about nine of the clock that evening and made him a broken relation of a great conspiracy for the seizing upon his Majesties castle of Dublin He gave him the names of some
the ill condition of the Kingdome the wants of the State and the Supplies absolutely necessary for their present defence and preservation And because the Letter to the Lord Lieutenant doth most clearly represent severall particulars which may much conduce to the knowledge of the affaires I have thought fit to insert a true copy of it which here followeth May it please your Lordship ON Friday the two and twentieth of this moneth after nine of the clock at night this bearer Owen Conally servant to Sir John Clotworthy Knight came to me the Lord Iustice Parsons to my house and in great secresie as indeed the cause did require discovered unto me a most wicked and damnable conspiracy plotted contrived and intended to be also acted by some evill-affected Irish Papists here The plot was on the then next morning Saturday the 23 of October being Saint Ignatius day about nine of the clock to surprize His Majesties Castle of Dublin His Majesties chief strength of this Kingdome wherein also is the principall Magazine of His Majesties Arms and Munition and it was agreed it seems amongst them that at the same houre all other His Majesties Forts and Magazines of Arms and Munition in this Kingdome should be surprized by others of those Conspirators and further that all the Protestants and English throughout the whole Kingdome that would not joyn with them should be cut off and so those Papists should then become possessed of the Government and Kingdom at the same instant Assoon as I had that intelligence I then immediatly repaired to the Lord Iustice Borlace and thereupon We instantly assembled the Councell and having sate all that night as also all the next day the 23 of October in regard of the short time left us for the consultation of so great and weighty a matter although it was not possible for us upon so few houres warning to prevent those other great mischiefes which were to be acted even at that same hour and at so great a distance as in all the other parts of the Kingdome Yet such was our industry therein having caused the Castle to be that night strengthened with armed men and the City guarded as the wicked Councels of those evill persons by the great mercy of God to us became defeated so as they were not able to Act that part of their Treachery which indeed was principall and which if they could have effected would have rendred the rest of their purposes the more easie Having so secured the Castle We forthwith laid about for the apprehension of as many of the Offenders as We could many of them having come to this City but that night intending it seems the next morning to act their parts in those treacherous and bloody crimes The first man apprehended was one Hugh Mac Mahon Esquire Grandson to the Traitour Tyrone a Gentleman of a good fortune in the County of Monaghan who with others was taken that morning in Dublin having at the time of their apprehension offered a little resistance with their swords drawn but finding those We imployed against them more in number and better armed yielded He upon his Examination before us at first denyed all but in the end when he saw we laid it home to him he confessed enough to destroy himself and impeach some others as by a Copy of his Examination herewith sent may appear to your Lordship We then committed him untill We might have further time to examine him again our time being become more needfull to be imployed in action for securing this place then in examining This Mac Mahon had been abroad and served the King of Spain as a Lieu. Colonel Vpon conference with him and others and calling to minde a Letter We received the week before from Sir William Cole a Copy whereof We send your Lordship here inclosed We gathered that the Lord Mac Guire was to be an actor in surprizing the Castle of Dublin wherefore We held it necessary to secure him immediatly thereby also to startle and deter the rest when they found him laid fast His Lordship observing what we had done and the City in Arms fled from his lodging early before day it seems disguised for we had laid a watch about his lodging so as we think he could not passe without disguising himself yet he could not get forth of the City so surely guarded were all the Gates There were found at his lodging hidden some Hatchets with the Helves newly cut off close to the Hatchets and many Skeanes and some Hammers In the end the Sheriffes of the City whom we imployed in strict search of his Lordship found him hidden in a Cockloft in an obscure house far from his lodging where they apprehended him and brought him before Vs. He denyed all yet so as he could not deny but he heard of it in the countrey though he would not tell us when or from whom and confessed that he had not advertised Vs thereof as in duty he ought to have done But We were so well satisfied of his guiltines by all circumstances as We doubted not upon further examination when We could be able to spare time for it to finde it apparant wherefore We held it of absolute necessity to commit him Close-prisoner as We had formerly done Mac Mahon and others where We left him on the three and twentieth of this moneth in the morning about the same hour they intended to have been Masters of that place and this City That morning also We laid wait for all those strangers that came the night before to town and so many were apprehended whom We finde reason to believe to have hands in this Conspiracy as We were forced to disperse them into severall Gaols and We since found that there came many Horsemen into the Suburbs that night who finding the plot discovered dispersed themselves immediately When the hour approached which was designed for surprising the Castle great numbers of strangers were observed to come to town in great parties severall wayes who not finding admittance at the Gates staid in the Suburbs and there grew numerous to the terrour of the Inhabitants We therefore to help that drew up instantly and signed a Proclamation commanding all men not dwellers in the City or Suburbs to depart within an hour upon pain of death and made it alike penall to those that should harbour them which Proclamation the Sheriffs immediately proclaimed in all the Suburbs by Our commandement which being accompanied with the example and terror of the committall of those two eminent men and others occasioned the departure of those multitudes and in this case all our lives and fortunes and above all his Majesties power and regall authority being still at the stake We must vary from ordinary proceedings not only in executing martiall law as We see cause but also in putting some to the Rack to finde out the bottome of this treason and all the contrivers thereof which we foresee will not otherwise be done On that
therefore to give them full satisfaction hereby declare and publish to to all His Majesties good Subjects in this Kingdom That by the words Irish Papists VVe intended only such of the old meer Irish in the Province of Ulster as have plotted contrived and been actors in this Treason and others who adhere to them and that VVe did not any way intend or mean thereby any of the old English of the Pale nor of any other parts of this Kingdome VVe being well assured of their fidelities to the Crown and having experience of the good affections and services of their Ancestors in former times of danger and Rebellion And VVe further require all His Majesties loving Subjects whether Protestants or Papists to forbear upbraiding matter of Religion one against the other and that upon pain of his Majesties indignation Given at His Majesties Castle of Dublin 29 Octob. 1641. R. Ranelagh R. Dillon Ant. Midensis Ad. Loftus Geo. Shurley Gerrard Lowther I. Temple Fr. Willoughby Ia. Ware God save the King ¶ Imprinted at Dublin by the Society Of STATIONERS BUt to return now to the Northern Rebels who so closely pursued on their first plot as they beginning to put it in execution in most of the chief places of strength there upon the 23 of Octob. the day appointed for the surprizall of the Castle of Dublin had by the latter end of the same moneth gotten into their possession all the Towns Forts Castles and Gentlemens houses within the Counties of Tyrone Donegall The greater part of Vlster possessed by the Northern Rebels Fermanagh Armagh Cavan London Derry Monaghan and half the County of Down excepted the Cities of London Derry and Coleraigne the Town and Castle of Encikillin and some other places and Castles which were for the present gallantly defended by the British undertakers though afterwards for want of relief surrendred into their hands The chief of the Northern Rebels that first appeared in the execution of this Plot within the Province of Vlster were Sir Phelim O Neale The names of the chief Rebels in Vlster Turlogh O Neale his brother Roury Mac Guire brother to the Lord Mac Guire Philip O Rely Mulmore O Rely Sir Conne Mac Gennis Col. Mac Brian Mac Mahon these having closely combined together with severall other of their accomplices the chief of the severall Septs in the severall Counties divided their forces into severall parties and according to a generall assignation made among themselves at one and the same time surprized by treachery the Town and Castle of the Newry Severall Forts and other places suddenly surprized by the Rebels the Fort of Dongannon Fort Montjoy Carlemont Tonrages Caricke Mac Rosse Cloughouter Castle Blaney Castle of Monaghan being all of them places of considerable strength and in severall of them companies of foot or troops of Horse belonging to the standing army Besides these they took a multitude of other Castles Houses of strength Towns and Villages all abundantly peopled with Brittish in habitants who had exceedingly enriched the Countrey as well as themselves by their painfull labours They had made for their more comfortable subsistance handsome and pleasant habitations abounding with corn cattell and all other commodities that an industrious people could draw out of a good inland soile They lived in great plenty and some of them very well stored with plate and ready money They lived likewise in as great security being quiet and carelesse as the people of Laish little suspecting any treachery from their Irish neighbours The English well knew they had given them no manner of provocation they had entertained them with great demonstrations of love and affection No story can ever shew that in any Age since their intermixed cohabitation they rise up secretly to do them mischief And now of late they lived so peaceably and lovingly together as they had just reason most confidently to believe that the Irish would never upon any occasion generally rise up again to their destruction This I take to be one main and principall reason that the English were so easily over-run within the Northern Counties The great security and confidence of the English in the Irish a great cause of their sudden destruction and so suddenly swallowed up before they could make any manner of resistance in the very first begnnings of this Rebellion For most of the English having either Irish Tenants Servants or Landlords and all of them Irish neighbours their familiar friends as soon as the fire brake out and the whole Countrey began to rise about them some made their recourse presently to their Friends for protection some relying upon their Neighbours others upon their Landlords others upon their Tenants and Servants for preservation The English betrayed murdered by their Irish friends servants and tenants or at least present safety and with great confidence put their lives their Wives their Children and all they had into their power But these generally either betrayed them into the hands of other Rebels or most perfidiously destroyed them with their own hands The Priests had now charmed the Irish and laid such bloody impressions in them as it was held according to the maxims they had received a mortall sin to give any manner of relief or protection to any of the English All bonds and tyes of faith and friendship were now broken the Irish Landlords made a prey of their English tenants Irish tenants and servants a Sacrifice of their English Landlords and Masters one neighbour cruelly murdered by another the very Irish children in the very beginning fell to strip and kill English children all other relations were quite cancelled and laid aside and it was now esteemed a most meritorious work in any of them that could by any means or wayes whatsoever bring an Enlish man to the slaughter A work not very difficult to be compassed as things then stood The intermixture of the English among the Irish a main cause of their sudden destruction For they living promiscuously among the British in all parts having from their Priests received the Watchword both for time and place rose up as it were actuated by one and the same spirit in all places of those Counties before mentioned at one and the same point of time and so in a moment fell upon them murdering some stripping only or expelling others out of their habitations This bred such a generall terror and astonishment among the English as they knew not what to think much lesse what to do or which way to turn themselves Their servants were killed as they were ploughing in the fields Husbands cut to pieces in the presence of their Wives their Childrens brains dashed out before their faces others had all their goods and cattell seazed and carried away their houses burnt their habitations laid waste and all as it were at an instant before they could suspect the Irish for their enemies or any wayes imagine that they had it in their hearts or in their
upon sundry occasions by the advancing and lending of great sums of money for the service of this Common-wealth and particularly the sum of 50000 li. lent for the Irish affairs and the sum of 50000 li. more lent by the said City unto the Peers attending his Majesty in the Northern parts before the beginning of this present Parliament which are not yet paid or otherwayes secured shall be fully satisfied and repaid unto the said City of London with interest of 8 li. per cent for one year out of such monies as are or shall be raised by authority of Parliament And for that purpose an Act of Parliament to be passed with all expedition Provided alwayes that this present Ordinance shall not in any wayes be prejudiciall to any Members of the said House of Commons who have formerly lent any sums of money to this Parliament nor to the Northern Counties nor to any persons whatsoever to whom both Houses of Parliament or the said House of Commons have formerly ordered the payment of any summes of money nor to any security given to them before the making of this Ordinance BUt I shall now return to the affairs of this Kingdome and the serious consultations and means used here by the Justices and Councell for the securing of the City and Castle of Dublin which by reason of the present confusion weaknesse and wants were in very great and most apparent danger of a sudden surprize And first for the Castle Sir Francis Willoughby being made Governour had a Company of an 100 men well armed assigned for the constant guard of that place besides the ordinary Warders who gave their usuall attendance there And because the Lords conceived it might be dangerous in such desperate times to admit such a multitude of suitors of all sorts into the Castle as had daily occasion to attend the Councell-board they presently transferred the place of their meeting in Councell to Corke House where they continued to sit a good time after notwithstanding the great danger their persons were continually exposed unto by the confident resort in great numbers of severall Lords Gentlemen and orhers who within few dayes after declared themselves Rebels and so went out among them It was Gods immediate providence that preserved them and suffered not those persons who soon after became such bloody Rebels to lay hold on that opportunity For certainly they might with great ease have taken out of the way the Lords Justices and Councell and so have left all things in such confusion as would have brought on their long desired ends without any further contestation or trouble The next care was to provide victuals for the Castle in such proportions as might enable it to endure a siege in case the Town either through treachery within or by forces from without should come to be surprized by the Rebels who now carried all things so clearly before them in the North as they most confidently gave it out they would suddenly come down and make themselves masters of it How to compasse this seemed a matter of great difficulty in regard there was no money to be had for the performing this work so absolutely necessary in it self and at that time so highly importing the safety preservation even of the whol Kingdome Therefore the Master of the Rolles upon whom the Lords were pleased to impose this service of victualling the Castle took the advantage of the strange frights Order taken for victualling the Castle of Dublin fears and little safety all the English and Protestants conceived both themselves and their goods to remain in at that time He sent presently for some of the chief Merchants that were Protestants in the town and clearly represented unto them the high necessities of the State the great danger of the town the publick benefit and their own private security in laying into the Castle such of their provisions as they had lying by them even in unsafe places of the City These impressions took and they rightly apprehending the common danger that they could not outlive the ruines of the Castle partly out of their own good affections to the service partly out of a prudent care to secure their goods were content to bring in great quantities of Beef Herrings and Corn upon the Master of the Rolles undertaking to see them satisfied in case use were made of them or otherwise certain restitution in kinde to the severall owners So as there were presently laid in by the English and Dutch Merchants within the Verge of the Castle above 2000 barrels of Beef 2000 barrels of Herrings and a good proportion of Wheat provisions sufficient not only to victuall the Castle for many moneths but which did serve to maintain the whole Army billeted in the City a long time after and their money they received within few moneths after by certificate from hence upon the Chamber of London according to an Order made by both Houses of Parliament in England for present payment to be made to such as laid in any provisions for the army in Ireland There was then further Order taken to new dig and clear an old Well long since stopped up within the walls of the Castle and to provide all other necessaries fit for a siege This was the first step to the safety of this place and gave great comfort and security to all the English and Protestants The Castle being thus happily provided for The Lo. Iustices care to provide for the safety of the City of Dublin the Lords took it next into their care how to secure the City in some sort against any sudden attempts And this proved a work not easie to be effected not only in regard of the crazinesse of the walls the large Suburbs and weaknesse of the place but much more in respect of the corrupt ill affections of the popish inhabitants within the City So strangely were many of them deluded with the ill infusions of their Priests as they did certainly as we found afterwards by wofull experience do all that in them lay to promove the rebellious designes then set on foot as they believed only for the re-settlement of their religion and recovery of their liberties They were the instruments to conveigh away privately most of the chief Conspirators who would have surprized the Castle on the 23 of October They secretly entertained many of the Rebels that came out of the country they likewise sent them relief that were abroad by secret wayes conveighing as wel ammunition as intelligence of all passages from hence And such strong aversions had they against all contributions for the maintenance of his Majesties army as in the very beginning of the rebellion when the Lords sent for the Major Aldermen laying before them the high necessities of the State together with the apparent danger of the City whole Kingdom desired to borrow a considerable sum of money for the present which they undertook to repay out of the next treasure that
resolve others therein I cannot yet determine who were the very first Contrivers where the first debates were entertained or who first sate in Counsell about it This as all other works of this nature had its foundation laid in the dark and sealed up no doubt with many execrable Oaths the great engines of these times to bind up the consciences as well as the tongues of men from discovery Besides they knew well enough that the Plot being most abominable in it self to be carried on with such detestable cruelty should it take and be fully executed which commonly gives to all other treasons applause and highest commendation would certainly render the first authors as well as the bloody actors most odious and execrable to all Posterity Therefore it is not much to be wondred that the first beginnings so mysterious and obscurely laid remain as yet concealed with so great Obstinacy But yet I am very confident that upon view of severall examinations any reasonable man will conclude with me that the very first principles of this inhumane Conspiracy were roughly drawn and hammered out at the Romish Forge powerfully fomented by the trechery and virulent animosities of some of the chief Irish natives and so by degrees by them moulded into that ugly shape wherein it first appeared There certainly it received the first life and motion whether at Rome whether in Ireland or in any other place I cannot yet determine But my meaning is it was first hatched and set on foot by those most vigilant and industrious Emissaries who are sent continually abroad by the power of that See with full commission per fas nefas to make way for the re-establishment of the Romish Religion in all parts where it hath been suppressed Great numbers of these wicked Instruments the Laws against all of the Romish Clergy being of late laid aside and tacitely suspended execution came over into Ireland The main ground-work and first predispositions to a Rebellion in generall were most undoubtedly with great dexterity and artifice laid by them their venimous infusions taking such deep roots in the minds of a blind ignorant supersticious people as made them ready for a change the great ones mischievously to plot and contrive the inferiour sort tumultuously to rise up and execute whatsoever they should command And if we will give credit to severall examinations taken many of them from those of their own we must beleeve the plot for a Rebellion in Ireland The general Plot for a Rebellion in Ireland of an ancient date of a very ancient date as well as of a large extent It had been long in contriving and howsoever peradventure first thought on in Ireland yet received large contributions towards consummation out of England and other Forraign parts I have seen an Examination of one who affirms he heard it confidently averred by Malone a Priest one that stiled himself Chaplain Major within the Pale that he himselfe had been seven yeeres imployed in bringing on this plot to perfection and that he had travailed into severall parts about it Master Goldsmith a Minister in Conaught told me that he did a full yeer before the Rebellion brake out receive a Letter from a Brother of his residing at Brussels wherein he gave him notice thereof though so obscurely as he well understood it not till afterwards Patrick O Bryan of the Parish of Galloom in the County of Fermanagh Patrick O Beians Examination affirmeth upon Oath that all the Nobles in the Kingdom that were Papists had a hand in this Plot as well as the Lord Mac Guire and Hugh Oge Mac Mahowne that they expected ayd out of Spain by Owen Roe O Neale and that Colonel Plunket one of those that was to be an actor in the surprize of the Castle of Dublin told him that he knew of this Plot eight yeers since and that within these three yeers he hath been more fully acquainted with it Francis Sacheverel Esq Francis Sacheverel Esqu his Examination hath deposed that at several times shortly after the beginning of this Rebellion he hath heard four severall popish Priests viz. Hugh Rely of the County of Down Edmund O Tunnah of the County of Armagh Morice Mac Credan of the County of Tyrone and James Hallegan of the County of Armagh say that the Priests Jesuits and Fryars of England Ireland Spain and other Countries beyond the Seas were the plotters projectors and contrivers of this Rebellion and Insurrection and that they have been these six yeers in agitation and preparation of the same and that the said Priests did then expresse a kind of joy that the same was brought to so good effect He also further deposeth that at severall times Ever Boy Mac Gennis in the County of Down Gentleman and Hugh O Hagan in the County of Armagh Gent. did brag and say that they doubted not but that they should shortly conquer the English in the Kingdom and enjoy the same quietly to themselves and that they would not rest so content but they would raise strong Armies to invade and conquer England Roger Moore one of the prime Conspirators told Master Colely then prisoner with him that the Plot had been in framing severall yeers and should have been executed severall times but they were still hindered By Letters sent from Rome to Sir Phelim O Neale and the Lord Mac Guire which were intercepted and brought to the Lord Parsons though the Fryar that writ them doth not expresse any certain knowledge of this very Plot yet thus much appears by them that they had long desired to hear of the rising of the Irish that the news of Sir Phelim O Neal's taking arms was very acceptable to the Pope and his two Cardinal Nephews assuring him of all assistance from thence and further desiring him to send over an Agent to Rome and to imploy several persons of his own Nation whom he there named then residing at Madrid Paris and with the Emperour they being fit Instruments and such as he might make use of for the procuring succours from those Princes whom he assured him would joyn to give him all assistance in this action Besides these we have very many other presumptions that the Irish since they found their own strength The Irish have had it long in design to shake off the English government and that they were able to draw together so great numbers of men as their severall Septs so strangely multiplied during the late peace can now afford have long had it in design to shake off the English government to settle the whole power of the State in the hands of the Natives and to re-possesse them of all the Lands now enjoyed by the British throughout the Kingdom And that in this plot they did but goe about to actuate those confused general notions to put them in a way of execution Now they supposed there could never be offered unto them a fairer opportunity then this most unhappy conjuncture of
the affairs of great Brittain when Scotland lately in Arms had by their own power and wise managements drawn his Majesty to condiscend to their entire satisfaction as wel in their Church discipline as the liberties of that Kingdom And in England the distractions being grown up to some height through the great misunderstanding betwixt the King and his Parliament Ireland was at this time left naked and unregarded the Government in the hands of Justices the old Army dispersed in places of so great distance as it could be of little advantage the common Souldiers most of them Irish and all the old Commanders and Captains except some few worn out and gone This as the first plotters thought was the time to work out their own ends and masking their perfidious designs under the publike pretences of Religion and the defence of his Majesties Prerogative they let loose the reins of their own vindicative humour and irreconcilable hatred to their British Neighbours I will not presume to say they knew what would fall out in England or what miserable embroilments that Kingdom was ready to break out into for undoubtedly the first plot was laid and most exactly formed many moneths before the war brake out betwixt the King and his people But thus much I shall be bold to affirm that upon the very first breaking out of this Rebellion they did strangely conjecture and beyond all appearance of reason even somewhat positively divine of the dismal breach and fearfull distempers which afterwards followed to the disabling of the Kingdome of England from applying remedies towards the reducement of Ireland For the attestation of this truth I could produce the generall concurrence of severall circumstances many private discourses and advertisements as also a particular Letter which I had long by me written as it seems from a very intelligent Papist a great Zealot in the cause unto a Nephew of Sir Toby Matthew's then in Dublin who though lately converted retained yet a great friendship among them He tels him in the beginning of the Letter that he was desired from some well wishing friends to advise him as he tendered his safety and security upon the sight of those instantly to forsake and abandon that troublesom and most unfortunate Kingdom for God and man had speedily resolved to afflict and punish the overgrown impieties of these prophane times all hearts and hands happily conspiring to it and that he should be as speedy in his passage as was possible and rather as the case stood hazard all dangers by sea then the least at land to be sure not to stop in England especially at London that sink of sin as he cals it and center of disorders for by that time he arrived there he should be sure to find nothing but troubles factions and desperate distempers that he should dispatch therefore for Paris or rather Brussels where there should be order taken for the removall of all mistakes betwixt him and his Uncle This Letter was written about the beginning of Novem. 1641. which was some few dayes after the breaking out of this Rebellion and full six moneths before the taking up of Arms in England Now for the very time when this great Plot received its first forme The Plot for a Rebellion in Ireland first discovered to the Lord Mac Guire and others about the time of Master John Bellewes return out of England with commission to continue the Parliament in Ireland which was in Jan. 1640. though I conceive it of somewhat a more ancient date yet by all the examinations I have hitherto seen I can carry it up no higher then the moneth of January 1640. and that it was about that time communicated to some of the chief Gentlemen of Vlster the Lord Mac Guire doth sufficiently testifie as well in the relation written with his own hand in the Tower and delivered by him to Sir John Coniers then Lieutenant to be presented to the Lords in Parliament as also in his Examination taken before the Lord Lambart and Sir Robert Meredith Kinght in Ireland March 26. 1642. In both these he acknowledgeth that he being in Dublin in Candlemas Tearm about the time when Master John Bellew came out of England with the Commission for the continuance of the Parliament in Ireland Roger Moore acquainted him that if the Irish would rise they might make their own conditions for the regaining of their Lands and Freedome of their Religion and further saith that he had spoken with sundry of Lemster to that purpose who would be ready to joyn with them as likewise a good part of Conaught and that he found all of them willing thereto if so be they could draw to them the Gentlemen of Vlster Now for the manner of putting this Plot in execution the said Lord Mac Guire doth further testifie in his relation aforesaid that the said Roger Moore having the next day acquainted Philip O Rely Turlagh O Neale Brother to Sir Phelim O Neale Master Cosloe and Mac Mahone herewith did propose that first every one should endeavour to draw his own friends into that act at least those that did live in one Country with them and that when they had so done they should send to the Irish in the Low-Countries and in Spain to let them know of the day and resolution so that they might be over with them by that day or soon after with supply of Arms and Munition that there should be a set day appointed and every one in his own Quarters should rise out that day and seize upon all the Arms he could get in his own County and this day to be neer Winter so that England could not be able to send Forces into Ireland before May and by that time there was no doubt to be made but that they themselves would be supplied by the Irish from beyond the Seas Then he told them further that there was no doubt to be made of the Irish joyning with them and that all the doubt was in the Gentlemen of the Pale but he said for his own part he was really assured that when they had risen out the Pale Gentlemen would not stay long after at lest they would not oppose any thing and that in case they did that they had men enough in the Kingdom without them Moreover that he had spoken to a great man who then should be namelesse who would not fail at the day appointed to appear and to be seen in the act but that till then he was sworn not to reveal him but yet that upon their importunity he afterwards told them it was the Lord of Mayo who was very powerfull in the command of men in those parts of Conaught where he lived He further saith that in Lent following Master Moore according to his promise came into Vlster but that nothing was done there but all matters put off till May following where they met at Dublin it being both Parliament and Tearm time and that from thence they dispatched
one Tooly Conley parish Priest to Master Moore to Colonel O Neale in the Low-Countries who within few moneths after arrived with this answer from the said Colonel desiring them not to delay any time in rising out but to let him know of the day when they intended it and that he would not faile to be with them within fourteen dayes of that day with good ayd also desiring them by any means to seize on the Castle of Dublin if they could And further he saith that during the time of these their private meetings there landed at Dublin Colonel Birne Colonel Plunket Captain Brien O Neale and others who came with directions to carry men away and that these were acquainted with the Plot and did offer their service to bring it on and that they would raise their men under colour to carry them into Spain and then seize on the Castle of Dublin and with the arms found there arme their Souldiers and have them ready for any action that should be commanded them He further also saith that they had divers private consultations about the carrying on of this conspiracy not onely at Dublin but in severall other places in the Province of Vlster and that they had set down severall days for the putting of it in execution but meeting with some obstacles did not come to conclude of the certain time till about the beginning of September and that then they peremptorily resolved on the 23. of October for the day to execute this long designed plot in and that they had respect unto the day of the week which did fall on Saturday being the Market-day on which there would be the lesse notice taken of people up and down the streets that they then setled what numbers of men should be brought up out of the severall Provinces for the surprize of the Castle and what Commanders should lead them on that seeing the Castle had two Gates that the Lemster men should undertake to seize upon the little Gate which lay neerest to the place where the arms and munition was placed and that the great gate should be undertaken by those of Vlster and that Sir Phelim O Neale should be there in person but that he excused himself because he resolved at the same time to seize upon London Derry and that thereupon by the impottunity of the undertakers it was imposed upon him the said Lord Mac Guire to be there in person at the taking of the Castle of Dublin That it was further resolved what number of Forces should be brought up out of the other Provinces to make good those places if possessed by them and that Sir James Dillon did undertake to be there with 1000. men within four dayes after the taking of the Castle as also that it was resolved that every one privy to that matter in every part of the Kingdome should rise out that day and seize on all the Forts and Arms in the severall Counties as likewise on all the Gentry and make them prisoners the more to assure themselves against any adverse fortune and not to kill any but where of necessity they should be forced thereunto by opposition These particulars together with many other circumstances very considerable are set down in the relation given in by the Lord Mac Guire while he remained prisoner in the Tower of London but I have thought fit to forbear to relate them at large because I find that relation published by authority and so presented to the common view We shall find also that Mac Mahone in his examination taken when he was first apprehended by the Lords Justices and Counsel here doth testifie that all the chief of the Nobility and Gentry in this Kingdom were acquainted with the first plot and particularly that all the popish party in the Committee sent into England as likewise in both houses of Parliament knew of it In the Examnation of William Fitz Gerald it is there affirmed that Sir Phelim O Neale sending for him five days after his rising in Arms told him what he did was by directions and consent of the prime Nobility and Gentry of the whole Kingdom and that what he had done in the Northern parts the same was executed at Dublin and in all other Forts and Towns throughout Ireland As being a course resolved upon among the Lords and Gentry for the preservation of his Majesties Prerogative their own Religion and Liberties against the Puritan faction in England Scotland and Ireland and that the Lord of Gormanstone knew of this plot while he was in England is testified by Lieutenant Colonel Read in his Examination as also by the Lord Mac Guire in his relation who saith that Colonel Plunket told him that he being at London had acquainted some of the Irish Committee and particularly the Lord of Gormanstone with this plot and that they approved it well Colonel Plunket in his Letter to Father Patrick Barnwal Lord Abbot of Mellifont as he stiles him doth seem much to glory in the means he had used to incite the Lords and Gentry of the Pale to appear in that blessed cause as he tearms it and assures him that the Lord of Gormanstone whom he there cals Lord General will goe bravely on And now it will be no difficult matter to resolve what were the secondary steps and motions of this great plot as well as by what persons it was wrought out in Ireland and carried on to the very point of execution And first it is to be observed that howsoever Sir Phelim O Neale the Lord Mac Guire Philip O Rely Colonel Mac Brian The first contrivers of the Rebellion did not first openly appear in it Hugh Mac Mahone and their adherents chief of the Irish Septs in Vlster and other counties neer adjacent did first appeare upon the stage and by their bloody execution notoriously declare themselves chief actors in this horrid tragedy Yet this Rebellion was either altogether nor originally plotted by them most of them had but subordinate notions of it and they as other of the chief Nobility and Gentry throughout the Kingdom had severall parts assigned them to act at severall times in severall places and did but move according to the first resolutions taken and such directions as they had received from the first Conspirators I take it to be most probable after the generall plot came to be reduced into form that as the Lord of Gormanstone was one of the first and chief movers in it so he and the chief of the Pale joyned together to draw in as they had done in all former Rebellions the principall septs of the old Irish to engage themselves and to appear first in the businesse That the Lord of Gormanston and some others of the Engl. Pale were engaged in the first Plot is very probable And after they had joyned together and so finely ordered the matter as they had made it a generall rising as Sir Phelim O Neale tearms it of all the Catholicks throughout the
Kingdom with the generall consent of the prime Nobility and Gentry thereof then as it were with one generall voice they sounded forth from all the four Provinces of Ireland the same language they used the same Remonstrances and made the very same pretences for their justification they began the very self-same course first in stripping then banishing and murthering the British and Protestants onely in the North they drove on somewhat more furiously and spilt much more innocent blood then in any of the other three Provinces They agreed likewise in recalling their Commanders all the four Provinces had their particular Emissaries abroad Those of Lemster brought back Colonel Preston a Branch out of the House of Gormanstone who had long lived with good reputation in Flanders and him they made Generall of their Forces there but of Vlster they sent into Flanders likewise for Owen Roe O Neale upon whom they conferred the same charge in that Province The Munster men brought over Garrat Barry whom they made Generall of their forces And those in Conaught drew back one of the Burks to whom they gave the chief command of such men as they were able to draw together for the advancement of the common design All these held a due correspondency and in all their actions had a just concurrency towards the main end The great instrument chiefly imployed in this work of drawing the meer Irish into a firm combination with the old English as appears by the Lord Mac Guire's relation before mentioned was Roger Moore Esquire a person of a broken fortune Roger Moore the chief Person imployed to make a conjunction between the meer Irish and the English for raising a Rebellion by discent meerly Irish and issued out of the chief family of the O Moores in the County of Leax but by inter-marriages allied to some of the principall Gentlemen of the Pale He Treated with them about the Association he first broke the design to the northern Irish he was the man that made severall journeys in Lemster into Vlster and Conaught Sundry messages were enterchangeably sent and returned the summer before the breaking out of the Rebellion by his means and entercourse between them And all things were so ordered for their agreement as they were to goe hand in hand together some of the principall Gentlemen of the Pale as Colonel Plunket Captain Fox and others were designed to joyn with the Lord Mac Guire Mac Mahone Brian O Neale Con O Neale Hugh Birne for the surprize of his Majesties Castle of Dublin Cartan Major Domi to Owen O Neale in Flanders in his Examination taken February 1641. tels among many other remarkable passages of severall preparatives to this Rebellion as that Con O Neale brother to Daniel O Neale was sent by Owen O Neale into England and that while he resided there he received letters from the President Rosse which was Sir Phelim O Neale and that he assured him he went on very well in his businesse for Bâ—abant and Valence were joyned together which as he affirms signified in those Characters Vlster and Lemster and that he expected the comming of Lewes Lenoy viz. Daniel O Neale Besides as James Talbot Esquire testifies in his Letter of the 9. of November 1641. written to the Lords Justices out of the County of Cavan that he understood from Phillip Mac Mulmore O Rely that there were certain Covenants passed between the Lords of the Pale and the Northern Irish for the advancing of the Rebellion and that the Remonstrance from the principall Irish in the County of Cavan unto the Lords Justices and Councel sent by Dean Jones and Master Waldrone there then prisoner was framed in the Pale and brought unto the said Irish by Colonel Plunket one of their own And this was in the very beginning of the Rebellion long before any jealousies were entertained by the State of the adherence or conjunction of the old English with the Irish What those Covenants or Contracts were I cannot say but it is most certain some there were and some Covenants also entred into between the Northern Irish and the Lords and Gentlemen of the chief of both the other Provinces as well as Lemster and these were signed with their blood as Doctor Maxwel testifies in his examination he heard Sir Phelim O Neale say on the 19. of December 1641. in his own house and in the hearing of Master Joseph Travers and others If the Lords and Gentlemen meaning the Papists of other Provinces then not in arms would not rise but leave him in the lurch for all he would produce his Warrant signed with their own hands and written in their own blood which should bring them to the Gallowes And certainly had there not been some very strange and extraordinary engagements and more then I can well imagine it had not been possible that so many persons of quality having great possessions and many children should have declared themselves after they saw the main part of the plot for the surprize of the Castle of Dublin to fail and the power of the Northern Rebels begin to decline that the Parliament of England had with great alacrity and readinesse undertaken the War and not only engaged themselves to his Majesty to send over powerfull supplies both out of England and Scotland but by their publike Order of both Houses sent over to the Lords Justices and printed at Dublin in the Moneth of November fully declared their resolutions for the vigorous prosecution of the war of Ireland Nay the Cities of Galway and Limeric kept their designs very covertly not doing any open acts of hostility till after the arrivall of some Forces at Dublin out of England and that the siege of Drohedagh or Tredagh was raised and those bold perfidious Traitors beaten back into the North the Lords of the Pale banished by force of his Majesties Arms out of their own habitations which were all spoiled and laid waste Now that then they should declare themselves is more then a miracle to me and such a mystery as I should not know what to think of but that I find in the Lord Mac Guires relation before mentioned that they were acquainted with the first beginnings of this great plot and had a particular interest from time to time in the carriage of it on so as I think I shall not wrong them positively to determine that they were too deeply engaged slightly to retire and that howsoever upon the failing of it in the main piece they at first stood at a gaze and were put to take up second Counsels yet such was the strength of the conspiracy and their great confidence in the power of their arms as made them appear in due time to entertain their severall assignations and act their parts with great diligence and iudustry The wife of Philip O Rely in the County of Cavan told James Talbot as he openly related it to the Lords Justices at Counsel Board that she wondred very much
the Lords and Gentlemen of the Pale did not rise and joyn with them in the very beginning of this Rebellion adding these words or to this effect that if they would have let us alone and not set us on we were so well at ease as we would never have begun this troublesom work It cannot certainly be imagined that those of the English Pale unlesse they had been the first projectors or deep adventurers would have yeelded that the meer Irish should have seized upon the City and Castle of Dublin places of refuge for them in all former troubles and which would now have given them protection and safety against the incursions of the Irish But I hold it not necessary to produce further evidence in this particular I purpose now to declare how those great Instruments of mischief that were the supream conductors of this wicked design moved forwards so succesfully in the beginning toward the accomplishment of their long intended extirpation of all the British and Protestants out of the Kingdom The Romish Clergy and the Popish Lawyers great instruments in the first Plotting and carrying on the Rebellion I find two sorts of persons who did most eminently appear in laying those main fundamentals wherupon their bloody superstructions were afterwards easily reared up And these were such of the popish Lawyers as were natives of the Kingdome and those of the Romish Clergy of severall degrees and orders For the first they had in regard of their knowledge in the Laws of the Land very great reputation and trust they now began to stand up like great Patriots for the vindication of the liberties of the Subject and redresse of their pretended grievances and having by their bold appearing therein made a great party in the house of Commons The Irish Lawyers draw a great party in the House of Commons to adhere to them here then sitting some of them did there magisterially obtrude as undoubted maximes of Law the pernicious speculations of their own brain which though plainly discerned to be full of virulency and tending to sedition yet so strangely were many of the Protestants and well meaning men in the house blinded with an apprehension of ease and redresse and so stupified with their bold accusations of the government as most thought not fit others durst not stand up to contradict their fond assertions so as what they spake was received with great acclamation and much applause by most of the Protestant Members of the house many of which under specious pretences of publike zeale to this Country they had inveigled into their party And then it was that having impeached Sir Richard Bolton Lord Chancelour of Ireland of high treason together with other prime Officers and Ministers of State that were of English birth some of those great Masters took upon them with much confidence to declare the Law to make new expositions of their own upon the Text to frame their Queres challenges fitter to be taken to a long wilfully over-grown misgovernment then to be made against an authority that had for many yeers struggled against the beloved irregularities of a stubborn people and which had prevailed far beyond former times towards the allaying of the long continued distempers of the Kingdom They disdained the moderate qualifications of the Judges who gave them modest answers such as the Law and duty to their Soveraign would admit But those would not serve their turn they resolved upon an alteration in the government and drawing of it wholly into the hands of the Natives which they knew they could not compas in a Parliamentary way and therefore only made preparatives there and delivered such desperate maximes which being diffused abroad would fit and dispose the people to a change As they declared it to be Law that being killed in Rebellion though found by matter of record would give the King no forfeiture of estate that though many thousands stood up in arms in a Kingdom working all manner of destruction yet if they professed not to rise against the King that it was no Rebellion That if a man were out-lawed for Treason and his land thereby vested in the Crown or given away by the King his heir might come afterwards and be admitted to reverse the Outlawry and recover his Ancestors estate And many other positions of a perilous consequence tending to sedition and disturbance did they continue to publish during that Session and by the power and strength of their party so far did they prevail at last as they presumed to attempt a suspension of Poynings Act and indeed intended the utter abrogation of that Statute which remains as one of the greatest tyes and best monuments the English have of their entire dominion over the Irish Nation and the annexion of that Kingdom to the imperiall Crown of England They further assumed power of Judicature to the Parliament in criminall and capitall ofences A right which no former age hath left any president for neither would this admit the example And thus carrying all things before them they continued the Session of Parliament begun in May till about two moneths before the first breaking out of this Rebellion it being very ill taken that even then they were adjourned And this they have since aggravated as a high crime against the Lords Justices and as one of the chief moving causes to the taking up of Arms generally throughout the Kingdome But to let those things passe how finely soever these proceedings were carried on and being covered over with pretences of zeale and publike affection passed then currant without any manner of suspition yet now the eyes of all men are opened and they are fully resolved that all these passages together with the other high contestations in Parliament not to have the newly raised Irish Army disbanded the importunate solicitation of their Agents in England to have the old Army in Ireland cashiered and the Kingdom left to be defended by Trained Bands of their owne Nation As likewise the Commissions procured by severall of the most eminent Commanders now in Rebellion for the raising men to carry into Spain were all partes of this Plot Prologues to this ensuing Tragedy Preparatives such as had bin long laid to bring on the sodain execution of this most bloody Designe all at one and the same time throughout the Kingdome The meanes used by the Priests Jesuits to stir up the people to rebell Now for the Jesuits Priests Fryers and all the rest of the viperous fraternity belonging to their holy Orders who as I said had a main part to Act and have not failed with great assiduity and diligence to discharge the same They lost no time but most dexteriously applyed themselves in all parts of the Country to lay such other dangerous impressions in the minds as well of the meaner sort as of the chiefe Gentlemen as might make them ready to take fire upon the first occasion And when this Plot was so surely as they
would not consent to marry a beastly Trull Mary Ny Neile a neer Kinswoman of Sir Phelim's He was proffered his life without the Blouse if he would have gone to Masse but he chose rather to dye then to doe either There was made the like proffer of life for going to Masse to Robert Eckline a child of eleven or twelve yeers of age but he also refused it saying he saw nothing in their Religion for which he would change his owne And this Deponent further saith that very many of the British Protestants the Rebels buried alive and took great pleasure to heare them speak unto them as they digged downe old ditches upon them except those whom they thus buried they buried none of the Protestants neither would permit any who survived to performe that duty for them And further saith that the Rebels would send their children abroad in great troops especially neer unto Kinard armed with long wattles and whips who would therewith beat dead mens bodies about their privy members untill they beat or rather thrashed them off and then would returne in great joy to their Parents who received them for such service as it were in triumph And further saith that if any women were found dead lying with their faces downwards they would turne them upon their backs and in great flocks resort unto them censuring all parts of their bodies but especially such as are not fit to be named which afterwards they abused so many wayes and so filthily as chast ears would not endure the very naming thereof Many of the Protestants the Rebels would not kill out-right but being halfe dead would so leave them entreating for no better favour at their hands two or three dayes after but to kill them out-right which sometimes were granted sometimes denied A young youth having his back-bone broken was found in a field having like a Beast eaten all the grasse round about him the Deponent could not learne that they killed him out but that they removed him to a place of better Pasture so that in those most bloody and execrable wretches that of the holy Ghost is cleerly verified The very mercy of the wicked is cruelty And further saith that the Rebels themselves told him this Deponent that they murdered 954. in one morning in the County of Antrim and that besides them they supposed that they killed above 1100. or 1200. more in that County They told him likewise that Colonell Bryan O Neile killed about one thousand in the County of Downe besides three hundred killed neere Killeleigh and many hundreds both before and after in both those Counties At Sir Phelims return from Lisnegarvy some of the Souldiers forced about 24. British into a house where they burned them alive whose terrible out-cryes they desired very much to imitate and expresse unto others And saith that he heard Sir Phelim likewise report that he killed 600. English at Garvagh in the County of Derny and that he had left neither man woman nor Child alive in the Barony of Munterlong in the County of Tyrone and betwixt Armagh and the Newry in the severall Plantations and Lands of Sir Archibald Atcheson John Hamilton Esquire the Lord Canfield and the Lord Mount Norrice and saith also that there were above two thousand of the British murdered for the most part in their owne houses whereof he was informed by a Scotch man who was in those parts with Sir Phelim and saw their houses filled with their dead bodies In the Glenwood towards Dromore there were slaughtered as the Rebels told the Deponent upwards of twelve thousand in al who were all killed in their flight to the County of Downe The number of the people drowned at the Bridge of Portadowne are diversly reported according as men staid amongst the Rebels this Deponent who staid as long as any and had better intelligence then most of the English amongst them and had best reason to know the truth saith there were by their owne report 190. drowned with Master Fullerton At another time they threw 140. over the said Bridge at another time 36. or 37. and so continued drowning more or fewer for seven or eight weeks so as the fewest which can be supposed there to have perished must needs be above 1000. besides as many more drowned betwixt that Bridge and the great Lowgh of Montjoy besids those who perished by the sword fire and famine in Coubrassill and the English plantations adjacent Which in regard there escaped not 300. out of all those quarters must needs amount to many thousands Neere unto the Deponants House thirty six persons were carryed to the Cure-bridge at one time and drowned At another time six and fifty Men Women and Children all of them being taken out of the Deponents House and at severall other times severall other numbers Besides those that were drowned in the Black-water at Kinnard In which Towne and the Parish of Tinon whereof the Deponent was Rector there was drowned slaughtered and dyed of Famine and for want of Cloathes about six hundred The Deponent might adde to these many thousands more but the Diary which he this Deponent wrote amongst the Rebels being burned with his House The numbers of British destroyed within the Province of Ulster Bookes and all his Papers he referreth himselfe to the number in grosse which the Rebels themselves have upon inquiry finde out and acknowledged which notwithstanding will come short of all that have been Murdered in Ireland there being above one hundred and fifty foure thousand now wanting of the British within the very precinct of Vlster And this Deponent further saith That it was common Table-talke amongst the Rebels that the Ghost of Master William Fullerton Timothy Jephes and the most of those who were throwne over Portadowne-Bridge were daily and nightly seene to walke upon the River sometimes singing of Psalmes sometimes brandishing of naked Swords sometimes scrieching in a most hideous and fearefull manner The Deponent did not beleeve the same at first neither doth he yet know whether to beleeve it or no but saith that divers of the Rebels assured him that they themselves did dwell neere to the same River and being daily affrighted with those apparitions but especially with their horrible scrieching were in conclusion inforced to remove further into the Country Their owne Priests and Fryers could not deny the truth thereof But as it was by the Deponent Objected unto them said it was but a cunning flight of the Devill to hinder this great worke of propagating the Catholicke Faith and killing of Heretickes or that it was wrought by Witchcraft The Deponent himselfe lived within thirteen miles of the Bridge and never heard any man so much as doubt of the truth thereof Howsoever he obligeth no mans faith in regard he saw it not with his owne eyes otherwise he had as much certainty as morrally could be required of such a matter And this Deponent further saith That the degenerate Pale English were most cruell
he the said Sir Con Mac Gennis on his death-bed was so much affrighted with apprehension that the said Master Turge so slaine was still in his presence as that he commanded no Protestants from that time should be slaine but what should be killed in battle and after his death Sir Con Mac Gennis his bother would have observed his directions but one John Mac Gennis the young Lord of Evah and Monke Crely were earnest to have all the rest of the Protestants put to death Master George Creighton Minister of Virginia in the County of Cavan deposeth among other particulars in his Examination that divers women brought into his house a young woman almost naked to whom a Rogue came upon the way these women being present and required her to give him her mony or else he would kill her and so drew his sword her answer was You cannot kill me unlesse God give you leave and his wil be done Wherupon the Rogue thrust three times at her naked body with his drawne sword and yet never pierced her skin whereat he being as it seems much confounded went away and left her and that he saw this woman and heard this particular related by divers women who were by and saw what they reported UPon the view of these Examinations all taken upon Oath it may easily be conjectured how fatally the first plot took how furiously the Rebels thorow out all Parts of the Kingdome proceeded on in their barbarous bloody executions and what were the courses they held to bring about so suddenly the universall destruction of all the British and Protestants there planted It is most true that in Lemster and Munster and yet one would scarce believe it that considers the horrid particulars related in the fore-recited Examinations of those two Provinces they were not generally so bloody neither did they begin their work so early as in the Provinces of Vlster and Conaught The ill successe of the enterprise upon the Castle of Dublin did coole them for a time put them to a stand and caused them to take up new councels But when they had once declared themselves they did in very few dayes strip and despoile all the English settled among them and drove great numbers of them even stark naked to severall Ports on the Sea side there to provide themselves passage for England or otherwayes most miserably to starve and perish as many of them did being inhumanly denied any kinde of reliefe in those Towns under the command of the Rebels And here I must not forget to enterpose this certaine truth The cruelties acted by the Irish upon the British were before any provocation given them that in all the foure Provinces the horrid cruelties used towards the British either in their bloody Massacres or mercilesse despoyling stripping and extirpation of them were generally acted in most Parts of the Kingdome before they could gather themselves together to make any considerable resistance against their fury and before the State had assembled their Forces or were enabled by the power of his Majesties Armes to make any inrodes into the Counties possessed by the Rebels A circumstance which totally destroyeth all those vaine pretences and fond recriminations which they have since most falsely taken up to palliate this their most abominable Rebellion And this is not to be denied though it be also true that those British whom they suffered to live among them either upon condition of change of their Religion out of private interest The cruelty of the Irish in murdering those Protestants which remaind among them when at any time they received any losse by the English Forces or such as they kept in prison were not put to the sword untill the Rebels in the severall encounters they had with his Majestes Forces suffered losse of their men and so being enraged therewith at their return home after any disaster they fell furiously to take revenge upon such British whether men women or children as they held in most miserable Captivity with them How farre their madnesse fury and most implacabe malice did after the manner of bruit Beasts transport them towards the destruction of those miserable harmlesse soules they detained among them doth clearly appeare by severall particulars expressed in severall Examinations I shall here insert some of them taken upon trust from persons of good quality and credit who were long prisoners among them I finde in one part of Doctor Maxwels Examination which I thought not fit wholly to insert because it is of great length and many particulars in it nothing tending to that purpose for which it is formerly mentioned that about May 1642. when the Scotish Army under the command of Generall Major Monro had marched down from Carickfergus taken in the Newry beaten the Irish out of those Parts with the slaughter of many of them Sir Phelim O-Neale caused 5000 British whom he detained in Armagh Tyrone and other Parts of the North to be most miserably murdered in the space of three dayes James Shaw of Market Hill in the County of Armagh deposeth and saith that during the time this Deponent was in restraint and stayed among the Rebels he observed and well knew that the greatest part of the Rebels in the County of Armagh went to besiege the Castle of Augher where they were repulsed and divers of the Rebels of the sept of O-Neals slaine In revenge whereof the grand Rebell Sir Phelim O-Neale gave direction and warrant to one Mulmory Mac Donell a most cruell and mercilesse Rebell to kill all the English and Scotish within the Parishes of Mullebrack Logilly and Kilcluney whereupon the said Rebell did murder 27 Scotish and English Protestants within Musket shot of this Deponents own house and further saith that in those three Parishes there have been before that and since by killing drowning and starving put to death above 1500 Protestants within the said three Parishes William Fiz-Gerald a Clerk of Irish birth dwelling neare Armagh and there residing when this Rebellion brake out deposeth and saith That all places of the North where Sir Phelim O-Neale under the name of Generall of the Catholike Army commanded were filled with murders of the Protestants And that when at Augher Lisnagarue or any other places the Rebels received losse of their men those that escaped exercised their cruelty upon the Protestants everywhere at their return And that about the first of May 1642. when Sir Phelim O-Neale had notice of the taking of the Newry by his Majesties Forces he retired that night in all haste to the Town of Armagh and the next day as well the Town of Armagh as the Cathedrall Church there and all the Villages and Houses in the Countrey round about together with all provisions were fired by the Rebels and many men women and children murdered as well in the Towne as in the Countrey round about There is much more to be said on this subject but I shall forbeare to rake further into many other
men and munition for the re-inforcement of that Garrison There were already designed 600 Foot and a Troop of horse for that service and they were almost in a readinesse to March when an expresse from Sir Henry Tichbourn came up to the Earle of Ormond to let him know the Rebels had that day being the 21 of November appeared within sight of the Town He conceived they would presently have set down before it but they advanced no further that day only while their Forces made a stand there they sent down a Party of 1300 foot to Millifont the Lord Moores house which their design was suddenly to surprise but contrary to their expectation they found there 24 Musketiers and 15 horsemen who very stoutly defended the house as long as their powder lasted The horsemen when they saw themselves beset so as they could be no further serviceable to the place opened the gate issued out and made their passage thorow the midsts of the Rebels and so notwithstanding the opposition they made escaped safe to Tredagh The foot having refused to accept of the quarter at first offered resolved to make good the place to the last man they endured severall assaults slew 140 of the Rebels before their powder failed them and at last they gave up the place upon promise of quarter which was not kept for some of them were killed in cold blood all were stripped and two old decrepite men slaine the house ransaked and all the goods carried away Vpon the receit of Sir Henry Tichbourn's Letter the Lords presently took order for the marching away of the six hundred men Supplies both of horse and foot sent for the reliefe of Tredagh together with a Troop of horse towards Tredagh They left not the Town till the 27 of November and such was the negligence of the Captains and disorders of the Souldiers as notwithstanding they had been three dayes in readinesse to march they went no further that night then Swoords a Village six miles distant from Dublin The command of the foot was committed to Serjeant Major Roper and of the horse to Sir Patrick Weames who was appointed with 50 of the Earle of Ormonds Troop to march with those six Companies to Tredagh The very day of their departure from Dublin there was an advertizement brought unto the Lords that some Forces of the Rebels were drawn on this side the River of the Boine and attended with design to intercept their passage Whereupon the Earle of Ormond by direction from the Lords dispatched an expresse to give them now upon their March notice thereof and after to passe on to Sir Henry Tichbourn to let him know as much and that the Recruits designed for the re-inforcement of his Garrison being now upon their march it highly imported him to take speciall care for the securing of their passage And next day his Lordship received an Answer from him of that Letter with assurance that he would not faile to march out with competent Forces to meet them upon the way which he did that very day accordingly perform but they marching no further then Balrudry and so lying that night eight miles short of Tredagh he missed of them and so went not out by what accident or upon what reason I know not the day following till the news of the defeat met him at the very gate of the Town where he stood with his men in a readinesse to march towards them The men being altogether untrained and unaccustomed to travell and failing of provision by the way which for their money they could not by any meanes procure from the country people as they marched along were very much discontented and being somewhat tired with their journey went on next day but in much disorder so carelesse and so little apprehensive of any danger as some had Armes but no munition about them others for their owne ease committed the carriage of both to the Carts As they passed through Gormanston the Major went in to give a visit to the Lord of Gormanston who told him that there were some Numbers of men lay in the way with an intent to interrupt their Passage And this his Lordship knew very well for the very night before as Mr. Creeghton affirmes in his examination one of his groomes went to Slaine where the Rebells were then lodged and called them out of their Beds to be in a readinesse to come and incounter the English forces now upon their march The Major had likewise other advertisements to the same purpose which he neglected not so much as acquainting his Captaines therewith as some of them afterwards affirmed He onely caused three Scouts out of the Troop to be sent abroad to make discovery whether the passage were cleer two of them returned back a little before he came to the bridge of Julians Town assuring him all was cleer the other went on to a house within one quarter of a mile of the place where the Rebels lay and while he attended there for his breakfast a boy belonging to the house took his Horse and riding to the Rebels gave them notice of the neer approach of our forces The Horse passed the Bridge and the Foot following turned up into a field on the left hand of the Lane where by reason of a great mist that suddenly fell they discovered not the Rebels till they were almost within Musket-shot of them The defeat of the forces sent for the relief of Tredagh The Major drew his men presently into Battalia but the Horse as some of the foot that escaped affirme wheeled about without charging any part of the Rebells forces who now furiously approached with a great shout and a Lieutenant giving out the unhappy word of Countermarch all the men possessed as it were with a Pannick fear began somewhat confusedly to march back but were so much amazed with a second shout given by the Rebels who seeing them in disorder followed close on as notwithstanding they had gotten into a ground of great advantage they could not be perswaded to stand a charge but betook themselves to their heels and so the Rebels fell sharply on as their manner is upon the execution Sir Patrick Weames without the losse of one Horse passed on safely unto Tredagh The Major with two of the Captains more and about 100 of their men made an escape thither likewise The other three Captains with all the rest of the Souldiers that were English were there cut off they spared very few or none that fell into their hands but such as were Irish whose lives they preserved The Armes of the whole six hundred they possessed themselves of as likewise of all their Munition and Carriages and so highly were the Rebels encouraged with this defeat given to his Majesties Forces as the whole Pale began presently to waver they thought the Kingdome their own and that the English would in all parts fall before them as those poore ill conducted sheep had unhappily done And
this is a true Relation as neare as I could collect it from the mouthes of those that were present of that famous victory so much boasted of by the Irish whereunto the inexperience of the English Commanders and the disorders of the common souldiers who were then but newly taken up and had never seene any service contributed farre more then any skill or courage shewed by the Rebels which they had only opportunity at that time to expresse by a loud shout Besides they were treble their number and had for their leaders Roger Moore Hugh Birne and Philip O-Rely the two last persons who had been trained in the Warres abroad under the Spanish Discipline and were of greatest experience among them they brought down a great part of those Forces out of the Counties of Cavan and Monagham and as soone as they came within the River of Boyne great numbers of the ordinary churles of the Pale adjoyned themselves unto their men and so made up a body sufficient to performe that service The newes of this unhappy defeat was brought the very same day being munday the 29 of November at evening to the Lords Justices as they sate in Councell It troubled them very much and as it was a matter of great rejoycing among the Popish Inhabitants of the City so it bred a generall sorrow and consternation among the English and Protestants It hapned in a very ill season the late made Colonels were but then in raising of their men And such Companies as were compleated were by the Lords the same day of the marching of the 600 men to Tredagh Sir Charls Coots Expedition into the County of Wiclow commanded out under Sir Charles Coot into the County of Wiclow for the repressing the insolencies of the Birnes and the Tooles towards the poore Engl sh whom they began to fall upon most furiously stripping murdering and driving them all out of that Territory as soone as they had taken in the Kings Fort in that County called Carews Fort and possessed themselves of the chiefe places of strength belonging to the English Gentlemen there He marched to the Town of Wiclow where he caused some few men and one woman to be executed they being found upon Examination guilty of the late spoyles committed most brabarously upon the English there and the very cloaths of an English woman that was stripped being found upon the back of that Irish woman that was there hanged In his return Luke Toole with neare a 1000 Irish under his command encountred him but he quickly made them flie and take to the next Bogge with the losse of some few of their men And so he returned with all possible speed to Dublin the Lords having sent him notice of the late defeat given to the Forces sent to Tredagh As soone as he arrived he applyed himselfe very carefully to the securing of the Town which now began to be more desperately threatned then ever by the neare approaches of the Rebels And so great were the disorders then in the City so inconsiderable the Forces raised the English Inhabitants so strangly dismayed the Papists so highly raised in spirit and courage as had the Commanders of the Rebels drawn those Forces together as they had in readinesse on both sides the River of Boyne for the siege of Tredagh and so marching up to Dublin had taken the advantage of the present distractions and forward affections which they would have undoubtedly found there to assist them They had in all humane probability made themselves Masters of the City and might so straightly have begirt the Castle as would within a very short time have endangerd the surrender of it But it pleased God to infatuate their Counsells The strong opinion they had that they should presently carry Tredagh and so possesse themselves of all the Armes and Munition they had in that Town caused them to fix their resolutions there and to set up their rest upon the obtaining that place In this as in many other wonderfull acts of divine providence which I then observed with great admiration it pleased God to appeare even miraculously in the preservation of the City and Castle of Dublin with the poore remainders of English and Protestants who had there taken sanctuary And now the Lords and Gentlemen of the Pale thought it high time to discover themselves and their affections to the cause They certainly had not only long entertained a defection in their thoughts but were as the severall forementioned Examinations testifie The defection of the Lords and chiefe Gentlemen within the English Pale the first contrivers and bringers in of the Northern Rebels into this execrable Plot they had now likewise drawn them into rhe Pale and therefore they could not hope now much longer to walk under a maske and entertaine the state with further professions of their loyalty They had gotten a competent proportion of Armes and Munition out of his Majesties store into their own possession They saw now the Northern Rebels advanced within the River of Boyne with very considerable Forces to strengthen their Party and by the late encounter and successefull victory they had therein they pleased their fancies with confident conceits of certaine prevailing if they would now declare themselves by a publike conjunction in the common cause and raising such numbers of men and quantities of provision as the plentifull circuit of the Pale did afford would prosecute the warre so happily begun and so successefully managed hitherto These and severall other considerations working very powerfully among the Lords and cheife Gentlemen of the Pale they did within very few dayes after the late defeat solemnly proceede on to the actuall consummation of their long meditated revolt For the manner place The manner of the conjunction of the Lords and chief Gentlemen of the men of the English Pale with the Northern Rebels expressed in the Examination of Edward Dowdall Esquire time and all other circumstances I shall referre the Reader to this ensuing Relation given in upon Oath March 1641. before Sir Robert Meredith Knight Chancellour of the Exchequer in the Examination of Edward Dowdall Esquire a Gentleman of the Pale one very well esteemed among them one that was present at all their meetings and deeply engaged in all their councells and actions He deposeth that some foure or five dayes after the defeat of the English souldiers at the Bridge of Gellianstown there issued a Warrant from the Lord of Gormanston to the Sheriffe of the County for a generall meeting of all the Countie at Dulick But the place of meeting was afterwards changed to the Hill of Crofty where all the Lords and Gentry of the Country met viz. The Earle of Fingale the Lord Viscount Gormanston the Lord of Slaine the Lord of Lowth the Lord of Dunsany the Lord of Trimblestone the Lord Nettervile And of the Gentry Sir Patrick Barnwall Sir Christopher Bellew Patrick Barnwall of Kilbrew Nicholas Darcy of Plattin James Bath of Acharn
them and so conclude with some professions of their Loyalty and readinesse to give their advices for the advancement of his Majesties service and the common peace of the Kingdome This was an Answer such as might justly be expected to come from persons so deeply now involved in the guilt of so high a Rebellion The great indulgence-used by the Lords Iustices and Councell towards the Lords of the Pale It is no wonder that they were thus put to their shifts and enforced to take up such fond excuses and imaginary pretences for their disloyalty For they could not in their own consciences but be most sensible of the very great indulgence used by the Lords towards them They had not failed in severall particulars to manifest the great confidence they had in their good affections They had refrained from giving them any manner of provocation or jealousie They had forborn the doing some acts of hostility for a time upon some Rebels among them because they would not give them any the least cause of complaint And however it appeared by the Examination of Mac Mahone and severall others that they were privie to the first plot yet the Lords proceeded with so much caution and tendernesse towards them hoping that now the Conspirators had failed in the maine part of their design which was the surprisall of the Castle of Dublin that they might yet reclaime them thereby and draw them into a just concurrence with them for the preservation of the Kingdome out of the hands of those bloody Northern Rebels who in the beginning were the only appearers in the cause But all was to no purpose they were too deeply engaged to recede therefore they ran now violently on and drew along all the cheife Gentlemen likewise of the Pale with them And now it shall be declared Luke Nettervile and others of the chief Gentlemen of the Pale gather Forces and quarter them within six miles of the City of Dublin how the cheife Gentlemen of the Pale began and proceeded on to act their parts About the beginning of December presently after the late defeat given to the English souldiers in their march to Tredagh Luke Nettervile second Sonne to the Lord Viscount Nettervile caused a Proclamation to be made in the Market place of Lusk requiring all the chiefe Gentlemen and other Inhabitants thereabouts not to faile upon paine of death presently to repaire unto Swoords a Town within six miles of the City of Dublin And within few dayes after did meet there the said Luke Nettervile George Blackney Esquire George King Iohn Talbot Richard Golding Thomas Russell Christopher Russell Patrick Caddell William Travers Richard Barnwell Laurence Bealing Holywood of Artaine and severall other Gentlemen who began to gather great numbers of men about them and putting such Armes into their hands as they had in readinesse at the present made their provisions to entertaine a settled Camp within that place The Lords understanding of this unlawfull tumultuous Assembly The Gentlemen of the Pale required by the Lords Iustices and Councell to repaire to Dublin and deeply apprehending the mischievous consequences that might ensue thereupon sent this Warrant following in a faire manner requiring thereby their present repaire unto them By the Lords Justices and Councell William Persons Io Burlace WHereas we have received information that Luke Nettervile Esquire Blackney of Rickenhore Esquire and George King of Clontarfe Gentleman and other Gentlemen of the County of Dublin with great numbers of men are assembled together in a body at Swoords and there abouts within six miles of this City for what intent we know not but apparently to the terror of his Majesties good Subjects and although considering the unseasonablenesse of this time chosen for such an act without our privity whatsoever their pretence is a construction might be made thereof to their disadvantage yet we being willing to make an indulgent interpretation of their actions in regard of the good opinion wee have of the Loyalty of those Gentlemen who it seemes are principalls amongst them in that Assembly and conceiving there may be some mistaking in that enterprise we have chosen the rather hereby to charge the said Luke Nettervile Blackney King and all the persons there Assembled with them upon their duties of Alleageance to his Majesty immediately upon sight hereof to separate and not to unite any more in that manner without direction from us and that the said Nettervill Blackney King and six others of the principall persons of those who are so assembled at Swoords or thereabouts as aforesaid doe appear before us to morrow morning at ten of the Clock to shew the cause of their assembling in that manner whereof they may not faile at their extreame perils Given at his Majesties Castle of Dublin 9. December 1641. Ormond Ossory Rob. Dillon Cha. Lambart Jo. Temple Charles Coot But they were so farre from rendring obedience to the commands they received from the Board as they kept the Messenger in restraint a day and a night threatning to hang him and after returned a scornfull peremptory Answer signifying unto their Lordships The Answer made by the Pale to the Lords Warrant That they were constrained to meet there together for the safety of their lives that they were put in so great a terror by the rising out of some horse Troops and foot Companies at Dublin who killed foure Catholikes for no other reason then that they bore the name of that Religion as they durst not as they pretended stay in their houses and therefore resolved to continue together till they were assured by their Lordships of the safety of their lives before they runne the hazard thereof by manifesting their obedience due unto their Lordships These were the very words and expressions used by those Gentlemen in their Answer And accordingly they still continued together encreasing their numbers of men and threatning to come down and encamp themselves at Clantarfe a little Village standing upon the very Harbour of Dublin where some of their followers had already at a low water seised upon a Bark lying there and carried away all the Commodities they found in her a great part whereof they had put into the then dwelling house of the said King to whom that Village did belong This was an act of so high a straine and so eminently tending to the present ruine of the City as it required a sudden remedy Delayes were dangerous in a matter of such perillous consequence and the Lords Justices and Councell plainely perceived that if the Rebels were suffered to come down and lodge there that they might without much difficulty make themselves masters of those few Barkes then in the Harbour the State having at that time no Ships of force to guard them and so put themselves in a faire way if they could bring the Wexford Ships about to joyn with them to block up the Harbour and stop the comming in to their reliefe all such succours as should
of English breed and declare openly that their reason is because they are English so great is their hatred not onely to the persons of the English but also to every species of that Nation and they destroy all improvements made by the English and lay waste their habitations Wee formerly signified to your Lordship that to take away all jealousie from the Papists of the English Pale we would furnish them with some Armes and the rather because wee well know that in the last great Rebellion in Ireland the English Pale stood firme to the Crowne of England and that the Rebell Tyrone in the heigth of his power and greatnesse was never able to get into the Pale with his Forces whilst hee was in Rebellion and upon this occasion the Noblemen and Gentlemen of the Pale making deep professions of their loyalty to his Majesty in imitation of their Ancestors and with expressions seeming to abhorre the Contrivers of this Rebellion here against whom they offered their power and strength so as they might have Armes and we being well assured that if wee could gaine their concurrence with us it would much facilitate our work wee did at their earnest suit issue for them Armes for one thousand seven hundred men wherewith divers Companies were armed by them and some of them selves were appointed Governours of the Forces of the Counties and Captaines of their Compaines but so many of those Companies revolted to the Rebels and carryed away their Armes with them as we have recovered back but nine hundred and fifty Armes so as those whose loyalty We had reason to expect would help us are now through their disloyalty turned against us and are strengthned with our own Armes and without all question if those of the English Pale had done their parts as became good subjects with their Armes they had from us and those they might gather amongst themselves they might with our help not only have defended the Pale against the Rebels but might also have prevented the ruine and destruction wrought by their Tenants and Neighbours on the poore English and Protestants amongst them for the Noblemen and Gentry sate still and looked on whilst the English and Protestants were ruined before their faces the Papist in the meane time remaining secure without the losse of goods or any thing else When wee saw the power and strength of the Rebels still growing upon us more and more and approaching by degrees more neare to us and the English and Protestants robbed and spoyled even within two miles of this City in disdaine and affront of this State which are scornes of so high a nature as we could not endure if we had strength sufficient to represse their insolencies and when we observed the retarding of our Succours of men and armes from England or Scotland neither of both Succours being yet come nor as we heard so much as in view there or in Scotland and when we found apparantly that for want of those supplies we became in a manner so contemptible as we were in danger to be set upon for taking from us this City and Castle before our aides should come wee be-thought us of all the meanes we could of gaining time being confident that wee cannot be so deserted by the State of England but that some supplies may yet come unto us And therefore on the third of December we directed our Letters to divers of the Nobility of the Kingdome who were nearest to us and most of them being of the English Pale to be with us here on the eight day of this Month that we might conferre with them concerning the present state of the Kingdome and we hoped by their help to handle the matter so as we might gaine a few dayes time before our supprisall here by which time in all likelihood our Succours might arrive although it be boldly given out by the Rebels that we shall have no Succours from thence which they divulge to enbolden their party and to strike terror and discouragement into the well-affected amongst whom there are many so weak as to apprehend from thence too much feare whereby many are fled the Kingdome On the eigth day of this Moneth the Earle of Kildare the Lord Viscount Fitz-Williams and the Lord Barron of Houth came unto us but the rest of the Noblemen not comming deferred our conference and on the eleventh day of this Month we received Letters from seven of them namely the Earle of Fingale the Lord Viscount Gormonston the Lord Viscount Nettervile and the Lords of Slaine Trimblestone Dunsany and Lowth dated the seventh day of this Month and signed by them pretending a feare of a Massacre on those of their Religion and that therefore they are deterred to wait on us but doe rather think it fit to stand upon their guard and how that resolution of theirs may stand with the loyalty they professe wee humbly submit to his Majestie 's excellent judgment for whose royall view wee send you here inclosed a Copy of their said Letters When we received those Letters we did admire whence their feares of comming to us should arise but afterwards we heard that they had been in consultation with the Rebels which also as to most of them is confirmed by the enclosed Examination of Christopher Hampton and indeed we know no cause of feare they have of us unlesse their own guilts begot in them the feare they pretend and they spare not though unjustly to charge us with a neglect of their advises whereas not one of them to this House offered to us any advice or reall assistance towards Pacification of these troubles It became then publike nor could wee keep secret that which they had published to others that those Noblemen so farre sided with the Rebels as they now stood on their guard wee therefore adjudged it fit for vindicating the State from the aspersion which we found so publikely endeavoured to be laid upon us to publish the enclosed Proclamation as well to satisfie to the world as those Noblemen who certainly are abundantly satisfied in their own secret thoughts that wee never intended to Massacre them or any other that being a thing which we and all good Protestants doe much abhorre what ever the practice of their Religion is and hath been found to be by wofull experience in other parts whereof we confesse we are now in great danger if our long expected Succours come not the sooner to us and it may be gathered from that unexampled tyranny which the Rebels have already exercised towards those of our Nation and Religion who fell into their hands what we for our parts may expect from them but the dishonour and shame which may reflect upon the English Nation by exposing this State and Kingdome to so apparent ruine and with it the extirpation of Gods true Religion afflicts us more then the losse of our own lives and fortunes when all might be saved by sending seasonably those Succors Wee lately received Letters
from the Lady Ofaly and a Letter containing most insolent Menaces inclosed therein sent her from the Rebels to which shee sent them a noble Answer Copies whereof we send here inclosed One of the Rebels stiling himselfe Chaplaine Major and Overseer of the Coasts and Harbours lately sent a Summons in a proud and vaunting manner to one Edward Leech that was entrusted to keep the Iland of Lambay requiring the delivery up of that Iland to the Rebels which being done he gave Leech a Passe where in he stiles the Rebels Forces the Catholike Army A copy of which Summons and Passe we send your Lordship here inclosed and Leech told us that that mighty Chaplaine declared openly to him That he was Plotter of this Rebellion That he had spent in Travell and Prosecution of that design beyond Seas foure thousand pounds and that all the Kings in Christendome excepting the King of England and the King of Denmark have hands in this businesse A Castle in the Town of Langford held by the English who stood out awhile against the Rebels being in the end through want of victuals necessitated to be rendered up to them upon promise of quarter a Popish Priest standing with his Skeane in his hand watching for the comming forth of a Minister then amongst the English did by thrusting that Skeane into the Ministers guts and ripping up his belly give that as a signall to the Rebels for falling upon the rest of the English which they did accordingly assoone as the Minister was murthered killing some and hanging the rest most perfidiously On the ninth of this Month we received advertisement that great numbers of men were gathered together in War-like manner at Swoords in the County of Dublin within six miles of us they having the Army of the Rebels behind them on this side Drogheda whereupon we then immediately sent out our Warrant commanding them to disperse A Copy whereof we send your Lordship here inclosed which was not obeyed but a Letter sent us from Luke Nettervile Sonne to the Lord Viscount Nettervile and others of them A Copie whereof we likewise send here inclosed whereupon we published the inclosed Manifest for vindicating this State from their aspersions also And it is observable that those Gentlemen at Swoords could even on that very Tuesday night wherein they alledge they were so affrighted at their Houses assemble twelve hundred men together in that moment of time to have in readinesse against any attempt from the State whereas for many dayes before they could sit still and look on whilst an Army of the Enemy lay behind them betwixt them and Drogheda and whilst some of them openly declared Rebels and many of their neighbours who doubtlesse hold under-hand intelligence with the Rebels robbed and spoiled the English on all parts round about them and yet those Gentlemen could not in all that time be either so affrighted by the Rebels or so compassionate of their poore English neighbours as to assemble any men for the defence of themselves or those their poore English neighbours and certainly those Gentlemen might have been as believing in this State who have alwayes used lenity and mildnesse towards them as in the Forces of the Rebels which lie so neare behind them and who they know have murthered many of his Majesties good and innocent Subjects and for ought they know if there were not secret intelligence between them might have used them also in like manner But the truth is we conceive those Gentlemen had a minde to joyn with the Rebels and doe now take up pretences to cover their disloyalty and cast scandall on this Government The Rebels in the Pale as in other parts have caused Masses to be said openly in the Churches expelled the Ministers from Officiating in their Churches and forced divers persons for saving their lives and goods to become Papists openly professing that no Protestant shall be suffered to live in Ireland and whilst they insult thus over all the English and Protestants destroying them for no other reason but for that they are Protestants and English we let fall nothing against them touching Religion and yet they faine things against us tending that way to give some colour to their cruell proceedings The Rebels of the County of Kildare have taken the Naas and Kildare in the County of Kildare The Rebels of Meath have taken Trim and Ashboy in the County of Meath and divers other places The Rebels of the County of Dublin have possessed Swoords and Rathcoole and spoyled all the English and Protestants even to the Gates of Dublin and now about fifteen hundred of the Rebels of Wiclow are in and about Powerscait and about ten miles from this City There are also between this and the Naas within six or seven miles of us a thousand of the Rebels of Kildare and the Borders of Wiclow and Dublin so as we are in this City invironed by them on all sides by Land and they begin to stop accesses to us by Sea for the Fishermen on the Sea Coasts being all Irish and Papists Inhabitants in the Pale brake out also into Rebellion with the multitude and have robbed spoyled and pillaged even within the Bay of Dublin severall Barkes comming hither forth of England And if to revenge this villany on the Fishermen at Clantarfe and thereabouts so neere us we send forth a Party of Souldiers to burn and spoyle those Rebels houses and corn the Gentlemen of the Pale will immediately take new offence but that we will adventure upon for now there is no dalliance with them who so farre declare themselves against the State not caring what scorns are put upon the Government wherein is observable that the Landlord of Clantarfe is one of those Gentlemen risen in Armes at Swoords Your Lordship now sees not only the necessity of hastning with all possible speed our Succours of men and armes both out of England and Scotland in greater numbers then those at first designed seeing the breach appeares to be farre greater and the defection more generall then at first was conceived and yet so as such of them as are ready be not forced to stay for the rest but that those may be so ordered as to come after for no flesh can imagine unlesse they saw it as we doe the greatnesse of our danger who are but a handfull in comparison of the multitudes risen against us And we desire that the ten thousand designed to come from Scotland may be wholly sent away as well the five thousand intended to be left there in readinesse as the rest with direction to land as neare Dublin as they may and wheresoever they land to march to Dublin if possibly they can And to send away with all speed the Ships appointed for guarding these Coasts is also very necessary to be hastned and that two or three Ships of good strength follow after doubtlesse these Rebels expect a very great supply of Armes and Munition from forraign Parts either