they procur'd as good a Bed-fellow for the Ambassador though she was of meaner Quality this Liquorish Harlot unfortunately met with a small Bottle of choice Balm valued at two thousand Crowns which was given to the Bishop by Solyman the Magnificent when he was Ambassador in Turky she was invited by its Odour to try its Relish and it seems liked it so well that she licked it all out whereat the Bishop grew so outragious and loud that he discovered his Debauchery frightned the Woman away and made sport for the Irishmen and his own Servants After this the Bishop met with O Neal and the Titular Primate Robert Wachop in a secret place and heard the Overâ—ures of them and their Confederates and it is not to be doubted but they came to an Agreement because the Bishop soon after went to Rome but being unable to separate the Pope from the Interests of the Emperor this Negotiation had no effect In the mean time two of the Cavenaghs viz. Cahir Mac Art of Polmonty and Girald Mac Cahir of Garochil had fierce Contests about their Territory at length it came to a Battel as it were by consent and about an hundred on each side were slain but Cahir Mac Art had the better of it and finally obtain'd that Signiory But the Exchequer being empty the Lord Deputy designed to levy a Tax upon the People but the Earl of Ormond would by no means suffer that 〈…〉 whereupon the difference grew so high between him and the Lord Deputy that at last it came to mutual Impeachments whereupon both of them were sent for to England and by the King's Mediation were reconciled whilst the ambodexter Allen was imprison'd in the Fleet and deprived of the Great Seal and Sir Thomas Cusack was made Lord Keeper and not long after viz. about the twenty eighth day of October the Earl of Ormond and thirty five of his Servants were poyson'd at a Feast at Ely-House in Holborn so that he and sixteen of them died but whether this hapned by Accident or Mistake or were done designedly could not be discovered Sir William Brabazon was sworn Lord Justice on the first of April 1546. although his Patent bore Date the sixteenth of February Ware 174. In his time hapned a strange and unnatural Action for Bryan Lord of Upper Ossory sent his own Son Teige Prisoner to Dublin where he was executed and in July Patrick O More and Bryan O Connor with joint Forces invaded the County of Kildare and burnt Athy but the Lord Justice immediately pursued them and leaving a Garrison at Athy he marched into Offaly and made a Fort at Dingen now Philipstown and forced O Connor to fly into Connaught But the Necessities of the State obliged the King to Coyn Brass or mixt Moneys and to make it currant in Ireland by Proclamation to the great dissatisfaction of all the People especially the Soldiers and about the same time Edward Basnet Dean of St. Patrick's in Dublin and the Chapter after some Reluctancy surrendred their Possessions to the King Three Things are observable in the Letters during this King's Reign 1. None of them do mention either the Year of our Lord or the Year of the King's Reign though all of them do take notice of the Day of the Month whereby this Part of the History was so perplex'd and confus'd that I will not promise that I have always guess'd the time aright though I have used my utmost diligence and endeavours to do so 2. All the Letters of this Reign conclude thus So knoweth God to whom we pray for your Graccs Prosperity or to that effect but these Words So knoweth God are always in although in the subsequent Words there is some Variation according to the Fancy of the Writer 3. Most of the Letters from the great Irish Lords even some of English Extraction are subscribed with a Mark very few of thembeing able to write their Names Sir Anthony Saintleger Lord Deputy returned on the sixteenth day of December with Sir Richard Read who was made Lord Chancellor in the room of Cusack and Cusack was made Master of the Rolls And thus stood the Government of Ireland during the Reign of King Henry the Eighth who Died on the twenty eighth day of January in the thirty eighth Year of his Reign and of his Age the fifty sixth THE REIGN OF EDWARD VI. KING OF England France AND IRELAND EDWARD 1546. the Sixth of that Name since the Norman Conquest was born at Hampton Court on the twelfth Day of October 1537. and succeeded his Father in the tenth Year of his Age on the twenty eighth Day of January 1546. and on the first of February Edward Seymour who was the King's Unkle by the Mother was made Protector of the King and Kingdoms and was afterwards created Duke of Somerset and on the twentieth Day of February the King was crowned at Westminster with great Solemnity Sir Anthony Saintleger continued in the Government of Ireland Ware 177. at first by the name of Lord Justice and afterwards by the Title of Lord Deputy and he proclaimed the new King on the twenty sixth Day of February 1547. and not long after Sir Richard Read was made first Lord Keeper and afterwards Lord Chancellor and the Earl of Desmond was constituted Lord Treasurer of Ireland on the twenty ninth Day of March and on the seventh Day of April the Privy Council was sworn viz. Sir Richard Read Chancellor George Archbishop of Dublin Edward Bishop of Meath Sir William Brabazon Vice-Treasurer Sir Girald Ailmer Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench Sir Thomas Luttrel Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas James Bath Esq Lord chief Baron of the Exchequer Sir Thomas Cusack Master of the Rolls and Thomas Houth Esq one of the Judges of the King's Bench to whom afterwards others were added But the O Birnes took advantage of the Change of the Government and hoping that the Infancy of the King would occasion Disturbances in the State they began to be very unruly and troublesome insomuch that the Lord Deputy was necessitated to invade their Country he pursued them so close that he slew their Captain and drove themselves into the Woods and Fastnesses He also took two of the Fitz-Giralds who had formerly been Proscribed and now joyned with O Toole and he brought them and other Prisoners to Dublin where they were executed Nor were Patrick O More and Brian O Connor less forward than the rest but briskly invaded the County of Kildare and loaded themselves with Prey and Plunder but the Lord Deputy came seasonably to intercept them and having killed two hundred of the Rebels upon the Place the rest of them with their light-footed Captains fairly ran away But the Government of England wisely considering the fickle Inclinations of the Irish and the danger of a general Defection of that Nation from a Protestant King seasonably provided for that Kingdom so that Edward Bellingham with the
Faghil Abbot of Derry and Richard O Craghan 1531. who in the behalf of their Master perfected Indentures and swore Fealty to the King in presence of the Lord Deputy Davis 105. at Tredagh on the sixth of May 1531. And at the same time it is probable he made the Proposal mention by Sir John Davis Quod si Dominus Rex velit reformare Hiberniam He and His would gladly be governed by the Laws of England O Sullevan tells us a Story Sullevan 77. with great Ostentation That an English Ship took a Spanish Vessel that was fishing on the Coast of Ireland near the Dursies And that his Grand-Father Dermond O Sullevan Prince of Bear and Bantry having notice of it manned out a small Squadron of Ships and took both the Englishman and the Spaniard and hanged the English Captain but set the Spaniard at Liberty By which may be easily perceived What sort of Inclinations that sort of Men bear to an Englishman and what kind of Loyalty they paid to their King when they murdered his Subjects and cherished his Enemies But the Animosities and Feuds between the Lord Deputy and the Earl of Kildare did every Day increase and at length came to that height that they reciprocally impeached each other in England and Kildare did wisely to sail thither and personally solicite his own Affairs which he managed so successfully that Skeffington was superseded and Girald Earl of Kildare made Lord Deputy in his stead He also procured Alan the Lord Chancellor a Creature of Wolsies to be removed and Cromer Primate of Armagh to be placed in the Chancery July 5. 1532. in his room Nevertheless lest Kildare should grow too powerful the King to ballance him gave the Lord High Treasurers Staff to James Lord Butler who notwithstanding that he was Kildare's Nephew was nevertheless his bitter Enemy and heartily espoused the Quarrels of his Father the Earl of Ossory as it was his Interest and Duty to do But the Earl of Kildare having again gotten the Supreme Power into his Hands little valued the Opposition of his Enemies On the contrary he was transported with the Contemplation of the prodigious Success he had hitherto met with and presumed so far on its continuance that he precipitated himself into many vain and unaccountable Actions for he not only married two of his Daughters to O Connor and O Carol obstinate Enemies to the Crown of England but also with his Forces invaded Kilkenny and destroyed all he found belonging to the Earl of Ossory and his Friends he also persuaded his Brother John Fitz-Girald and O Neal to invade the County of Louth which they burned and preyed without Resistance And all these Extravagances contributed to the Destruction of a Noble Family and to leave this Earl of Kildare an Example to Posterity of the great folly of using Power immoderately On the nineteenth of May 25 Hen. 8. which was anno 1533 and not 1534 as is mistaken in the printed Statutes the Parliament met and enacted I. That sturdy Beggars should not leaze Corn nor any Body out of his Parish And that no Body should give Sheaves of Corn for Reaping or Binding And in all these cases the Corn may be taken away from the Transgressor II. That the Parsonage of Galtrim should be appropriated to the Priory of S. Peter's near Trim. III. That the Royal Fishing of the Banne be resumed into the King's Hands Ware 's Annals 130. But this last Act is not printed At this Parliament the Controversie was renewed between Cromer Primate of Armagh and Allan Archbishop of Dublin about Precedency in Dublin which was determined in favour of the Primate O Carol that married Kildare's Daughter was Tanist and Brother to the deceased O Carol and by the Law of Tanistry claimed the Signiory but the Son of the Desunct being of Age and a brisk Man would not be so served and therefore as Heir to his Father he seized on the Castle of Bi r which the Lord Deputy in favour of his Son-in-Law undertook to besiege and did so but it was in vain for at that Siege he received a Shot in his Head which sent him back faster than he came out and though he regained his Health yet he never recovered his Intellectuals but was ever after as we say A little crackbrained It is reported That when he was wounded he sighed deeply which a Soldier that was by observing he told his Lordship That himself had been shot three times and yet was recovered To whom the Earl replyed Would to God thou hadst also received the fourth Shot in my stead About this time John Allen who had been Clerk of the Council and was now Master of the Rolls a Creature of the deposed Chancellor Alans was sent by the Council into England about Publick Affairs Lib. 〈◊〉 His Instructions were To acquaint the King with the Decay of the Land and that neither English Order Tongue or Habit nor the King's Laws are used above twenty Miles in compass That this Decay is occasioned by the taking of Coyn and Livery without Order after Men's own sensual Appetites and taking Cuddees Garty and Caan for Felonies and Murder Alterages Bienges Saults and Slanciaghs c. And that they want English Inhabitants who formerly had Arms and Servants to defend the Country but of late the English Proprietor hath taken Irish Tenants that can live without Bread or good Victuals and some for Lucre to have more Rent and some for Impositions and Vassalage which the English cannot bear have expelled the English and made the Country all Irish without Order Security or Hospitality Formerly English Gentlemen kept a Retinue of English Yeomen according to the Custom of England to the great Security of the Country but now they keep Horsmen and Kernes who live by oppressing the poor People The great Jurisdiction of the Nobility is another Cause of destroying the King's Subjects and Revenue And the Black Rents which the Irish exact enriches them and impoverisheth the Englishman Also the making of a Native chief Governour and often change of the Lord Deputy are great Faults And ill keeping of the King's Records and putting unskilful Clerks in the Exchequer do occasion much Mischief But the Alienation of the Crown Lands so that the King's Revenue is not sufficient to defend the Realm is the greatest Grievance of all It is probable that these Instructions were kept secret from the Lord Deputy for it cannot be imagined That he would have consented that Articles which in effect were an Impeachment of himself should be communicated to the King and in truth Allen's Errand was to accuse the Deputy and he was imployed so to do by the Archbishop of Dublin the Earl of Ossory Ware 131. Sir William Skeffington and others and he performed his Commission so effectually that the Lord Deputy was sent for by the King's Letter to repair to England and answer the Crimes that were objected against him Kildare
until Fitz Girald could come to relieve it But the perfidious Governor Christopher Parese Fitz-Girald's Foster-Brother a white-Liver'd Traytor resolved to purchase his own security with his Lord's Ruine and to that end got Letters conveyed to the Lord Deputy importing that he would surrender the Castle upon certain Articles by him propos'd all which concerned only his own Profit without mention of his Safety The Lord Deputy readily accepted of the Offer and agreed to the Conditions required Whereupon Parese after some small Advantage they had got in a Sally caus'd the Garrison to rejoyce and carouse to that degree that they were all dead drunk and then upon a Signal given the English scaled the Walls and entred the Castle Captain Holland being one of the first hapned to leap down into a Pipe of Feathers and there stuck and Sir William Brereton being got in cried out S. George S. George whereat one of the Garrison awakened and shot at Captain Holland but he being rescued out of the Feathers by his Companions killed the Souldier After that there was little or no resistance and Sir William Brereton soon advanced his Standard on the Top of the Turret The Spoil and Plunder of this Castle was exceeding great and rich this being accounted the best furnished House belonging to any Subject in the Kings Dominions The Lord Deputy entred in the Afternoon before whom two Varlets James de la Hide and Hayward both Choristers prostrated themselves warbling a sweet Sonnet call'd Dulcis Amica their Melody sav'd their Lives which at the request of Chief Justice Ailmer the Deputy pardoned Parese expecting some great Reward with abundance of Confidence and Familiarity presented himself before the Deputy who told him That he was to thank him on the King's behalf for his Service which saved much Charge and many Lives and doubted not when the King was acquainted therewith he would provide for him during his Life and the better to advise the King how to reward him he desired to know what Fitz-Girald had done for him Parese set agog with this Discourse recounted the most minute instances of Fitz Girald's Liberality to him upon which the Deputy reply'd And how Parese couldst thou find in thy heart to betray the Castle of so kind a Lord And turning to his Officers he bids them pay him the Mony and then to chop off his Head Had I known this quoth Parese your Lordship should not have had the Castle so easily Whereupon one Mr. Boyse being by cried out Auntraugh i. e. too late which occasion'd the Saying often us'd in Ireland Too late quoth Boyse In the mean time Fitz-Girald by the aid of O Connor and others had got an Army of seven thousand Men with which he design'd to raise the Siege of Minooth but upon News of its Surrender his Army deserted him daily and mouldred away almost to nothing Reputation as I observed before much governing the Irish and perhaps all the World beside with the few that were left he marched to Clane and the Deputy leaving Brereton Governor of Dublin marched to Naas where he took sevenscore of the Rebel Gallowglasses whom upon notice of Fitz-Girald's Approach the Deputy commanded to be slain only Edmond Oleme escaped stark naked to his Master Fitz-Girald There was a Bog between both Armies so that the Horse could not skirmish but the Deputy with his Artillery easily broke and scattered Fitz-Girald's inconsiderable Troops put them to flight slew many and took some Prisoners After this Defeat 1535. Fitz-Girald never appeared at the Head of any considerable Army but by small Parties would now and then make some slight Excursions and particularly after the Surrender of Rathingan which hapned in the beginning of the Year he caused a Drove of Cattel to appear near the Town early in the Morning and the English believing that the Cattel strayed that way and might easily be made Booty most of the Garrison sallied to that intent and were intercepted by an Ambush and slain Another time he burnt a Village near Trim and sent two or three of his Men clad like the English Soldiers to Trim and pretending that they were Captain Salisbury's Men they told the Garrison that the Rebel Fitz-Girald was burning the Village Whereupon most part of the Soldiers sallied out and were killed On the 11th of May the Lord Butler was created Viscount Thurles and Admiral of Ireland and on the twenty first his Father the Earl of Ossory and he were made Governors of the Counties of Kilkenny Waterford and Typerary and the Territories of Ossory and Ormond and they promised to do their utmost endeavour to recover the Castle of Dungarvan and to resist the Vsurpations of the Bishop of ROME Lib. H. Lambeth which is the first Engagement I have met with of that kind It seems that the Lord Grey had been sent to England for Supplies and that he now returned with Horsemen and Archers under Sir William Senlo Sir Rice Mansel and Sir Edward Griffith who were conveniently garrisoned in the Pale for I find by a Letter of the twenty first of August to the Lord Cromwel from Chief Justice Ailmer and Allen Master of the Rolls that the Lord Grey Landed the twenty ninth of July and that they came on shoar the first of August and were exceedingly surpriz'd at the alteration they found in the Country for that six of eight Baronies in the County of Kildare were burnt and depopulated and so likewise was part of Meath and that Sir William Brabazon at the Naas was the Man that prevented the total Ruine and Desolation of the Country That Powerscourt which cost five thousand Marks was ruin'd by the Birns and Tools That Fitz-Girald had regain'd Rathingan by the Treachery of the Ward but that he quitted it upon approach of the Army and the Lord Deputy might have surpriz'd him in it if he would or had been as diligent as he ought That O More who joyn'd with the English had so posted his own Men and the Kings that the Rebels were surrounded and Fitz-Girald could not have escaped if a Brigade of the English had not quitted their Station however Burnel of Balligriffin was taken and was afterwards hang'd at Tyburn That the Pestilence raged at Dublin and that the Lord Deputy designed to quarter a thousand Kerns for three Months on the Pale which would ruine it but their Arrival with Money alter'd that to a Cess for this Expedition only whereunto the People chearfully consented That they had engaged Cahir O Connor against his Brother by allowing him twelve Horse and one hundred and sixty Kerns in his Majesties Pay That the Deputy is sick and not able to defend Minooth where he lodges but suffers his own Cattle to be taken from the very Gates That there is no hope of O Neal's Loyalty since he gave no Hostages and finally this Letter highly extols Sir William Brabazon the worthy Ancestor of the Earl of Meath as the Saviour of the
other Stewards of the British Farmers and Inhabitants of the City and County of London-Derry ☞ by means whereof the worthy Plantation of that Country is almost destroyed and the Inhabitants are reduced to great Poverty and many of them forced to forsake the Country the same being the first and most useful Plantation in the large Province of Ulster to the great weakning of the Kingdom in this Time of Danger the said Plantation being the principal Strength of those Parts IX The late Erection of the Court of High-Commission for Causes Ecclesiastical in these necessitous Times the Proceedings of the said Court ' in many Causes without Legal Warrant and yet so supported as Prohibitions have not been obtained though legally sought for And the excessive Fees exacted by the Ministers thereof and the Encroaching of the some upon the Jurisdiction of other Ecclesiastical Courts of this Kingdom X. The exorbitant Fees and pretended Customs exacted by the Clergy against the Law some of which have been formerly represented to your Lordship XI The Petitioners do most heartily bemoan that His Majesty's Service and Profit are much more impaired than advanced by the Grievances aforesaid and the Subsidies granted in the last Parliament having much increased His Majesty's Revenue by the buying of Grants and otherwise And that all His Majesty's Debts then due in this Kingdom were satisfied out of the said Subsidies and yet His Majesty is of late as the Petitoners have been informed in the House of Commons become indebted in this Kingdom in great Sums And they do therefore humbly beseech That an exact Account may be sent to His Majesty how and in what manner his Treasure is issued XII The Petitioners do humbly conceive just and great Fears at a Proclamation published in this Kingdom in Anno Domini 1635. prohibiting Men of Quality or Estates to depart this Kingdom into England without the Lord Deputy's Licence whereby the Subjects of this Kingdom are hindred and interrupted from free Access to Address to His Sacred Majesty and Privy-Council of England so declare their just Grievances or to obtain Remedies for them in such sort as their Ancestors have done in all Ages since the Reign of King Henry the Second and great Fees exacted for every of the said Licences XIII That of late His Majesty's Attorney-General hath exhibited Informations against many ancient Burroughs of this Kingdom into His Majesty's Court of Exchequer ☜ to shew cause by what Warrant the said Burroughs who heretofore sent Burgesses to Parliament should send Burgesses to the Parliament And thereupon for want of an Answer the said Privileges of sending Burgesses were seised by the said Court Which Proceedings were altogether coram non Judice and contrary to the Laws and Privileges of the House of Parliament and if way should be given thereunto would tend to the Subversion of Parliaments and by consequence to the Ruin and Destruction of the Commonwealth And that the House of Commons hath hitherto in this present Parliament been deprived of the Advice and Counsel of many profitable and good Members by means thereof XIV By the Powerfulness of some Ministers of State in this Kingdom the Parliament in its Members and Actions hath not its natural Freedom XV. And lastly That the Gentry and Merchants and other His Majesty's Subjects of this Kingdom are of late by the Grievances and Pressures before said and other the like brought very near to Ruin and Destruction And the Farmers of Customs Customers Waiters Searchers Clerks of Unwarrantable Proceedings Pursuivants and Gaolers and sundry others very much enriched whereby and by the slow Redress of the Petitioners Grievances His Majesty's most faithful and dutiful People of this Kingdom do conceive great Fears that their Readiness approved upon all Occasions hath not been of late rightly represented to His Sacred Majesty For remedy whereof the said Petitioners do humbly and of right beseach your Lordship That the said Grievances and Pressures may be speedily redressed and if your Lordship shall not think fit to afford present Relief that your Lordship might admit a select Committee of this House of Persons uninteressed in the Benefit arising of the aforesaid Grievances to be licensed by your Lordship to repair to his Sacred Majesty in England for to pursue the same and to obtain fitting Remedy for their aforesaid and other just Grievances and Oppressions And upon all just and honourable Occasions they will without respect of particular Interest or Profit to be raised thereby most humbly and readily in Parliament extend their utmost Endeavors to serve His Majesty and comply with His Royal and Princely Occasions And shall pray c. As soon as the Lord Deputy had notice of this Remonstrance and perceived the Fury of the Irish Parliament he took occasion to Prorogue it on the Twelfth day of November but whatever he could do was ineffectual to stem the Tide which now ran too violent against him And therefore being heart-broken with his own and the Earl of Strafford's Misfortunes he died suddenly on the Third day of December 1640. Whereupon ROBERT Lord DILLON of Killkenny-West afterwards Earl of Roscomon Sir WILLIAM PARSONS Knight and Baronet Master of the Court of Wards were on the Thirtieth of December sworn Lords Justices 1640. But the Lord Dillon beings for his Intimacy and Alliance with the Earl of Strafford obnoxious to the aforesaid Irish Committee he was at their Instance removed and Sir WILLIAM PARSONS Master of the Court of Wards Sir JOHN BORLACE Master of the Ordnance were sworn Lords Justices on the Tenth of February to whom the King by his Letters of the Fourth of January before sent Orders at the Request of the Irish Committee That the Irish Subsidies which heretofore were Forty thousand Pounds should be reduced to a less Sum than formerly and that all Letter 's sent to the Chief Governor or other Publick Officers touching Publick Affairs or the Subjects Private Interests should be entred in the Signer-Office in England to the end the Subjects upon occasion might take Copies thereof and that all Dispatches from Ireland should be safely kept apart for the easier and readier recourse thereto and that His Majesty approves of the Repair of His Subjects to appeal to Him notwithstanding any Prohibition in Ireland to the contrary and orders That no body be prosecuted or molested on that score and that the Irish Committee shall have Copies of all Records Certificates Orders of Council Publick Letters or other Entries that are necessary to manifest or prove their Grievances And this Letter was on the Tenth of February 1640. by the Irish Parliament then sitting ordered to be entred amongst the Records and Ordinances of that House And soon after Rushw 15. the Irish Parliament did vote the following Grievances to be transmitted to their Committee in England which it seems were couched in Two Petitions one to the King and the other to the Parliament and both carried over by John Bellew
But it may be that I am some frantick Cassandra being Partner of her Spirit in telling the Truth and Partaker of her Misfortune in that I am not when I tell the Truth believed of your Lordship whom God defend from being Priamus Weigh therefore my Lord the Nobility of your Ancestors remember your Father's late Exhortation forget not your Duty to your Prince consider the Estate of this poor Country with what heaps of Curses you shall be loaden when your Souldiers shall rifle the poor Subjects and so far endamage the whole Realm as they are not yet born that shall hereafter feel the smart of this Uproar You have not gone so far but you may turn home the King is merciful your Offence as yet not over-heinous cleave to his Clemency abandon this headlong Folly which I crave in most humble wise of your Lordship for the Love of God for the Duty you ow to your Prince for the Affection you bear the Country and for the respect you have to your own Safety whom God defend from all traiterous and wicked Attempts Having ended his Oration which he set forth with such a lamentable countenance as his Cheeks were all blubber'd with Tears the Horsemen namely such as understood not English began to divine what the Lord Chancellor meant with all this long Circumstance some of them reporting that he was preaching a Sermon others said that he stood making some Heroical Poetry in the praise of the Lord Thomas And thus as every Ideot shot his foolish Bolt at the wise Chancellor's Discourse who in effect did nought else but drop precious Stones before Hogs Holingsh 91. one Bard de Nelan an Irish Rithmer and a rotten Sheep able to infect a whole Flock was chatting of Irish Verses as though his Tongue had run on Pattens in commendation of the Lord Thomas investing him with the Title of Silken Thomas because his Horsemens Jacks were gorgeously embroidered with Silk and in the end he told him That he lingred there over-long Whereat the Lord Thomas being quickned did cast his Eye towards the Lord Chancellor and said thus My Lord Chancellor I come not hither to take Advice what I should do but to give you to understand what I mind to do It is easie for the sound to counsel the sick but if the Sore had smarted you as much as it festereth me you would be percase as impatient as I am As you would wish me to honour my Prince so Duty willeth me to reverence my Father Wherefore he that will with such Tyranny execute my innocent Parent and withal threaten my destruction I may not nor will not hold him for my King And yet in truth he was never our King but our Lord as his Progenitors have been before him But if it be my hap to miscarry as you seem to prognosticate catch that catch may I will take the Market as it riseth and will chuse rather to die with Valiantness and Liberty than to live under King Henry in Bondage and Villany And yet it may be as strong as he is and as weak as I am I shall be able like a Flesh-worm to itch the Body of his Kingdom and force him to scratch deeply before he be able to pick me out of my Seam Wherefore my Lord I thank you for your good Counsel and were it not that I am too crabbed a Note in descant to be now tuned it might be that I would have warbled sweeter Harmony than at this instant I mean to sing With these Words he rendred up the Sword and flung away like a Bedlam being guarded with his bruitish Drove of Brain-sick Rebels Mr. Sullevan blames him very much for surrendring the Sword Sullevan 78. and says it was foolishly done for under pretence of Authority had he kept it he might have held what Castles and Fortifications he pleas'd and put in what Governours he would he might have seduced many of the King's Subjects and have cut the Throat of Alan and the rest of his Enemies but I suppose that Author did not duly consider the Perfidiousness and Treachery of the Action he advises The Council sent private Orders to the Mayor to apprehend the Lord Thomas but the City being depopulated by the Plague was too weak for such an Attempt and therefore Archbishop Alan and Chief Baron Finglass for their security got into the Castle under the Protection of the Constable thereof John White who was afterwards Knighted for his Service in this Uproar Now was the Sword drawn and the Scabbard flung away and no room left for an Accommodation and therefore Fitz Girald did all he could to strengthen his Party and thinking that if his Cozen the Lord Butler could be perswaded to enter into the Confederacy that all the Kingdom would either side with them or fall before them he wrote a pressing Letter stuffed with large Premises to invite the Lord Butler into the Association to which the Loyal Butler returned this unexpected Answer Taking Pen in hand to write you my resolute Answer Holingsh 9â— I muse in the very first Line by what Name to call you My Lord or My Cozen seeing your notorious Treason hath distain'd your Honour and your desperate Lewdness shamed your Kindred you are so liberal in parting Stakes with me that a man would ween you had no Right to the Game so importunate in craving my company as if you would perswade me to hang with you for good Fellowship Do you think that James was so mad as to gape for Gudgeons or so ungracious as to sell his Truth for a piece of Ireland Were it so as it cannot be that the Chickens you reckon were both hatched and feathered yet be thou sure I had rather in this Quarrel die thine Enemy than live thy Partner For the Kindness you proffer me and good Love in the end of your Letter the best way I can propose to requite that is in advising you though you have fetch'd your Feaze yet to look well ere you leap Ignorance and Error with a certain Opinion of Duty have carried you unawares to this Folly not yet so rank but it may be cured The King is a Vessel of Bounty and Mercy your Words against his Majesty shall not be counted Malicious but rather belched out for Heat and Impotence except your self by heaping Offences discover a mischievous and wilful meaning Netled with this round Answer Fitz-Girald designs to invade the County of Kilkenny but first he forces an Oath of Fidelity on the Inhabitants of the Pale and those who refused he imprisoned as fast as he caught them and sends Charles Rynold Arch Deacon of Kells his Ambassador to Pope Paul the Third and Dominick Poer to the Emperor Charles the Fifth to whom he sent twelve great Hawks and fourteen fair Hobbies but these Ambassadors came too late and not till their Master was executed And so great was this Rebellion and the King's Authority so weak that even the Territory
of Fingal which was wholly a Stranger to Depredations now lay exposed to the Tools and other Irish wherein they were assisted by John Burnel a Gentleman of good Estate in Fingal who favoured this Rebellion But the City of Dublin could not suffer this without their own Destruction for Fingal was their Granary and most of their Provision came from thence wherefore a Body of the Citizens sallied to intercept a Prey at the Bridge of Kilmainham but in the Skirmish near the Wood of Salcock overpowered either in Number or Valour they were beaten and fourscore of the Citizens killed Fitz-Girald makes the best of this Victory and whilst the Consternation is on the City he sends them word that although he could destroy their City yet he will do them no harm if they will permit him to besiege the Castle The Citizens wisely send one of their Aldermen Francis Herbert to the King to know his Pleasure and another to the Constable of the Castle to have his Advice The Constable made a virtue of Necessity and not thinking it possible to defend the City consented to the Demand provided he were first furnished with Men and Victuals which was done and Alderman John Fitz Symons sent into the Castle twenty Tun of Wine twenty four Tun of Beer two thousand dry Ling sixteen Hogsheads of Beef twenty Chambers and an Iron Chain for the Draw-Bridg But the unfortunate Archbishop afraid of the Success of this Siege got on board a Ship that Night near Dames gate in order to pass for England but the Vessel was stranded at Clantarfe and the Archbishop was forced to a Village hard by called Tartain thither came Thomas Fitz-Girald and his Unkles John and Oliver Sir James Delahide and many others early the next Morning having first had notice of the Archbishops being there The Lord Thomas commands John Teling and Nicholas Wafer to bring out the Archbishop whom they haled out of his Bed naked in his Shirt as he was bare-footed and bare-headed The poor Bishop on his Knees and with a pitiful Voice and Countenance begged Pity for the Love of God on a Christian and an Archbishop The Noble Fitz-Girald was too generous to behold that Spectacle without Compassion and therefore turned aside saying Ber owm a Buddagh which is Take away the Clown intending to imprison him but the Servants wilfully misconstruing their Master's Words knockt out the Bishop's Brains and left a Revenge on themselves which overtook them all for Teling afterwards Died of the Leprosie and Wafer of the French Pox and Fitz Girald and all his Unkles were publickly executed by the Common Hangman Nor is it to be omitted that all the Murderers were excommunicated and in the Excommunication are these strange Passages That no man may be merciful to them but their Memory to be forgotten That God would rain Flames of Fire and Sulphur on them That they may cloath themselves with the Malediction and high Curse as they daily put on their Garments That the Water of Vengeance may be in their inner Parts as Marrow in their Bones Be they girded with the Girdles of Malediction and Partakers with Pharoah Nero Herod and Judas the Proditors of Jesus Christ and with Dathan and Abiram descend into Hell quick Good Lord send them Hunger and Thirst and strike them with Pestilence that they may be consumed and their Generation clear eradicate Strike them with Leprosie Madness Blindness c. And we Interdict all the Places where they go and the Place where the Archbishop was murdered But to proceed The Rebels took Prisoners from their own Houses the Lord of Howth and Luttrel Chief Justice of the Common Pleas and the Castle being furnished the Citizens of Dublin consented to Fitz Girald's former Demands Of Liberty to besiege the Castle Whereupon he sent James Field of Lusk Teling Wafer Broad Rouks and Purcel with one hundred Soldiers each attending on them as their Captains they planted two or three Falcons near Preston's Innes over against the Castle and entrenched themselves with strong Ramparts threatning to place the Youth of the City thereon if they in the Castle should shoot that way In the mean time Fitz-Girald accompanied with O Neal Sir Richard Walsh Parson of Loughsewdy Burnel of Ballygriffin and several others invaded and burnt the County of Kilkenny even to Thomas Town The Earl of Ossory and his Party were at the same time near Jeripont consulting what to do and during their Consultation one of the Butlers stole away with sixteen Horse to make a Bravado Fitz-Girald espying them sent an equal number which were soon followed with one hundred and forty Horse the Butlers retreated to their main Body which was surprized by this unexpected Accident and easily scattered The Lord Butler was hurt but made shift to escape to Dunmore where he was cured In the mean time Alderman Herbert returned with an Answer from the King encouraging the Citizens to a manly Defence and promising Aid immediately Whereupon it was resolved by the Citizens That Faith was not to be kept with Traytors That their League with Fitz-Girald was void And they ordered their Gates to be shut And that the Traytors that besieged the Castle should be apprehended Captain Field and his Companions having Notice hereof began to shift for themselves some swam over the River but the most of them were taken Prisoners Immediately Fitz-Girald leaves Kilkenny and summons the Pale to meet him with all their Power near Dublin And in his way he seized upon several Dublin-Children that were at School in the Country and particularly Fitz-Simons and Stainhurst and sent Doctor Traverse Peter Linch of the Knock and Oliver Grace to the Citizens to expostulate the Breach of the League and to require That it might be renewed or at the least the Prisoners enlarged but they met with a cross Answer to all their Demands Whereupon Fitz-Girald began in Sheep-street to besiege the Castle but was driven thence by the Ordnance and the Houses being thatcht were burnt by Wild-Fire cast in from the Castle he stopt all the Rivers about the Town and removed to Thomas-Court pulled down that Street and made a sort of a Gallery to shelter his Men he also burnt the New Street and planted a Gun against Newgate which pierced that Gate and killed an Apprentice of Alderman Stephens's fetching Water from the high Pipe Richard Stanton Goaler of Newgate being an excellent Marksman did great Damage to the Enemy and particularly perceiving one of the Rebels level his Gun at the Loop-Hole where he stood he was so nimble that he prevented him and shot the Rebel in the Forehad and was so hardy as to issue out at the Wicket and to strip the Varlet and brought in with him his Gun and his Cloaths This enraged the Rebels and excited them to Revenge wherefore they immediately brought Fire and Faggot to the Gate in hopes to burn it The Citizens wisely considered That Expectation of Spoil would encourage the