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
23 day of this moneth We conceiving that as soon as it should be known that the plot for seizing Dublin Castle was disappointed all the Conspirators in the remote parts might be somewhat disheartned as on the other side the good Subjects would be comforted and would then with the more confidence stand on their guard did prepare to send abroad to all parts of the Kingdome this Proclamation which we send you here inclosed and so having provided that the City and Castle should be so guarded as upon the sudden Wee could promise Wee concluded that long continued consultation On Saturday at 12 of the clock at night the Lord Blany came to town and brought Vs the ill news of the Rebels seising with two hundred men his house at Castle Blany in the County of Monaghan and his Wife Children and Servants as also a house of the Earle of Essex called Carrickmacrosse with two hundred men a house of Sir Henry Spotswood in the same County with two hundred men where there being a little Plantation of Brittish they plundred the Town and burnt divers houses and it since appears that they burnt divers other Villages and robbed and spoiler many English and none but Protestants leaving the English Papists untouched as well as the Irish On Sunday morning at three of the clock We had intelligence from Sir Arthur Terringham that the Irish in the town had that day also broken up the Kings store of arms and munition at the Newry and where the store of arms hath lyen ever since the peace and where they found fourscore and ten barrels of powder and armed themselves and put them under the command of Sir Con. Magennis Knight and one Creely a Monk and plundered the English there and disarmed the Garrison And this though too much is all that We yet hear is done by them However We shall stand on our guard the best We may to defend the Castle and City principally those being the pieces of most importance But if the Conspiracy be so universall as Mac Mahon saith in his Examination it is namely That all the Counties in the Kingdome have conspired in it which We admire should so fall out in this time of universall peace and carried with that secrecy that none of the English could have any friend amongst them to disclose it then indeed We shall be in high extremity and the Kingdome in the greatest danger that ever it underwent considering our want of men money and armes to enable Vs to encounter so great multitudes as they can make if all should joyn against Vs the rather because We have pregnant cause to doubt that the combination hath taken force by the incitement of Jesuits Priests and Fryars All the hope We have here is the old English of the Pale and some other parts will continue constant to the King in their fidelity as they did in former rebellions And now in these straits We must under God depend on ayd forth of England for our present supply with all speed especially money We having none and arms which we shall exceedingly want without which We are very doubtfull what account We shall give to the King of his Kingdome But if the Conspiracy be only of Mac Guire and some other Irish of the kindred and friends of the Rebell Tirone and other Irish in the Counties of Downe Monaghan Cavan Fermanagh and Armagh and no generall revolt following thereupon we hope then to make head against them in a reasonable measure if We be enabled with money from thence without which We can raise no forces so great is our want of money as we have formerly written and our debt so great to the Army nor is money to be borrowed here and if it were we would engage all our estates for it neither have we any hope to get in his Majesties rents and subsidies in these disturbances which adde extreamly to our necessities On Sunday morning 24. We met again in Councell and sent to all parts of the Kingdome the enclosed Proclamation and issued Potents to draw hither seven Horse troopes as a further strength to this place and to be with us in case the Rebels shall make head and march hitherward so as we may be necessitated to give them battell We also then sent away our Letters to the President of both the Provinces of Munster and Conaght And we likewise then sent Letters to the Sheriffes of the five Counties of the Pale to consult of the best way and means of their own preservation That day the Lord Vice Com. Gormanston the Lord Vice Co. Nettervile the Lord Vice Co. Fitz Williams and the Lord of Houth and since the Earles of Kildare and Fingall and the Lords of Dunsany and Slane all Noblemen of the English Pale came unto us declaring that they then and not before heard of the matter and professed loyalty to his Majesty and concurrence with the State but said they wanted armes whereof they desired to be supplyed by Vs which we told them we would willingly do as relying much on their faithfulnesse to the Crown but we were not yet certain whether or no we had enough to arme our strength for the guard of the City and Castle yet we supplyed such of them as lay in most danger with a small proportion of Arms and Munition for their houses lest they should conceive we apprehended any jealousie of them And we commanded them to be very diligent in sending out watches and making all the discoveries they could and thereof to advertise us which they readily promised to do And if it fall out that the Irish generally rise which we have cause to suspect then we must of necessity put Arms into the hands of the English Pale in present and to others as fast as we can to fight for defence of the State and themselves Your Lordship now sees the condition wherein we stand and how necessary it is first that we enjoy your presence speedily for the better guiding of those and other the publick affairs of the King Kingdom And secondly that the Parliament there be moved immediately to advance to Vs a good sum of money which being now speedily sent hither may prevent the expence of very much treasure blood in a long continued war And if your Lordship shall happen to stay on that side any longer time we must then desire your Lordship to appoint a Lieutenant Generall to discharge the great and weighty burthen of commanding the forces here Amidst these confusions and discords fallen upon Vs We bethought Vs of the Parliament which was formerly adjourned to November next the term now also at hand which will draw such a concourse of people hither give opportunity under that pretence assembling and taking new Councels seeing the former seems to be in some part disappointed and of contriving further danger to this State and People We have therefore found it of unavoidable necessity to prorogue it accordingly and to
thought laid as it could not well faile and the day once prefixed for execution they did in their publicke Devotions long before recommend by their Prayers the good successe of a great Designe much tending to the prosperity of the Kingdome and the advancement of the Catholick cause And for the facilitating of the Worke and stirring up of the people with greater animosity and cruelty to put it on at the time prefixed they loudly in all places declamed against the Protestants telling the people that they were Hereticks and not to be suffered any longer to live among them that it was no more sinne to kill an English-man then to kill a dogge and that it was a most mortall and unpardonable sinne to relieve or protect any of them Then also they represented with much acrimony the severe courses taken by the Parliament in England for the suppressing of the Romish Religion in all parts of the Kingdome and utter extirpation of all professors of it They told the people that in England they had caused the Queens Priest to be hanged before her own face and that they held her Majesty in her owne person under a most severe discipline That the same cruell Laws against Popery were here ordered to be put sodainly in execution and a designe secretly laid for bringing and seizing upon all the principal Noblemen and Gentlemen in Ireland upon the 23. of November next ensuing and so to make a generall Massacre of all that would not desert their Religion and presently become Protestants The Irish revive their ancient animosities against the English And now also did they take occasion to revive their inveterate hatred and ancient animosities against the English Nation whom they represented to themselves as hard Masters under whose government how pleasant comfortable and advantagious so ever it was they would have the world beleeve they had endured a most miserable captivity and envassalage They looked with much envie upon their prosperity considering all the Land they possessed though a great part bought at high rates of the Natives as their owne proper inheritance They grudged at the great multitudes of their faire English Cattell at their goodly Houses though built by their own industry at their own charges at the large improvements they made of their Estates by their own travails and carefull endevours They spake with much scorne and contempt of such as brought little with them into Ireland and having there planted themselves in a little time contracted great fortunes they were much troubled especially in the Irish Countries to see the English live handsomely and to have every thing with much decency about them while they lay nastily buried as it were in mire and filthinesse the ordinary sort of people commonly bringing their Cattle into their owne stinking Creates and there naturally delighting to lye among them These malignant considerations made them with an envious eye impatiently to looke upon all the British lately come over into the Kingdome Nothing lesse then a generall extirpation will now serve their turne they must have restitution of all the Lands to the proper Natives whom they take to be the ancient proprietors and onely true owners most unjustly despoiled by the English whom they hold to have made undue acquisitions of all the Land they possesse by gift from the Crown upon the attainder of any of their Ancestors And so impetuous were the desires of the Natives to draw the whole Government of the Kingdome into their owne hands The ends proposed by the first plotters of the rebellion to enjoy the publicke profession of their Religion as well as to disburthen the Country of all the British inhabitants seated therein as they made the whole body of the State to be universally disliked represented the severall members as persons altogether corrupt and ill affected pretended the ill humours and distempers in the Kingdome to be growen to that height as required Cauteries deepe incisions and indeed nothing able to worke so great a cure but an universall Rebellion This was certainly the disease as appeares by all the symptomes and the joynt concurrence in opinion of all the great Physitians that held themselves wise enough to propose remedies and prescribe fit applications to so desperate a Malady In those Instructions privately sent over into England by the Lord Dillon of Costeloz presently after the breaking out of the Rebellion the alteration of the supream power in the government and setling of it in the hands of the Earl of Ormond giving leave to the Grand Councell of the Kingdome to remove such Officers of State as they thought fit and to recommend Natives to their places were there positively laid down to be a more likely meanes to appease these tumults then a considerable Army In the Remonstrance of the County of Longford presented about the same time to the Lords Justices by the same Lord Dillon as also in the frame of the Common-wealth found at Sir John Dungars House not farre from Dublin and sent up thither out of Conaught to be communicated to those of Lemster peeces which publikely appeared soon after the breaking out of the Rebellion the main points insisted upon in them and severall others The true causes of the Rebellion were restauration of the Publick profession of the Romish Religion restitution of all the Plantation Lands unto the Natives and settlement of the present Government in their hands All the Remonstrances from severall parts and that came out of the severall Provinces of the Kingdome doe concurre in these Propositions with very little or no difference And therefore that the desires with the first intentions of those who are now out in Rebellion may more cleerly appear I have thought fit here to insert them as I found them Methodically digested into certain Propositions termed The meanes to reduce this Kingdome unto Peace and quietnesse 1 THat a generall and free pardon without any exception be granted to all his Majesties Subjects of this Kingdome and that in pursuance thereof and for strengthning the same an Act of Abolition may passe in the Parliament here 2 That all marks of Nationall distinctions between English and Irish may he abolished and taken away by Act of Parliament 3 That by severall Acts of Parliament to be respectively passed here and in England it be declared that the Parliament of Ireland hath no subordination with the Parliament of England but that the same hath in it self supream Jurisdiction in this Kingdom as absolute as the Parliament of England there hath 4 That the Act of 12. Henry the seventh commonly called Poynings Act and all other Acts expounding or explaining the same may be repealed 5 That as in England there past an Act for a Trienniall Parliament there may passe in Ireland another for a Sexenniall Parliament 6 That it may be enacted by Parliament that the Act of the 2d of Queen Elizabeth in Ireland and all other Acts made against Catholicks or the Catholick Religion
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
of the chief conspirators assured him they were come up expresly to the Town for the same purpose and that next morning they would undoubtedly attempt and surely effect it if their designe were not speedily prevented and that he had understood all this from Hugh Mac Mahon one of the chief conspirators who was then in the town and came up but the very same afternoon for the execution of the plot and with whom indeed he had been drinking somewhat liberally and as the truth is did then make such a broken relation of a matter that seemed so incredible in it self as that his Lordship gave very little belief to it at first in regard it came from an obscure person and one as he conceived somewhat distempered at that time But howsoever the Lord Parsons gave him order to go again to Mac Mahon and to get out of him as much certainty of the plot with as many particular circumstances as he could straightly charging him to return back unto him the same evening And in the mean time having by strict commands given to the constable of the castle taken order to have the gates thereof well guarded as also with the Mayor and Sheriffes of the city to have strong watches set upon all the parts of the same and to make stay of all strangers hee went privately about ten of the clock that night to the Lord Borlacies house without the town and there acquainting him with what he understood from Conally they sent for such of the councell as they knew then to be in the town But there came only unto them that night Sir Thomas Rotheram and Sir Robert Meredith chancellour of the Exchequer with these they fell into consultation what was fit to be done attending the return of Conally And finding that he staid somewhat longer than the time prefixed they sent out in search after him and found him seized on by the watch and so he had been carryed away to prison and the discovery that night disappointed had not one of the Lord Parsons servants expresly sent amongst others to walk the streets and attend the motion of the said Conally come in and rescued him and brought him to the Lord Borlacies house Conally having somewhat recovered himself from his distemper occasioned partly as he said himself by the horror of the plot revealed to him partly by his too liberall drinking with Mac Mahon that he might the more easily get away from him he beginning much to suspect and fear his discovering of the plot confirmed what he had formerly related and added these farther particulars set down in his Examination as followeth The Examination of Owen O Conally Gentleman taken before us whose names ensue Oct. 22. 1641. VVHo being duly sworn and examined saith that he being at Monimore in the County of London-Derry on Tuesday last he received a Letter from Colonel Hugh Oge Mac Mahon desiring him to come to Conaght in the County of Monaghan and to be with him on Wednesday or Thursday last whereupon he this Examinate came to Conaght on Wednesday night last and finding the said Hugh come to Dublin followed him hither He came hither about six of the clock this evening and forthwith went to the lodging of the said Hugh to the house near the Boat in Oxman town and there he found the said Hugh and came with the said Hugh into the Town near the Pillory to the lodging of the Lord Mac Guire where they found not the Lord within and there they drank a cup of Beer and then went back again to the said Hugh his lodging He saith that at the Lord Mac Guire his lodging the said Hugh told him that there were and would be this night great numbers of Noblemen and Gentlemen of the Irish Papists from all the parts of the Kingdom in this town who with himself had determined to take the Castle of Dublin and possesse themselves of all his Majesties Ammunition there to morrow morning being Saturday and that they intended first to batter the Chimnies of the said town and if the City would not yield then to batter down the houses and so to cut off all the Protestants that would not joyn with them He further saith that the said Hugh then told him that the Irish had prepared men in all parts of the Kingdom to destroy all the English inhabiting there to morrow morning by ten of the clock and that in all the Sea Ports and other Towns in the Kingdom all the Protestants should be killed this night and that all the Posts that could be could not prevent it And further saith that he moved the said Hugh to forbear executing of that businesse and to discover it to the State for the saving of his own estate who said he could not help it But said that they did owe their Allegiance to the King and would pay him all his Rights but that they did this for the tyrannicall Government was over them and to imitate Scotland who got a priviledge by that course And he further saith that when he was with the said Hugh in his lodging the second time the said Hugh swore that he should not go out of his lodging that night but told him that he should go with him the next morning to the Castle and said if this matter were discovered some body should die for it whereupon this Examinate feigned some necessity for his easement went down out of the Chamber and left his sword in pawn and the said Hugh sent his man down with him and when this Examinate came down into the Yard and finding an opportunity he this Examinate leaped over a Wall and two Pales and so came to the Lord Justice Parsons William Parsons Tho. Rotheram Rob. Meredith Owen O Conally Octob. 22. 1641. HEreupon the Lords took present order to have a Watch privately set upon the lodging of Mac Mahon as also upon the L. Mac Guire and so they sate up all that night in consultation having far stronger presumptions upon this latter examination taken then any wayes at first they could entertain Mac Mahon taken The Lords Justices upon a further consideration there being come unto them early next morning severall other of the Privy councel sent before day and seized upon Mac-Mahon then with his servant in his own lodging they at first made some little resistance with their drawn swords but finding thewselves over-mastered presently yielded and so they were brought before the Lords Justices and Councel still sitting at the Lord Borlacy's house where upon examination he did without much difficulty confesse the Plot resolutely telling them His confession That on that very day all the Forts and strong places in Ireland would be taken That he with the L. Mac-Guire Hugh Birn Capt. Brian O Neale and severall other Irish Gentlemen were come up expresly to surprise the Castle of Dublin That twenty men out of each County in the Kingdom were to be here to joyn with them That
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