princely happiness, long to reign over us, I most humbly conclude with this my petition. I humbly befeech your majefty, if it be your gracious pleafure to accept the Earl of Tyrone into your highness's protection, that he may fafely come in unto your majefty, or to your lord deputy, and hither at your pleasure, that I may be the meffenger; because at my coming over he repofed great truft in me, to deliver unto your majefty thofe things, wherewith he found himself grieved, wherein I doubt not but to do your highnefs acceptable fervice, by reafon of the poor credit I have with him. But if your majesty be minded to deal otherwife with him (because it hath been reported by thofe, who are adversaries both to him and to me, that I am a great friend unto him) to fhow what manner of love mine is towards him, there is none of them, nor any other, who fhall do greater fervice than I will, if it please your majesty to command me, and enable me fit for it; if not, my service and myself, rest at your highness's command to be difpofed, as it fhall please you, for whom, as is my bounden duty, I will daily pray, &c. Your Majefty's faithful And obedient Servant, THOMAS LEE. No. XIII. The anonymous Letter, upon which the Rebellion of Tyrone and Tyrconnel was founded. (Page 104.) THE import of the letter was as follows, "That he was called into company by fome Popish gentlemen, who, after adminiftering an oath of "fecrecy, declared their purpose to murder or poifon the deputy, to cut off * Sir Oliver Lambert, to pick up one by one the reft of the officers of state, "to oblige the small difperfed garrifons by hunger to fubmit, or to penn "them up as sheep to their fhambles. That the caftle of Dublin, being "neither manned nor victualled, they held as their own, that the towns were "for them, the country with them, the great ones abroad and in the North "prepared to answer the firft alarm, that the powerful men in the Weft are "affured by their agents to be ready as foon as the ftate is in diforder. "That 4 G 2 66 "That the Catholick king had promised, and the Jefuits from the Pope had "warranted men and means to fecond the firft ftirs, and royally to protect "all their actions. That as foon as the state is diffolved, and the king's fword "in their hands, they will elect a governor, chancellor and council, dispatch "letters to King (James I.) trufting to his unwillingness to embark in fuch "a war, and to his facility to pardon, would grant their own conditions of peace and government, with toleration of religion: that if the king liften "not to their motions, then that the many days spent in England in debates "and preparations would give them time enough to breathe, fortify and "furnish the maritime coafts; and at leifure call to their aid the Spanish "forces from all parts.' The writer of the letter declares, "That he interpofed fome doubts on them, which they readily anfwered, and he pretended "to them to confent to further their projects, and that he took the method "of this letter, to give notice of their defigns, though he refused to betray "his friends, in the mean time he would ufe his beft endeavours to hinder any further practices." And he concludes, "That if they did not defift, though he reverenced the Mafs and Catholick religion equal to the devout"eft of them, yet he would make the leaders of that dance know, that he preferred his country's good, before their bufy and ambitious humours." No. XIV. BY THE KING. A Proclamation touching the Earls of Tirone and Tirconnel. (Page 104.) SEEING it is common and natural in all perfons of what condition foever, to fpeak and judge variably of all new and fudden accidents, and that the flight of the Earls Tirone and Tirconnel, with fome others of their followers out of the North parts of our realme of Ireland, may happly prove a fubject of like difcourfe; We have thought it not amifs to deliver fome fuch matter in publique; as may better cleare men's judgments concerning the fame; not in respect of any worth or value in these men's perfons, being base and rude in their originall, but to take away all fuch inconvenience, as may blemish the reputation of that friendship, which ought to be mutually obferved betweene betweene us and other princes. For although it is not unlikely, that the report of their titles and dignities, may draw from princes and states fome fuch courtefies at their firft coming abroad, as are incident to men of fome extraordinary rancke and qualitie: yet, when wee have taken the best meanes wee can to lay them open in every condition, wee shall then expect from our friends and neighbours all fuch just and noble proceedings as stand with the rules of honour and friendship, and from our fubjects, at home and 'abroad, that duty and obedience (in their carriage toward them) which they owe to us by infeparable bonds and obligations of nature and loyaltie, whereof wee intend to take ftreight accompt. For which purpose, wee do hereby firft declare, that these persons abovementioned had not their creations or poffeffions in regard of any lineall or lawfull decent from ancestors of blood or virtue, but were onely prefered by the late queen our fifter of famous memory, and by ourfelves, for fome reafons of ftate before others, who for their qualitie and birth (in thofe provinces where they dwell) might better have challenged the honours, which were confered upon them. Secondly, wee do profess, that it is both knowen to us and our councel here, and to our deputie and state there, and fo fhall it appear to the world (as cleare as the funne) evident proofes, that the onely ground and motive of this high contempt in these mens departure, hath been the private knowledge and inward terrour of their owne guiltineffe; whereof, because wee heare, that they doe feeke to take away the blot and infamie, by devulging that they have withdrawen themselves for matter of religion (a cloake that ferves too much in thefe dayes to cover many evil intentions), adding alfo thereunto fome other vaine pretext of receiving injuftice, when their rights and claims have come in question betweene them and us, or any of our fubjects and them, wee think it not impertinent to fay fomewhat thereof. And therefore, although wee judge it needleffe to feeke for many arguments to confirme whatsoever fhall be faid of thefe mens corruption and falfhood (whofe hainous offences remaine fo fresh in memorie, fince they declaired themselves fo very monfters in nature, as they did not only withdraw themselves from their perfonall obedience to their foveraigne, but were content to fell over their native country to thofe, that stood at that time in the highest terms of hoftilitie with the two crownes of England and Ireland), yet to make the abfurditie and ingratitude of the allegations abovementioned fo much the more cleare to all men of equal judgement, wee do hereby pro feffe feffe in the worde of a kinge, that there never was fo much as any fhadowe of molestation, nor purpose of proceeding in any degree against them for matter concerning religion. Such being their condition and profeffion, to thinke murder no fault, mariage of no ufe, nor any man worthy to be efteemed valiant, that did not glorie in rapine and oppreffion; as we should have thought it an unreasonable thing to trouble them for any different point in religion, before any man could perceive by their converfation, that they made truely confcience of any religion. So we alfo for the fecond part of their excufe affirme, that (notwithstanding all that they can claime, must be acknowledged to proceed from meere grace upon their fubmiffion, after their great and unnaturall treafons) there hath never come any queftion concerning their rights or poffeffions, wherein wee have not bene more inclinable to doe them favour than to any of their competitours, except in those cafes wherein wee have plainely difcerned, that their onely end was to have made themfelves by degrees more able than now they are, to resist all lawfull authoritie (when they should return to their vomit againe), by ufurping a power over other good fubjects of ours, that dwell among them, better born than they, and utterly difclaiming from any dependancie upon them. Having now delivered thus much concerning thefe men, eftates, and their proceedings, wee will onely end with this conclufion, that they fhall not be able to denie, whenfoever they fhould dare to prefent themselves before the feate of justice, that they (before the running out of our kingdom) not onely entred into combination for ftirring fedition and inteftine rebellion, but have directed divers inftruments, as well priests as others to make offers to foreine states and princes (if they had bene as ready to receive them), of their readineffe and refolution to adhere to them, whenfoever they fhould feeke to invade that kingdom. Wherein, amongst other things, this is not to be forgotten, that under the condition of being made free from English government, they refolved alfo to comprehend the utter extirpation of all thofe fubjects, that are nowe remayning alive within that kingdom, formerly defcended from English race. In which practifes and propofitions, followed and fomented by priefts and jefuits (of whofe functions in thefe times the practice and perfwafions of fubjects to rebell against their foveraignes, is one fpecial and effentiall part and portion) as they have found no fuch incouragement as they expected, and have boafted of; fo wee doe affure ourselves, that when this declaration fhall bee feene and duely weighed with all due circumstances, it will be of force fufficient to difperfe and to difcredit all fuch untrueths as these contemptible creatures, fo full of infidelity and ingratitude, fhall difgorge against us, and our juft and moderate proceedings, and fhall procure unto them no better ufage, than they would with should be offered to any fuch packe of rebells, borne their fubjects, and bound unto them in fo many and fo great obligations. Given at our palace of Westminster, the fifteeenth day of November, in the fifth year of our reigne of Great Britain, France, and Ireland. GOD SAVE THE KING.. No. XV. A Letter from feveral of the Lords of the Pale to KING JAMES I. (P. 109.) MOST RENOWNED AND DREAD SOVERAIGNE, THE refpective care of your highnefs's honour, with the obligation, that our bounden duty requireth from us, doth not permitt, that we, your nobility of this part of your majefty's realme of Ireland, commonly termed the Englith Pale, fhould fupprefs and be filent in aught, which in the least measure might ymport the honour of your majesty's most royal perfon, the reputation of your happy government, or the good and quiet of your eftates and countryes; and therefore are humbly bold to addreffe these our fubmiffive lynes to your highness, and fo much the rather, till that of late years it hath been a duty specially required, the nobility of this kingdom to advertise their princes your majefty's moft noble progenitors, of all matters tending to their fervice, and to the utility of the commonwealth. Your majefty's pleafure for calling a parliament in this kingdom hath been lately divulged, but the matters therein to be propounded not made known unto us, and to others of the nobility; we being, notwithstanding, of the grand councell of the realme, and may well be conceived to be the councell meant in the ftatute made in King Henry the Seventh's time, who fhould join with the governour of this kingdom, in certifying thither, what acts fhould paffe here in parliament; especially, it being hard to exclude those, that |