In that petition they complain, "that the most learned, and feemingly moderate and pious prelates, did publicly in fermons at Dublin, exclaim against and condemn the Scottish covenant, and the religion professed in Scotland; and therefore they most humbly pray, that that unlawful hierarchical government, with all its appendixes, may be utterly extirpated." Thefe incentives to the infurrection in Ulfter are chiefly infifted upon in that impartial remonftrance of grievances from Cavan, which was drawn up by Bishop Bedel, a prelate too wife to be impofed upon, and too just and refolute to advance any facts in excuse of these infurgents, of the truth of which he was not very certain. As Bishop Burnet, in his life, owns that this remonstrance gives the best colours to their proceedings of any of all their papers, that he ever faw, I will here tranfcribe it entire from that bifhop's copy. "To the right honourable the juftices and council, the humble remonftrance of the gentry and commonalty of the county of Cavan, of their grievances, common with other parts of this kingdom of Ireland: "WHEREAS we, his majefty's loyal fubjects of his highness's kingdom of Ireland, have, of long time, groaned under many grievances and preffures, occafioned 'Burnet's Life of Bedel. able foever, was indifferent, and lay no heavier upon them than the British proteftants. They replied, that the deponent and the rest of the British, were no confiderable part of the kingdom; and that over and above all this, they were certainly informed, that the parliament of England had a plot to bring all to church, or cut off all papifts in the king's dominions; in England, by the English proteftants or (as they called them) puritans; and in Ireland by the Scots." Borl. Hift. of the Irish Rebell. fol. 408. The character given to this prelate by Borlafe is, "one of the brighteft lights of the Irish church, both for learning and a fhining converfation; and in his conftant diligence in the work of the ministry a pattern to others." Irish Rebellion, f. 48. fioned by the rigorous government of fuch placed over us, as refpected more the advancement of their own private fortunes, than the honour of his majefty, or the welfare of his fubjects; whereof we, in humble manner, declared ourfelves to his highnefs, by our agents, fent from the parliament, the reprefentative body of the kingdom; notwithstanding which, we find ourfelves of late threatened with far greater and more grievous vexations, either with captivity of our confciences, or utter expulfion from our native feats, without any juft grounds given on our parts, to alter his majesty's goodnefs, fo long continued to us. Of all which we find great caufe of fears in the proceedings of our neighbour nations; and do fee it already attempted by certain petitioners, for the like course to be taken in this kingdom, for the effecting thereof, in a compulfory way; fo as rumours have caufed fears of invafion from other parts, to the diffolving of the bond of mutual agreement, which hitherto hath been held inviolable, between the feveral subjects of this kingdom, and whereby all his majefty's other dominions have been linked in one. For the preventing therefore of fuch evils growing upon us in this kingdom, we have, for the prefervation of his majesty's honour, and our own liberties, thought fit to take into our hands, for his highnefs's use and service, fuch forts and other places of ftrength, as coming into the poffeffion of others, might prove difadvantageous, and tend to the utter undoing of the kingdom; and we do hereby declare, that herein we harbour not the least thought of difloyalty towards his majefty; or purpose any hurt to his highness's subjects, in their poffeffions, goods, or liberty; only we defire, that your lordships will be pleased to make remonftrances to his majesty for us, of all our grievances and juft fears, that they may be removed, and fuch a course settled by the advice of the parliament of Ireland, whereby the liberty of our confciences may be fecured unto us, and we eafed of other burdens in civil government. As for the mischiefs and inconveniences that have already happened, through the diforder of the common fort of VOL. I. people, Ο people, against the English inhabitants, or any others, we, with the nobility and gentlemen, and fuch others of the feveral counties of this kingdom, are most willing and ready to use our, and their, beft endeavours in causing restitution and fatisfaction to be made, as in part we have already done. "An answer hereunto is most humbly defired, with fuch prefent expedition as may, by your lordships, be thought moft convenient, for avoiding the inconvenience of the barbaroufnefs and incivility of the commonalty, who have committed many outrages, without any order, confenting, or privity of ours. All which we leave to your lordships wifdom, and shall humbly pray, &c." On the 10th November 1641, the O'Farrells of the neighbouring county of Longford, fent up also to the lords juftices, a remonftrance of their grievances; which was of much the fame tenor with that from Cavan, intreating redrefs in a parliamentary way. "These gentlemen," fays Mr. Carte,' "had deferved well of the crown, and were on that account particularly provided for by king James, in his inftructions for planting of that country. But the commiffioners appointed for the diftribution of the lands, more greedy of their own private profit, than tender of the king's honour, or the rights of the fubject, took little care to observe thefe inftructions; and the O'Farrells were generally great fufferers by the plantations. Several perfons were turned out of large eftates of profitable land, and had only a small pittance, lefs than a fourth part, affigned them for it in barren ground. Twentyfour proprietors, most of them O'Farrells, were dif poffeffed of their all; and nothing allotted them for compenfation. 3 Life of Orm. vol. i. • « In a manuscript of Bishop Stearne, we find that in the fmall county of Longford, twenty-five of one fept were all deprived of their eftates, without the least compenfation, or any means of fubfiftence affigned to them." Lel. Hift. of Irel. vol. ii. p. 467. compenfation. They had complained, in vain, of this undeferved ufage many years; and having now an opportunity afforded them of redress, by the infurrection of their neighbours, had readily embraced it, and followed their example (for it does not appear that any of them were antecedently concerned in the confpiracy), as they likewife did, in laying before the lords justices, a remonftrance of their grievances, and a petition for redress; which, like that from Cavan,* came to nothing." СНА Р. ПІ. The maffacre in Island-Magce. THE report that his majesty's proteftant fubjects 2 first fell upon, and murdered the Roman catholics, got credit and reputation, and was openly and frequently afferted," fays Jones, bifhop of Meath,' in a letter to Dr. Borlafe, in 1679. And Sir Audley Mervin, fpeaker of the house of commons, in a public speech to the Duke of Ormond in 1662, confeffes, "that feveral pamphlets then fwarmed to fasten the rife of this rebellion upon the protestants; and that they drew the first blood." And, indeed, whatever cruelties may be charged upon the Irish in the profecution of this war, "their first intention, we fee," fays another proteftant voucher,'" went no further than to ftrip the English and the proteftants of their power and poffeffions, and, unless forced to it by oppofition, not fhed any blood." Even Temple confeffes the fame; for mentioning what mifchiefs were done in the beginning of this infurrection," certainly," fays he," that which these rebels mainly intended at first, 4 O 2 4 Bishop Burnet's Life of Bishop Bedel. * See Preface to Borlafe's Hift. of the Irish Rebellion. 2 Com. Jour. vol. i. f. 258. and 3 Dr. Warner's Hift. Irish Reb. p. 47. Temp. Ir. Reb. • Hift. of the Irish Rebellion. and moft bufily employed themfeves about, was the driving away Englishmen's cattle, and poffeffing themfelves of their goods." In a MS. journal of an officer in the king's fervice, quoted by Mr. Carte,' wherein there is a minute and daily account of every thing that happened in the north of Ireland, during the first weeks of this infurrection, there is not even an infinuation of any cruelties committed by the infurgents on the English or proteftants; although it is computed by the journalist," that the proteftants of that province had killed near a thousand of the rebels in the first week or two of the rebellion." And on the 16th of November, 1641, "Mr. Robert Wallbank came from the north, and informed the Irish houfe of commons, that two hundred of the people of Colerain fought with one thousand of the rebels, flew fix of them, and not one of themselves hurt. That in another battle, fixty of the rebels were flain, and only two of the others hurt, none flain." Nor do we find, in this account, the leaft mention of cruelties then committed by the Irifh; but much of the fuccefs and victory of his majesty's protestant fubjects, as often as they encountered them." It is worthy of particular notice, that a commiffion of the lords juftices, Parfons and Borlase, dated fo late as December 23d, 1641, was fent down to feveral gentlemen in Uliter (where it is agreed on all hands that these cruelties and outrages were chiefly committed), in virtue of which commiffion, Temple and Borlafe confefs, " feveral examinations were afwards taken of murders committed by the rebels, and the perpetrators of many of thefe murders were dif covered." Yet the commiffion itself, though it autho 6 لا وو s Carte's Ormond, vol. i. Appendix to the Journals of the Irish Commons. 8 Ib. rifes In the beginning of the infurrection, "it was determined (by the infurgents) that the enterprise fhould be conducted, in every quarter, with as little bloodshed as poffible." Lel. Hift. of Irel. vol. iii. p. 101. |