Sir Thomas Nugent, in the County of Meath. and in the County of Sir James Dillon, of the Castle of Ballymahon, Longford. And several others, as well in Munster, as in Connaught and Ulster. Actuated by the immutable spirit of Popery, these men betrayed, in a short time, the trust reposed in them, joined the Rebels, and proved more violent against the Protestants than those who first appeared in the rebellion. (See Borlase, p. 28.) 19.20 whn ph Thursday, Oct. 28.-The Popish Lords and gentlemen of the English pale having preferred a petition to the Lords Justices and Council, against an expression in the proclamation of this rebellion, stating that "IT WAS THE RESULT OF A CONSPIRACY OF IRISH PAPISTS," without distinction of any, obtained the satisfaction of having another issued this day, declaring that by such words, the government intended only such of the old meer Irish, the province of Ulster, not the old English of the pale, &c. This was one of the many frauds practised by the Papists, from time to time, on the Protestant government of Ireland, for it soon, as already mentioned, became evident that the Lords and gentlemen of the English pale, who demanded the explanatory proclamation, were as deeply concerned in the rebellion as any other persons in the kingdom. No. II. "Quo teneam vultus mutantem Protea nodo." (HOR.) 1641, October 28.-A proclamation was issued by the Lords Justices and Council, commanding all persons, not dwellers in the city and suburbs, to depart within an hour after the publication thereof, upon pain of death. This proclamation was found necessary, on account of the great concourse of people from all parts of Ireland to the metropolis. (Borlase, p. 28.) On this day, information was given to the government by Dr. Henry Jones, who had been prisoner to the Rebels, at Cavan, that they intended to lay siege to Drogheda; upon which timely notice, the necessary preparations for defence were made, and Sir Henry Tichborn was appointed Governor of the town. (Ibid, p. 29.) Oct. 29.-A report prevailed, that the Rebels were sanctioned in their attack upon the Protestants of Ireland by a commission from the King, under the great seal at Edinburgh, on the first of this month. Oct. 30.-Another proclamation was issued by the government, contradicting the above mentioned report, and stating, that the Lords Justices and Council was vested with full power and authority to prosecute and subdue the Rebels. Nov. 1.-A proclamation was issued, offering a pardon and protection to such of the Rebels in the Counties of Meath, Westmeath, Loath, and Longford, as had not been guilty of the crime of murder, but this availed but little, for these Rebels were linked and bound together in the indissoluble tie of bigotry and superstition. They proceeded in their bloodthirsty courses, in concert with their confederates in Ulster, stripping, wounding, and turning the Protestants out of their houses; they sent them naked and desolate in miserable weather, to Dublin, where their numbers grew at length so burthensome, that though thousands were shipped away soon after they arrived there, and such as could serve in the army were daily enlisted, yet they brought so great an extremity and want of provisions in the city, that multitudes perished in it for want of the common necessaries of life. (Borlase, p. 30.) Many persons of good rank and quality came into Dublin, covered with old rags, and some without any other covering than a little twisted straw to hide their nakedness. Some reverend ministers escaped with their lives, sorely woundedwives came bitterly lamenting the murder of their husbandsmothers lamenting their children barbarously destroyed before their faces. Some were so over wearied with long travel, that they came creeping on their knees, others frozen up with cold, ready to give up the ghost in the streets. To add to their miseries, they found all manner of relief utterly disproportionable to their wants, the Popish inhabitants refusing to minister the least comfort to them, so that those sad creatures appeared like living ghosts in every street. Many empty houses in the city were, by special direction, taken for them; barns, stables, and out-houses filled with them, yet many lay in the open streets, and there most miserably perished. Those of a better quality, who could not bring themselves to beg, crept into private places, and some of them, who had not friends to relieve them, wasted away silently, and died unnoticed. All the church-yards in the city were of too narrow a compass to contain the dead, so that the government was obliged to procure two large pieces of ground, one on each side of the river, to be set apart for this purpose. (Temple, p. 62.) At this time the venerable Bishop Bedell, after being obliged to draw up a remonstrance for the Rebels of Cavan, was, in a manner, a prisoner in his palace at Kilmore, where a considerable number of Protestants had gathered round him for protection. In this situation he received a message from the Titular Bishop of his diocese, one Swiney, desiring to be admitted into the episcopal house, with strong assurances to Bedell, that he would protect him. This offer was, however, declined, by a letter published in Latin, in Bishop Burnet's interesting History of this primitive prelate, written in a style, as his learned biographer observes, fit for one of the most eloquent of the Roman authors. (Life of Bedell, p. 146.) Bishop Bedell's letter to Dr. Swiney, translated by Bishop Burnet: "REVEREND BROTHER, "I am sensible of your civility in offering to protect me by your presence in the midst of this tumult, and upon the like occasion I would not be wanting to do the like charitable office to you; but there are many things that hinder me from making use of the favour you now offer me. "My house is straight, and there is a great number of miserable people of all ranks, ages, and of both sexes, that have fled hither as to a sanctuary: besides that, some of them are sick, among whom my own son is one. But that which is beyond the rest, is the difference of our way of worship. I do not say of our religion, for I have ever thought, and have published it in our writings, that we have one common christian religion. Under our present miseries, we comfort ourselves with the reading of the Holy Scriptures, with daily prayers, which we offer up to God in our vulgar tongue, and with the singing of Psalms; and since we find so little truth among men, we rely on the truth of GOD, and on HIS assistance. These things would offend your company, if not yourself; nor could others be hindered, who would pretend that they came to see you, if you were among us; and under that colour those murderers would break in upon us, who, after they have robbed us of all that belongs to us, would, in conclusion, think they did GoD good service by our slaughter. "For my own part, I am resolved to trust to the divine protection. To a Christian and a Bishop that is now almost seventy, no death for the cause of CHRIST, can be bitter. On the contrary, nothing is more desirable; and although I ask nothing for myself alone, yet, if you will require the people, under an anathema, not to do any other acts of violence to those whom they have so often beaten, spoiled, and stripped, it will be both acceptable to GOD, honourable to yourself, and happy to the people, if they obey you. But if not-consider that GOD WILL REMEMEER ALL THAT IS NOW DONE. To whom, reverend brother, I do heartily commend you. "Your's, in CHRIST, "November 2, 1641. "WILL. KILMORE. "To my Reverend and loving Brother, D. Swiney." This eloquent epistle was thrown away upon the wretched bigot to whom it was addressed, who, in a short time afterwards, took possession of the cathedral of Kilmore, and after stripping and robuing this truly Christian Bishop, turned him out of his Palace and settled himself in it, where he often wallowed in his own vomit, on that halloweda spot, so lately the solemn scene of piety and virtue. (Life of Bishop Bedell, p. 157.) Nov. 3.-According to a vote of the English Parliament, this day the papers of Lord Viscount Dillon, of Costilough, were seized. On his arrival in London, with a remonstrance sent by him from the Rebels of the County of Longford, among whom his relative Sir James Dillon, of Ballymuivy, Member of Parliament for that County, was a secret leader, and held a Colonel's con.mission. This paper was signed by twenty-six persons of the name of Farrel, the ancient proprietors of that County. An observation made by the late Gerald O'Farrel, Esq. Assistant Barrister for the County of Longford, and Vicar General of the diocese of Meath, an upright and highly respectable descendant and representative of this family, is worth recording in this place. "The government and legislature," (said he,) "had better beware of attempting to conciliate the Roman Catholics of Ireland by reiterated concessions-for although they should grant all the demands of the laity-shew me the man who can say that their clergy have ever suffered a document to issue from their hands by which the extent of their pretensions and expectations can be ascertained." Upon these pretensions and expectations, Dr. Swiney's conduct to Bishop Bedell, connected with the Ribbonman's oath at the present day, may enable us to form an opinion. Nov. 4.-The Lords Justices sent a reinforcement to Sir Henry Tichborn, at Drogheda, which happily arrived there next day. This they were enabled to do by three thousand pounds happening to lie most opportunely in the hands of the Vice Treasurer, which had been intended for the satisfaction of a public engagement in England. Among these troops were two regiments of poor stripped Protestants, one commanded by Lord Lambert, and the other by Sir Charles Coote. (Borlase, p. 29.) On this day Sir Phelim O'Neill and Roger M'Guire, gave notice to their confederates, from the Rebel camp at Newry, of their having received a commission from the King, under the great seal of Scotland. This pretended commission was disclaimed by Lord Maguire afterwards; and it appears that one PLUNKET, a worthy branch. of the Cavan family of Popish advocates, having taken an old broad seal from an obsolete patent out of Farnham Abbey, fixed it to this forged commission, to seduce the vulgar into an opinion of the loyalty of those who had excited them to take arms. (See Borlase, p. 30.) Nov. 5.-Miseries still increasing, the Lords Justices and Council sent a second dispatch to the King, and at the same time wrote pressing letters for assistance to the Privy Council of England, and the Speakers of both Houses of Parliament. Nov. 6.-The Rebels of Cavan, commanded by Philip Mac Hugh Mac Shane O'Reilly, Knight of the Shire for that County, preferred a remonstrance to the Lords Justices, which Dr. Jones and Mr. Waldron presented to their Lordships, who, for the purpose of gaining time, returned an answer as moderate and as satisfactory as was consistent with their duty. The Rebels had empowered Dr. Jones, (whose wife and children they kept as hostages,) to assure the government that. there should be a cessation of arms, until the return of the answer of the Lords Justices, but according to their well known duplicity, they mustered all their forces in the mean time, summoning all the inhabitants of the County, from sixteen to sixty years of age, to appear at Virginia, a town twelve miles from Cavan, on the Monday after they had sent off their remonstrance to Dublin. (Borlase, p. 31.). 1 |