tors, which always increased in proportion to the weakness of the vanquished, proved these latter to have recourse, once more, to arms for their natural defence. After that battle, the Eng. lish seemed determined to destroy, indiscriminately, all the remaining Irish, that came in their way; which they had sometimes done with such circumstances of barbarity, that the Irish, in despair, were often tempted to prevent them, by destroying themselves. Thus, at the taking of the castle of Dunboy, "the lord president3 supposing that the besieged in their extremity would leap into the sea, which was near, posted some of the officers there with boats, who had the killing of about thirty of them, that attempted it." That garrison had sent out a messenger offering to surrender the castle, if they might have assurance of their lives; but the lord president, instead of granting that assurance, turned the messenger over to the marshal, by whose direction he was executed. "4 Nothing can better shew the implacable fury of these English commanders, and the despair to which that fury drove the Irish, than some particulars of this siege, which are thus related by the lord president himself. M'Geoghegan, chief commander of the castle, being mortally wounded with divers shots in his body, the garrison made choice of one Thomas Taylor to be their chief; who, having nine barrels of powder, threw himself and it into the vault, and there sate down by it, with a lighted match in his hand, vowing and protesting to set 4 Id. ib. 5 Ib. fol. 318. 3 Pacata Hibernia, fol. 320. for the most part, of Irish catholic soldiers; the English being altogether, saving a very few, consumed by cold and famine, being unable to endure the toil and labor of so unseasonable a winter campaign. Yet Tirone's army exceeding the other in multitudes of people, and ever before that time, terrible to the English, by reason of so many great overthrows given unto them, were broken, and put to flight by a few horsemen, that issued out of the English camp; being thereunto solicited, and procured by the earl of Clanrickard, an Irish (Roman catholic) earl, then in the English camp. Wherefore,” adds my author, "the said earl of Tirone, returning from that overthrow, said, that it was the vengeance of the mighty hand of God, and his most just judgment, which ought to be executed upon such wicked and sacrilegious soldiers that perpetrated such outrages upon sa cred places."-Theatre of Religion, p. 423. It was probably on that account, "that on the rout of his army at Kin sale, the country inhabitants, upon advantages, would not spare to take some of their heads."--Pacata Hibernia, fol. 240. it on fire, and blow up the castle, himself, and all the rest, except they might have promise of life, which was by the lord president refused. But his lordship intending to bury them in the ruins, the rest of the garrison constrained Taylor to surrender simply; who, with eight and forty more, being ready to come forth, and the lord president's officers having entered to receive them, they found the above-mentioned M'Geoghegan lying there mortally wounded; but perceiving Taylor, and the rest, ready to surrender themselves, he, (M Geoghegan) raising himself up from the ground, and snatching a lighted candle, staggered therewith to a barrel of powder, which, for that purpose, was unheaded, offering to cast it into the same; capt. Power took him, and held him in his arms, until he was by our men instantly killed. The whole number of the ward," continues my author, " consisted of one hundred and forty-three selected men; being the best choice of all their forces, of the which no one man escaped, but were either slain, executed, or buried in the ruins; and so obstinate a defence hath not been seen within this kingdom." but If any of the Irish that were in arms, intruded into the dwellings of any of their peaceable countrymen, or compelled them to pay them contribution (which they durst not refuse), these latter were always considered as harborers and abettors of rebels, and forfeited their lives and properties, for having yield. ed to a force, which they could not resist. Thus we find, that the lord president " having heard, that the Munster fugitives were harboured in certain parts of that province, diverted his forces thither, burnt all the houses and corn, taking great preys, and harrasing the country, killed all mankind that were found therein. From thence, he went to other parts, where he did the like; not leaving behind him man or beast, corn or cattle, except such as had been conveyed into castles." "The ward of castle Listoel, eighteen in number, when besieged by sir Charles Wilmot, came forth upon their knees, and begged for mercy. The women and children (says my author) sir Charles suffered to depart; but of the weaponed men, he hanged nine; the residue he detained till he had acquainted the lord president with what he had done, who gave present orders for the execution of the rest." 8 The same sir Charles Wilmot, having at another time gone to seek the enemy in their camp, "entered," says the same historian," without any resistance; for there he found nothing but hurt, and sick men ; whose lives, and pains, by the soldiers, were both determined." One would imagine, from the virulence of the expressions, and the barbarity of the actions, mentioned in this history, that it was written rather by an enemy than a chief commander of her majesty's forces; or that the Irish had, at that time, given some new, and extraordinary provocation for such inhuman actions and expressions. But it is manifest, even from this history, that during the last two years of this war, these Irish were in no sort aggressors, or assailants; for the president himself assures us, from his own knowledge, "that, ever since the siege of Kinsale, they were so much afraid of the queen's forces, that they lived in their fastnesses, supporting themselves with their own victuals, and the wines that had been sent them out of Spain." CHAP. XI. A dreadful famine in Ireland. THUS did her majesty's ministers in Ireland execute her orders of clemency, and forgiveness, towards these misguided people. Nor were even these incessant acts of cruelty suffici ent to appease their enmity. That destruction, which their swords had left unfinished, they now industriously completed by a general famine. Mr. Morrisson mentions this method of ending the war, with a seeming complacency, at least, without dislike. But the effects of it were too horrible to be unfeelingly related, even by an enemy. "Because," says he, "I have often made mention formerly, of our destroying the rebels. corn, and using all means to famish them, let me now, by two or three examples, shew the miserable estate to which they were thereby reduced." He then, after telling us, that sir Arthur Chichester, sir Richard Morrisson, and other com 8 Pacata Hib. fol. 365. F manders, saw a most horrid spectacle of three children, whereof the eldest was not above ten years old, feeding on the flesh of their dead mother, with circumstances too shocking to be repeated; and that the common sort of rebels were driven to unspeakable extremities, beyond the records of any histories, that he had ever read in that kind; he mentions an horrid stratagem of some of these wretched people, to allay the rage of hunger, in the following manner. "Some old women,” says he," about the Newry, used to make a fire in the fields, and divers little children driving out the cattle in the cold mornings, and coming thither to warm themselves, were by these women surprised, killed, and eaten; which was at last discovered by a great girl, breaking from them by the strength of her body and capt. Trevor sending out soldiers to know the truth, they found the children's sculls and bones, and apprehended the old women, who were executed for the fact. No spectacle," adds Morrisson," was more frequent in the ditches of towns, and especially in wasted countries, than to see multitudes of these poor people dead, with their mouths all colored green by eating nettles, docks, and all things they could rend up above ground." The lord deputy and council,3 in a letter to the lords in England concerning their receiving the submissions of some Irish chiefs, acquainted them," that they had received these submissions partly for the good of the service, and partly out of human commiseration; having with our own eyes (say they) daily seen the lamentable state of the country, wherein we found every where men dead of famine." They add," that they had been credibly informed, that in the space of a few months, there were above three thousand starved in Tirone." 2 History of Ireland, fol. 272. 3 Morriss. Hist. Irel. fol. 237. CHAP. XII. The greater and better part of the Irish, in this war, fought for the queen against their countrymen. The hard terms on which they were received to mercy. IN the Irish parliament of 1614, the catholic members, in order to obtain a suspension of some penal statutes, then strictly executed against those of their religion, alleged their ancestors' signal services, exhibited in the royal army, during the wars in the former reign.' "Chronicles of blood," said a member of that house of commons," shew the glory of our progenitors, as the queen's army was full of natives." Nay, it was openly affirmed in the same parliament, and it might have been then easily contradicted if untrue, " that the gentlemen of Ireland had spent as much in that war, as the queen herself; and that one gentleman, of only three hundred pounds a year, expended ten thousand pounds on that occasion." Most certain it is, that the principal nobility and gentry of the kingdom, and all the cities and corporate towns, persisted in their allegiance to her majesty, notwithstanding the many tempting offers made them by the Spaniards, in order to with. draw them from it. It is also certain,3 that more than one half of that gallant army under lord Mountjoy, which so successfully attacked, and at ast entirely defeated Tirone, was Irish; nor did their having4 less pay* than the English, or their being exposed to endure the brunt in every action, "lessen their zeal or activity in the service." Yet the terms on which the submitting Irish were received to mercy, seem to have been calculated, not so much to reclaim them, as to make them still continue desperately in action. For besides the usual pledges of their wives and children, with other cautions, which, contrary to her majesty's merciful order of December, 1600, (before recited) were extracted from them; as a further proof of their sincere submission, and previous to their pardon, it was also required, that they should perform what was called, 1 Commons Journal, vol. i. 3 Morriss. Hist. fol. 120. 2 Ib. 4 Id. ib. fol. 208. "The Irish companies, says lord Mountjoy, should not have any pay for apparel; there being no reason that their pay should be equal to that of the English."-Morris. Hist. fol. 208. |