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thing said unto me. This term finished, and the jury-men having well acted their parts, some of the judges are dispatched for England, to shew there, that the pen in Ireland has been as active as the sword, and that now, for the destruction of at least all the prisoners, there wanted little, but that old saying, hangmau, do your office.

It is no great wonder that now, how innocent soever I was, my head should begin to ake. Yet a session of parliament being shortly to follow, I conceived good hope of fair play there: but when I saw the composure of this great tribunal; that the upper house consisted of no more than five or six temporal lords, and some bishops; the house of commons (anciently the representative body of the kingdom) for the major part of clerks and clerks-men, few having any land, and those illegally chosen, as by musketteers, and a rabble of such like freeholders; I began to think that such a kind of parliament might err, and feared nothing more than a trial there. And surely I had reason when nothing would serve their turns, but a cessation of Poyning's act, during that session; by which they were freed from transmitting their bills into England, and so might make laws, as in their discretions they though fit; and I have too great cause to believe, they would have made one for attainting me, and the rest of the prisoner.

All this while, no means are untried to make matter against me; for, as before, witnesses were rewarded, by giving them their lives, being forfeited; so now to others, rough language must be used. One John Bird being examined before sir Robert Meredith, concerning me, and not answering as was expected, the said sir Robert demanded his religion, the honest man replied, a protestant: Ah! quoth he, by thy answers thou shouldest have a little pope in thy belly.

And now, having by many such indirect ways, furnished themselves with plenty of evidence, they begin to affront me, by disarming my men, by pulling one master Henry Slingsby out of my chamber, coming by accident with a gentlewoman to visit me, saying he was a Romish popish Jesuit, it being well known, he was no such man; and so carried him to prison.

And lastly, the sheriff's house is now thought too weak for so great a traitor. Hereupon a writ is issued to the sheriff, to bring me with a strong guard to the inns, where the judges were, being near half a mile: from whence I must be sent to the castle, a loathsome prison of itself; but the inhumanity of the gaoler, by name Manwaring, after Hell, makes it the second place for misery and affliction. Well, I thought it now high time, as the judges had summoned my body, I should recollect my wits. And as I stood considering my case, a passage in the earl of Strafford's trial occurred to my memory. He stood much upon his justification, and demanded the benefit of the law, but master St. John replied, that to hares, deer, and other innocent creatures, law was afforded; but to wolves, foxes, and other such like vermin, any means might be sought for their destruction. Now, I finding myself hitherto dealt with as one of these, although I waved the malice of the wolf, I made some little use of the fox's craft, and for that present feigned myself sick, and on information thereof given, my attendance on the judges was spared till the mor

row.

Having thus gained time, I well pondered all which hath been before related, together with, If I were a traitor, to whom it was? The king himself, I found pursued both with men and sword, by an army of his own people; whosoever followed or adhered unto him, declared rebels and traitors; the queen, his royal consort, flying from place to place, like an exiled or banished woman; and, by Mr. Martin's, and divers the like speeches in the house of commons in England, that his sacred majesty was not fit to bear the office of a king, and that he might be deposed; and

much more to this effect, as may be seen in divers printed papers: which language in that place going unpunished, I could not conceive that the authors of such insolencies, or the swaying malignant part of the state here, who from time to time took their directions from them, could adjudge any thing against his majesty treason. O, but I remember, that in a book of the king's, relating truly all the passages, from the first of this parliament to the twelfth of August, he complains of two great officers, lately set up in England, who usurped the regal power, the one is a general for the land, the other admiral of the sea: but to these I never. owed allegiance, and so consequently could be no traitor to them. I then began to consider the condition of this kingdom, as that the state did chiefly consist of men of mean birth and quality; that most of them steered by the influence and power of those who were in arms against the king: that they had by cruel massacring, hanging and torturing, been the slaugh ter of thousands of innocent men, women, and children, better subjects than themselves; that they, by all their actions shew, looked at nothing but the extirpating of this nation, the destruction of monarchy, and by the utter suppression of the ancient catholic religion, to settle and establish puritanism. To these I could be no traitor. Near about the time of this my exigency I was much cheared by a visit I received from sir Arthur Loftus, son to sir Adam Loftus, a leading instrument in all wicked designs against his majesty, telling me (as joyful news) that the parliament had lately given the king a total overthrow; and that he was now reduced to so low a condition, that by the next, we should certainly hear the king had submitted to the parliament, and till that were done, things would never do well. Here I took my resolution, with God's help, not tamely to die butchered, and so to have my innocency smothered; but to préserve my life, I hoped more to the honour of God, and service of king Charles, and that by escape. Now forasmuch, as the most immediate way into England was blocked up, I resolved upon a trial, to gain a passage by Wexford into France, and from thence into England; conceiving, I should have been forthwith able to have put myself into a sum of money, to have borne my charges, by the sale of such plate, goods, and stock, as I had in the country: but I was not many hours out of Dublin, before I was pursued by some troops of horse, sir Arthur Loftus leading them, who that night came to my house in the county of Kildare, and missing me, killed some of my servants, hurt divers, and, after having rifled the house, they set it, and all about it, on fire: and besides all my servants prisoners, they carried away more than the worth of five thousand pounds in plate, and other goods.

Here my wings being clipt, all that I had to carry me abroad, or keep me at home, being thus taken from me, together with the distractions in England, so that I could make little or no account of my estate there; in this streight, I thought fit to apply myself to the great assembly of Ireland, who having given me full satifaction for their assembling, and that their taking arms was but natural, as to defend themselves and theirs from those aforesaid barbarous cruelties; and that they desired (as may appear by many of their instruments in writing) nothing but the free excise of their ancient religion, their just liberties, and the preservation of this crown unto his majesty, I having some interest both in honour and estate in the country, associated myself with them; and they, after some time that I was amongst them (more out of charity than mierit in me) offered me the generalship of their horse, of the province of Leinster, which I thankfully accepted: and now in my colours bear this device, Sagittæ tuæ acuta in corda inimicorum regis. For the executing whereof, I desire God no longer to prosper my actions, than my heart, hand, sword, and prayers, shall be readily and chearfully employed therein.

Having, with much trouble to the reader, endeavoured to vindicate

myself in this remonstrance, I conceive it both proper and charitable, in this place, to labour to acquit him, who, I understand, hath unjustly suffered for my sake, I mean sherif Allen. The protestant sheriff Woodcock, to whose custody only I was committed, went unpunished for my escape, as really he knew nothing thereof. But sheriff Allen being a catholick, who had no charge of me, nor acquaintance with me, other than that I often saw him, when he came to treat with his brother sheriff about the city affairs, he, poor innocent man, for so I take God to witness he was as to my escape, or as to any word let fall to that effect to my knowledge, or that I can guess, was, with great inhumanity, dragged to prisen, most of his goods seized upon and taken away, and a great number of soldiers cessed upon his house. Whereby, and being made uncapable to receive his rents or debts, or to follow any other way he had to gain a living by, his wife and children, from that day forth, were exposed to the charity of their friends, and he condemned to imprisonment for a whole year in misery. How justifiable or conscionable, this proceeding was, I will not argue, much less aggravate, having discharged my conscience thereupon: the matter itself, both to God and the world, crying loud for justice.

NUMBER XI.

[From Desiderata Curiosa Hibernica, vol. ii. p. 78.]

The heads of the causes which moved the northern Irish, and Catholicks of Ireland to take arms. Anno 1641.

[See Review, p. 161, &c.]

1. It was plotted and resolved by the puritans of England, Scotland and Ireland, to extinguish quite the catholick religion, and the professors and maintainers thereof, out of all those kingdoms; and to put all catholicks of this realm to the sword, that would not conform themselves to the protestant religion.

2. The state of Ireland did publickly declare, that they would root out of this realm all the natives, and make a total second conquest of the land, alledging, that they were not safe with them.

3. All the natives here were deprived of the benefit of the ancient fundamental laws, liberties, and privileges, due by all laws and justice to a free people and a nation, and more particularly due by the municiple laws of Ireland.

4. That the subjects of Ireland, especially the Irish, were thurst out forcibly from their ancient possessions, against law, without colour or right; and could not have propriety or security in their estates, goods, or other rights, but were wholly subject to an arbitrary power, and tyran nical government, these forty years past, without hope of relief or redress, 5. Their native youth here, debarred by the practice of state, from all learning and education, in that the one only university here excludes all catholicks thence; neither are they suffered to acquire learning or breed ing beyond seas, of purpose to make them rude and ignorant of all letters. 6. The catholicks of this realm are not admitted to any dignity, place, or office, either military ce civil, spiritual or temporal, but the same conferred upon unworthy persons, and men of no quality, who purchase it for money, or favour, and not by merit.

7. All the trading, treffick, shipping, and riches of this whole isle, by the corruption of the state, are engrossed by the Dutch, Scottish, and English, not residing here, who exclude the natives wholly from the same; and who return the product, and all their stock and coin back into their mative countries.

B. All the staple and rich commodities of the realm are turned to monopolies, and heavy impositions against law laid on all merchandize.

9. The principle native wares of the land exported into foreign parts, unwrought and unmanufactured, thereby depriving the kingdom of all manual trades and occupations; and driving the natives to furnish themselves from head to foot, with manufactures from abroad, at very dear

rates.

10. All their heavy and insufferable pressures prosecuted and laboured by the natives of this kingdom, with much suit, expense, and importunity, both in parliament here, and in England before his majesty, to be redressed, yet could never be brought to any happy conclusion, or as much as hope of contentment, but always eluded with delays.

11. Common justice, and the rights and privileges of parliament, denied to all the natives of the realm; and the ancient course of parliamentary proceeding wholly declined.

12. His majesty's royal power, honour, prerogative, estate, revenue, and rights, invaded upon, by the puritan faction in England.

13. The government of all his realms, his queen, children and family, usurped by the parliament of England, and especially by the house of commons; as likewise, the nominating and disposing of his privy council, judges, clergy, officers, navy, forts and castles, arrogated by the said house of commons, leaving his highness nothing, but the bare name of a king.

14. The many affronts and wrongs done by the said house, to the ambassadors of foreign princes, confederates of his majesty, residing in England, and their chaplains and servants, against the conditions of their league, and the law of nations.

15. The gross injuries and scandal given by the said house of commons to the queen's majesty, and her chaplains and servants, in breach of the articles made upon her marriage.

16. The many horrid murders, robberies, pillages, waste, burnings, and other execrable cruelties, perpetrated of late by the protestant armies here, by publick direction of the state of this realm, upon his majesty's good subjects of the English pale, and other parts of this land, they not offending against the laws or peace of the realm, but merely standing upon their own defence; and this done them against his majesty's pleasure, and without his privity.

17. All the natives in the English plantations of the realm, were disarmed by proclamation, and the protestant plantators armed, and tied by the conditions of their plantations to have arms, and to keep certain numbers of horse and foot continually upon their lands, by which advantage, many thousands of the natives were expulsed out of their possessions, and as many hanged by martial law, without cause, and against the laws of this realm; and many of them otherwise destroyed, and made away, by sinister means and practices.

18. Half this realm was found to belong unto his majesty, as his ancient demesne and inheritance, upon old feigned titles of three hundred years past, by juries, against law, their evidence and conscience, who were corrupted to find the said titles, upon promise of part of those lands so found for the king, or other reward, or else were drawn thereunto by threats of the judges in the circuits, or by heavy fines, mulcts, and censure of pillory, stigmatizings, and other like cruel and unusual punishments.

NUMBER XII..

From Walsh's History of the Irish Remonstrance.]

To the King's most excellent Majesty.

The humble remonstrance, acknowledgement, protestation, and petition of the Roman catholic clergy of Ireland.

[See Review, p. 419.]

YOUR majesties faithful subjects, the Roman catholic clergy of your majesties kingdom of Ireland, do most humbly represent this their present state, and deplorable condition.

That being intrusted by the indispensable commission of the king of kings with the cure of souls, and the care of their flocks, in order to the adminis tration of sacraments, and teaching the people that perfect obedience, which for conscience sake, they are bound to pay to your majesties commands, they are loaden with calumnies, and persecuted with severity.

That being obliged by the allegiance they owe, and ought to swear, unto your majesty, to reveal all conspiracies and practices against your person, and royal authority, that come to their knowledge, they are themselves clamoured against as conspirators, plotting the destruction of the English among them, without any ground that may give the least colour to so foul a crime, to pass for probable in the judgement of an indifferent person.

That their crimes are made as numerous, and as divers, as are the inventions of their adversaries: and because they cannot with freedom appear to justifie their innocence, all the fictions and allegations against them are received as undoubted verities; and which is yet more mischevious, the laity, upon whose conscience the character of priesthood gives them an influence, suffer under the supposition of all the crimes thus falsely imputed to them: it being their adversaries principal design, that the Irish, whose estates they enjoy, should be reputed persons unfit, and no way worthy of any title to your majesties mercy.

That no wood comes amiss to make arrows for their destruction: for, as if the Roman catholic clergy, whom they esteem most criminal, were, or ought to be, a society so perfect, as no evil, no indiscreet person should be found amongst them, they are all of them generally cryed down for any crime, whether true or feigned, which is imputed to one of them; and as if no words could be spoken, no letter written, but with the common consent of all of them, the whole clergy must suffer for that which is laid to the charge of any particular person amongst them.

We know what odium all the catholic clergy lyes under, by reason of the calumnies with which our tenets in religion, and our dependence upon the pope's authority are aspersed and we humbly beg your majesties pardon, to vindicate both by the ensuing protestation, which we make in the sight of heaven, and in the presence of your majesty, sincerely and truly, without equivocation, or mental reservation.

We do acknowledge and confess your majesty to be our true and lawful king, supreme lord, and rightful sovereign of this realm of Ireland, and of all other your majesties dominions. And therefore we acknowledge and confess ourselves to be obliged under pain of sin, to obey your majesty in all civil and temporal affairs, as much as any other of your majesties subjects, and as the laws and rules of government in this do require at our hands. And that, notwithstanding any power or pretention of the pope or see of Rome, or any sentence or declaration of what kind or quality soever, given, or to be given, by the pope, his predecessors, or successors, or by any au thority spiritual or temporal proceeding or derived from him, or his see, against your majesty, or royal authority, we will still acknowledge and perform, to the uttermost of our abilities, our faithful loyalty, and true allegiance to your majesty. And we openly disclaim and renounce all foreign

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