A Letter from Robert Young out of Cavan Gaol, to his first Wife, An Yeabsly, to the same Purpose.

WHI HEN I left you last, I came to Belturbet in the county of Cavan, where I served as curate for the space of half a year, and had thirty-five pounds a year. Upon which, I spoke to my brother-in-law to bring you down to me, but he seemed unwilling to go so far. At which time, I used too oft, which is my sorrow this day, at one Simon Hutt's in Cavan, cursed be the time, that ever I went there. Whereupon Simon Hutt profferred me a hundred and fifty pound with his daughter; and he getting me drunk one night, I was married to her, and was ready to cut my own throat, the next day; but I seeing what a priminary I had by my ludness brought myself in, I saw that it could not be avoided: whereupon I resolved only to stay till I had gott the money promised, and then to come to you, my dear honey, and so for you and I to go for England, where we should never be known. But my journey was stopt, for Simon Hutt heard something of my marriage to you, before the portion was paid, and so sent up to know, whether it was so, or no. And so the messenger brought word, that one Robert Young, a minister, was married to one Ann Yeabsly, daughter to George Yeabsly, near Tallogh: but, for all that the messenger brought, they knew not whether I was the man or no. So that it may be denied with safety, to preserve my life. For they have clapt me in gaole upon suspition, where I lye in a deplorable condition, and nobody to help me. Therefore, dear honey, for Christ's sake come to me, and bring my brother Roger along with you; for the assizes is the sixth of March; where I will be tried for my life, and there is not any in the world can preserve it, only you, my dear honey, if you come and say, that I am not the man, you were married to, and bring my brother Roger along with you to justifie the same; I wil be set at liberty, and then I shal get what money is promised, and go over to England with you. And I wish, that I may never thrive in this world, if ever I leave you hereafter; for I care no more for this husy, than for the durt under my shoo. O curse of God light on me if ever I leave you hereafter, if you prove so real to me, as to come and deny that I am none of your husband! for there is no way to save my life but that. I wish that I may never see the kingdome of God, if I do not prove as real, constant, and loving husband to you, as ever man did to woman. Dear heart, I know that I have committed a grievous and abominable fault; but I may blam bad company, and my drink for it. Therefore, for Christ's sake, dear honey, forgive me, and come along with the bearer, and clear me. And the curse of God light on me, if I prove false to you, after saving my life; for now my life lyes in your hands. I will earnestly repent for what I have done, and I hope God Almighty wil forgive me. If I had a hundred wives, it is you alone that is my lawful wife, and shal be to my dying day; for Christ's sake, come and say, that I was not the man you were married to. I say, dear heart, come along with the bearer, and bring my brother Roger along with you. If you do not clear me,

I wil be put to death; and is it not better for you to come, and tell a ly to preserve your husband's life, and to enjoy him, as long as you live, and I lives; than for to have him put to death, and never to see him again? And this I will assure you, that there wil be an order from my lord chief justice to bring you down against the assizes: so that I sent the messenger to prevent that, by giving you timely notice; for you may come and stay in my brother-in-law's house, until such time as we do get our business done. And I wil go with you unknown to any body; so hoping you wil come and save the life of your loving husband; I rest, dear heart,

Cavan, Feb. 5, 1680.

Your loving husband, and till death,

ROBERT YOUNG.

brother

Here I have sent you the enclosed to my father, and Roger.

my

Pray present my duty to my mother, and my love to my brother John, and William Haskins, and my sister Else; and my blessing to my poor child, if she be alive.

A Letter to her Father George Yeabsly from Robert Young, proposing the Means, how he might get off, by his Son and Daughter's perjuring themselves.

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DEAR FATHer,

Cavan, Feb. 5, 1680. Have declared the reasons and causes of my marriage, in my wife's letter, which you may peruse; therefore, dear father and mother, forgive me, for it was a folly of youth-hood, and, if you come to prosecute to put me to death, I cannot help it. But if you give your consent to my wife, to preserve my life, this shal be a warning to me so long as I live. O dear father, you know that David, a man after God's own heart, was guilty of both murder and adultry. And therefore, dear father, preserve my life, if you please; and I protest to God Almighty, I wil never forsake my poor wife, your daughter, so long as life continues; for it is she, that is my lawfull wife. And therefore, for Christ's sake, dear father, send my dear wife and my brother Roger, to clear me by the same means, that I have prescribed in my wife's letter. If I were cleared, I could gett mony enough to do you and I good, as the bearer can tell you. After I am cleared, I will carry my wife and my brother Roger down to se my grany, whom I dare not as yet write to. If you have a mind to save my life, do not come yourself; but send my wife and my brother Roger down to me and go to Tallow, and gett a certificate drawn, to have it signed by Mr. Burt, and Mr. Neesham, that Ann Yeabsly is your daughter, and that she was married to one Robert Young, that they may believe, she is the same woman; and that Roger Yeabsly is your son, and that he was standing by, when Robert Young was married to your daughter: and if you have a mind to save my life, they must deny, that I am the man: for there is no way to preserve my life, but that. Write also to

Simon Hutt, in Cavan, that you would a com't to se if it were the same person, to prosecute him, but only you fell sick; and therefore you sent your son and daughter, to prosecute, if it be the same man. So having no more at present to write, I rest Your loving Son,

ROBERT YOUNG

My duty to my mother, and love to my brother John, and sister Else, and my brother Haskins, and all the rest of our friends in general.

A Letter to his second Wife, Mary Hutt, denying his first Marriage with terrible Curses.

O, MY DEAR HEART,

YOU know it was for love of you that I brought this misery upon myself, God Almighty help me. I was fully resolved to tell you the contents of all my letters, whenever I could have the oppor'tunity of speaking to you: for my landlady can tell you, that I was fully resolved to shew you the letters, but could not, by reason I could not gett speaking to you. O, my dear, have I thrown myself, for the love of you, into all this misery, and you to serve me thus: surely, if you have the heart of a stone, you will not do it. O, ifI had but only you here, I would a reckoned all this nothing; but, if I be requited thus, I cannot help it.. O, I wish to Christ I were ten foot under ground, and then you would have your hearts desire as I perceive. Those letters that I write, was only for that woman to come and clear me; for I was afraid, that, if I had writ any otherwise, she would not come. But, upon those letters, I was certain would a com't and cleared me. And then I was in good hopes to have enjoyed you again. If I had my liberty and your consent, I would quickly have brought you out of all your misery. I write purposely to that woman against you, for to have her come and clear me; which, if she did me justice, I am certain she cannot do to the contrary. I wish I may never leave this place alive, if ever I was married to any other woman upon the face of the earth, but you. But, if you will be pleased to give me a meeting, I will satisfy you why I write so to that woman; and you will find it so at long runing; though I dare not say that my soul is my own here. For Christ's sake take pity on me, and let me not starve in this deplorable condition. For God's sake pay my landlady but only for one month's diet unknown to any; and, if I do not prove, what I said formerly, to be truth, then never pay another week for me again. My dear heart, for Christ's sake do not heed these letters, for I write them only in design to gett my liberty, and to enjoy your sweet company again. God let me never se the face of God Almighty, if there was any other design in it. You may believe me a poor miserable soul. I hope you will take all this to consideration, for, if I had but only your favour, I did not care for any thing; but if not, pray put an end to my days. I wish that I

may never se the kingdome of God and Christ, if ever I was married to any woman but yourself. Indeed, I should not take such an oath as this, if I found myself guilty, and knowing not how long I have to live. O, my dear soul you wil believe any body before me ; I have seen the day, you would not believe any before mee; but now, it seems, the case is altered. I wil take the sacrament tomorrow, and take it on my death if I were going to dye, that those letters were write upon no other design; O, I wish that I may never se the face of my Saviour, if ever I was married to any other woman but yourself. Surely you may believe me in this sad condition, and know not how long I have to live. If you wil but only to do me the charity as to come and speak to me, I wil give you full satisfaction why I write to Absly. If you remember, I told you somewhat of that woman before I left Belturbit. O my dear heart! will you not do me the charity as to give me a meeting, that I may satisfy you?! wil you, my dear, leave me comfortless in this sad condition? God knows, I ly weeping and writing. I thought I was well enough so long as I had you on my sid; but now, it seems, all comfort is fleed from me. O wil not death make an end of this misery! if not, I wil, if I can conveniently. If you give me any comfort, I wil endeavour to clear myself, and take a good heart still: but if not, I wish they would put me out of this misery. For I am sure I shal die with a clear conscience. If you forsake me, I have none to take my part; but if not, I hope you and I shal have joyful days for all this. So, hoping you will pity my condition, I rest, dear soul,

Your loving husband till death,

ROBERT YOUNG.

I hope you will send me an answer by the bearer, what you are resolved to do. If you will pay for my diet unknown to any, my landlady will say, that she took my word.

Another Letter to her from Iniskillin, after he was got out of Cavan Gaol.

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MY DEAR HEART,

Am safely arrived at Iniskillin, and am well at present, and cares not for all your barking dogs at Belturbit and Cavan both. Let them do what they can. I care no more for them than I care for the silliest dog in the street. But, as to that, I will leave it off at present. I hope you are mindful of your promise to me in Harris's garden, made to me there. Here I have sent the bearer purposely for you, and I gave him 6s. for going for you. Dear heart, do not fail but come along with him to me, for my life lyes where you do. If I had your company, I did not care for all the world. Dear heart, I say again, come to me, for I will assure you have as many tears from my eyes, as there are letters in this letter, from your poor husband. Therefore, dear heart, if ever you intend to se me alive, come to me now; if you do not, I will make this

town my burial-place. I hope you will take no bodys counsell, in this case, but your own. If your friends will not let you come to me, pray (if you have any love for me) steal away to come to me. Send all your linnen and cloaths of woollen, and my cloaths also out before you, and seal all that you cannot bring along with you; and be sure not to pay a farthing to any body, but keep it yourself. Take my counsel, I desire you. Dear heart, you and the bearer may contrive the business I suppose, and be sure bring the bond or mony along with you, for you know I have but little mony when I pay the bearer. I could a had a place, but only it is too nigh your bishop, that dog. Do not fear, for I wil soon get a place if I would look for it. So, hoping you wil come to your poor husband, I rest, dear heart,

Your loving husband, till death do us part,

ROBERT YOUNG.

Pray do not trust any thing with the bearer, but come yourself. Dear heart, be sure to bring the bond along with you, if you love me; and all the papers that you find in my box. I hope you will not fail to perform all that small rule I have spoken.

All these letters of Robert Young's I have set down, just as I found them under his own hand, in his own way of spelling, as I shall do the rest of his which are to follow; and, perhaps, some reader or other, who is more acute in such matters, than I am, will shrewdly guess thereby, and by divers unusual words and expressions, and his manner of syntax, what country-man he is.

That, which next follows, is another of his disingenuous shifts (as he modestly calls them) performed also in Ireland, I mean, his profane invasions of holy orders; that of deacon, by deluding the Lord Bishop of Killaloo with forged certificates; that of presbyter, by his own sacrilegious self-ordination.

To prove this, I shall produce also the undoubted evidence of original writings; wherein, as in those foregoing, and indeed in most of the other papers, I have by me concerning him, it may easily be observed, that, besides the main crime they chiefly intend to prove, there is also, here and there, a casual mention made of divers other steps towards his present pitch of perfection.

And particularly, in this whole cheat relating to his orders, it may be observed, that he had always ready divers sets of testimonials, letters dimissory, and letters of orders fitted to his several names, and pretended to be from several bishops. But let the papers speak for themselves.

A Letter, from one Dr. Nicholson, of Castle-Reah, to the Lord Bishop of Kilmore, concerning Robert Young's forging Certificates. Castle-Reah, in the County of Roscommon, Decemb. 22, 1680. Received a letter from your lordship concerning Mr. Young; I am glad he is secured. Upon better recollection of his do

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MY LORD,