and incessantly suing for recompense of their losses (as they allege) sustained in his Majesty's service, whom they and all the rebels in Ireland call their King and Master.1

XLVI. THE MUNSTER TOWNS AND THE
WAR WITH TYRONE

(1) Irish Merchants sell arms to the rebels. [William Saxey, Chief Justice of Munster, to the Earl of Essex (9 Oct., 1599). Cal. S.P. Ireland, p. 181.]

The inhabitants of the province are grown into such hatred of the English Government, that no service can be done by any of her Majesty's forces, unless they be able to fight as well against the pretended subjects as the open rebels; for, in that action, against the English, either they shrink from her Majesty's forces, and are lookers on, or join with the rebel.

These mischiefs grow principally by the merchants of the port towns, for they with their moneys repair into England and other places, and bestow all they have, or can get upon credit, for swords, headpieces, muskets, powder and lead (no fit wares for merchants to deal in). And albeit the offence herein be very penal both in England and Ireland, yet the gain is so great, as the merchant, stopping the searcher's mouth, maketh treble gain by selling to subjects, and to the rebel, 6d. for a penny. For the reputed subjects of the country buy of the merchants, and sell to the rebels after these rates, viz. :-they have off the rebels six beeves for a sword, six beeves for a headpiece, six beeves for a caliver or musket, and one beef for a pound of powder, and so from time to time do furnish them, and by the pretended subject the Kingdom is put to sale.3

[Sir George Carew to the Privy Council (16 Dec., 1600). Cal. S.P., Ireland, pp. 65-6.]

In most of my letters from time to time I have advertised your Lordships of the stubborn and corrupt dealing of the magistrates

* Spain was not in any case in a position to afford further aid. "I find the estate of the country almost ruinated. The King young, riotous and extreme wanton; the Duke of Lerma, who ruleth all, neglecteth the government the King's forces by land and sea discomforted and almost clean worn out. . . . .. Indeed, the King's revenues are mighty, and come daily well home, but the disorder in spending his treasure bringeth all to nothing.' "News from Lisbon " (23 Aug., 1602). Cal. Car. MSS., IV. 312-13. See also Martin Hume's Preface to Cal. S.P. Spanish (1587-1603).

"They (the Irish) did account that province (Munster) to be the key of the Kingdom, both by reason of the cities and walled towns (which are more than in all the island besides), the fruitfulness of the country, being reputed the garden of Ireland, and the commodious harbours, lying open both to France and Spain."-Pacata Hibernia, I. 2.

3 English merchants also conducted a profitable trade in munitions with Ireland. Powder was sent from the maritime towns concealed in beer barrels.-Cal. S.P.I.(Mar.Oct. 1600), p. 296.

and inhabitants in corporate towns, and how that, by their traitorly issuing of their commodities into the country, the rebellion hath been most nourished. For partly out of malice to the State for religion's cause, but especially for their own lucre (for that in turbulent times they receive the Queen's treasure expended amongst them, issue their merchandises to the rebels underhand at excessive rates, and buy the country commodities at their own prices), they desire nothing more than a continual war, enriching themselves more in one of those years than in seven others, as may appear by all outward shows in buildings and many other things, besides their known wealth.

(2) Disloyalty of Limerick. Cecil (14 Jan., 1600). Signifies the undutiful and ill carriage of the townsmen of Limerick. They relieve the rebels by all the means they can, murder our soldiers, commit captains, and continually quarrel with lieutenants and other our officers. The Mayor pulls off the hats of lieutenants and gentlemen, and treads the same under his feet. The townsmen threaten to make an end of them all in one day. Our soldiers are committed to the Mayor's prison; he refuses to commit them either to her Majesty's gaol, or to the Provost Marshal; which is a course never seen in this land, that a martial man should be committed by any Mayor or town magistrate, but left to the martial court to receive their punishment. And if in time they be not looked unto, they will become as ill as Rochelle for disobedience.2

[The Earl of Thomond to Sir Robert Cal. S.P. Ireland, p. 402.]

(3) Trade with Spain Restricted by the Government. [Proclamation by the Lord Deputy and Council (10 March, 1603). Cal. Carew MSS., IV. 436-7.]

Whereas the usual trade of merchants within the port towns of this Kingdom into Spain and that King's dominions hath been the occasion to stir up and maintain the wars and troubles of this Realm, by reason that from hence the said merchants and masters of ships and mariners have, contrary to their duties, carried into Spain and the said King's dominions where they have traded not only letters and messages but priests and other seditious persons, who have been employed as messengers from the traitors of this Kingdom, to labour the reliefs and continuance of this rebellion and at the return of the said merchants from thence, little regarding their obedience and duty due unto their natural Prince, they have forborne to make relation of any matter that might advance her Majesty's service, more than such as by compulsory means hath been wrested from them. For the avoiding of which enormities, See also Cal. S.P.I. (Mar.-Oct. 1600), pp. 12-14. La Rochelle, the stronghold of the Huguenots.

and yet that this trade with Spain and that King's dominions by the merchants aforesaid may be continued, by a choice to be made of such as shall be thought meetest for the same . . . therefore, we . . . straightly charge and command, in her Majesty's name, that no merchant nor merchants, master nor owner of any ship, bark, picard, or other bottom whatsoever, nor mariner, nor other person nor persons whatsoever, not first thereunto licensed by the Lord Deputy . .. or by the Council authorised in his absence, or by the Lord President of Munster . . . or by the Chief Commissioner of Connacht . . . do or shall traffic, trade, or take his or their voyage from any port town, haven, or creek within this Realm into Spain.

XLVII. PROCLAMATION OF DON JUAN DEL AQUILA BEFORE KINSALE (1600)

[Thomas Stafford, Pacata Hibernia (1633), II. xii. 200-2.]

Don Juan Del Aquila, general of the war, and the Catholic king of Spain's chief commander in God's war, which is made in Ireland for defence of the Faith. To all the Irish Catholics living in Kinsale, the city of Cork, and in all other villages, cities and castles, wisheth health in Him who is the true happiness. There is come unto our ears a proclamation made in the city of Cork,3 in the name of the Deputy, which because it containeth many untruths . . . I am compelled to show their falsehood . . . and in few words to signify the pretence and intention of our most excellent King Philip in this war, which is with the Apostolic authority, to be administered by us. . . . First of all, ye feign that we would lead away the pretended subjects of the queen of England from their obedience, to bring them under our yoke, which is a very untruth; for we endeavour not to persuade anybody, that he should deny due obedience (according to the word of God) to his prince: but ye know well that for many years since, Elizabeth was deprived of her Kingdom,4 and all her subjects

A large sailing boat.

2 Stafford served as a captain under Sir George Carew when he was President of Munster; he appears subsequently to have become his secretary. It was to Stafford that Carew bequeathed his vast collection of MSS. relating to Ireland, and among these was the original of the Pacata Hibernia, which was published by Stafford in 1633. A convenient edition of this book was published by Standish O'Grady in 1896 (2 vols.).

3 "The Lord Deputy and Council, before the army marched from Cork, doubting that the priests would leave no practices unattempted, that might animate or confirm the Irish in their rebellion, thought it necessary to give notice to the world how unjust the pretended causes were that the Irish had taken arms against their true anointed sovereign; and also how unjustly the same was maintained by the Pope and the King of Spain, which by proclamation was divulged in the city of Cork."-Pacata Hibernia (ed. O'Grady), I. 294-5.

A reference to the Bull of Pius V (1570), which released the subjects of Queen Elizabeth from their allegiance.

absolved from their fidelity by the Pope, unto whom He that reigneth in the heavens, the King of Kings, hath committed all power... that he may punish temporal kings (if it shall be good for the spiritual building) even to their deposing. . . . Therefore it remaineth that the Irish (which adhere to us) do work with us nothing that is against God's laws, or their due obedience, nay that which they do is according to God's word, and the obedience which they owe the Pope.

Secondly, ye affirm that we Spaniards go about to win the Irish with allurements, and feigned flatteries (which is a thing far from our nature), and that we do it but for a while; that after we have drawn the minds of simple men unto us, we might afterwards . . . show our bloody nature. Oh, the immortal God! who doth not wonder at your bitter and inexpressible cruelty, and your boldness showed in these words: for who is it that doth not know the great cruelty which you English have exercised, and cease not to exercise towards the miserable Irish you I say go about to take from their souls the Catholic faith which their fathers held . . . truly you are far more cruel than bears or lions, which take away the temporal life, for you would deprive them of the eternal and spiritual life. Who is it that hath demolished all the temporalities of this most flourishing Kingdom except the English? Look upon this and be ashamed: whereas on the other side, we, commiserating the condition of the Catholics here, have left our most sweet and happy country Spain, that is replenished with all good things; and being stirred with their cries, which pierce the heavens, having reached to the ears of the Pope, and our King Philip. They have (being moved with pity) at last resolved to send unto you soldiers, silver, gold and arms with a most liberal hand, not to the end they might (according as they feign) exercise cruelty towards you, O Irish Catholics, but that you may be happily reduced (being snatched out of the jaws of the devil, and free from their tyranny) unto your own pristine ingenuity, and that you may freely profess the Catholic faith. Therefore my most beloved, seeing that which you have so many years before desired and begged for, with prayers and tears; and that now, even now, the Pope, Christ's vicar on earth, doth command you to take arms for the defence of your Faith: I admonish, exhort, and beseech you all all I say unto whom these letters shall come ; that as soon as possibly you can, you come to us with your friends and weapons; whosoever shall do this shall find us prepared, and

It was said in the sixteenth century that England kept Ireland poor "so as no other prince should enter into possession, the island being so suitable as a point from which England could be subjected, and they (the English) have no desire to civilize it, because they think that it might become more populous and powerful than this island."-Guerau de Spes to the King (15 Oct., 1570).—Cal. S.P. Spanish (1568–79), p. 281. See also Davies, Discovery, PP. 3-4.

we will communicate unto them, those things which we possess: and whosoever shall (despising our wholesome counsel) do otherwise, and remain in the obedience of the English, we will persecute him as an heretic, and a hateful enemy of the Church even unto death.1

XLVIII. SIEGE AND BATTLE OF KINSALE

(1600-1)

(1) English Accounts. [Thomas Stafford, Pacata Hibernia (1633), II. xi. 197; xx. 231.]

Now are we come to the siege of Kinsale, a place ordained, wherein the honour and safety of Queen Elizabeth, the reputation of the English nation, the cause of religion, and the Crown of Ireland must be by arms disputed; for upon the success of this siege, these great and important consequences depended. And here the malice of Rome and Spain (if they had prevailed) would not have ceased, for their purpose did extend itself (Ireland having been conquered), to make it their bridge to have invaded England, the conquest and ruin whereof was the main mark whereat they aimed. Tyrone . . . with the choice force, and, in effect, all the rebels of Ireland, being drawn into Munster, and joined with Spaniards that landed at Castlehaven, who brought to Tyrone's camp six ensigns of Spaniards, and the greatest part of the Irish of Munster

. . resolved to relieve the town of Kinsale, and to that purpose sat down, the one-and-twentieth of December, a mile and a half from the town, between the English camp and Cork, and on that side of the army, kept from them all passages and means for forage; the other side, over the River of Ownyboy, being wholly at their disposition, by reason of the general revolt of these parts. It seemed they were drawn so far by the importunity of Don Juan Del Aquila, as we perceived by some of his letters intercepted, wherein he did intimate his own necessity, their promise to succour him, and the facility of the enterprise. .. During the abode of the rebels in that place, we had continual intelligence of their purpose to give alarms from their party, and sallies from the town, but to little other effect than to weary our men, by keeping them

1 This document, which was written in Latin, would appear to have been drawn up by Matthew de Oviedo, who accompanied the expedition. See p. 33. In the Venetian ambassador's account of this undertaking, he says the King of Spain wishes "to plant foot in Ireland and to push on gradually; for the distance from Corunna to Ireland is not great, and the navigation in the open sea is easier than in the Straits of Dover, where the last Armada went. There are even greater objects, for the Queen is sixty-eight years old, and in the natural course of events, she cannot continue much longer her reign of already forty-three years, and, in the case of her death, this footing in Ireland would allow the King either to acquire the country or to assist the Catholics, and by supporting his own nominee among the pretenders to the Crown, he can render England dependent upon himself."-Cal. S.P. Venetian (1592–1603), PP. 477-8.