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himself." "M'Geoghegan, chief commander of the castle, being mortally wounded with divers fhots in his body, the garrifon 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 fate down by it, with a lighted match in his hand, vowing and protesting to set 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 prefident refused. But his lordship intending to bury them in the ruins, the rest of the garrifon constrained Taylor to furrender fimply; who, with eight and forty more, being ready to come forth, and the lord prefident's officers having entered to receive them, they found the above-mentioned M'Geoghegan lying there mortally wounded; but perceiving Taylor, and the reft, ready to furrender themfelves, he, (M'Geoghegan) raising himself up from the ground, and fnatching a lighted candle, ftaggered therewith to a barrel of powder, which, for that purpofe, was unheaded, offering to caft it into the fame; but 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, "confifted of one hundred and forty-three felected men; being the best choice of all their forces, of the which no one man escaped, but were either flain, executed, or buried in the ruins; and fo obftinate a defence hath not been seen within this kingdom."

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 durft not refuse), these latter were always confidered as harbourers and abettors of rebels, and forfeited their lives, and properties, for having yielded to a force, which they could not refift. 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 haraffing the country, killed

6

s Pacata Hibernia, fol. 318.

6

Ib. fol. 106.

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 fuch as had been conveyed into caftles."

"The ward of castle Liftoel, eighteen in number, when befieged by Sir Charles Wilmot, came forth upon their knees, and begged for mercy. The women and children (fays my author) Sir Charles fuffered to depart; but of the weaponed men, he hanged nine; the residue he detained till he had acquainted the lord prefident with what he had done, who gave present orders for the execution of the reft."

8

The fame Sir Charles Wilmot, having at another time gone to feek the enemy in their camp, "entered," fays the fame hiftorian," without any refiftance; for there he found nothing but hurt, and fick men; whofe lives, and pains, by the foldiers, were both determined."

One would imagine, from the virulence of the expreffions, 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 this time, given fome new, and extraordinary provocation for fuch inhuman actions, and expreffions. But it is manifeft, even from this history, that, during the laft two years of this war, these Irish were in no fort aggreffors, or affailants; for the prefident himself affures us, from his own knowledge," that, ever fince the fiege of Kinfale, they were fo much afraid of the queen's forces, that they lived in their faftnesses, fupporting themselves with their own victuals, and the wines that had been sent them out of Spain."

CHA P.

7 Pac. Hib. fol. 98.

s Ib. fol. 365.

9 Ib. fol. 377

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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 inceffant acts of cruelty fufficient to appease their enmity. That deftruction, which their fwords had left unfinished, they now industriously completed by a general famine. Mr. Morriffon mentions this method of ending the war, with a feeming complacency, at least, without dislike. But the effects of it were too horrible to be unfeelingly related, even by an enemy. "Becaufe," fays 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, fhew the miserable estate to which they were thereby reduced." He then, after telling us, that Sir Arthur Chichester, Sir Richard Morriffon, and other commanders, faw a moft horrid fpectacle of three children, whereof the eldest was not above ten years old, feeding on the flesh of their dead mother, with circumstances too fhocking to be repeated; and that the common fort of rebels were driven to unfpeakable extremities, beyond the records of any hiftories, that he had ever read in that kind; he mentions an horrid ftratagem of fome of these wretched people, to allay the rage of hunger, in the following manner. "Some old women, 99 2 fays 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 furprised, killed, and eaten; which was at laft difcovered by a great girl, breaking from them by the ftrength of her body and Capt. Trevor fending out foldiers to know the truth, they found the childrens fculls and bones, VOL. I.

E

'History of Ireland, fol. 272.

2 Id. ib.

and

and apprehended the old women, who were executed for the fact. No fpectacle," adds Morriffon," 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 coloured 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 fubmiffions of fome Irish chiefs, acquainted them," that they had received these fubmiffions partly for the good of the fervice, and partly out of human commiferation; having with our own eyes (fay they) daily feen 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."

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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 mem

bers, in order to obtain a suspension of some penál statutes, then strictly executed against those of their religion, alleged their ancestors fignal fervices, exhibited in the royal army, during the wars in the former reign." Chronicles of blood," faid a member of that house of commons, "fhew the glory of our progenitors, as the queen's army was full of natives." Nay, it was openly affirmed in the fame parliament, and might have been then eafily 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

3 Morrif. Hift. Irel. fol. 237.

Commons Journal, vol. i.

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2

Ib.

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ten thousand pounds on that occafion." Most certain it is, that the principal nobility and gentry of the kingdom, and all the cities and corporate towns, perfisted in their allegiance to her majefty, notwithstanding the many tempting offers made them by the Spaniards, in order to withdraw them from it. It is also certain,3 that more than one half of that gallant army under Lord Mountjoy, which fo fuccessfully attacked, and at laft entirely defeated Tirone, was Irifh; nor did their having lefs pay than the English, or their being expofed to endure the brunt in every action, "leffen their zeal or activity in the fervice." Yet the terms on which the submitting Irish were received to mercy, seem to have been calculated, not fo much to reclaim them, as to make them still continue defperately in action. For befides the ufual pledges of their wives and children, with other cautions, which, contrary to her majesty's merciful order of December, 1600, (before recited) were exacted from them; as a further proof of their fincere submission, and previous to their pardon, it was also required, that they should perform what was called, fome fignal service on their own people; which, in reality, was nothing lefs, than that they fhould bafely betray, or perfidiously murder, fome of their nearest kindred, or former friends. Mr. Morriffon acquaints us," that Lord Mountjoy never received any to mercy, but fuch as had fo drawn blood on their fellow rebels. Thus, " fays he, "M'Mahon and M'Artmoyle offered to fubmit; but neither could be received without the other's head." But barbarous as these terms of acceptance were, they were fometimes reluctantly complied with. "I have it seems made," " fays Lord Mountjoy, "fome of the fubjects, already reclaimed, and in these times fufpected, put themselves in blood already; for even now I hear, that Lord Mountgarret's

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6

3 Morrif. Hift. fol. 120. 4 Id. ib. fol. 208.

6 Ib. fol. 77.

5 Ib. fol. 43.

7 Id. ib. fol. 132.

7

a" The Irish companies, fays Lord Mountjoy, fhould not have any pay for apparel; there being no reason that their pay should be equal to that of the English.' Morrif. Hift. fol. 208.

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