* ' JJKENDXill LETTER To A FRIEND, Containing certain OBSERVATIONS Upon forae Paffages, which have been JjpUbliGjCt) In a Late LIBE LL Intituled, the Third Part of N O P RO TEST ANT-PLOT ; I • And which do Relate to the KINGDOM O F IRELAND. London Printed for Benjamin Tooke MDCLXXXII. . ro this Conjun&ure of Time, the better to Infinuate himfelf with, and the more plaufibly to Convey unto the too Credulous Po¬ pulace., his defigned Calumnies upon perfons Concerned in the prefont Government of this Kingdom 5 who are all firm Prote- ft ants,and mod of whorti by their Zealous oppofitionsof the Po- pijh Party during the time of that Rebellion, as every of them by their fteady Adminiftrations fince,havemanifefted the great- eft Abhorrency in the World of thofe Cruelties5 Although they are oppofite totheprefent FACTIOUS and ftatti Which therefore t hus hires and employs bate and Mercenary fellows to invent and publiftifcandals of them. And notwithftanding he wou'd in page the 16. where he makes his next ftep as to Ireland, feem only to inveigh againft the Ingratitude of the PAPISTS for the lenities they might have received, yet in his handling thereof,he fcatters malicious invectives againft the Minijlers here, and unjuftly glances upon them, by making inftances of lenity to have been exten¬ ded to the PAPISTS, and of feverity to have been meafured to the DISSENTE RS fince the Kings reftauration, moft where¬ of are perfectly invented, and not any of them can this Govern¬ ment reasonably be charged with. Of the former fort are theft his following allegations mufter'd up in page the 1 jth. viz. Firft, that PRIESTS and FRIERS are tolerated to [warm and openly to Celebrate Mats in Ireland. The contrary where¬ of is universally knownin theKingdorn^Repeated Proclamati¬ ons having been IjJued from the Lord Lieutenant and Coun¬ cillor the Baniftiing of FRIERS, and all others of the Popijh Regular and Titular Clergy out of this Dominion, and promi- fing Rewards which have been punctually performed to (uch as fhoud find and feize them, which for a great while hasrender'd that fort of People not to be vifible in theft parts, and for the PRIESTS fwho were permitted to ftay in all times,infomijch, thatnotany oftheORDERS which came out of England, nor even an ADDRESS which was lately made by the Houfe of Com¬ mons there to the King,and by his Mayfly font hither for banijhing CO the reft of the Popifh Clergy, did mention them) Altho they are fuffer'd to remain, yet are they fo ftri&Iy inhibited by Procla¬ mations^ and thofe of them caught Offending fo feverely pu- nijhed, that for a Confderable time here has not been any fuch open Celebration of the MASS heard of amongft us, as the LIBELLER hath falfly fuggefted. Secondly, that the Introduction of the vohole Popifh Hierar¬ chy into this Kingdom was Connived at, and a publicly Affem- bly of the PAPAL Clergy allowed by a Commifjion of the Duke of ORMONDE to be held and to ft in 1666. The foanda- lous untruth of both which,do's upon inquiry appear very evi¬ dently, for as to that pretended Commiffion for Affembling of the Papal Clergy, which I begin with, becaufe from what I (half fay by way of anfwer toit,will naturally flow a confutation of that feigned connivance of the Popifj Hierarchy: it is to beobfer- ved that as my Lord Duke of Ormonde, whofe word vvillfurely outweigh that of the LIBELLERS, do's utterly deny his ever having granted a Commiffion of that.kind, fb is there no fuch thing to be found, nor the leaft footftep of it to be met within any of the Offices, through which all Commiffions muft pafs be¬ fore they can be of any vertue,and where they are Recorded for every one to have recourfe unto, Befides, the Ground upon which it is manifeft the LIBELLER wou'd raife this firu- Sure, and the fourfe from whence it is plain he wou'd derive this Objefiion, when explained, and confidered, cannot bear or Warrant any fuch thing, for they ftand thus, Peter Walff(who Was a ftiff oppofer both of the Popes Nuntio, and of the wholei?e- bellious party in Ireland during all the time of the Irifh Rebellion*) fometime after the Kings Refiauration having projefted and Pre- fentedtohis Majefty, a Remonfirance figned by him and divers other Roman Catholicks of this Kingdom, and containing the higheft exprefiions of Loyalty to his Majefty, and the largeft affiirances of Fidelity to the Crown, that had ever before been tenderd by Papifts, and which proved fo derogatory to the Dfurpations of the Pope, that it was discountenanced and A 2 Cert- k HI: ' ■ X ' V. - CO Cenfur d at Rome, Lovain, and other Popijh Dniverfities^ and oppos'd by the Popes Internuncio then refiding at Bruxels,who did all that in him lay to dehort PAPISTS againft it,and upon the account of all which,the fubfcribers and adherers to it have not dar'd unto this day to adventure their perfons into any fbrreign parts where the Pope bears fway. His Majefty was ve* ry well fatisfied with it, and upon Waljh's repairing into this Kingdom about the year 1666. for propagating fuch the Do- ftrine of it (which no Loyal Proteftant cou'd be againft) was pleated to fend his inftruftions to my Lord Duke of Ormonde His then Lord Lieutenant, for his fuffering of Peter Waljh to meet with fame Titular Bijhops, at that time here, to perfwade them by his Arguments, and to gain others of the Papijls by their Examples, to fubfcribe unto that Remonjirance: which meeting His Grace accordingly Permitted, but onely, and fo ftri&ly to that end propofed, as He was both vigilant in feeing that thofe Bijhops did not make ufe of it to any other purpote and careful in providing that they (hou'd not take up too much time, even in the doing of that bufinefs, and therefore very early perceiving that they cou'd not come to fuch an Agreement as might produce the effefts which were expefted, He Ordered them not only to difperfe^ but to quit the King¬ dom, infomuch that afterwards when His Grace was call'd from the Government, there were not above three Popijh Bi¬ jhops remaining, two whereof were Bedrid and the third ab- fconded 5 altho when His Grace returned again to the Govern¬ ment (in immediate Succeffion to my Lord of E/ex) he found no lefs then thirteen of them to be here, and them he has cauled to be driven out alfo, and this fufficiently confutes the LIBEL• LERS allegation of HisGrace conniving at the Popijh Hierarchy being introduced, which in Englijh is Governance, fince He did thus expel the Governors in whom it refided. Thirdly, That when the PLOT was to have been executed in ENGLAND anno 1678. there were no fewer than fifteen She- riffs in IRELAND, who were either profcffed and avowed PA- ; r 5) PAPISTS, or fuck as bred and educated their Children in that Religion 3 The notorious untruth whereof appears by the Original Roll of the SHERIFFS of that Year (whole Names are placed in the * Margin toabideall (crutiny if there Ihou'd be Occafion) not one of them there mentioned being 16 prin- tipl'd) orfufpeUed to be lo qualified, especially by my Lord Lieutenant, who cannot be fuppoled to know every Mans perfon, much left to look^ into his heart who happens to be placed in that Office, and therefore if one or two differently qualified {hou\d chance to have efcaped Him through want acknowledge Q£ Information^nd throughout a whole Kingdom, His Grace might very well be excufed in fuchaCrt/e, asitfallingout that there was not one in this, He is to be ex- treamly Juftified. And whereas he af¬ firms, Ghat the Papifis have prvmjf- cuoufij before witfi His Majefiies Prote- jlant Subjects beep advanced to-feve- ral places of power and truji, If he means publicfi places of power and trvjl, ashe muft ifhemeansany thing he lays, upon a ft rift inquiry made it cannot be found that any PAPISTS have had advancements of that kind fince His Majefties Reftauration, fave only fuch of them as were made jujlices of the Peace by the Lord BfifiiCLETs Or¬ ders in the time of hi $ Government^ and Colonel Richard TaL bott made Captain of a Troop of Horfe by Com million from the Earl of ESSEX when He was Chief Governour, fo as the prefent Government which this refleftion molt Darts at appears to be the leaft intitkd to it. Fourth- * Co. Dub. J a. Springhm Efq; Co. L owth J a. Smallwood Efq; Kings Co. John Leyefier Efq; Co. Wexford John Ttncbi Senior Co. Kilkenny John Ktdy^T> dy¬ ing within the time, Hen. Webb was made Sheriff the 23d of April 1678. Co. Meafh. Natb. Poole Efq; Queens Co. William Gilbert Efq; Co. Wick!ova chriflopher Ujher Efq; Co. Kildcife Edward Baggot Efq; Co: wefimeath Edward Terr ill Efq; Co. Caerlagb*George Beech Efq, Co. Longford Geo.Conyngham Efq; Co. Cork Richard mil Efq; Co. Lime)ic\ JdviOddell, Efq; Co. Kirry William Ryves Efq: Co. Water ford Tho. Chrijimas Efq/ Co. Clare Tho Hickman Efq: Co. Tipper try Tho. Osborne Efq. Co. Gallavpay 'Char, Holcroft Efq.* Co. Leytrim Henry Crofton Efq: CoySiig% Roger Smith Efq: Co. Mayo Sr. George Bingham Bar. Co. Rofcotnmon Ed. Gardiner Efq: Co. DonegalL G-o. Faughan Efq: Co. Tyrone John Moderale Efq: Co. Fermanagh Ferdlnando Davi* Co. Antfim. Eaw. Har.rifon Efq: Co. Armagh Godfry Walter Efqi Co. Monaghah Rich. John fon Efq: Co. Down Hugh Eccles Efq: Co. Cavan John Coyn Efq: Co. & City of Londonderry James ■ Morifonapd char.'Newtowne. <*7 y moderate A3 of 2d. Elizab. be all that is in Force againflf the PAPlSTS^ov that can be (uppofed to be againft the DIS¬ SENTERS fo it is to be wiftied that for the quiet of the King¬ dom,»20re and feverer Laws were made againft both. And this brings me to the latter fart of my Ajfertion, that asmoft of the LIBELLERS inftances of the Lenity (hewn the PAPISTS and of thcjeverity extended to the DISSENTERS in this Kingdom, fince the KINGS reftauration are invented, which I hope I have fully proved to you fothatnone of them canbe rea- fonably charged upon the prefent Government, which I think, I (hall be able very eafily and briefly to (hew you,For all the LI¬ BELLER obferves with femblance of truth, and which looks like an Objection in that point as to this GOVERNMENT a- gainft which he levels it, is, that there hath not any Laws been made againfi the PAPISTS in Ireland (ince the Kings return, fave one againfl their living in Wall*d Towns. But if the method of enafting Laws in Ireland be thought upon, how that by Poynings AH the Chief Governour cannot call a Parliament, for the making of Laws in that Kingdom^be¬ fore he prays the King and Councils leave for it, and tranfmits fbme Bills for their Approbation to be faffed in it, and untill he receives thofe Bills back again with Licence for the calling of a Parliament,and it be Conlidefd that my LORD LIEUTE¬ NANT the Duke of ORMOND fince his being here, hath RE¬ PEATEDLY prayed fuch Licence, and Tranfmitted Bills,where¬ of fome were as effe&ual againft the PAPISTS (although there were none among them againft other DISSENTERS) as cou'd be devifed, and that he and the Kingdom were di(aj~ pointed therein, by the oppofitions of fome Perfons who are mightily extolTdby the LIBELLER, that obje&ion of there being no more Laws againft the PAPISTS cannot in the leaft affeft this Government, efpecially in the perfon of the Duke of ORMO ND, neither can his Grace be thought to be concern¬ ed in the letter offufpenfion o£ or difpenfation with the Law a- gainft PAPISTS ImugxnwalTdTowns,which the LIBELLER men*- - i - - — ■- y CO can be 3 Though not as inventive of them as they fox this only reafon, are,becaufe not in GOVERNMENT there 3 [Therefore of the great /holes of Informations brought in here, fince the fir ft di/covery of the Plot, and which tended to the proof of it, not one was ever rejeffed, altho coming from the vilefi of Men. And therefore when that of SMITH againft the Prieft St. LAWRANCE proffer d it felf at DUBLIN ft was immediately received and folemnly proceeded upon , the Lord PRIMATE who was then the firft of the Council on the place, by the Lord LIEUTENANTS happening at that time to be in the Country, having conven'd fiich COVNCELLORS as were in the Town, and with them having given all necejfary Orders in that affair, which produced the immediate apprehenfton oiSt.Lawrenceyoge- ther with the feifure of his papers,and theCommitment of his Per- fon, and SMITH had all the Encouragement fit to be given him in this his Difcovery,infomuch thar if any perfons, were found, refle&ingupon his Evidence, they were reprimandedby the Ma- gijiracy for it, But this did not anfwer his end5 in what he de- figned and expe&ed by making Inch difcovery feeing no left than that he fhou'd forwith be permitted to go out of prifon upon the foot of it, Which there was no reafon in the earth yet to allow him, until he had to Jatisfaftion either proved his accufati- on of St. LAWRANCE upon his Tryal, or difproved others accufations of him felf and for which he was imprifond, upon J^is own TryaT) And therefore, he did betake himfelf unto ano¬ ther courfe, and to walk/m theJleps of fome of his predeceffors the IRISH evidences,who obtained their releafmentsout of prifon in this Kingdom where they found they were too much known fry getting themfelves to be lent for as Witneffes into ENGLAND where they were too little known 3 For which purpofe,according to the Mode of the times we are fallen into, he Prepares a NA- JRATITE with a letter to indole it in, unto a BVSIE Perfon at LONDON in fuch matters, and by the ajfftance of, together with recomendatory letters from a half witted fellow and wretch¬ ed RIMER of this Town5 gets them tranfmitted to him, who up¬ on his receiving of them,and according to his accuftomed manner of B run- C 10 J) tunning headlong without weighing Matters, or if he chance to do it, making the fcales to light on that fide which contains leafi truth, and is likelieft to make the greatejl ftir, condu&s them with all fpeed and bujle to WHlTEHAL,anA in hopes of hav¬ ing this frefh INFORMER or rather new Engine lent for over to work. with, lodges them with Mr. Secretary JENKINS for the Information of the KING and COUNCIL,having moft du¬ tifully and mannerly taken efpecial care before to Print and publifh them for the Amufement of the world, but His MAJESTY and the Lords knowing this Conductor and his drift, too well,and experiencing fuch kind of Artifices as this Informer ufed, too much, wou'd not be fo pafled upon by them, and yet at the feme time were pleafed fo far to take notice of thofe Papers, as to fend them over hither with Orders to proceed upon them accordingto Law here, where the matter of them were proper¬ ly Cognizable-^ and where preparations were made for St.Law¬ rence his being ftriftly profecuted upon them, The KINGS Counfel having by order and with great circumfpeBion formed a firm IndiBment for mifdemeanor ("which was all that in their Opinions the matter could bearj to be preferred againft him, and the Judges having carefully provided that no PAPIST nor any fufpeBed to be POPISHLY affeBed fhou'd pals upon the Tryal of him, which came on the laft Michaelmas Term in the Kings Bench, Where a Jury all confiding of the JlriBeJl Pro- teftants and ablefi Citizens of the City of Dublin did appear^ where SMITH had the greateft liberty and latitude afforded to him, and which he made ufe of in the proffering and manage¬ ment of his evidence, that any Court did ever give or Witnefs take, and where St. LAWRENCE (whofe perfon I kpow not, and whofe profeffion I abominate, and therefore, you may be fure I fpeak impartially what was obferved univerfellyj had nothing beyond meer JuJiice extended to him, and as a part thereof was that of Allowance of Counfel to plead for him, (which the LIBELLER with more Malice than Law makes his Obfervation uponj to be reckon'd, fince he ftanding indiBed for mifdemeanor only, no Judicature cou'd have refu- 05 ) was defired) and that the KING had granted it, which He neither did, nor denyed , becaufe no application was made for it, do's the LIBELLER believe himfelf ? or can he ima- gin any one elfe will believe him in, but laugh at him for, this his doffrine thereupon, That it were illegal and Arbitrary to fend a Male faff or to be Tryed here for a faff committed by him here^ For furely that is as legal and looks fbmething more rea- finable than to fend for perfons from hence to be Tryed ill England for things they are only charged to haveCommittedhere, as we fee has of late been pra&ifed, and which tho the Law¬ yers fey may be done in this Cafe, I am fore no Lawyer will ever allow what the LIBELLER feys in the other Cafe, efpecially,if nopertinenter a reafon be given than this,which he affigns for it, becaufe the party was bom and bred and has an EJlate in ENGLAND, For foch Circumflances alone,qan never proteff any one in ENGLAND, or IRELAND, from an- fwering for his breach of the Laws'm either KINGDOM,and in that KINGDOM too, where he Co broke them \ fthe KING pleafe to have him fent thither. Nay in this Cafe of MORLET,, if the matter charged upon him to be Committed here (from which I (hall not with the LIBELLER acquit him only be¬ caufe he is a PROTESTANT,confidering what kind of one he (hewed himfelf in the times of ufurpation, thorough-pacedly fir¬ ming of them, and what fort of one he manifefts himfelf in the prefent time of faffion,by thofe bafer Offices of fubornation and Perjury miniftring to it,) were any felony under Treafon, I (peak it with reverence, it wereunjufl not to fend him hither to be tryed, becaufe the Statute of Hen. the 8th for Tryalofforreign matters in England, extends exprefly and only toTreafensfothat leffer Offences done here cannot be tryed there, andconf quent- ly, to have kept him in foch Cafe on the other fide from appear¬ ing here, wou'd be to hinder a malefaffor from being brought to jujlice, which were not jfujl $ But as MORLETS Cafe is, being for Treafon Committed here, which by that Statute may be Tryed there, the KING can jfuflly enough (if He Pleafes) detain him to be Tryed in ENG LAND% or 00 -*%u or ("if he thinks fit) as jfufh too may fend him hither for Tryal, for by that Statute it is in the KINGS Choife, in which of the KINGDOMS fiich a Cafe (had be Tryd'-y But then iftheTryal be ordered to be there upon a Treafon Committed here, the Judges in ENGLAND are therein to Govern themfelves accor¬ ding to the Lam of Ireland, that is, they are not to adjudge any thing to be TreaJon9 but what is fo by the Law of IRELAND, or by feme Act of PARLIAMENT in ENGLAND where IRELAND is named, or that is Ena&ed in IRELAND and this Rule holds concerning Pleas in dif- charge of Treafon alfo, wherefore though MORLEYS charge confiftsof Treafonable words only, and they really were fpoken two years ago as the LIBELLER, obferves, whereby he was to be difcharged by the late Statute in ENGLAND(iF they were alledg'd therej yet being laid to be fpoken here9 where that Statute not naming IRELAND, nor being Ena¬ cted in IRELAND do's not extend, he cannot reap any Benefit by it 5 From all which though I will rot takeupon me to con- jefture, what were the Gw/e/MORLEY was not fent hither9 yet I may rationally conclude,thau&ycou'd not beany of thofe which are given by the LIBELLER for it, fbas he proves to be as grofly out in his Matters of Law as he is notorioufly miflakgn in his matters of fait $ And where,for Conclufion of this his Pa¬ ragraph, and for the biinging oSMorley by it, he fays, it is remarkable that what MORLEY did declare, (I fuppofe he in¬ tends to the PARLIAMENTj in relation to the Duke of ORMONDE the Lord CHANCELLOR, and Sir John Da¬ vis, he refer d himfelffor, the truth of it to tie Council Books or to depofitions before the Council of this Kingdom 5 it is more remarkable that MORLET did declare nothing there (whatfocvcr he has done clfewhcre ) as to any of thofe Perfons, fave only Sir JOHN DAFIS, and as to him that he refer d nothing to the C0VNC1L BOOKS, or to de¬ pofitions before the COVA/CIL to prove, ether than a pre¬ tended Copy he produced of the faid 6 Neal or TYRRELLS Examination, but of which there never was any Original in C 17) In the Council books or at the Council Board, or indeed in be* rng, lo as the LIBELLER by his thus elaborately attempting to preferve MORLETS galping reputation, for fupport of his Scandalous reflections upon the Government, does but de- deftroy his own Credit, and confound his own Devices. There are two other perfons, whom the LIBELLE R brings by head and ftioulders into this Paragraph for evidence of what he aims at by it,but he giving only lurnames to them as HANLON, and MZJRPHT, whereby it is Impoffible without more certainty , out of the herds that are of thole names, to gather whom he means, and not affigning any par¬ ticulars to have come from them, in proof of his General af- fertion which he Cites them for, by means whereof he only lets up Shadows to be contefted within them 5 I will therefore pals them over and come to that more folid body in the LIBEL¬ LERS (ingle opinion of Mr. HAWKINS, whom he (hews as his next and la ft man, but who performed fuch a part when he firft brought himfelf upon the ftage, as I cannot tell whether folly, or fomething that is worfe were his greateft Vice, and therefore I will determin on neither fide, but give a true ac¬ count of it, as it has been colle&ed out of the Original papers of that matter, and then let any Jober and impartial man make his Judgment of it, and of him upon it, which was thus 5 Mr. HAWKINS (between whom and fome of the mac GEN- NISES his neighbours there were fome differences) came to my Lord LIEUTENANT to the CASTLE, having made his way as being a ftranger by prelenting of a letter from Sir HANS HAMILTON a late member ofthe Council unto his GRACE, & there acquainted his Grace that one Daniel Hanvy came to him to his houfe in the Country, and told him of a meeting which he had a little before with one ConmacGennis at Down-Patrick, and that among other things which at that meeting palled be¬ twixt them, mac GENNIS engaged him to joyn with him in fwearing HIS GRACE, My. HAWKINS and others into the Plot, and at the lame time did give him a little money, and promifed him a great deal more when they (hou'd afterwards C meet. ·1oei hfJili ,cto onx !,, tn~ /,Id; ( 21) mac LAVGHLJN had been very inquifitive of him for CON mac GENNIS, and perceiving feveral mefiengers to come to hif houfe at divers times in a day to enquire for CON mac GENNIS, as from perfons newly come out of the Country, He dogg'd fome of Them to a certain Houfe whither he prevailed with OWEN DVF FY to go with him, and if there fhou'd be Occafion to take upon him the name of CON mac GENNIS, after whom this great inquiry had been, and when they came thither and a little after they ha