THE SECRET INTRIEGUES OF THE Romish Party Sft 1 N IRELAND. aaBEBSSBlBSSKSI I' ■ I I ta Full and Impartial Account- Of all the SECRET CONSULTS, NegotiationSjStratagemSjandlntriegues OF THE Romifli Party I N IRELAND, From i66o3 to this prefent Year 1689. f0? tfee Settlement of Popetp ftt tpat EtngDom. LONDON, Printed for Et'cpatl) C&tTtWell, at the and Crown in St.f aid's Church-Yard, M DC LXXXIX. . TO THE READER. ^ 0 Preface to the will ( I am Jenfible ) he attributed to a Vain humour of the Ag rather than to more important Confederations. Put however that may be the Apprehenfeon of feomeyet the more Judici¬ ous will ( I doubt not) be of another when they perceive a whole Series of the mojl « , found Policies and Defignsdrawn with that j rudenefs and difproportion, as equally requires their Candour, as well as my Apology. Indeed to give an exaci pourtraiclure of this hitriegue '(which in all its circumjlances appears Very extra ordinary and furprifeng) would require Apelles 4 fa» V our able chance, or at leaf: a more * Artificial Peprefentation than muff be expelled 'm tj,e fol¬ lowing Difcourfe.All that I o 0 pnWld to, A 2 is To the Reader. -t. is, an Impartial Account of the Matter of and that beitg chiefly aimed at, will, with Jober Men, be, in fome fort at leafl, T>ifpenfation for the Want of Ornament; or however that may prove, I deem'd it much more ferYtceable to the fublick to prefent the Reader with this rough draught, rather than conceal that, which ( with what imperfection foeVer 'tis managed ) mufi needs be ufeful to all and ejpecially at thisfunSlure: For here Reader has an Account of the firfl fleps that were made in Ireland for the Introduction of Topery into that Kingdom j together with a of what obflacles and repulfes this met with ■, how 'twas flill carried on, notwithflanding its fre* quent Interruptions and D and by what private Cabals, 'and after what Jecret Machi¬ nations. Mere is reprefented the admirable dili¬ gence of an indefatigable fomifl? Genius for the promotion of the Catholic k Caufe, which feVeral periods of State, and viciffit of that Govern¬ ment flill kept its deflgn on /oof, fometimes re¬ treating a few paces backward, when they found it neceffary ; and at others, not only retrieving that dif- advantage, but continuing a greater Mogrefs, when they met with occaflons favourable to their deflgn j To the Reader. Defign ; which at lafl they carefully improved to that ripenefs wherein it now and to which it has attained by an Violation of the Laws and f onjlitutionsof the d{ealmy by the mojl Violent and unju Proceedings in the tf^eign of the late dQng James ; of which you have an ample and copious Relation in the follow ing Sheets. A Pull Full and Impartial Account Of all the SECRET CONSULTS, Negotiations, Stratagems, and Intriegues O F T H E Romifii Party in Ireland, from i66o} to this prefent Year 1689. for the Settlement of Popery in that Kingdom, &c. HEN the natural Confequent of our late inteftine Differences had (in a fliort time) produced fo many various Scenes of Governr ment, till by a circular Motion we center d in our firft Model ; and fb like Pythagoras his tranfmigrationof Souls- were metamorphofed into fo many differing Shapes, till at laft, in the Year One thoufand fitfhundred and fixty, we became animated with our firft Difpofitions to Monarchy, by the Reftoration of King Charles the Second y then it was that ieveral Difputes arole (which B were were Debated before the Kjng and Council) con¬ cerning the Settlement of Ireland; the Lord of San- try, Lord Chief Juftice of Ireland, ( a Man equally eminent for Law as well as Loyalty ) in an excel¬ lent and learned Speech reprefented to the Board the horrid Rebellion of Ireland: together withthofe Barbarous and Inhumane Maffacres which he had been an eye Witneft of. In Oppofition to which, Sir Nicholas Plunkett, a Man alfc very skilful in the Law, but a Knight of the Pope's making, and one that had a£led his part in all the Rebellion of Ireland, affumed the Defence of the Natives vof that Kingdom : but as his Caufe was too apparently bad to be main¬ tained with any tolerable Succefs; fo was his Un¬ derstanding in the Law inferiour to the Lord Chief Juftice Santrys, who carried the Debate with great Applaufe, in the Opinion of all that heard it ; and had his Advice been accordingly purfued, 'twas thought few of the Irifh would have got their Eftates; and at that time, if ( by miftake) the Lord of Ormond and Lord Angle fey had not joined with the Court-Party, 'twas believed that what the Lord San try urged, as Law, mult have prevailed in point of Right ; for in thole days the Intereft of the Duke of fork ( which afterwards grew to a mighty height, as you will perceive by the Sequel) was not fo powerful as to have prevented it. That which he chiefly infilled upon, as to matter of Law, was, That 'twas mofi agreeable to the Law of the Land, as well as moll equal for the Sub- jeQ: to be Tried by the Common Law, where they would meet with a fair and indifferent Tryal hy Juries of their Neighbours, and in this cafe could have of the Tfymijh Tarty in Ireland. y hand) the Englijh complained, That the Natives by an Illegal, Arbitrary Court, were made in¬ nocent, though they were known to have been concerned in the Rebellions for that in truth'twas beyond all peradventure that not Ten of thQlri/b Papifts were free from Rebellion and Murther: The Duke of Ormond had a great Arrear due to him upon this Fund, and after mutual Contefts on either fide, the Affair was fettled, to the Sa¬ tisfaction of the Protefiants. But in order to a firmer and more mature Eftabliflhment of things, it was ( amongft other Confutations ) refolved in Council, to lend over the Lord Roberts for Ireland in Quality of the Lord Lieutenant, as a Ferlbn whole indifferency as to the various and opposite inrerefts of that Kingdom, might bring forth a com pleat and im¬ partial fettlement ; but his being an Englifh- man, and not related to, and fo confequently not interelfed' in favour of the Irijh, occafioned the Duke of Tork ( whofe Affection to the Na¬ tives of that Kingdom, has appeared by too pregnant and demonftrative Proofc ) to work with the King his Brother to fend over the Duke of Ormond, whofe Acquaintance with, and Relation to divers of the Irifb Nobility and Gen¬ try, did rationally promife a more favourable re¬ gard to their Interefts; though what probability foever this Profpeft had in it, it finally turned to their difadvantage, and that by the even fteerage of the Duke of Ormond, who, though placed at the Helm, in favour to the Irifh, yet fo fignally efpouled the Interest of the Englifh Protefiants in all their juft and legal demands, The Secret ConJults, Negotiations, See. that upon that very account he loft the favour of the Duke of Tork. This management of things, made the Popifb Party very fenfible of their miftake ; but to correct it in a very high meafure, they procured the remo¬ val of fome of the Commifjioners of the Court of Claimsy and got others put in, exactly calculated for their prelent defign: The leading Man was one Rainsfoord, who drove lb furionily, that complaints were made to the King. Talbot (now Tyrconnel) was at this time made principal Agent for the Irijh Papifts at Court, and upon the account of folliciting for them, had Sums of Money rais'd him by way of Tax, upon all that paffed the Court of Claims ; and in fuch cafes wherein men had no Friends, nor good Titles, he bought their pretences, and by Rainsfoord*s means palfed the Claim ; from all which illegal courfes, 'twas vifible to the English, that they were in a loft condition, which brought many of them under fuch apparent difcouragements, as to part with their EJlates for a year or twos Pur- chace; neither could any man make a meafure of his Title, fo arbitrary were the Commijfioners in their Proceedings. Andasthe irifbinsinuated them- felves into the favour of Rainsfoord, and the Com- miffioners of the Court of Claims, or by the pow¬ erful follicitation of their Agent .at Court, pro¬ cured Recommendatory Letters Irom thence \ in the lame proportion they pals'd their innocency, not according to their demerit. For what Complaints foever were made by the Irijby of the Cruelty of Olivers Court, in crimi¬ nating them ; yet fome who prpv'd their innocen¬ cy there, were decreed nocent by thefe Ccmmiffi- oners i Tarty in Ireland. r oners-, and where they had no pretence of ta¬ king away an 7r//Z>-man's Eft ate, that was ad- judg'd innocent in the Ufurper's time, in that cafe they obtain'd Provifo s in the Act of Settlement to deprive them of their for Rebellion : As for in fiance, the Kjiight of who though a R aft ft, yet always fb faithfully adher'd to the Englifh Intereft, and had been lb great an inftrument of divers of the P rot eft am s preferva- tion, that for that realon he was by the reftored to his Eft Ate; his cafe was fo notorious, . that the Parliament (though their whole For¬ tunes depended upon the Aft of ) re¬ fusal palling the Alt, except that claufe in preju¬ dice to the Knight of Kj was ftruck out, notwithftanding that they were inform'd at the fame time, That if the Aft was lent back, and altered, it fhould be to their difadvantage, as in¬ deed it prov'd; however it was Corrected as to that Claufe. So much of this Act did fb manifeftly incline to favour the Irijb, as juftly created Complaints by the Englifi, which feemingly to redrefs, a new Act was prepared,. Entituled, The Act of Expla¬ nation ; the confequence of which was, That the Proteftants were glad to fit down with the Jofs of one third; and where the Iri[b had either been 1b notorioufly criminal , as that no Palliations could extenuate the blacknefs of their Rebellion, or elfe were Men of that inconfiderable intereft, as render'd them incapable of palling their inao-. cency, in fuch cafes their Eftates were claim'd by other Irifh, whofe interefts at Court were more prevalent; fuch were the Earis of QUnmrthy The Secret r^XKr^.A...^ am CUnriccard, Lord CoJleU "Dillon, Earl of Carting- foord and many more, who pals'd their Claims for twice more than ever they had before the Rebellion. Purfuant to the AH paffed for the payment of Quit-rent to the Crown, for all Lands that were Seized, and Sequeftred , the EnghjJj paid Quit- rent in many places where their Lands were icarce worth it \ but when the Court of Claims was over, and the Parliament of Ireland Diffolv'd, . then the Irifh that paid Quit rent, obtained Grants by means of the Duke of Tork (who omitted no opportunities of teftifying his good will to them) not only to be remitted of their Quit-rent, but of their Arrears alfo. To this height had the Popi/b Defign advanced it felf at a Jun&ure, when the English Interejl feem- ed not only to carry the preeminence, but even to have reached the Meridian of her Triumph at Court: and though it was believed upon the King's Reftauration, there could not have been the twentieth part of Ireland gain d from the Englijh ; yet what with the thirds taken at one blow from the Englijh, and by Nominees, and other Stra¬ tagems of State, there was almoft an half of the Kingdom in value loft, notwithftanding at the lame time the moft innocent of the Ir/Jb were deprived of their Eftates, and the greateft Rebels got more than their own. This was the firft ftep advanced for the introduQiion of Popery into that Kingdom; and notwithftanding the (mail Pro- grels it had then feemingly made, it fb far en¬ couraged (even in this time of its Infancy) the moft coaftderable of the Irifit, as often to in- - >• J timate lo The Secret Confults, Mrgvriarions, feu. tionable to the defign. The next thing to be coiiftdered, was, who fibould lucceed him, which was a matter that required a very nice and cri¬ tical management. They pitched upon the Lord 1669. Roberts, as a perlbn that had been formerly dif * appointed of that Station : which begetting a pre¬ judice in him, and meeting with a Vindicative Spirit (whole temper they knew to be liich) would prompt him invidioufly to infpeft into, or elle to create faults in the Government of the Duke of Ormond, which was the end of the Court- Intriegue, and of his advancement; as knowing that his uneafinels to thole of that Kingdom, would lerve to prepare a fair reception for the L B a Man of whole inclinations to their inure ft, the Popi[h Party had the moft convincing affurances; and agreeably to this whole Scheme of policy, the Lord Roberts remained Lord Lieute¬ nant about Six Months, and then the L. B. was lent 16 jover. Talbot Tyrconnel, leaves the Court, and follows his Brother the Titular Archbi(hop, and lives privately; but notwithftanding his Retire¬ ment, is ftill engaged in all the Secret Counlels with Sir Ellis Leaton the Lord Lieutenant's Secretary. And now to accomplifh their purpole, the firft thing to be done, was to let up a pretence that the King when in Exile, had obliged him- lelf to the French King to redone the Irifb to their Religion and their Eftates', and left a neglefl: of this ftiould occafion a Breach with France, lome- thing muft be a&ed in purfuance to it: So it was ordered, That notwithftanding the Law, to pre- ii2 Tl)c Secret Confults^iegwiniifJTi^ Sic. the Defign. This compliance of the Aldermen neceffitated them to take new meafures ; for the moft conliderable of the Aldermen were Men of New Intereft, and had been noted for keeping out Papifts from the City Freedom: and whileft thefe- Aldermen were in Power, no Popijh Defign could fucceed : and therefore to facilitate by another, what they could not effeft by former Stratagems, the. next work was to prepoffefs the Populace* with prejudice againfl: the Aldermen, reprefenting them as the Authors and Contrivers of this New Model, though (as it was afterwards proved, upon an hearing before the Earl of Ejfex and Council, when Lord Lieutenant of Ireland ) they never heard word of 'em till they were brought to em to the lole-fale with orders to put 'em in Ex¬ ecution. ' \ . i .\ 3672. At that time there came over to Dublin a Per- fon whoaflumed feveral names, (a pradice as agree¬ able. to the Intereft and Policy of the Church of Rome,and as common , as. that of variety of Shapes, and Profeffions ) fometime he went by the name of Payne, at others by that of Nevell, and was found to be the fame perfbn that was after¬ wards committed to Newgate for fome high Mifdemeanour relating to Coleman and the Plot. This Nevell (as has fince been apparent in the inftance before named) had his part with Coleman, and was fent over for Ireland as his pro¬ per Province, wherein to ad the defigned Tra¬ gedy : He remained for fome time obfcure in Dublin, and after that was received into the I Cafllebut never appeared till this ( as was deem'd> ftafonable " ... /_- y \ m i of the ^omijh Tarty in Ireland, ieaibnable jun&tire, and then in the capacity of. Under-Secretary to Sir Ellis Leaton. His bufinefs was to iufufe into the Populace of the City of Dublin, an Opinion of the Treache¬ ry of their Recorder, Sir William Davis j and to make the pretext the more plaufible, he had In-. ftru£tions to add, That the Recorder and thq Lord Primatej then Lord Chancellour, counfelled the, L. P.—— to enact thofe Laws for the abo¬ lishing of the Ancient Government of the City; and farther infinuating, that this was done at the define, and inftigation, and by the contrivance of, the chief Aldermen. This impious fuggeftion being not only artfully fpread among, but alio, too eafily credited by the Citizens, induced 'em to pitch upon Nevellas their moft proper Agents and in order to this, advanced Mony which they prefented to Sir Ellis Leaton, who, together with Novell, brought the then Lord Mayor, Potty,. with the Sheriffs to the Lord Lieutenant, who, publickly declared the Relation above ; and, withal promifed to recal his former Order. Upon, which he called a Council, but the unravelling of the bufinefs difcovered a Popifh Intriegue* which ocqafioned their not agreeing with the Lord Lieutenant% After this a Confult was held , by the Lord, Mayor and Sheriffs,, with Colonel Talbot, now Lord Tyrconnel, and his Brother the then Titu¬ lar Archbifbop of Dublin, asalfo with Sir Nicholas Plunkett, an old Irifh Lawyer, before mentioned (who was formerly one of the Popes Supream Coun¬ cil at Kjlkenny in Jreland-) This Confult was upon , 167 The Secret Confults, "Negotiations, &c. upon a Sunday, at Talbot's Houle, Three MiL? from Dublin,where it was relblved, That the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs fhould call a general Al- fembly of the City, and by the A£t of that Af- icmbly turn out the Recordetogether with thole Aldermen which wereoppofite to the Rom-jb Party. Matters were fo far aided, in purluancc to this intended Subverfion, that the Ailcmbiy was al¬ ready in Council, but found ali the Twenty four Aldermen unanimous; fo that they could not, according to the Laws of that City, pals any Older , in regard that none could be made without the AlTent of the Court of Aldermen, who fat in a Room by themlelves. This was a fatal obftacle to their Defign, whereupon they lent to the Lord Lieutenant to be Inflxu&ed how, and in what manner, they fhould proceed ; and in the interim kept the Affembly fhut up all the da}-. At laft they received the following Directi¬ ons, That one of the Sheriffs, with leveral of die Commons, fhould come into the Aldermen s Court, and bring a Petition in the name of the whole City, to turn out Sir William Davis, the Recorder, and Seven Aldermen, who were of the greatefl account in.that City. But notwithftanding the depth of this Policy, which was lain with all the artifice and fubtilty it could be capable of, yet was the whole of it privately dilcovered by one of the Sheriffs, which put the into a pofture of Preparation for their Defence; which was managed with that fuccels, that upon its coming to be debated, the adverfe Party obtain'd only the Suffrages of two indigent Aldermen, which gave a confiderable check to the Intriegue. But 1 If the~l^omijh Tarty in Ireland. uj But then the Lord Mayor called a private AfTem- bly, and not one of the Seven Aldermen vtere pre- lent: The Commons were called into the Alder- men $ Court, and there, in a tumultous and irre¬ gular manner, they were turned out, and Seven of the Rabble put in their places; as alio Leatone the Lord Lieutenants Secretary was made Re¬ corder. This Revolution fo awakened the Eyes of the Citizens of Dublin, that they began to make a more narrow Infpeflion into the main drift and tendency of it; which, within a Month after 'twas let on foot, they plainly perceived was im¬ mediately levelled at the Foundation of the Pro- tcftant Interefl: and Religion. They now became apprehenfive how miferably they had been im- poled upon, efpecially when they law Papijls brought into the Common-Council, and everyday the difguilelb thro wn off^ that they remained no longer doubtful of a moli apparent and palpable Defign of introducing Popery. About this time Talbot, the Titular Archbijhop of 16720 Dublin, apply'd himfelf to the Lord Lieutenant, and borrowed Ibme of the Hangings of the Cajlle, Silver Candlefiicks, Plate and other Utenfils to ule at an §)tg& which Sir Ellis Le at on got to be lent with the Complement of laying, COclt fpt bopeD to babe at (lOurcb at Ch^tfluiaf0 •, and which in all pro- bability had been effefted, if a dilcovery of a moft bloody and inhumane Confpiracy to be acted in this Year, had not leafonably prevented it; of which take the following Account: The The Priefts ( by Directions from their Supe- riours ) ordered their feveral Congregations at Ma/sy That at fuch a time every RomanCatholick^ fhould fix over their Doors a Crofs made ot Straw : The People were curious to underftand the reafon of this Order; but the matter was carried with ft) much fecrecy, that the Priefts themfelves, 'twas believed, knew no more than that it was defigned to blefs the Peoples Houfes. This, in purfuance to the Advice and I-nftruftion of the Priefts ( who like fo many Infallible Oracles, are, upon all occafions, how difficult or unrea- fonable foever, mod punftually obeyed ) was generally; performed, and at the Tame time vaft multitudes of Priefts came from beyond the Seas; and it appears by the Sequel, That fome of thefe were better acquainted with the bottom ot this black and damnable Intriegue, than generally the poor ignorant Prieftsx of Ireland were, to whom, 'twas not by the Hellijh Conclave at Rome thought fit, to Communicate a matter of this private and great importance. For one of thefe Foreign Priefts finding feveral Houfes which had not Croftes fixed at their Doors, he warned the People, with great earneftnefs, to put them up; and further told them, That this oraifiion might be their Ruine, though he would not name to them the particular Inftance wherein. Butamidft the People's various conjeCtures, as to the occa- lion of this fo general an Order, one of thefe Foreign Priefts, more open-hearted than the reft, acquaints a Friend of his with this Defign ; ■which..being by him communicated to another, and this other* acquainting feme Friend of his, / till till at laft by this Relation of it to feveral hands, the matter was fo far divulged, that 'twas impofli- ble to conceal it any longer from being publickly known. This intended Bloody Maffacre was formed after the enfuing manner : Upon a cer¬ tain day (appointed for the, Execution of this difinal Tragedy) all the Proteflants were to be barbaroufly Murthered, and the Signal appointed to diftinguidi the Irijh from thefe Hereticks, was, a Crofs of Straw put up before their Doors, which wherefbever that was not found, all thole Houfes were to bedeftroy'd. But this being opportunely difcovered, fearch was'made^ and Crcjfes were accordingly found at mod of the Irijh Doors, in the whole Province of Munjler; which be¬ ing made up in a very ffliall compafs, were not before taken notice of. Search was made for the Pnejt, who was the firft Author of this Difcovery ; but he was not to be found : and the Govern¬ ment in Ireland was then fo extreamly by a fed, and difcovered fo partial an affe&ion to the Irijh Intercjl, that no encouragement was given to a farther Infpe&ion into this horrid Plot \ which upon a narrower fearch would doubtlefs have an- fwered the whole of the Relation given of it by the Priefi, and would have appeared a mod Vn- chrijlian and Unnatural, but upon thefe accounts, (in the prefent fenfe and practice of the Church of Rome) a more Catholick Dejign. But fuch as were aftive and indudrious in laying open this mifchieVous and pernicious Con/piracy, had their Cattle dole from 'em, and were thrcatned to have their Houfes burnt; with fuch like terrifying devices of the Irijh, which they are not only wont to D give 1-8 The Secret Qonfulh, give out, but alfo to pra&ife againft fuch of the Enghjhj as endeavour to confront them in their evil Defigns. This (together with the conni¬ ve xce of the Government ) put a flop to any farther difcovery ; fb that the whole was hufhed up, and paffed over in filence. Thus we fee, fthat to what proficiency loevcr the Popijb Inter eft had attained by the violent and irregular proceedings of the Court of CIaims, and other artifices of its firft rife and producti¬ on,) that it was at that time but in its infant Jlate, when compared with that maturity it had now infenfibly aipired to, under the Government of the L. B. The Duke of Ormond, when in the Government, did in The whole conduft of Affairs fb vigoroufly fupport the Protejlant In- teref, that he remained an infeparable obftacle to their Defign, unlefs fome method were taken to put him out of that Station ; in order to winch (as you have heard) the Lord Ro'erts was to be pra&ifed upon, whole prejudice (they doubted not) would carry him to very fevere Refle&ions upon the Duke of Ormond s Government , and indeed the experiment anfwered the defign of the undertakers ; for thefirft thing that* the Lord Roberts did (which I fhould have mentioned when I fpoke of his fucceeding the Duke of Ormond, but however may not improperly be inferred in this place ) was to prie into the Duke of OwW's. Government, and in a manner to encourage and invite perfons to make their Com¬ plaints.; but 'twas found a difficult task to find Laults after a Perlon of fb great Honour and Integrity, as he was* But however to put his Defign. parallel nature with the former and Parifian Ma [[acre, and the like infallible de- monftrations of the Church of Rome's undoubted Cdtholicifm. But 'tis high time to haften to the aforelaid Adair of the Corf oration. The lealbnable dilco- very of the afore-mentioned Sheriff, gave the Adermen the opportunity of lending over Sir William Davis to London, who reprelenting a true Delcription of this Defign to the Earl of Shaftsbury, made that great Politician fwear, That the L. L. was a mad Man ; which Nego¬ tiation with the faid Earl, produced lb fuccels- full an effe£t, that about a Month after the Earl of EJfex was nominated Lord Lieutenant, which for the prelent interrupted the Progrels of the Popijh Defign in Ireland, though the Natives of that Kingdom were lb elevated in their Expecta¬ tions of its fucceeding, that they forbore not boafting to their Confidents of its improvement at Court. This Romifij Defign, which had fully appear'd in its proper fhape in Ireland, began loon after this to unmask it felf in England, and a remark¬ able Palfage occurred, which not a little con¬ tributed to the untwifting of this Intricacy of State, which had been carefully fpun with lb fine a Thread. The KJhg, the Duke of Tork, and Clifford,the Lord Treafurer, were one day at a certain Houle, in a private Room , where one Sir W. B. (a Commijffoner of the of England, and of the Revenue of came, and being a Perfon that frequently accommo¬ dated the King with Money, was wont to gain accels — of rh# Tfmlfb Tarty in Ireland. accefs at all hours , and in prefumptioa of this liberty was at the -Door, ready to enter the Room ; but his hearing the King (peak, with more than ordinary earneftnefs, begat in hi n a curiofity to hearken with fome Attention ,. but could hear only fome broken and imperfedt Ex- preflions. The Duke alio fpoke fo low, that he could not underhand him; but Clifford was loud as in publick, anfwering the King in a very au¬ dible and articulate manner, in thele words, Sir, if you are drove off upon fears, you will never be fife ; the work ill do, if you declare your felf with Kefolution , there is enow to fiand by you. The King replied, This name, Popery, will never le fvallowed by the Peop'e ; upon which the King ftarted off his Seat, and (aid, Some Body is at the Door. Whereupon Clifford haftily opened it, and without fpeaking, fell turioufly upon B - - , dragging him to a pair of Stairs, from whence he kick'd him down. Soon after this B. dyed, which was not improbably imputed to that Mis¬ fortune. Here we may reafonably refledt upon thofe Politick ( and for fome time) imperceptible fteps, by which Popery gradually gained ground upon us, both in Ireland, and England. In Ireland the whole Scheme had been managed with fo much addrefs, as to engage the Populace to their Party, as has been already fhewn, in England; the JDe- fign was lain with that depth , and fo pro¬ foundly dilguisM with the moft artificial Delu- lions, That few ( except fome of the moll: Ju¬ dicious,and thefe no otherwife than by Conjedlure) were able to fathcmit. But God, who brings to light Ff the Vfom'tjh Tarty in Ireland. 2 3 fie was as unqualified for, as he was deem'd capa¬ ble of that of the Church ; the place but aa hundred and twenty pounds per annum. He re¬ mained three or four Years in this place, but not to the fmall amazement of fuch as were acquainted with his profufenels: For 'twas vifible that his Sallary could not anfwer a quarter of his Ex- pence, living at a very extravagant height in imi¬ tation of his Mafer Coleman. At la ft the Intriegue appeared more intelligi¬ ble to fome inquifirive Men, who began more narrowly to prie into it. For 'twas confidered, that his being Collector of Corke ( a great place of Commerce by Sea ) afforded him intelligence from all parts, whereby Letters from Rome, Spain, &rc. to all the Popijh Clergy could arrive fafely through his Hands: and as this was an- fwerable to their firft defign of fixing him in that Station , fo did it render him the more con- fiderabie amongft them; notwithftanding that, to avoid all fufpicion, he ftill put on the d/f-• guife of the Protejlant Religion, which he counter¬ feited with fa ingenious an air, that molt be¬ lieved him extream in that Profejjion, and were apt to think him inclin'd to Presbytery, as de¬ riving it from his Mafiers the Farmers, who were called The Fanatick Farmers, being a Sett of Brewers in London. Thus we fee how this bigo-ted Votary of the Romifb Church transformed himlelf into a difie* rent fbape, and covered his black Defirgn with the Mask of Presbytery, as the Stalking Horfe to other Fo vie, upon which his aim was fet. But as this difguife could not remove the fufpicions of 24 Tl?t Secret ConfultSj\k€£MMwu, iS-u the mod judicious, difcerningMen, who confider- ed his a [fuming an Employment (quite contrary ro die Stream of his former Education, and to that eminent Figure which in all probaoility lie might have afpired to in die Church ) as an Introduction to fome fecret Projctf, winch at pre lent they -could not comprehend , but loon ' after became fully informed in it. for the aforcfud Farmers going off, Shcridon ( before their time was fully expired ) obtains leave from them to go for London, and there thtVivard he had formerlyT worn was fbon thrown off, and he ( as in his proper colours ) appeared an abfblute Creature of the Duke of Tori?s, and at that time a great Confult was held to bring on the Deli¬ verance of Ireland. For now the poor Catholicks there (after their late dilappointment in the be¬ fore-mentioned Intriegue of the Corporation ) were almo.t in delpair, and moreover his Royal Highnefs was in danger of lofing his moft faithful adherents, many hundreds of them having continued there incognito fince the L—JS—'s time, expecting to be Officers \ and thele Men were very impatient. \ 1675. The Earl of Effiex was then in the Govern¬ ment of Ireland, a perlbn whole great integrity and prudence in the fteady piloting of this tottering Ship of the State , is not ealie to de- Icribe. This Skilful Manager of the Helm, Steer d lo judicioufly, at this nice juncture, that notwithftanding the unwearied endeavours of the Papifts, nothing could be effected to their ad¬ vantage, whileft he kept the Sword, Wherefore a Project e} the Q{ pofe the Council in this Vote, put it off, and acquainted the Farmers, and alio gave an account of it to the Duke, whom he had now fo far gain'd upon as to become a Confident, Put every day ufher'd in new Complaints againft the Farmers running away with the Money of the King¬ dom, &c. which for feme time the Earl feemed to decline; but at laft (in appearance againft the Grain) agrees with the Council, and fends over to the King the Objections againft the Farmers, which in fihort were fo great, that they were not to be trufted. Whereupon Commijjioners of tnfpctfion were fet over them ; one was the Earl of Effex's Confident: and thefe men attended to the motion of the Farmers with fo vigilant an eye, that nothing could be effected. In this manner was this great and dangerous Plot (carried on for feveral years by the Duke and his Minions) mod miraculoufly defeated by the unparallell'd ConduCc of that Prudent Earl, who fo far out-vy'd the Romi(h Politicks, as to cajole that party into an approbation of thofe Proceedings, which proved fatally deftructive of their defign : which fo difheartened thofe two ac¬ complices, R~—and Sheridon, that they flung up their Parts, and returned to Court; the lalt to attend his Mafter Coleman, who happened to come in a fit time to fucceed him in his Em¬ ployment : for not long after this, the Popijh Plot was brought upon the Stage, in which Coleman wa;s 2 I . I was Prime Minifter, who being afterwards Ex¬ ecuted, and Sheridonfpeaking fomething in favour of his caule, was apprehended, and after foine time was brought on his knees at the of the Houfe of Commons, where he had impudence be¬ yond humane fhape, to let forth in a flourifhing Speech the greatnels of his Family, (viz.) that he was in the right Line of the Kings of anciently called 0 Sheridon ; that to his Father be¬ longed a vaft Eftate, which by the misfortune of War (meaning- the former Rebellion) he was wrongfully put out of ; with abundance of the like impudent falfhoods, and molt notorious un¬ truths. Whereas indeed his Father (too honefl: a man for lb bale, and lo degenerate a Son) was before the late Rebelli on in the County of , taken in a poor Boy into a Bii hop's Houle for a Turn-lpit; and ti e Bifhopoblerving the Boy to be of a Docible Temper, and capable of inltru- btion, and finding him educated a Papifi, charita¬ bly put him to School, where he was taught his Grammar, and was found to be lo induftrious a Proficient in School-learning, as encouraged the good Bilhop to Ordain him a Deacon, in which capacity he continued under the Bilhop till he died. And when the Rebellion broke out lo vio¬ lently, that few Englifh were left in the Coun- trey ; yet this poor man remained with fuch as ftayed, and read Pray ers among tiiem, till all were either Murthered, or had deferred the place. But he being a poor Old Man, and having no¬ thing to remove, continued where he was) the Irfb f 1 feting hi n to refide amongli them; but by all their Importunities ( notwithftanding their great V j ■Hmw ■ o/" tho (^omi/h %trty bi Ireland. «j 1678. The King and Council finding fame caufe to believe, that there were Defigns of introducing Popery in Ireland , pitch'd upon the Duke of Ormond as the only Pilot for that Kingdom in a Storm; and accordingly he was lent over. The Duke of Tork did not then think it feafbm J^77* able to oppofe it, though he was confeious 'twas fatal to his Defign. But however he wrought fo powerfully with the King, That orders were given to raife Men in Ireland, under the Notion of Foreign Service. They were allcompofed of the Natives of the Kingdom, excepting lorne Prote- ftant Officers fit to make Catholicks of. The Duke of Ormond would give them no Arms, lo they were Exercifed with Sticks; and in a little time the Plot in England was difeovered, and they all disbanded. Upon which a difeovery was made by the Irifh, of the Popijh Conspiracy in Ireland,, and it was very remarkable, that in the whole difeovery, not one Protejlant appeared as an evi¬ dence againft the Papijls. A pregnant' inftance of the great impartiality and equal demeanour of the Englifh towards the Natives, who altho' they were now prefented with various opportu* nities of deftroying thofe, whom they knew to be their implacable Adverfaries; yet declined all Informations againft them, a practice as peculiar to thofe of the Protejlant Communion, as different from the Indirect Principles, and barbarous pro¬ ceedings of that of the Church of Rome, as has been but too manifeft, in thofe horrid Perjuries, and notorioufly falfe Acculations, which the lriffi have been palpably convinced of, in their daily F 2 Impeachments The Secret Impeachments of the Engliffi, in the Reign of the late King James, as will appear in the Se¬ quel of this Dilcourfe. But notwithffanding that 'tis fb univerfal a practice of the Irijh to fwear fuch of the Englijh ( as they bear prejudice to ) out of their Lives and Eftates, if poffible, or at leaf! fo vigoroufly endeavour it, as to flick at no Affidavit how inconfiftent foever with truth, or but a rational probability; yet were the Englijh more juft than to tranfcrtbe fb bale an Example, or to propofe that impious Maxim of the Romijh Churchy Of doing Evil, that Good may come of it, as a Rule of their Imitation, which the Apoftle St. Rani has fb plainly pronounced Damnation unto. And indeed if we defcend to an impartial enquiry after the oppofite Principles of the Two Churches in this cafe, we fhall no longer wonder at the great integrity of the Englijh, nor at that barbarous Violation (in the other Party ) of a Rite of the greateft Solemnity, and moft Sacred Injlitution, which all Chri- ftians ought to account an Oath to be, and which the whole Chriftian Church ( except that lame and corrupt part of it which we call the Ro- mtjh J does upon its being adminiftred under le¬ gal and requifite circuraftances, juftly reckon as indiffolluble. But what if the other Chriftian Churches, which are but a vile Rabble of Here- ticks and Schijmaticks ( though if dividing Cha¬ ff endom into five parts, they make up more than three ) can pretend to no difpenfwv power in this cafe ; yet what cannot f e Vicar of Chrift do in Cathedra, who has the Kjys of Heaven at his Girdle, and can lock and unlock as he ~Fo The Secret* Confults^ m iiiimu, !&!£. was managed with an equal Moderation and in- differency. But I pals from thefe Reffeftioos upon the Carriage of the Duke of Ormond and the Pro- teftants, to a Dilcourfe of Affairs relating to the Plot in Ireland: upon the difcovery whereof, 1678. Orders came from England todifarm the Papifts \ but they received fuch timely notice of the De- fign, by their Creatures at Court, that there was not found two hundred Arms in all Ireland, the Irifh having a contrivance of concealing their Arms by thrufting them into Boggs, filling the Barrels of their Guns with Butter, which lufFers them not to take any harm; and as for the Locks they can eafily hide them. The Lord Brittas and others made their Efcape for France, but the Earl of Tyrone was taken, and committed to the Gate-h&ufe. Sheridon was feized in Lon¬ don, but nothing could be proved againft him. Talbot, now Tyrconnel, was confined a Prilbner in the Cajlle of Dublin, together with his Bro¬ ther, the Titular Jrchbijhop, where he dyed. The Duke of Tork went for Flanders ; which made the Irifh even to defpair, and made one of their Lords to declare, with a great Gath, Thar ItVbeo 3fefu# toaga Pioretfant, 7 that natbfiig tl)ep cotrfD Da DtD idafprt. The Duke of Ormond was extreamly follrcitous to fettle the Militia in Ireland , and ordered their watching equal with the Army. And now notwidiftanding the publick fears of the P'opifb Confpiracy in England and Ireland ; yet was the Engljjb In- terejl in Ireland of: greater value than ever, grounded grounded upon a general Opinion of the EngUfo, that the Plots of the Irifh were now lb fully un- ravell'd, that the King would extend no favour to them for the future. The Duke of Tork goes for Scotland, and with him the Second Coleman, 7homas Sheridon, who frill profefs d himfelf a Protejlant, though his A&ions at this timQ gave a fufficient Demon- ftration to the contrary: For from Scotland he writ over private 'Encouragements to the Popijh Party in Ireland, and put them in forne hopes. But the English were not apprehenfive of any danger, improving their Eftates, and the Trade, of the Kingdom more than ever, and never e- fteeming themfelves more happy than at this junfture, as being quietly feated under the Care and Influence of the Duke of Ormondes Govern¬ ment, who now endeavours to have a Parlia¬ ment called in Ireland, and fucceeded fo far as to obtain a Grant ; in purfuance whereof a Bill drawn by the Lord Lieutenant and Council, is lent over to the King : but the Duke of Tories intereft interceding, obftrufted any farther Pro- grtls, who came with all expedition from- Scot¬ land to put a ftop to that defign ; which the Iriflj were lb confident of before it was done, that they ftuck not to affirm that they were well allured there would be no Parliament whilfr King Charles lived, and would frequently dilcourfe with that liberty and boldnefs, as if the Duke of Tork had been a finally Seated in the Throne, upon a Prefumption that he would arrive fpeedily to it Ireland he fymifl) Tarty in Ireland, prifals; the King's Patent could not give any Land away, "but in purfuance to the intent of the Aft. By which it appears, that this Court was erefted to prepare Pretences for the Info, when opportu¬ nity fliould invite; and though all this was ne¬ gotiated through the Duke's Intereft: yet none of that party appeared in it, but the whole of it was tranfafted by the Dutchels of Port [month, who had the Money got by Fines out of it. Becaufe there will be occafion in the farther difeovery of this Treachery, to name a principal Aftor in the Cataftrophe of Ireland,, I fhall now nominate him that was the Abettor and Contri¬ ver of this mifchief, 'twas one IV. who fometime before bought a Judge's place in the Exchequer for Eight Hundred Pounds. This Judge was found a fit Tool to make ufe of and being a' Cunning ambo-dexter formed this Intriegue, which had proved fatal to the Pr Intereft of Ire¬ land, if affairs had fucceeded in the fame Current they had now put them. But I muff not forget to add, that to make this poilon go down the more eafie, the Pill was gilded over: Moll of the Judges were made Commilfioners, and had part of the Fines; the Lawyers and Attorneys got Money by the Court: lb that confequently all that were capable of underltanding the Cheat, were intereffed as Parties in the Intriegue, and by this means fome of the Lawyers and Attorneys pur- chaled Eftates, to the ruine of the former Pof* leffors. And tis to be obferved, that in the feve- ral Defigns of the Papifts, Protejlants were the Tools, whereby they afted, by which they ap¬ peared to have nothing of Cat ho lick in them. G And 41 Tlx Secret Confults, Negotiations, See. quently blafted with crofs Accidents and various Difappointmeats, was now fallen into their Lap. Now their long-look'd for day was come, and their Game which had been play'd with fo much difficulty and lols, did now allure them of bet¬ ter fuccels. Thele Apprehenfions fb tranfported them with fuch pleafant Raptures, as were emi¬ nently vifible in all their a&ions, efpecially in Publick Days of Rejoycing, as the day of the King's Proclaiming that of his Coronation, the Birth of the pretended Prince of Wales, and the like : in all which they demonftrated the moll extravagant Symptoms of a Superlative Joy, which they exprefs'd in making of Bonfires, Beating of Drums, playing upon the Bag-pipes, and other Mufical Inftruments, in Drinking, and Serenading in the night time, forcing the E»> glijh out of their Beds, and breaking open their Doors, and drinking Confulion to the Kings E- nemies upon their Knees: by which 'twas plain that they underftood the And all thele unlawful Revellings oftentimes continued for two or three Nights and Days without in- termiffion, wherein fuch of the as refus'd to joyn with them to that extravagant height, were accounted Perfons difaffected to the Go¬ vernment, called Fan Mick and Dogs, with the like Expreffions of Calumny and Re¬ proach. But this was not allthe moll judicious of them, were now fo animated in their hopes, that 'twas impoffible for them to bear them any longer with moderation, or to contain themlelves from the moll violent Outrages, and from inlli- gating the Rabble to Real from, and rob the of the Tpmijk Tarty in Ireland. 45 Englifh, which at firft was looked upon as the moft Expeditious Contrivance, whereby to expel them the Kingdom. The Duke of forelaw what was now paft remedy, and told a Friend of his, that nothing could now prelerve the En¬ glifh but a precipitatenefs of the Iri(b: For ("laid he) let my Countreymen alone y and they will their own bufmefs: And lb indeed they had in any time but this, when it might be laid ac¬ cording to our Saviour's Prediftion, That the time was come, when they that defiroyed the Eroteftants, thought they did God fervice. King 'James and his former (but now more efpecial) Favourites the Irifh, were now equally furious in their courle, and leemed to contend ("the one in his Commands, the other in their forward Obedience) which fhould exceed in their joynt defign of extirpating Herefie. The Duke 1684 of Ormond was called over, but before his depar¬ ture, laboured with an Indefatigable diligence, to eftablilh matters on fuch a foundation, fo as that it might not be eafie for them to create a prelent change, without a manifeft violation and infringement of the Laws and Conftitutions of the Kingdom.. The new Holpital, a ftately Fabrick near Dublin,ere&ed for poor Soldiers, would (he forelaw) be made a Neft for Hornets, which to prevent, as well as polfible, he late leveral days with the Council and Judges in private, in the Caftle, and there made all the provifion thar could be for it, againft the imminent florm. One remarkable Paffage I mull not omit to menti¬ on, which demonllrates the great Ipirit of that 4.6 The Secret Conjults, Negotiations, &c. excellent perfon. At the aforefaid Hofpital he appointed a Dinner for all the Officers of the Hofpital, and the Officers of the Army then in Dublin ; which being over, he took a large GJafs of Wine in his hand, bid them fill it to the brim, then flood up and called to all the Company, look here, ©cntlemen, tbcp fap at Court, ! am noto become an ©It) Doattng JFool; pcu fee mp 5>anD Dotfj not Ifiake, no? Do?0 mp 5>eart fail, no? Doubt but 31 twill make Come of tbtm fee tbetr ®)tftake > and fo drank the Kings Health: But upon his Arrival at Court found that King James'sBigotted Opinion would carry him to the mofl violent aCtions; a difmal appre- henfion whereof (as is believed) at length broke his heart; for though he was of a great Age, yet was he of fuch health of Body, and cheerfulnefs of mind, that in courfe of nature he might have lived Twenty Years longer, as his Mother did. 'Twas plain, that the Irijb could fallen no Ca¬ lumnies upon him, when the firfl thing they re¬ proached him with, was Cheating the Army in building the Hofpital, and that the Ar¬ chitect had inriched himfelf by it: when indeed not to leffen any thing of his due CharaCler, Re¬ binfon fhewed the parts of an Excellent Artifl in the Contrivance, and of an Honefl Man in the Charge, as men of Value and Experience in Build¬ ing affirm. 1685. Upon the Duke of removal, the Go¬ vernment was put into the hands of the Lord Primate, and the Lord Granard, in the Quality of Lords Juflices. The fell immediately to their Tlx Secret Cmfulis, See. upon their Knees, drank Confufion to all Pro- tenants and their Religion. This was taken no¬ tice of, and the wifer fort of their Party blamed thefo Men for their forwardnefs, as judging it could not be fafe to go on fo fail; but to (tide the noife of it, fuch as were Eye-witnefTes of the Fad, and threatened for not Pledging the Health, were leized with Warrants, and menaced with having their Throats cut, and the like ter¬ rifying Arts, if they denied not the thing. Sir Standi/h Harjlon one of the Barons of the Exche¬ quer, was threatened to be ealed of his Employ¬ ment, if he took not off his Son-in-Law who re¬ ported the matter. Thele daily repeated Infolences of the Irijh made the Lords Judices weary of their Govern¬ ment ; and one of them (the Lord Granard) writ to England to be dilmid. But in a Con- fult of the Papijls, it was refolved, to reprelent him as a Man fit to be kept in; for that his in. tered was very prevalent in the North among the Scots, and had for many years in King Charles's Reign been a Penfioner, and had Five Hundred Pounds per Annum given him to didribute among the Presbyterian Clergy ; of which Perlwafion his Lady was. For the aforelaid Confiderations, and befides, that he was a Popular Man in the Army, 'twas judged convenient to retain him in the Government: For which end King James writ him a Letter with his own hand, with great Promifes, and affurance that nothing fhould be afted prejudicial to the Protefiant Intered, which at that time this Lord was accounted to be zea¬ lous for, however he has now prevaricated. Mom- of the T^omifk Tarty in Ireland. 4 9 MonmotttWs Rebellion foon broke out, and 1685. fome were apt to believe that Gr.in.xrd was in fufpence who to declare for; but the Lord Pri¬ mate was a perfon of firm, and inviolable Loy¬ alty, and his unalterable fteadinefi hindered the other from deferring. Thefe two perfbns by their united Interefts, one for the Church, the other for the Diflenters, kept things in a quiet pofture in Ireland, and were lb Cajol'd by King James, as made chem not only of opinion, but perfwaded others to be lb too, that the King would never expofe himfelf to the hazard of preferring Papifis in that Kingdom, where the English and Scots were fo unanimous againft'em: And befides that, they were fo well furnilhed with Arms, as having the Arms of the (fo lately fetled) in their hands: But the Popifb Party grew bold and infolent, and every day af¬ forded but too convincing occafions of new fears to the Protefiants. Monmotatis Difeomfiture gave liberty to the Irifh (more than ever) to contrive Plots, and to fallen them upon the Protefiants, which put the whole Kingdom into a Ferment; for the Irifh pretended, that the Protefiants aflembled toge¬ ther in great numbers in the night: and to gain the more credit to thefe Hellifh Inventions, the Vulgar lrifh were infixubted to leave their Hou- fes, and to hide every Night in their Bogs, upon a pretence of fear that the would come in the Night and cut their Throats; a Practice as notorious in the Church of Rome, as unheard of among Protefiants, and which there could not H be Tk Secret Confults, &c. be the lead Ground or Foundation for, at this juntture. For be fides that in mod parts of the Kingdom the Irifh were infinitely more nume¬ rous than the Englifh; nay, in fome an hun¬ dred Families for one, (I fuppofe I fpeak much fliort of the true account) which fhewed the impoffibility of putting any fuch thing in exe¬ cution, had it been ever intended, and mud needs be accounted an ablurd and ridiculous contrivance to any man of common forife. So were the Irifh (though confcious to themfelves of their own Bloody Attions in the former Re¬ bellion^ well enough affured that the Englifh ne¬ ver imagined, much lels would attempt any fuch thing. They were convinced as well by their Pratt ices (which had been but too favourable and indulgent to the Natives in the former Reign) as by the Principles of their Religion, that they were not men of Blood ; nay, and would frequently confeft, that they were never known to be additted to Cruelty and Murther, to Barbarous Maffacres, and Inhumane Affafli- nations, which they could not excufo fome of themfolves from. And indeed whoever confiders the difference betwixt the Reformed and Romijh Church in this refpett, muft needs acknowledge a moft ft range oppofition betwixt them. To lee the Ancient Prattices of the Heathen , fo drawn to the life, nay, out-done by the pre- fent Romijh Fatfion, is to fome a Demonftration that the Perfecuting Spirit, which reigned with fo much predominancy in the Infant days of Chriftianity, is now ftrongly revived in this de¬ generate Church, which is apparently in this, and other 7he Secret (jnfults, Negotiations, See. Their firft onfet was with one Moor of mel, who was Indicted for before Sir John Mead in the Palatinate of Tipper try. This Moor was a perfon of a vaft Eftate, which made them bend their whole force againft him. Now to countenance the defign, , and Juftin Mac Carthy,. came to Clonmel to the Trial, and in the Publick Court aflum'd to reproach the Judge and the Jury ; Mac Carthy calling him Fanatick, and he and Talbot afperfing him and the Duke of Qrmond for employing fuch a , with other Calumnies, in fuch Language as was only fit for fuch Blood-hounds to exprels. Not- withftanding Moore and fome others that were impeached, were quitted .• But fuch an extrava¬ gantly partial account was lent over to the Court of that.afltion, that the King queftioned the Duke of Qrmond, how he came to employ fuch a Fa¬ natick ; to which the Duke replied, he did it in duty to his Majefty, as believing he could not entruft a better man than one of his Majefties Servants, for fb he was when Duke of Fork, be¬ ing then his Attorney General in Ireland. Tyrconnel then began to modelthe-Army, but the introductory part firft to be performed, was to. get in all the Arms from the and this defign was varnifhed over in as fair Co¬ lours as the Ground would bear. But however its dire£t tendency was plainly obvious, and vifi- ble to every Eye. The King and Council writ over to the Lords Juftices, and Council that there was realon to believe that the Rebellion of Monmouth had been of that fpreading Conta¬ gions of the Tpmtfb Tarty in Ireland. gion, as to infe£t many, and delude more. It was not therefore fafe for the Kingdom to have the Arms of the Militia difperfed abroad, but they would be in a greater readinefs for the Mi-> litia, and their own defence, to have them de- pofited in the feveral Stores of each County: Upon which inftru&ions a Proclamation iifued forth, and to make it take the better effe£t, the Lord Primate firfl: began with the City of Dub* liny and lending for the Lord Mayor and Al¬ dermen, makes an Elegant Speech to them, mag¬ nifying their unfhaken Loyalty in the worft of timesand withal adding, that their ready Obe¬ dience and prevalent example would be of great fervice to the King and Kingdom And in the clofe of Jus Speech tells them, that they expe¬ cted their compliance in bringing in their Arms, which fhould be always ready for their Service. The City were fenfible of their condition, but knew likewife, that 'twas to no purpofe to di-r fpute as to their obedience, fb brought in their Arms. The Countrey purfu'd this Precedent, and to render the defign more effefitual, the Irifh gave out, That if any Arms were referved in the Proteftants hands,, fuch would be interpreted as perfens dilaffeCted to the King and Government, and that it would be no excufe to lay they were their own Arms, and not belonging to the Mili¬ tia. This frighted many, and operated lb pow¬ erfully, that abundance delivered in.their Arms* bought with their own money. The Proteftants being thus dilarmed, Tyrconnel proceeds to dcftroying the Army, and firft be- 5 3 gins with the Officers in the. fame method, which i Tie Secret Confults, Negotiations, &c. which was defigned immediately before the Death of the King, which was to difplace all Officers that had been in the Parliament, or Oliver's Ar¬ my, as alfo the Sons of any fiich. This the Duke of Ormond had directions to proceed in when he came laft from Englandbut he made no Progrefs in it, under pretence of gaining time to find them out, for he forelaw it was to make room for Pafijls. Tyrconnel (for fo we muft call him for the fu¬ ture) proceeds in his defign, and after turning out a great part of the Officers, returns for En¬ gland, and carries along with him one Neagle a Cunning Irijb Lawyer, fince Knighted by him: Neagle's Bufinefs at London was to be engaged in their iecret Confults; for he was a man of great parts, educated among the Jefuits, and con- fequently very inveterate. Upon their Arrival at London, 'twas fome time e'er Neagle could gain admittance to kils the King's hand, but was conftantly with Father Petre, and the reft of that Furious Cabal. The Queen was altogether for their Counfels, but the King was not fo forward- ly inclined , being every day fet upon by all his Pogifh Lords, not to proceed too faft, in the re¬ volution of Ireland, for that would fpoil the ge¬ neral intereft of the Catholicks: and upon the Lord Bellajis, Po and therefore 'twas not thought feafonable (till matters were come to a greater Maturity) to bring him upon the Stage. The. Lord Be/lajis was propofed, but that was too bare-fac'd ; befides, he was infirm, at leaft to carry on their defign with fuccefs, and not altogether to difguft the Englifh, 'twas refolved that Tyrconnel fhould re¬ turn Lieutenant General of the Army, and the Earl of Clarendon Lord Lieutenant. In the mean time the Irifh Papifls in all parts of the Kingdom, proceeded in their former Stratagems of Impeach¬ ing the Protejlants for Plots, &c. but thefe were generally fb ridiculoufly contrived, and made up of fuch Palpable Contradictions, and Incongrui¬ ties, The Secret Conjults, Negotiations, &c. ties, that they ferved only to demonftrate the P rote pants innocency, and the Horrid Perjuries, and Implacable Inveteracy of the Informers: But feeing that thefe Impeachments were lb un¬ skilfully managed (which yet were repeated up¬ on every pretended occafion of dilguft they had to an Englijb-man) as to mils of their Wicked and Diabolical intent; then they applyed them- felves to other Courfes; many went out and robb'd upon the High-way, broke up Hou- fes, ftole Cattle, killed them in the Field, and cut out the Tongues of Sheep alive, with other innumerable Barbarities, all acled upon the glifh, which were lo frightened and difeouraged with thefe Tragedies, that thoufands deferted the Kingdom, and came for England, under as great Fears and Jealoufies, as if there had been an o- pen Rebellion, and Five Hundred together de¬ parted the Kingdom, to Tranlport themfelves to Virginia, Carolina, Penfilvania, WeJ Nerv England. This was extream grateful to the who fet all their Engines at work, lb to dilhearten and difeourage the Protejlants, as to force them to leave the Kingdom. Tyrconnel now drives with greater fury than before, not only difpla- cing the Officers of the Army, but alfo turning out the Private Soldiers, and to both, prefers which of the Iriflj he thought fit; his Will was Iris Law, and his A&ions purely Arbitrary, none daring to queftion him; for he brought over Blank Commiffioas Signed by the King, forfuch as he was willing to put in. This Pa?t' he aaed in u«t in Ireland, i-n a molt Infulting Barbarous manner, caufing poor Men that had no Cloaths on their Backs, but Red Coats, to be ftript to their Shirts, and fo turned off; and of all this lie himfelf was an Inhumane Spectator: He leiz'd the Horles of fome Officers and Troopers, giving Notes that a- mounted not to a fourth proportion of their jutl Values j to others he gave nothing but ill words, and vile reproaches. Inthemidltof this Tragi¬ cal Scene the Earl of Clarendon comes upon the Stage in the Capacity of Lord Lieutenant; his Relation to the King added to the violent Pro¬ ceedings then in Ireland, lo vigoroufly drove on by the Popifh Party, afforded but little hopes of any red re Is of thele Evils to the Drooping Spirits of the Proteftants, who were by this time entered into a very Delponding and De- je£ted Condition. But thefe Dilcouragements of the were alleviated in a very high meafure, if not changed into Ecftafies, and perfeft Raptures of Joy, when perceiving the Lord Lieutenant a fling as a per- lon of inviolable Integrity to the Proteftants, a/id the Englijh Intereft, they looked upon him as a lit Man to item the Torrent of the Popifh Fa¬ ction, which had been fo violent and impetuous: and indeed his very firft action gave no fmall proof of it, -which was to cherifh and revive the broken hearts of the Proteftants, with thole great A durances his Mafter had given him of protecting the Protejlant Interell and Religion, which he good man could not disbelieve. In purluance of this, he ifl'ued out Proclamations for bringing in of Torys, and propos'd Rewards to fuch as I ffiould 5? it i fhould apprehend them: He rid a Progrefi round the chiefeft parts of the Kingdom, to give life to the Englifh ; but at the lame time the Grandees of the Irifh proceeded in their de- fign, animating their Yalfals, with hopes that he fhould loon be removed ; the Irifh compofing Barbarous Songs in praile of and that his Heroick hand fhould defiroy the glifh Church ; with Bloody and Inhumane Expref- lions, very ungrateful to a Chriffian Ear. Thefe reftlels Endeavours of the made the Earl of Clarendon find things very uneafie; whereunto one Remarkable PalTagc not a little contributed, which was reported to be thus: That upon a Sunday Morning going to Church, he perceived an Irifh Officer he never faw be¬ fore, Commanding his Guard of Battle-Axes that attended his Perlon, which exceedingly furpri- zed him: whereupon he made a flop, demand¬ ing who he was, and who put him there? The Irifh-man (for they are naturally Pufillanimous and fearful) was as much frighted, as the Lord Lieutenant was difturbed; but with fome diffi¬ culty, and in broken Expreffions, occafioned by fear, told his Excellency, he was a Captain put in by the Lord Tyrconnel. His Excellency demand¬ ed of him When? he replyed, That Morning: His Excellency bid 'em call the former Captain, and difmils this of Tyrconne The next day the Lord Lieutenant lent for Tyrconnel, and que- ftioned him for this A&ion, who replyed, He did nothing but by the Kjn Ordersto which the Lord Lieutenant returned anfwer, That His Majejly intrujfed him with the Government, he 6o The Secret [onfults, Negotiations, See. care an ASt of Parliament for the fecurity of their Eftates, and only liberty for Priefts in their own private Houfes, and to be exempted from all Employments." This Father Pet res A- nathematized as Terreftrial, and founded upon too anxious a Sollicitude for the prefervation of their Secular Interefts ; but if they would pur- fue his meafures, he doubted not to lee the Ho¬ ly Church triumphant in England: And indeed his Politicks have taken, but in a quite different manner than he expefted \ for (God be praifed) a Church triumphs in England,, as much fiiperu- our to his in Holinels, as the means of its pre- fervation have been in juftice, to his, which were intended for its deftru&ion. Others of the Pa- pifs were for addrefling the King to have liber¬ ty (now that they might do it) to fell their Eftates, and that his Majefty would intercede with the French King to provide for them in his Dominions. After feveral Debates, it was at laft agreed upon to lay both Propofals before the King, and fome of the number to attend his Majefty with them, which was accordingly done; to which the King's return was, That he had be¬ fore their Defires came to him, often thought of themj and had ( as he believed) provided a fure Sanftuary, and Retreat for them in Ireland, if all thefe endeavours fhoiild be blajled in England, which he had made for their fecurity, and cf whofe juccefs he had not yet r.eafon to defpair. This Encouragement to the Papifis in England, was attended with the moft Zealous Expreffions, and Qatholick Aflurances of his Ardent Love, to the Holy Church, which, he faid fte, had been a w# Si Mar- of the T^omijb Tarty in Ireland. Martyr for. Thus we fee how the Bigottry of this unhappy Prince, tranfported him beyond all bounds, and carryM him to fuch Extravagancies in Government, as the moderate of the Englifh Papijls themfelves thought to be extream- hazar¬ dous and infecure; and would all of them have been content with a private exercife of their Re¬ ligion, as thinking it abundantly more fafe, ra¬ ther than endanger the lofing their Eftates and Fortunes, (which they almoft look'd upon as in¬ evitable) if fuch violent extream courfes were followed. But alas thefe felf-preferving, and the furious Principles of the Jefuits had no Congruity; and the King was too much.a Creature of the laft, to attend to any but their Counfels. He faid he was refolved to die a Martyr, rather than not ad¬ vance the Catholick. Caufe. He had entered him- felf into the Order of the Jefuits, and was be¬ come a Lay-Brother of that Society; and fb in confequence to his Profeflion, mud needs look upon it as-meritorious to extirpate and deftroy Herefie. He was told that this would be a molt glorious adtion ; and doubtlefs would be Cano¬ nized for it. To reduce three Kingdoms to an entire obedience to the Holy See, which had A- poftatized fb long, and been the Nurfery of fb many Damned Hereticks, who by their Hetero¬ dox Dodtrines had created fo much difturbance to the peace of the mod Holy Catholick Church, was doubtlefs the greateft action on this fide Hea¬ ven,, and deferved no jefs than that for its re¬ ward. No time, nor ftory, could parallel this Heroical Atchievement, which would be corn- memo- 6z The Secret Confute,Negotiations, See. memoratedto Eternal Ages. This would be a "Work of Supererogation indeed, which would not only convey him to Heaven, without touch¬ ing at Purgatory; but alfo lay up fuch an infi- • nite over-plus of merits, as being depofited in the hands of the Church, and frugally applyed, would not only preferve thoufands of others from thefe Flames, but waft them immediately into Abra¬ ham's liofom. Thefe or the like we may fup- pofe to have been the conftant fuggeftions of the Jefuits, which as they indeavoured to inftill into the Kings mind, with Tongues as fmooth as Oyl, and with the moft prevailing Flatteries, and Artificial Infinuations; lb on the other hand, did he as greedily imbibe thefe Poifenous Dobtrines, as they could infufe them, and eagerly fwallow'd the Bait, when all the while the Hook lay con- ceal'd, and he £> far intangled, till 'twas too late to difcover it. And now how can we fuppofe that a Prince thus wholly at the Devotion of the Jefuits, fwayed altogether by their Coun¬ cils, and upon every occafion confulting them as fo many Oracles, fhould refift the voice of thefe Charmers, who Charmed fo wifely in his byafs'd opinion. Thefe Syrens kept a very harmonious Confbrt, which they exactly tuned to the Key and accent of this Votary's fanciful Genius: eve¬ ry ftroke founded fo melodious in his Ear, as made him not confider that this pleafant Mu- fick prefaged a dangerous Ship-wrack to hiin- felt and his Party, as we find it afterwards proved. / But But to go on in ray former Difcourfe: Af¬ ter the aforefaid Encouragements given by the King to the Englifh Papijts,to allay their fears, frefli Confults were fet on foot, relating to the Government of Ireland. This by accident the Lord Treafurer received fome account of, which he immediately acquainted the King with, who abfolutely denys, that there was any intention of changing the Chief Governour; but on the contrary allured him of his great fatisfa&ion ' with the Lord Lieutenant there. Within a few days the Lord Treafurer received from his Bro¬ ther the Lord Lieutenant of the fame- Intimations, which he had informed the King of; and upon which he again accofts his Maje- fty, who as pofitively difbwns the whole matter as he had done before, and to remove the Jea- loufies of the Lord Lieutenant, writes (for his greater fatisfa&ion) a Letter to him, as was laid, with his own hand, alluring him there was yet no thoughts, and he believed never would be in him (whilft both liv'd) to remove him from the Government of Ireland; notwithftanding which the Papijls in Ireland, confidently affirmed, that the day before the King writ the Letter, he had given affuranceto Father , That Tyrconnel fbould be Lord Lieutenant; but 'tis certain that no other Creature but the Queen was privy to this, no not Tyrconnel himfelf, for he could not „ keep a Secret. 'T w? s 'Twas at the fame time alfo refolved to put the Lord Treafurer and Sunderland (Principal Secretary) to the Teft, as to what they would do in compliance to the ■Catholick Caufe ; it not being at all advifeable to cherifh Serpents in their Bofoms that might difembogue their venom upon every inviting Revolution. Tfie King undertook the management of this Affair, and made his firft Onlet on Sunderland, for he was oblerved to be moft docible, as appeared already, by his fubmif- five bowing and cringing to the Altar. What the Tenour of that Dilcourle was, which the King had with him, is not yet known ; but however Sunderland''s Obedience was extreamly magnify'd and approved of in the Conclave; and Father Petres at a meeting with the Jefuits, gave a good account of this Negotiation with Sunderland ; ad¬ ding that 'twas neceffary for him as yet to ap¬ pear a Protejlant for Important Reafons of State. Upon meeting with this fuccefs, the King de¬ fends to an attempt upon the Treafurer, whom he endeavours to manage with good words and gentle arts of Perfwafion. For he was haughty, as knowing that his fignal Services might rea- fonably entitle him to confiderable Favours from the King: And therefore upon this account muft be amicably dealt with, and gently ftroak'd into humour : which the King ftrove to perform with all thofe Specious Arts and Policies dictated to him by his Holy Council. And the more to pre¬ vail upon him, he urged to him, that ©unDct* lanD, a Wile and Religious Man, though he was know- perfons were propofed, but none approved of: After that the inclination of the Council had been fufficiently fifted, by offering of divers, the King again brings on Tyrconnel; which was withftood by all but $ , and in oppofition to which the Popijh Party contended vigoroufly. p — (notwithftanding that they knew him to be both a C and a F , as the King in Paffion one day told him he was; yet however) was confidered as a Perfon whole moderate car¬ riage had entitled him to a reafonable good Cha¬ racter among the Prot ejl ants;and therefore the fitted: to,be placed in this ftation, the better to amufe them. This was chiefly infilled upon by them, and he was llrongly argued for upon this account.. Pot vis was naturally covetous, and the Government of Ireland, a Poll of great profit: wherefore his Friends advis'd him to agree with Sunderland,and do as the L. B did with the Dutchefs of Cleveland, become Tenant for it; in order whereunto Bowis comes to terms, and agrees for Four Thoufand Pounds per num; but whatever the bottom of the defign was, Sunderland never forfook Tyrconnel at the Council-Board. Some conjedured,. that he ac¬ quainted the King of his Bargain with ; and that the King made Tyrconnel agree to the fame. For 'tis certain Tyrconnel (who was of no great Conduct) would fwear he got not fo much by the Government,.as ferved to maintain him, notwithftanding that it was worth to him Eignteen Thoufand Pounds per Annum. Sunder- cf the Qfomifb Tarty Ireland. Sunderland was become fo intimate a Favou¬ rite, that nothing could be got at Court but by his intereft ; and when the King was told he got all the Money of the Court, he replyed he deferved it. Nay, his Intereft was at laft be¬ come fo remarkable, that the King himfelf would ask when any grant was given, if they had fpoke with Sunderland. The Irifb were ftill marveloufly impatient for 1686,- their S^agan ; and at laft Tyrconnel obtains the Government, notwithftandingall oppofition. The ! orifirmation of this difmal News reaching the Ears of the Protejlants in Ireland, ftruck like a Thunderbolt: Perhaps no Age or Story can pa¬ rallel fo dreadful a Cataftrophe among all Ages and Sexes, as if the day of Doom was come ; every one lamenting the dreadfulnefs of their horrible condition, and almoft all that could (by any mens) deferted the Kingdom, if they had but money to difcharge their Paflage; a demon- ftration of this were thofe infinite numbers of Families, which flocked over from Dublin to the ljle of Many and other places. Indeed I cannot recal to mind the great Confirmation, the dif¬ mal Apprehenfions, and Panick Fears, which poflefs'd the hearts of all Protejlants at this ju&- Sure, without reviving flike JEneas his repeti¬ tion of the Trojan Miferies to the Carthaginian Queen) thofe deep impreflions of forrow, thofe Infandos - dolores, under which I was then almoft funk, and overwhelmed. fii Now The Secret Qonfults, Now every thing discovered a gloomy and Melancholy profpeft, and Seemed to be attended with lb many Difcouragements, that many that had Patentee Employments, obtained Licence from the Lord Lieutenant under the Broad-Seal, to come away ; and all that lay in his Excellenr cy's power, for the help and afliftance of the t eft ants, he zealoufly performed. It was inter¬ preted by many as a fignal Aft of Providence propitious to the Englijh, that the Winds conti¬ nued for fome time contrary, after that this furi¬ ous Zealot for the Caufe (as impatient as a Wild Bull in a Net) was come to the Sea-fide, which dilappointment did not a little dilcompofe him, whole prejudice and ambition equally infpired him with eagernels to Supplant his Predeceflor, whom he had looked upon as his Corrival in the Government. This favourable, delay was religi- oufly refpefted by many as a certain warning, or admonition from God to his people to fly from, thole heavy Judgments, which had been long imminent, but now in an aftual readinels to defcend upon that Poor Diftrefled King¬ dom. But he whofe Arrival was dreaded every mo¬ ment, as the moft fatal milery that could fall upon the Nation; at laft (after being thus re¬ tarded) to the unfpeakable terrour of the ftants,Landed at Dublin: And the Lord Claren¬ don (who had a particular favour conferred up¬ on him to.continue for one Week in the Govern¬ ment after 'PyrconneVs Landing) at his Grace .the Lord Archbilhop of DublI'alace, refigned the Sword to Tyrconnelwith an admirable Speech to him,, The Secret Confults, Negotiations, See. ges to the whole Chriftian World, that to obli¬ terate that deferved reproach, they would now take fome milder courfe ; which though it might have fometbing more of Humanity in-it, would yet be as efteftual to the defign, the utter Sub- verfion of the Protejlant Intereli and Religion. In fine, Quot homines, tot fen tens in', their Sen¬ timents were as various as their Fears: But how¬ ever all concurred in thi 'I hat Popery was the Game, that mult not _ be Flayed, but win too, whatever Arts were uled to obtain the up- fhot. The Lord Clarendon before he fin-rendered the Government, was very curious to inform him- felf of the Conftitution and Condition of land, and at his going over carried with him Copies of Records, Surveys, &c. of that King¬ dom, and among other things, it is laid, that he defired the Lord Chief Jultice , (now in Rebellion in Ireland) and one of the fatal inftruments for the mine of that Kingdom, to give him his opinion in Writing, both as to the Legality and fuftice of the Aft of Settlement; as alio to anfwer thole Objeftions which had been made again ft it by ; all which he amply performed; and which my Lord Claren¬ don upon his Arrival at Court, {hewed to the King, who lent the Copy over to , who {pared not to reproach for this aftion, which Kjating at firft dilbwned ; but the matter being too plain to admit of an ablblute denial at length began to make the beft Excule lis could. My sf the 1{omiJh *Party in Ireland. My Lord Clarendon being fhipped for En¬ gland, now does the open and full Triumph of the Irijh ambitioufly fhew it felf in this advanta- gious Jight in all its grandeur and magnificence The dejefted condition of the made thei/ Viftory more glorious. 'Twas now impoffibie for the Natives to forbear infulting over the En¬ glish at an infupportable rate, as if they had been actually their Slaves, bound to the Wheels of their Chariots. That fober thought of Sefo- Jlris, when he had his Coach drawn by four Kings, was not a refleftion to be entertained by them at this junfture. The Day was now their own, and Poji mortem n vol hpt as, they fail¬ ed not to ufe it as extravagantly whilft they enjoyed it. What Affronts and Indignities were now cait upon the Englijh ? How barbaroufly He&or'd and Infulted over by thefe Huffing Rhodomontadoes ? How injured and oppref- fed by publick acts of notorious in juftice ? How abufed as to their good Names, reviled as to their Religion, and reproached as and Pmejlants ? Called Fanati , and Hereticks, is lo publickiy known, as requires not much pains to defcribe. Thole of the Pro- tejhmts who had been the moft obliging to the i Irijh, were fure to meet with the- moft ungrate¬ ful returns; and if they had been fo charitable as to relieve them in their neceflities, as the Englijh (a merciful and too eafie natured a Peo¬ ple) had frequently done, they would now in requital leize upon what they had, by open force, or elfe fet others of their own Creatures to do it. If any of 'the Englijh lent Money to them,. of the Tfomifb Tarty Ireland. but little regard was to be had to the man, lo long as he was fitted to that intereft, which was then promoting; it being very remarkable, That of what Perfwafion foever they were, which they employed at this time, they chole men of the moft branded Reputations, and whole Principles were fuch as could brave Conlci- ence. The three Protejfant Judges had their feve- ral Capacities and Inclinations for their Service, the Lord Chief J uftice. Davis, I fpeak not of, for he was decreed to die, and did loon after : but the three Standards for the Caufe, were the Lord Chief J uftice Kjati for the Common- Pleas, Lyndon for the Kjng s-Pcnch, and Baron Worth for the Exchequer. The Lord Chief Ju- ftice Kjating had always been a Servant of the Duke of Torks, was a Native of the place, as the Irijb call them, his Family for many Ages there, and Naturalized into Inflo; he was lotnewhat accounted to be Popifloly inclined, and therefore that Party thought themlelves fure of him; but he was a perlbn of mo c fenle than to purfue the Chace with greater expedition than lafety.- He was rich and fingle, and fmall hopes would not Ipur him on to an indilcreet forwardnels ; however, as to the main, they queftioned not his Affe&ion to the Caule. Lyndon, though in his aftefHon no friend to the iriflj Government; yet lay under the pow¬ erful temptation of a numerous Family, and his not abounding in Riches made him the more Paflive, though he behaved himlelf the beft of the L 2 three; T,"he Secret Qonfults,Negotiations, &c. three; and when it laid in his power, Ihewed himlelf an English-man. Baron IV was the Man they moft de¬ pended upon, and he was fo well known, that 'twas in vain to pretend indifferency, nor did he, but was the firft man in the Exchequer (where there was more bufinels than in all the Courts befides) that ftruck the fatal blow in all Caufes where the Englijh were concerned, as in the Sequel will appear in the Charters, and pri¬ vate Caufes of the Engl/Jb that came before him. The Courts being thus letled, the next thing to be performed, was calling in the Charters, and here Tyrconnel endeavoured to proceed in the fame method, that the Lords Juftices had done before, in perfwading the City to deliver up their Arms. But one art in State-Policy could not eafily be impoled twice in a year, and the English had a frefh Impreflion upon their Memories, by what plaulible perlwafive Rheto- rick they had been cajoled out of their Arms, and now to have a like Delufion pals upon them, in depriving them of their Laws, was a colour not natural enough to deceive them a lecond time : However this was the method of the pro. ceeding. Tyrconnel (during the Lord Clarendon's Go¬ vernment had procured the King's Letter, that all Roman Catholicks fhould be admitted into the freedom of all the Corporations of the King¬ dom : which Letter was artfully contrived with of the omifbTarty in Ireland. a great deal of fweetnels, and of endearing expref- fions, as that it proceeded from his Majefty's great care of the general good of the Kingdom, and was gracioufly defigned by him for the en¬ couragement of Trade, and the uniting of the Affeftions of his Subjefts : and in order to put this in execution, the City of Dublin was to lead the way, and to be the Precedent to the whole Kingdom: And therefore in purfuance to the te- nour of the aforelaid Letter, the Lord Mayor calls a General Affembly, wherein the Kings Letter was read; upon which the City made their humble Addrels to the Lord Lieutenant and Council; letting forth, that they found the City by Aft of Parliament bound up, and that if they fhould aft according to the Letter, they incurred a Forfeiture of their Charters; and therefore humbly prayed the Lord Lieutenant and Council, to lay their Condition at his Ma¬ jefty's Feet, who (they did humbly conceive) was mis-informed in this matter. This retarded the freedom of the Papijls for lome time, but another Mayor, one Cujtle (who is ftill in Dublin) fucceeding, he pa/Ted the Irifb Freemen, and in conlequence to this, the lame was done in the whole Kingdom. This was laid with ingenuity enough for pro¬ moting the Irifh defign; yet received not its hor ped for effeft, which was by this means to pro¬ cure freedom for lo many of the Injb in every Corporation, as by the Majority of their Suffra¬ ges, might out-vote the • Etighfb in the Eleftion of Popi/h Magiftrates, which upon TyrconnePs 7 8 The Secret Confults&c. Acceffion to the Government, might facilitate the furrendring the Charters, and fo render the King¬ dom fas they (tiled it) entirely Catholick; But . this device, how fpecioufly foever contrived, did not reach the end of its Projedors. For notwith- ftanding the great Endeavours, and adive Indu- ftry of the Irifb; yet moft of the Corporations out-ballanced them in the number of Protc- (lunts. Tyrctmoel perceiving himfelf fruftrated of his expectation, by the numerous Party of the En- fli(b, has an immediate recourfe to the way be¬ fore-mentioned of the Lords Juftices, and to put this in pradice, fends for the Lord Mayor and Aldermen, and there acquaints them, that he had in charge from hisMafterthe King, to tell them, as being the chief City of the Kingdom, and un¬ to which, as fuch, he intended the greateft Marks of his Favour, that it was his pleafure to call in all the Charters of the Kingdom, not with defign to take away any thing from them, but to enlarge their Priviledges, by which ad of bounty and favour, he might the more endear them unto him : Ha farther told them, that his Majefty expeded their ready compliance, fo as that their chearful furrendry of their Charter, might become examplary to the reft of the Kingdom. The Lord Mayor returned the anfwer ufual in fuch cafes; which was, that he would call an Aflembly, and move it to them ; and the next day he accordingly did fo, acquainting them with what the Lord Deputy had given him in charge. The of the Tomijb Tarty Ireland. The Alfembly was not long upon their Refolves, but the manner of delivering them afforded the greateft matter of debate; the refult whereof was this, That the Lord Mayor, Recorder, and Al¬ dermen ftiould wait upon his Excellency, and acquaint his Lordfhip, that as the City had ever been exemplary in their Loyalty, and faithful O- bedience to the Kings and Queens of England; lb they fhould ever continue in the lame; and therefore humbly conceived it to be their Duty to lay at his Majefty's feet the great Services they had done the Crown, under the (Svantg anD immunities! of One fruntyeD anh Cburp Chatter#, they had then in their Treafury from his Majefties Royal Anceftors; and they hum¬ bly prayed his Excellency to favour them in a kind reprelentation of their condition to his Ma- jefty, which they hoped would prevail with his Majefty for the continuance of their Ancient Go¬ vernment, under lo many Gracious Grants and Charters. Upon the making of this return, there was prelent the King's Attorney and Sol- licitor. The firft being a moft Virulent and Inveterate Papifi; nothing of friendlhip was ex¬ pected from him: but the latter was not doubt¬ ed, yet contrary to expectation, argued ftifly a- gainft the City. The Lord Deputy (as extra¬ vagantly mad to meet with this return, which lo ablblutely thwarted his defign) fell into a great fit of violent Palfion, and in a raging Tem- peft told them, That this was the continuance of their former Rebellion, that they had turned out all the Loyal Snbje&s in the laft War of Ire- go •> Ihe Secret Confutes, Negotiations, land, and that they would do fo now, were it in their power: And it was, becaufe they fo lately difputed the King's Commands, for ad¬ mitting Catholick Free-men, that caufcd his Ma- jefty to call in their Charters; and in the clofe of this furious Speech, advifed the Lord Mayor to call the Alfembly again, and obey the King, or it would be worfe for them. Wherefore the Lord Mayor humbly befought his Excellency to fignifie his pleafure to the AP fembly by a Letter under his hand, alledging, that they would not regard a Verbal. Repetiti¬ on of it, which they had been already acquain¬ ted with; as alfo urging, that it had been the conftant practice of the Chief Governour to fend their Letter upon occafions of publick bufinefs to the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Commons : And if his Excellency would pleafe to follow this ufuai method, he would aft (as in duty bound) in obedience to it: To which the Sollicitor Ge¬ neral replyed, that there was no neceffity of any fuch Formality, but 'twas fufficient if his Ex¬ cellency fignify'd his Commands by word of Mouth, in which they ought to acquiefce. Upon this, the Lord Mayor called another Alfembly, and great Debates arofe, how to de¬ mean themfelves in this nice Criticifm of Af¬ fairs : But as to the furrendry of their Charter; 'twas what they unanimoufly refblved againlt: After fonie Difpute as to the manner of Ad- dreffing the Lord Deputy in this cafe, 'twas at lafl: refblved, and concluded, That the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Commons, fhould make their of the %omtjh Tarty in Ireland. Popi/h and Arbitrary defigns. So this return of the Sheriffs was over-ruled, and a Fine impo- fed upon them, if in four days they did not amend their Return, which fome thought thev would not have agreed to: but 'twas among themfelves thought fit to doit, and accordingly the Attorney General proceeded againft them ? and took fbme advantage of their Pleadings, which the Court gave judgment upon. This afforded matter of Triumph, and an univerfa! exceffive joy to the Irifh, which difperfed it felf with a marvelous Celerity throughout the whole Kingdom; but became on the contrary hand as much a Subjcbt of Lamentation to the Englijh Citizens, who called themlelves the SllCgtn Cttp, as having never been tainted with any abtion of Difloyalty or Rebellion in all the feveral Revolutions and Viciffitudes of that un¬ fortunate Kingdom, which, though never finceit was in the polfeflion of the King's of England, continued forty years uninterruptedly without an Infurrebfion of the Natives; yet was this City remarkably Loyal in all Changes, and performed many fignal aftsof Bravery and Cou¬ rage, as their Records do amply teftifie, and of which (not to name many others) I cannot o- mit one very remarkable 111 fiance ; which was, That when the Lord Duke of Ormond recei¬ ved Orders by that Royal Martyr King Charles, the Fir/l, of ever Blefled and Immortal Me»J mory, to give up the Sword and Government ' to the Parliament; they being at that time beft able to fupprefs the Irifh Rebels: The M 2 Lord Tk Secret Qnfults, , &c. Lord of Ormond, in purfuance to this inftru- £tion, delivered up the Sword, and lent to the Mayor one (DUilltatn "Smith,ordering him todo the like; but he to fhew his Loyalty went to the Lord of Ormond accompanied with his Bre¬ thren the Alderman, and told his Lordlhip, that he kept that Sword for the King, that the City was the King's Chamber, and he ou.ld deliver neither, but into the hands of the King's Servants: Upon which the Lord of Ormond took occafion to commend his Loyalty, and told him,He had the King's Commands to do it; and for the Mayors greater fatisfaftion, fhewed him the King's Letter, which when the Mayor read, he obferved there was order for the Lord of Ormond, to give up the Go¬ vernment to the Parliaments Commiffioners, but not a word that the Mayor Ihould do it; which the Mayor taking notice of to the Lord of Ormond, told him, he would leave the and Kjys of the City with his Lordlhip, to ufe as he plealed, he being the King's Lieu¬ tenant ; and 10 he did, and after took his leave. This the City juftly boafts of, as never being engaged in any Rebellion, nor ever actually under the Ufurper's Government in any other manner than by the King's Appointment and Command. But to return to the Charters, confbnant to the Sentence againft Dublin, lb was J udgment given againft all the Charters of the Kingdom, except againft fuch as quietly furrendred, as suoft did, it being to no purpole to contend in 8 6 The Secret Confults, , &c. the Prate/louts with ; and lb he was, which he improved, by the frequent opportunities which were offered to him of drawing in honeft men, he having been many years in the Secre¬ taries Office, and a pretended , though his Brother was a noted Champion for Rome \ but that was one of the Machinations of the RomifbConclave, (mightily pra&ifed in Ire¬ land) to difguile one part of their Family un¬ der the Proteftant Education, though they were as much Papijls as the other that appear¬ ed to be openly fuch by a publick Profeffion : A practice which the old Englifh Families are rarely free from in that Kingdom. But to come again to his Letters and Meffages flew round the Kingdom, and prevail¬ ed in many places, but more out of a Senti¬ ment, That 'twas to no purpole to contend, than any Belief, or Opinion they had either of his, or his Matters affurances. But however that was, 'tis certain that Ellis acquired a fair Reputation among the Popifb Party for his fuc- cels in thefe Arts of Delufion and Treachery, and they in their Secret Cabals, did not a lit¬ tle magnifie and applaud their Politicks, which they thought, they fo amnfed the Englijb with, laughing at the Credulity of the (JercttCfe 2Dog0, for lb their Grandees in their private Meetings would frequently call them. Having thus obtained their wifh as to the furrendry of the Charters, the next work was to agree upon a Model for the men. This de¬ bate was ftrongly canvaffed feveral ways, and that ef the ^om'tjh Tarty in Ireland. that which chiefly puzled them, and even put em almoft to a Non-plus, was, that the King would have nothing of this tranla&ed at Court, for fear of meeting with oppofition there. This Exigency, of not being Suffered to re^ ceive advice from England, expofed them to great Difficulties ; for they were utter Stran¬ gers to the Laws, and Government of Corpo^ rations; as indeed they were to all matters of Government, having been converlant in no¬ thing but Secret Plots, and Private Contrivan¬ ces, how to unhinge and difeompofe all Govern- meats; and as an aggravation of their misfor¬ tune, except Rice, Daly, and Neagle, there was not a man of them in the Privy Council that had common lenfe, if you will believe them- felves: for Rice and Daly would often complain that nothing could pals at the Council-Board, that concerned the Publick, but their Coun¬ trymen muft firft ask Teigr f f tpat WOUlD net Cpotl 1)10 Pottatoe ^athem Neceffity at laft fupply'd the place of In¬ vention ; and a method was agreed upon which reduced Corporations to perfect Slavery ; and this in all the Circumftance^ of that affair was their prime and ultimate aim : For as to matter of Trade, or improving of the Nation; thefe were Speculations of too Metaphyseal a nature for men of their fize, and former way of Edu¬ cation, as was demonftrated in the firft Procla¬ mation iffued forth by Tyrconnel and his Coun- T h Secret Confults, Negotiations, Criminals and Malefactors; which I fhall now let before you in two remarkable Paffages relating to this Earl, which were publickly tranfacfed at the Bar. _ One was of a poor Butcher, at a Town near C.orhe, who refufing Clanc Men an Horfe, they violently leized him by force, and. would never return lnm to the Owner, which the Man making Complaint of to the Judges of Aflize, in prefence of the Earl: The Judges ordered fatisfaQion to be made to the Man for his Horfe, which the Earl promifed to fee performed ; But as of the Tomijb Tarty Ireland. praifed at the half proportion of what they were worth: This was fufficient to obtain an Execution for the relief of the poor diftreffed Catholicks, a pra&ice become as univerfel a- gainft, as deftru£tive to the ; infomuch that in the North of Ireland there was not one man in five of the ordinary that were not ruined ; and had they continued thefe Courfes but few Years longer, together with their exorbitant Proceedings againft the in their Mannor, Sheriffs, and the like Courts, (where fuch barbarous Injuftices, and publick Oppreflions, and Violences were acted, as never till then were heard of among Chri- ftians) thele without other means might have wholly reduced the Kingdom into hands. For as by their Civil Bills at the Affizes, and by their notorious Perjuries in the Infer tour Courts, ffley deftroyed the fmaller men; fo by Eje&ments in the higher Courts, they took away mens Eftates in Fee : It being obferved, That never one Caufe came before them upon a Trial fob Land, but the Judgment was con- ftantly given in favour of the Irijh. Complaints were continually made at Court of thefe irregular Proceedings, and Writs of Er- rour were brought from England, but generally the feme Judgments were confirmed in this Kingdom; the Judges here being moft of the feme Stamp. SJjcridon about this time began to be difeover- ed by Tjrconnel to fell places of all forts, both Ecclefiaffical, Civil, and Military: He was not O 2 only The Secret Qonfults, Negotiations, See. only Principal Secretary of State, but alfo one of the Commiffioners of the Cujloms: So that .whenever he met with a conveniency of ma-' king an advantagious bargain for a place in the Cuftome-houfe, he would pretend to the Com¬ miffioners, That 'twas my Lord Deputy's Re¬ quest to have fuch a Perfon employed. This by degrees increafed lb much upon the Commiffio¬ ners, that Dickifon, one of the Commiffioners, writ over to the Lords of the Treafury, that they were fo burthened and oppreffed with Irifb Offi¬ cers, recommended by the Lord Deputy, that he was afraid that the Revenue would be loft by ill management. Upon this, my Lord Deputy was ordered not to recommend a man, nor any ways to intermeddle in the Revenue. The C.ommiffi- oners alfo iffiied forth their Orders, pofted up at the Cuftom-houfe Door, That a11 Perfons who had Petitioned for Employments in thfcCuftoms or Revenue, fhould return to their refpe&ive Abodes, for that there would be no Employ¬ ments difpofed of. This Buftle created various Difputes betwixt Tyrconnel and Sheridon \ and from this time forward Sheridon contrived to undermine Tyrconnel. His firft Stratagem was to prepolfefs the Romiflo Clergy againft him, which to accomplish, he contracts an intimate Acquaintance with TyrconnePs Chaplain, that moft frequently officiated: This Fellow picks up what he could of TyrconnePs contempt of the .Mafs and Prayers: One particular Charge was, I hat when the Army was in the Camp at#the C urrah cf Kjldare, Tyrconnel being at play in his Tent, of the Tarty in'Ireland, ioi Tent, the Priejl came to him to know if his Excellency would goto Mafs ; whoreplyed, No, he would fend, (naming fbme body by him> to ftand in his place, and that would do as well : Of this Sheridon being a Bigotted Zealot, gives an account to Father Pet res, whofe Niece She¬ ridon had Married, by which means lie obtain¬ ed an intereft and freedom with the Jefuit, and not with him only, but with all the Iri[b Clergy, efpecially with the Titular Primate of Armafh, who beinganVlJler manias Sheridon was, had no kindnefs for Tyrconnel, who was of the Pale, a fort of old Enghjh degenerated into Ir/Jh, but had in no erfeem by the Natives of the Province of 'Ilifter. The aforefaid Titular Primate then contrafted an intimate Familiarity and Acquain¬ tance with his Coufin Sheridon, as he called him, and they (with the before-mentioned PrieftJ for¬ med Artides4-againft Tyrconnel', which having compleated, and Sheridon difpofed of his Affairs, prays leave of the Lord Deputy to go for En¬ gland, pretending fome private bufmels of his own to difpatch there : But Tyrconnel being jea¬ lous that he aefigned fome prejudice to himfelf, would not give him permifflton to go; upon which, Sheridon writes to a Coufin of his to London to take out a Licence from the King, which Father Peters look'd upon as ftrange, and font him word back, That the King would en¬ quire the reafon why he had it not from the Lord Deputy. This could not be tranfeffed with that fecrecy at Court, but that Tyrconnel had fome im telligence of it, which exigency drove him to have i The Secret Cwfults, Neg, &c. have recourfe to his two Grand Counfellors at a dead lift, Rice, and Neagle, who advifed him to take no notice, nor Ihew any outward Symp¬ toms of dilcontent againft but rather attend fbme opportunity whereby to intangle himinafnare, which foon offered, it being cile baculum invenire, See. no difficult matter to find out Treachery and Perfidioufnefs enough in an Info-men whereof to accufe him. They ob- ferved that the Lord Deputy's Domeftick Chap¬ lain was intimately converfant with Sheridon, and another Prieft that was, or called himlelf Coufin to him. To countermine thefb Intriegues the Lord Deputy appoints.a third Prieft, a Con¬ fident of his own, to fall into an intimate famili¬ arity with his Brethren, who leemed inclined to * ' unite his endeavours with theirs, if they had any intentions of impeaching : The Priejl managed this Affair with fo much skill and dexterity (verifying the vulgar faying of Set¬ ting a Thief to catch a Thief) that he foon wound himlelf into a ftritt League of Amity with them, and fo feemingly intereffed in all their Affairs, that they no longer queftioned his efpoufing their Party ; and to delude them the more artificially pretended to find out new matter of acculation againft Tyrconnel, which he did fo effectually, that againft the Poft-day he brought his Charge againft the Lord Deputy in writing under his own hand, which Sheridon in his fight lealed up, with a great many more in a Pacquet, and direfted it to his Coufin in London: This being done, the Priefl takes leave of Sheridon, and gives ikL of the tf^omifh Tarty in Ireland. gives notice immediately to Rice the chief Baron, who doubted not to trapan him upon this favou¬ rable occafion. Sheridon (as ufually) makes up the Lord Deputy's Pacquets, lending all to the Poft, with inftru&ionsfor the Pacquet immedi¬ ately to go to Sea. Rice and Neagle remained in the Lord Depu¬ ty's Clofet, and at twelve of the Clock at Night a Meffenger was lent on Board the Pacquet-Boat to fetch off the Male, which being opened, Sheri¬ don s Pacquet was taken out, directed to his Cou- fin, which dilcovered the whole Intriegue, and among the reft, the lrifh Primate's concern in the defign. Sheridon s Pacquet was lealed up and put into the Male, except one Letter, which was taken out, direfted to a certain perfon in London, full of vehement Exclamations againft the Lord Deputy, and giving an account of ma¬ ny of his Articles which he defigned to impeach him of. Rice and Neagle adviled the Lord Deputy to write to the Lord Sttnder'Und, which he accord¬ ingly did, letting forth Sheridoris Briberies and other Sinifter Practices, not taking any notice of Sheridon s contrivance againft-himlelf. All this was done when Sheridon was afleep, and not fu- fpicious of any defign againft him, which the better to dilguilz,Tyrconnel ftill carried himlelf to him with the lame unconcernednels as formerly. At this time happened the death of the Bilhop of Clogher, in order to which Commiftioners were appointed for letting and difpofing of the Revenue of that'Bilhoprick : 'Twas adjacent to She- i.oA 7 he Secret Confults5 Negotiations, &c. Sheridons Countrey, who had abundance of Coufins (efpecially upon fuch an occafion as this) fomeof which he endeavoured to prefer in that Employment, thereby hoping to have fiflied out fcmething for himfelf; but the Lord Chief Baioi was now (though he knew it not) become^ his formidable oppofite, and there was one of the Commiflioners of the Cuftoms, Dickifon by name, that was a perfon, as well of great expe¬ rience as of integrity and honeftyy who kept a vigilant eye upon Sheridon; for though he had a great hand over, and much influenced the reft of the Commiflioners, yet could he never prevail upon Dick if on. Now arrives the return of his Facquet to his Coufin in London, but with no good account of his Affairs: The reafbn of which ill fuccefs was Sunderland's acquainting Father Peters with the complaints that were made againft him by the Lord Deputy, and thereupon {hewed him his Letter from TyrconneL That Letter which was taken out of the Facquet in Dublin was not mif¬ fed by Sheridon s Coufin in London, who only writ back to him, * hat he had delivered his fe- veral Letters as directed, and namore. , f.now t*me f°r Cie Lord Deputy to break publickly with Sheridon, and in order to it fends lor him into his Clofet, there being prefentwich him, the Earl of Lymenck, the Lord Chief Ju- iiicc Augent, the Lord Chief Baron Rice, Judge Daly, and lbme others: The Lord Deputy de¬ manded of Sheridon, Whether or no he had written any thing againft him to London ? She¬ ridon / of the fyomtjb Tarty in Ireland. this continued not long upon the Stage, for he foon received a fevere reprimand from Father Peters for this rafh A&ion, who was extreamly moved at the proceeding. This being the moll: effeTual courle whereby to render their Party ri¬ diculous and contemptible to the World, that whilft they were lo induftrioufly contriving to eftablifh their Religion, they flhould at once break all their former meafiires by endeavouring to fupplant and dcftroy one another: And there¬ fore 'twas immediately hufhed up in a deep fi- lence, and the Primate (at lead: feemingly, and to outward appearance) reconciled to the Lord Deputy. Shtridon again affumes to Petition for leave to go for England, alluring his Excellency, Thar 'twas only in order to purfue fome private bufi- nels of his own: That he had a Law-fuit for fome Debt due to his Wife, which required his attendance, &c. but all would not prevail to ob¬ tain permiilion, wherefore he employs his Wife's intereft at London, and by that way follicits the King with lb much importunity, till at laft an Order was got for his going over. ! -V ( \ 'f iT THi r >T ■ About the Ninth of December in this Year, upon a Sunday Morning there happened fuch an Inundation of Water in the City of Dublin, as no man was ever a Spe&ator of the like: It car¬ ried away Stone-Bridges, deftrdyed Houfes, and without intermiffion continued three days over¬ flowing a great part of the City, to the unlpeak- able damage of many Thoufands; and that which Y 2 en- o 8 The Secret Qnfults, Negotiations, See. encreared the Prodigy, was, That no Rain fell, fave a few Showers upon the Saturday Night be¬ fore. This befides the confiderable detriment to, or rather apparent ruine of many , was accounted by many as a miraculous ad of the Di¬ vine Providence, and interpreted as an ominous Prefage of that Deluge of Troubles which has lince lb univerfally delcended upon the poor En¬ glijb in that diftrelfed Kingdom. But to come again to who now ar¬ rives at London,but 'twas near four and twenty hours before he could fpeak with Sunderland, who after his admittance gave him but a cold recepti¬ on ; the realbn of which (as 'twas conjectured) was, that Sunderland expected that which Sheri¬ dan was not yet Mafter of; for he had but juft began his Trade when the Lord Deputy and he fell at variance. This indifferency, or rather coldnels in Sunder' land, did not hinder him from applying to the reft of his Friends, but was fo unhappy as to find by them, that there was no expectation of removing Tyrconnel; for he was fortified with the jfrencU 3!nttrtft, and was in a manner Deputy to Lewis, not James; it being laid in Paris when News came there of TyrconnePs being ftruck out, That there was none in England durft move him : and fo it appeared as we lhall find hereafter. Sheridon wanted not thole which were Favou¬ rites and Well-mjhers to his defign againft the De¬ puty, as C, afllemain, Po and another not to be named, but they durft not truft Sheridon with their Sentiments, but font fome of their Confi- \ dents 17'e Secret Confults, , &c. the News-Letter, That he was turned out of his Employments in Ireland, and lo he had no¬ tice given him, that he was too that of being Se¬ cretary, and a Popijb preferred to his place. Sheridan was now involved in very great {freights to go back; he confidered 'twas to no purpofe: Toremain here 'twas not poflible for him without the affiftance of Friends, and none would appear for him: At length he delivers a Petition with his own hand to the King, defiring that he might be heard {peak for himfelf, and not be Condemned to utter Deftruftion, as he ac¬ counted it to be, if he flood not in his Majefty's favour. The King gave him no other Anfwer, but that he muft return to the Lord Deputy, and there juftifie himfelf; this he reckoned to be hard upon him, but waiting upon the Lord Sunderland for fome order to carry back, upon which he grounded his Trial, 'twas thought fit to name the Chief Judges to hear, and to report back the Matter to the King, as they {hould find it. With this order he returns for , together with a Letter of Recommendation from Sunderland to the Lord Deputy, praying his Lordfhip to take Compaflion of the Poor Man, who was fuffici- ently mortify'd by what he had already fuffered in the lols of his Secretaries Place, and that if his Excellency fhould purfue him farther to the lo- fing of his Commiffioners Place in the Cuftoms, he was a Ruined Man, for that the King had de¬ clared if Matters alledged againft him were pro¬ ved, he .fhould never .have any. Employment in his of the Tomifh Tarty hi Ireland. 12 his Dominions; and in the Clofe added, That A£h of Clemency were fuitable to perfons of his Excellency's Quality and Station, &c. But mat¬ ters were now come to too high a pitch, and die breach was too wide ever to be patched up toge¬ ther again, as it had been once already by Judge Daly's mediation betwixt them. Sheridon, or fbme in his ftead had even in Dublin whilft this was tranfa&ing, fpoke contemptibly of the Lord Deputy, in order to applaud Sheridon as a Trium¬ phant Conquerour: For fo the Populace had cryed him up in Dublin, and the Protcfiant Party in Ireland, out of Enmity to Tyrconnel, which it feems they thought to be the worfe man of the two, though in reality Sheridon as an Apoftate was the greater Villain. Upon Sheridon s Arrival at Dub!in, he repair¬ ed to the Caftle with his Papers, but was not ad¬ mitted to the prefence of the Lord Deputy : He then goes to the Cujlom-houfe, and there fits a« mong his Brethren.The next day the Lord Depu¬ ty advifes with the Judges what to do with him, for his Stomach could not digeft his enjoying any Place in the Kingdom, whilft he continued Chief Governour. The Judges Counfelled to appoint a Day of Hearing, and in the mean time to fufpend him from fitting in the Cujlom-Houfe. Sheridon had this order lent him, upon which he came to the Gaftle, and difputed his being fufpended, as if not in the Lord Deputy's Power. This De¬ meanour was an Aggravation to his former, and upon farther consulting with the Judges, 'twas agreed, That fince much of the proof of Sheri¬ dons of We GfmtjhWarty lit Ireland. 11 y as he found to be obedient Sons. This if the King would have purfued, a Parliament they could have had when they plealed, fitted for their turn, all Corporations being already put into ptflj hands, and all the Sheriffs of the Counties be¬ ing Papijls,would be lure not to make returns to their difad vantage. This Confult being come to this ripenels, 'twas concluded, that Rice fhould go over as Plenipo¬ tentiary in negotiating this Affair, which was mannaged witsh that privacy and relervednefs, that not one of the Council knew of it till the War rant was figned for the Yatcht to carry him over: But as loon as this became publick, the Lord Chief Juftice Nugent flew about like lightening to all his Friends, to make an intercft to go over with Rice, which Neagle and Rice privately op- poled ; for as one of them told the Author, he was good for nothing but to fpoil a bufinels; when nothing could prevail, he pretended Ibme affairs of his own, and To obtained leave to go over, and for the honour of the bufinels, was joined with Rice, to prelent that which was pub- f iicklv to be offered, but was not in any part of the l«cret intriegue, to render the undertaking more prolperous. For the Deliverance of the Irijb Nation, they Embark'd upon St.patrtCfe's Day ; but confidering the bad fuccefs they met with, they might as well have put him out of their Ka- lendar, as by a particular order from Rome, they had formerly done St. Luke, becaule upon that Holy-day the Englijh had obtained a great Victo¬ ry over them in the laft Rebellion. Qjz But 16U. But to return to the Iriflj EmbalTadors (for lb they were called here in England) over they came, and after Rice had paid a Yilit to the Jefuics (of whole Society he was once a Novice, and had been educated in their Colledge) he made his lirft Court to the Lord Sunderland. Father Pe¬ ters he found not favourable to his defign, but the jftenct) IFaaten was his chief dependance, to whom he had always a recourle in his private Confults, without communicating any thing to his Colleague, whom he kept in great ignorance of the private intriegue of againft the Lord Deputy. 'Twas Rice's chief bufinels to poffels the Conclave with a great opinion of the Lord Deputy's extraordinary Zeal for the pro¬ motion of the Catholick Cauje, and that he had made a much greater Progrels in it before that time, if the want of a Parliament, and the con¬ tinuance of the Aft of Settlement, had not re¬ tarded that defign j without which Rice alledg- ed, That 'twas impofiibleto make Converts, or to Prolelyte any to their Party, who thought themfelves Matters of the Kingdom, whilft they had the Laws on their fide, and made it their boaft, That the King durft not attempt to med¬ dle with them. So that as Affairs flood, there feemed a more rational probability, that the Ro¬ man Catholicks Ihould condefcend to the fiants, than they to the Roman Catholicks. Thus was Rice very aftive, and induftrious, in urging and propagating the intriegue, which when it was fully comprehended by his Party, Father Peters was with much difficulty influenced lb far of the tf^omijh Tarty in Ireland. far as to join in it, though at firft he could not be prevailed upon to hear of it: For he was ablo- lutely byaft'd for Caftlemam s intereft, and being no Politician, but a perfefl fury, and of an Im¬ perious Temper, was wont to contemn every thing that was not his humour : But this Proje/i being a work of expedition in Ireland, and (in his own Style) to Convert or Confound the He- reticks there; he at laft embraced it, and when once lie became intereffed, nothing muff be done but by his direction and advice; fo 'twas conclu¬ ded upon, that the Projeft fhould be laid open before Sunderland, and that when he was made Mafter of it, he and Father Peters would wait on the King with it: And to oblige S under land7& more chearful and hearty concurrence in this Af¬ fair, he was to be made fenfible what fignal ad¬ vantages would be derived to his Lordfhip from fo great a Revolution in that Kingdom, a matter which required no great art fb to inftil it into him,, as to make it intelligible. But notwithftanding Father Peters adherence tothisProjeft, yet did he continue in his former Inclinations for removing Tyrconnel: And'twas believed that happy difference among the feveral Rorn/fh Factions, was the prime occafion of di¬ verting this fatal blow defign'd for Ireland. The bufineft was in the Clofet fully difcours'd to the King by none but Sunderland and Peters, (who with the liberty of adigreffion, I muff ac¬ quaint the Reader, was not infallible in keeping Secrets.) The King was loon fully inclined to the thing, but how to pals it at the Council, Hie la¬ bor y hoc opus ejl0 there lay the ftrels of the buff- nefi y 11? The Secret Confults, N . ,-jefs; for lie was very apprehenfive that fucli as were oppofite to Tyrconnel\ continuance in the Government of Ireland, would be more violent againft his being there with a Parliament too great for fuch a Man whom the Council had in con¬ tempt. Peters thought he could eafily remove that obftacle by introducing the Popes recom¬ mendation of Cajllemain, but over that th King had laid his hand, to whom the poor King was become a Valfai. Amidft thefe difficulties, 'twas hard to form a relblution, but however 'twas agreed to, that the two Judges fhould be publick! / introduce! to the King with their pro- icft for calling a Parliament in Ireland, and to lay r.t his Majefty's feet the deplorable condition of his Catholick Subje&s there, occafioned by the palpable injuftice and oppreflion of the A & of Settlement, which was fo notorious, that the ve- ty Protejlantsthemfelves were alhamed of it, and would gladly part with enough to fatisfie the Irijh, in cafe that they might have a good Aft of Parliament to fecure the reft. All this was put in practice, and they brought to Whitehall, where the King received their Proje£t in writing, and told them, he would advife with his Council a- bout it. N ow 'twas the conftant method of King James in any thing of weight, or importance, to confider it fir ft in the Cabal, before 'twas propofed at Council-Board ; yet this thing, upon which en¬ tirely depended the Settlement or ruine of a King¬ dom, had not that Sanction, but was carried im¬ mediately to the Council, which was matter of admiration to many, but fuppofed to be done for one of the T^omijh Tarty in Ireland. one of thefe two Reafons, either that the King was confcious that thofe of the Cabinet would not (offer it to proceed any farther, but was in hopes (o to influence the Judges and other Tools, he had at the Council-Board, to vote for it: Or elfe that he would fhew his indifferency in the matter, that fo it might not be thought any pri¬ vate intrigue. The King brought this proje£l the firft Coun¬ cil-day, and in few words acquainted the Council with its importance and contents, and by whom prefented to him: no man (poke a word either in favour of, or in oppofition to the thing, butdefi- red it might be read ; which being done, the Lord Bellajis in a ftorm of Paffion inveigh'd bitterly againft it, faying that, 31 t fuel) Dcfigng tljofe teereencouragch, the? of England, (meaning the Catholicks) hah hell in tune to lo&k out fo? Come other Country anh not (tap to he a mah ©artifice fo? Irifh Eebel0. Powis, according to the beft of his underftanding fcconded ; and in fhort, flwas (b run down, that neither Sunder¬ land nor Peters, durft attempt to fpeak a word in its vindication, but only defired,, that thofe Gen¬ tlemen which brought over thofe Papers might be heard. Bellafis was for committing them, or com¬ manding their immediate return ; but 'twas at lad thought reafbnable to hear them, lb a day was appointed. The noife of this^ and the fuccefs it had met with at Council-Board, flew abroad with great Exclamations, the Boys in the ftreet running af¬ ter the Coach where Rice and Nugent at any time- were, with Pottatoes ftuck on flicks, and crying, of the Tomijh Tarty in Ireland. againft him, letting forth what mifchiefs he had al¬ ready done in that Kingdom; that the Revenue was funk to an incredible abatement, and that in one year more there would not be left money enough in the Kjngdom to difcharge the Army, and that this laffc Proje£t of his would exafperate, and frigh¬ ten away thofe of the Englfn which were left, who being the dealing and induftrious people of the Nation, would put a final period to all Trade and v Commerce in that wafted and depopulated Coun- trey : But all thefe juft and reafonable Allegations, (which matter of fact, and the prefent ruinous and diffracted Eftate of that Kjngdom, did but too fully evince the truth, or rather infallibility of) though judicioufly laid down before the Kjng by fober and confidering perfons, yet w ere they all to no pur- pofe: For though the Kjng kept it private from moft of his Council, yet certain it is, that he had promifed the French KjngXhe difpofal of that Go¬ vernment and KJngdom, when things had attained to that growth, as to be fit to bear it: ThE jump¬ ed near to the time of the Kings Declaration for Li- herty of Conference, and the Bifhops Commitment to the Tower : And as one had ruined England, if the vifible hand of Supream Providence had not figna1- Iv and miraculoufly interposed, by infpiring the Bi¬ fhops with couragious and invincible refblutions in a juft vindication of the Prote/lant Cm e and Reli¬ gion ; fo the other had ftruck the fatal blow to the Laws and Fundamental Conftitutionsof Ireland, if fome Hofjafs even apongft the Romijh Fail ion had not turned the pernicious Counfels of thefe Achito- phels into folly. The expected fuccefs of the aforefaid Embaffa- R dors' 7he Secret Qonfults, , &c. dors Negotiation,which by one Party was dreaded, by the other hop'd to prove anfwerable to its defign, made various imprertions upon men in proportion to their different interefts. The Englifh were ap- prehenfiveof no lefs a change than a total fubver- fion of the Government, and an unraveling of all the Laws made for the fecurity of their Eftates and Religion, which the unhinging the Aft of Settle¬ ment (the Pole occafion of this Solemn Embafly) would at one blow compleat. The Natives were (imaginarilyj in aftual poffefBon: Their appre- henfions whereof were fuch as difcovered all the outward figns and indications of fb high a fatisfa- ftion, as cannot be eafily reprefented. Joy and Triumph was in all their Aftions and Difcourfes: Fancy and Imagination wrought very powerfully, and like Men in Bedlam, who dream of nothing but Kingdoms and Empires, they feenTd to fhew as much Complacency, and to be alike tranfported with the airy hopes of getting, as if they had been already inverted in their Eftates: But this Scene of Joy, which had been reprefented with fomuch fplendour and magnificence, foon difappear'd, and a Melancholy Profpeft over-fhadowed with a dark Cloud, was quickly brought upon the Stage, when they perceiv'd all their hopes blafted in the fi-uitlefs confequences of this great intrigue. mantes,their high expectations foon defcended to a low ebb and they were quickly under as great defpondency (by this fuddain turn of the Spoke in tlie Wheel) as they were before of fatisfaftion. For as they are wont to put no bounds to their Ec- ftafies, and tranl'ports in profperous, fb neither do they limit their forrow and defpair, upon adverfe Con. of the omip? Tarty in Contingencies. An unequalnefs of mind, and re- folution very remarkable among the Irifb,who like the floating Euripus, have no confiftency in thern- felves, but are carried up and do ,rn in their hopes and fears, according as every petty accident does either invite or difcourage. But to return to Sheridon whofe Tr'al Rice and NugenPs abfence had retarded, and the ill effects of whofe Negotiation had fo exalted him that he begun to vaunt over his Enemies, openly exclaim¬ ing upon the Lord Deputy, and withal adding, That he would foon be removed from the Govern¬ ment, and fuch advantage did he derive from this difgrace Tyrconnell met with in England, that he held the Lord Deputy and his Judges, at defiance, and was now become fo imperious that his braging and threatening the Evidence took off feveral. And the truth is, after that Rice returned from England they were in fuch defpondency, expefting every day a new Lord Lieutenant, infornuch that one day Tyrconnell himfelf faid publickly to fbme Offi¬ cers attheCaftle, that though he had great aflu- rancefrom the King, that he fhould not be remo¬ ved, yet now he heard that he fhould, and wifh'd that he had given Five Thoufand Pounds to have known it a Month fooner, which expreflion was much wondered at. Sheridon now comes upon his Tryal,having four 168?, Counfelsall Protejlants, or at leaft, who pretended to be fuch, for two ofthem hatye fince by their ani¬ ons given caufe of fufpicion, viz Wbiched and Do- noban, two intire Friends; the firft now with King James m Ireland, and employed a Judge of Oyer and Terminer to try Protejlants [ox their Rebellion. R 2 Do nob an ,24 The Secret Confults, Negotiations, Donohan is here, and makes as fair a fhew for King WUliam, as his Brother a kicked for King James, but had the misfortune of being difcovered to procure a Pals for his Brothers Son that v s here emplo\ ed by King James, and or e of hi Converts, who'tis faid, has fince returned hither from Ire* land with* Intelligence from King Jams. Two as good P rote ft ants as Brethren, but both in Iniquity: One afts by aCommiffionfrom King Jawe* againft: thofeof his own Church, and Profeflion, and not only fo, but interprets that to be Rebellion, which was grounded upon no other defign than an ablb- lute prefervation of their Lives from the bloody Maffacres of the Irifh, who having robb'd and pil¬ laged them of their fubftance, at the next ftep would have broke into their Houfes, and have cut their Throats/rom which they were bound by the Law of Nature-, and conlequently by that of Re¬ ligion, (to which the laft carries no oppofition,but is derived from it as its prime and original founda¬ tion) to defend themlelvcs. But is it poffible for any one that Riles himfelf a Protejlant, io fhame* fully to temporize and prevaricate as againft the Laws of Nature and Humanity thus (as it were) to prey upon his own kind? The other promotes King James's intereft, though not publickly, and upon the open ftage, yet by private and fecret ma¬ chinations, though at the fame time lie feemsa „ zealous adherer to the prefent Government: An Hypocrifie, which, I pray, may be as much beyond a Parallel, as tis without excuie.- But I come to Sheridan: The Charge that was brought againft him, was, for felling ot Place , and receiving extravagant Fees in his Office. To prove which of the Tggrnijh Tarty in Ireland. which there were -Witnefles of all forts brought from all parts of the Kingdom, to which Shtndon and his Counfel made defence only by criminating the Evidence, or making them intereffed as Par¬ ties that fwore to get money, if they could fix it upon him. The chief Evidence produced againft him was a Priefl: that he had employed to bring in Grift to his Mill. This Prieft he brought Evidence to prove he was a Man of a le wd and infamous Character., guilty of feveral vi!e actions, as of Baftardy,&c. Much time was confumed in hearing impertinent fluff, not worth my filling Paper with, or the trouble of the Reader's perufal but in the end he was difmift of his Employments, and fo went off the Stage the worftof men, had he not left an Ellis behinl him, a Mifcreant of all Shapes, that hath fince been the Engine of Murthersand Rapins in that Countrey. 4 . ''It?' ) f ! But now comes into Ireland one Captain Bridges, who rid Poft to bring the happy News of the Birth of the fuppofed Prince of Walts : For which he received the Honour of Knighthood by the Name of Sir Matthew Bridges* What Tongue can exprefs, or man defcribe the extravagancy of thole Joys which polTefled the Ir/f/j at the arrival of this News ? Their former apprehenfions of the Thortnefs of their triumph, by realonof King J^ei'sdeclenfion in Age, and the profpeft of a P rote flan? Succeffar, had extream- ly imbittered their greateft Comforts, and caus'd an intermixture of hopes and fears. But now that they had got a Toung Prince that would become a Patron to the Holy. Church, thkdbon diffipated m6 The Secret Confults, all their troubles. They now confidered, that their Religion would be perpetuated to future Ages, and that upon this fund they might not only extirpate Herefie,but foeftablifh the Holy Religion, as to remain to all Pofterity: For now (in the Scripture Phrafe,which they ufiirpingly monopolize and improperly apply to themfelves) The Gates of Hell was never like to prevail agsiinjl their Church. Thefe were fuch Tweet Reflexions as they never before had a perfect rclifh of, and which fuch nar¬ row Breafts, and earthy Souls, were not ca able to contain, or to contemplate upon, without ma¬ king a violent eruption into all the out ward demon- Orations of an inconceivable TatisfaXion. 'Twould require a Volume todefcribe the particularities of thofe various Scenes of Joy, which they fhew'd upon this occafion Let this fuffice, That no Arts of Extravagancy were omitted, whereby to repre- fent their boundlefs Complacencies. This News gave them fo victorious an afcendant over the En- glifh, that they were now become the (corn and contempt of thofe individual perfons who had been their Slaves and Vaflals, infomuch, that the mean- eft Labourer would now upon the leaft provocati¬ on, threaten to hang his Mafter. One pleafant in- ftant to this purpofe, I cannot omit, the urhor be¬ ing an Ear-witnefs of it. A Labourer came to his Mafter very foberly, and told him he owed him a Cow, and bid him give it him preflntly ; the Gen¬ tleman laughed at him, for he owed him not a Pen¬ ney; upon which the Fellow growing angry, the Gentleman called himRafcal, and offered to beat him; but the Servant was not only too quick, but too ftrong for the Mafter, whom he was very fair¬ ly of the Tomifh Tarty Ireland. 127 ly about to Cudgel; but Company interpofing di¬ verted Mm from his intention : But the jeft ftill remains, which he fpake in lrifh, but being inter¬ preted runs in Engl/fb thus, £0U Englifh C jurfe, (with an Oath by his Maker and St. Patrick) J tOtlE Jpang tljee With tijefe Ijantwi, as well a0 ehec tljOU wafte fcattgeD jtt fhp life, But the poor Gen¬ tleman was afraid that he would have given him fuch an Hanging as is never ufed but once. 'The News of the B-jfhops being committed to the Tower, came fbme few days oefore that of the Prince of Waks'sBirth, either of which gave them abundantly more joy than they could poflibly bear, but being united, put them into ftrange Convulfi- ons. T heir Faflions were now outragious, having both thele at once upon their hearts, and now that they mull vent themlelves, 'twas a moft difficult thing to reftrain their hands from cutting of throats, it being natural to them in their drink and reveling Debaucheries, for want of Enemies, to ftab one a- nother, and contrary to other Brutes, (for they de- ferve no better Name) they are moft mifchievous when beft pleafed. Then is revived an old Quarrel of the Grandfathers (commenced an hundred years ago) and the revenge muft be executed, if any of the Clan (as they call them) be in the Company. Before I take leave of our fuppoled Prince of Waies*s Birth, I muft not dmit to acquaint the Rea¬ der of the univerfal confidence of all the lrifh in the Kingdom, that the Queen (as (oon as 'twas laid fhe had Conceivy) was with Child of a Son. This they were fo certain-of, that they-would lay you Twenty Guineas to one, or any other Wager in proportion to that, from the higheft to the low- eft Tk Secret Confutes , , &c. eft amongft them. This confidence was much won> dered at by the Englifb,and judged to be very un¬ reachable,' if not built upon fome private Grounds and Inducements, which I leave the Reader to gueft at, which fome amongft them were,certainly ac¬ quainted with, whole Difcourles among the reft created in them a belief of fome extraordinary de- fign then in agitation: Otherwife they would ne¬ ver have been lo forward in propofing fuch extra¬ vagant Wagers which when the En°h(b enquir'd thereafonof, they attributed their great affurance to the Prayers of their Infallible Church, which were daily offered to God upon this account, and would undoubtedly meet with a fuitable return But it appeared plain enough,that though this was generally afcribed as the true caule of their great confidence, yet that they had other Latent Realons which were not fit to be difcovered. But to leave this and proceed to other Matters. The Judges of Affize even that was the juft- eft man amongft the n, and who in the firft Circuit he went did good fervice in hanging of his Coun- treymen, did now this Summer-Circuit favour all Criminals, and having Sheriffs of their own, pack¬ ed fuch juries as neither Murther nor Felony, if -committed upon Proteftants, wasadjudg'd to be a Crime, and where Matters were lo apparent, that they could not poftibly but find them, the utmoft extremity us'd .was B^mrsg inthy Hand. 'Twas faid, that the Lord Deputy had particular Com¬ mands from King fames in this matter for thefe Realons. Firft, They Hanged none hut {athohcks. For 'tisJcarce known in an Age. (which befpeaks falle Affidavits againft the Engltjb as they ple&lcd. The Clergy made their complaint to the Judges the year before (as I have hinted to you already) as to the obftinacy of theCountrey in the non payment of their fmall dues, and receiv'd no redrels-,but now the evils were grown upon them to an higher pitch. The Prieftswere now become fo confident in their hopes of eftablilhing Popery, that they could no longer contain from lhewing their inveterate ma¬ lice againft the Proteflant Cagainft whom they endeavour'd to prepolfels their people at Mais (over whom they have an unlimitted and Arbitrary pow¬ er) with all imaginable prejudice and contempt. The Priefts now fuggefted to them, that by the fame realon that they detained the from, they might alio refufe the paying the greater Tytbs to, the Minifiers, as Corn, Hay, &c. They told them that they law by their own experience, they had been dilcouraged in their purfuit after the firft, and after all their endeavours could get no redrels, and now that the Catholicks had liberty of their Religion, they faw not why they Ihould not deny them the laft: For the Law would not give thele to them more than the former. Of right they told them that all the Tythes belonged to them as their proper due, and tho' by the oppreffion and injufticeof the Proteflant Government they had been kept out of them lo long to their apparent prejudice and difad- vantage, yet now things were in another pofture: They had now a Catholickand Catholick gijlratesof their own, who would not take their dues from them, but rather inveft them in them; and therefore charged the people under pain of Ex¬ communication and the levereft Anathemas not to pay any manner of Tythes to the Protefiant Mini- fters. i ^ i The Secret Con full's, "Negotiations, rate, made their Applications to the Judges of At fize, complaining againft thefe infolent and irre¬ gular Proceedings of the Priefts. But alas it was not to be expe&ed that thefe Judges would go and punifh their Ghoftly Fathers, a very unna¬ tural act in their Religion. In fhort no Law would be found out to punifh them, all that could be gain¬ ed (and that very rarely) was a civil admonition to them, not to difturb the Clergy in their rights and the like, and fo were difmiffed, how plain foeverthe Matter of Fa£t was proved againft. them. By this it feemed that thofe of the Clergy, though not the mt)ft Couragious,yet were the moft Politick, who dealt privately with the Priefts, and by fair words and confiderable Largeffes of Tythe- Corn, &c. prevailed upon them to be quiet: for the meek and filial regard of thefe Judges to their Worthy Fathers,ferved but to make them the more infulting and imperious over the Minifters,who ftill animated the Countrey againft them, and atlaftto that height that feveral of the Iri(h in many Parifhes violently feized upon the Tythe-Corn,dv.and con¬ verted it to their own ufe, neither fuft'ering any o- ther to buy it, nor any Servant of the Miniftersto come upon the Land to colleft it. But to leave this Affair of the Clergy, and to joyn them and the Laity together, if it happened that for money due by Bills under Hand and Seal, or by clear and unqueftionable Evidence, Execu¬ tions were obtain'd from the Judges againft any of the Irijh, then had the Natives another refuge to ihelter themfelves under, and to fly to that of an Iti/h Sheriff, who would carefully decline all op¬ portunities of taking the Party ; or if he could not avoid apprehending him, then would either fuffer him of the fomifl) Tarty liim to make a voluntary elcape,or ellean hundred two of Men ihould lie in the way, and relcue him from the Gaol; or if they wanted force, the whole Countrey of the Irifh would rile upand a (Tift them, if the Debt was due to an as they called them. Thele things lb encouraged the that had Executions over them, that they would come and hector thole of the whom they owed the Money) in the open ftreer,and with their Swords by their fides, and Fire-Arms and Skeens in their Pockets(the iaft a bloody large Knife,with which they are wont to (tab the , and not feldom one another) with half a dozen or more lufty Rogues at their backs, would come to their Doors, and bid them publick defiance. Thus were the Englifh either deny'd juftice a- gainft the Irifh, or if they obtain'd it from the J ud- ges, yet they were fure not to meet with it in the Sheriff, and fo have no other return of all their trouble, but the contracting additional colt to their former Debt from one Affizes to another, which was like to continue in infinitum, ariowli to no pur- pole, unlels that of enhanfing the charges far a- bove the principal Debt, and ftill be out of both. On the contrary hand, if an had but any tolerable plea for a debt due from a a decree was prelently granted,and as for the Sheriffs . execution of it, 'twas as fwift as his implacable ha¬ tred could carry him, and then be fure no failure was committed in the levere ulage of the Debtor, whether in relation to Body or Goods-.• If the laft, then muff three times value of the Debt be taken, and apprais'd by lrifh-men appointed for the pur- pole, who, the Reader may prelume, would not put too large an eftimate upon them? 'twould fill a Vo-- b lume. Irifhmm had recovered from the (aid Swan f>ut with io little right, that the Irtfh Judges in the Exchequer fa Demonftr^tion indeed, that'twas palpably un- juft) refuted to grant the Injun&ion; however their Tool, Worth, did it, and the cry is, That the Blood of that Man lies.at h/s door J But tile Sheriff exceeded the Tenour of his Warrant > lor he had nothing do with the Houie nor \ and it ftood upon. Svan therefore kept his Houfe, and the Sheriff coming to take poffeflion, Swan looked out of the Window, and defired him to call a Jury of that Neighbour¬ hood, and if they found that Land or Houie in his order from the Exchequer, lie would give quiet poffeflion ; but othcrwite he'would not open his Doors, for he was very fiire the Sheriff hud no or- deLtocome there. Upon this, without any offer of Swan, more than keeping his Door fhut, the Sheriff having his Men ready, a number of them together, difcharged a Volley of Shot at him as he (food in his Window, and (hot him in feveral places: they broke open his Doors, and finding him wallowing in Blood, and groaning upon the Floor, they took him up, and flung him out of Doors. Some more Companionate than the reft carried him into a Ca¬ bin, where he had fo much ftrength as to ask for Drink. In his Route there wras of teveral forts e- nough, but thote Inhumane Butchers would not give the Dying Man a drop, who died there in the place. This Horrible Tragedy I thought fit not to omit the relation of, (though by Way of Di- grefticn) as being but the introductory part of too many of the like Barbarities repeated fince. Every day by all ways Expreffescame to Tyrcon- which' gave him no good account of Affairs, which made him give Commiflions to any that would of the unoreD CboufanO $9en at a S@ontbs> notice. Every day brought an additional account of the Prince of Orange's fuccefs, which put the Gran¬ dees into fo great a terrour, and confirmation, that thole who at firft had exprefled a great deal of alacrity and forwardnels amongft them, in rai¬ ling of Men, began now to decline, and by de¬ grees more and more to draw back. Then the Lord Deputy lent to the Judges, and the Lord Chief Juftice Nugent,(to fhew his valour) un¬ dertook to raile a Regiment, and lo others pretend¬ ed to do, but it came to nothing. The were in greater trouble and confufion than before, the Englfh braving it in City and Country, every day expecting to have an Englifh Lord Lieutenant over, it being the unanimous opinion of all the fiants, that the Irifh Lords would have contended who Ihould be the firft Man to make their lubmif- fion : but no relief coming to'the was expected, fome began to draw for , when an unexpected Cataftrophe had like to have Iwal- lowed all up. 'Twas the Earl of Alexan¬ der's receiving of a Letter, giving him an account, T That Tlje Secret Confults, Negotiations, See. That upon the Ninth of that Inftant D-cember all the Prot eft ants of Ireland,were to be cut off. This Letter he fends with feveral Copies to and to all parts of the Kingdom; it arrived at Dublin but on Friday,and the Sunday following, was to be the day of Slaughter. This fuddain alarum ftruck fucha fear upon the that upon the Saturday there got away about Three Thoufand Souls. There happened to be abundance of Ships in the Harbour at that time, but were fo crammed that many were in danger of being ftifled. The Run of thefe people happened to be fb fuddain, and in the middle of the Night, that it refembled the flight of the Jews out of Egypt, and the Irifhwere as defirous to have them gone, for fome of them were in as great a terrour as the other. The Guards kept their Poft in a Maze, and the Draw-bridge of the Caftle was drawn up, thus they flood upon their Guard till Morning, and when XVrawwe/underftood what the matter was, hefirftfent the Earl of Rand the Earl of Longford to Ring fend (this being Sunday Morn¬ ing) to perfwade the People to flay, and ordered the Yatcht to fail after them that were gone,, and to fetch them back, but neither of his Orders fuc- ceeded : And the fame day fent to fome oft.' emoft Confiderable Perfons, and Citizens of Duhim,that were Proteftants, making great Proteftations and Oaths of his utter abhorrence of the pretended defign of Maffacring the begging them to perfwade their Friends not to ftir. 'Twas by all his a&ions at this jun&ure fuffici- ently apparent, that he had then no thoughts of flandingout, notwithftanding that he gave >om- tniifionsto every one that would accept of them: For « Of UK yj\omun rany in Ireland. *39 For he now made great Court to the Enghfh, de firing (everalof them to teftifie how juft and equal he had always been in his Government to the teJUnts. This was a condefcention to the Englifhs which carried no proportion with the imperiouf- nefs of his former carriage to them, and was ac¬ cordingly interpreted as an effe£t of inevitable ne- celfity, and of that great Confirmation, of which fuch eminent Chara£ters were plainly legible in all theCircumftancesof his Deportment-, for he nowdilcovered as much awe and dread of the fuc- cels of the Prince of Oranges Arms, as upon the firft News of his Arrival he had done of difejain and contempt: Every Action he did had deep Marks of his Fears engraven upon it, and all his Dilcourles cxprelTed his difordered and evil appre- henfions of the prelent tendency of Affairs. But as Matters were in this great hurry and eonfufion at the Caftle, fb is it not eafie to fet forth the ftrange Effects and Conlequences which at¬ tended that fuddain alarum in the City of In in¬ tended Univerlal Maffacre : There you might lee Thoulands of People deferring their Houfes, and all their Subftance in the World, and running to the Ships with fcarce any cloaths upon their Backs. Never was leen fuch a Confternation as at this time: Never fuch a Confufion and Diftraftion. All the Bloody Maflacres in the former Rebellion were now reflected upon under the moft ghaftly and difmal Reprefentations, and thofe Scenes of barbarity and cruelty feem'd to threaten the lame or worfe ufage, which produe'd the greateft hor- rour and amazement, grief and defpair, that hu¬ mane nature could be capable of. This fatal News which had lo terrify'd the Pro- T 2 re- teftuntsof Dublin, as if the dilfolution of all things had been at hand, arrived not to feveral parts of the Kingdom, till the very day 'twas to be putin execution, which being Sunday, was brought to the People in the time of Divine Service in l'ome places, which ftruck them with fuch fuddain ap- prebenficns of immediate deftru£tion, that the Doors not allowing quick paflage enough, by rea- lon of the Crowd, abundance of perfons made their efcapes out of the Windows, and in the greateft frightand dilorder that can be reprefented, the Men leaving their Hats and Perriwigs behind them, fome of them had their Cloaths torn to pie¬ ces, others were trampled underfoot, and the Wo¬ men in a worle condition than the men. And this difiurbance did not only continue for this day, but for leveral Sundays after, the were in fuch a Confternation and terrour, that all, ormoft of them carried Fire Arms, and other Weaponsto Church with them, and the very Minifters went armed into the Pulpit, and Centinels ftood at the Church doors all the while that they were in the Church. But whether this (which created (o great a fear and uproar among the Proteftants in all parts of the Kingdom) were a real thing defigned, or whether by that dilcovery prevented, I leave it to others to judge and determin ; but certain it is, that never any thing which happened in the King¬ dom (no not all the occafions of fear which were given to the Enyhjh in the daily Progrels of Popery in the late KJng James"s Reign, or even that of Tyr- connePscoming to the Government) made lb great a fright amo'ng the Proteftants as this. From this time we may commence thole un¬ heard of a&sof rapin and Ipoil, which the be- of the %oniifh Tarty in Ireland. in fbme Counties more than in others; and I hare been told, That in fome County in the Province of ^#/^er,ElevenThoufand Cattle were Hole by the In ft) in nine days; and tha^Ljjdiy one Enghfb Gentleman or Farmer JMWMPKountrey< had above two or three Cows left; and that for forty Miles together the Infh Cabbinswere full of Beef ftolen from the Englifh,which they did notfo much as beftow Salt upon, but hung it up ttffB§Smoak ; and that it flunk and look^^Tba^s any Carrion. This I have by relatlMPHMMf that County, who are perfbns of very good Credit, but not be¬ ing an Eye-witnefs of it, fhall leave it to the Rea der to judge ; only this is certain, That an incre¬ dible havock was made by the Irifb >n all parts of the Kingdom : But I leave thefe Cannibals to de¬ vour one another, after confuming in this Barba¬ rous and Impoliticly manner, the Cattle and Breeci of theCountrey, which in all probabi'ity will oc~ cafion a famine, or very great fcarcity in that mi- ferable Kingdom. 'Twas exceeding ilrange, and unaccountable to> fee the Englfth poffefs'd with fuch various diffracti¬ ons upon the news of the intended Maffacre already mentioned, fome running to the North of Inland among the Scots, others to the Ifle of Mm, and a- bundancefor England, to flielter themfelves ; when at the fame time, all that had any fenfe believed, that Tyrconml would be the firft Man in the Go¬ vernment that would endeavour his Elcape: for mod of his Goods of value were already packed up, and fbme of his Treafure Ship'd. In this pofture they continued ti\ January, and then fbme of the Irjfh Lords moved to have him furrender the S>vord, and the whole Qouncil board gave it for their opini¬ on; The Secret Q'onfults, , &c. only to fet forth the impolfibility of their holding out againft England, and then they were fure to ob¬ tain permiffion to make terms, and lb might fur- render. But this was a Jefutt Stratagem, contri¬ ved by Rice and Neagle,and as one of them brag'd fince, carry'd on without the privity of any but the Lord Deputy, and themfelves. For they were afraid, of the Cowardly Temper of the reft, whofe incli¬ nations were favourable enough to the Caule, but wanted Courage and Refblution. The Scheme be¬ ing thus laid, 'twas moved at Council, and took with general Applaufe. Rice, and the Lord Mount- joy were pitched upon to be lent; and in the com clufion of this Affair at Council-Board, the Lord Chief Juftice Kyating believing now that their hopes of King James were over, thought to begin with the firft tofhew his Zeal and Affeftion to the Proteftant Caufe, and in order to that moved, that fince they were relolved on this method, that his Excellency would put a flop to the railing Men, which was agreed to, but not in the leaft ob- ferved. Mountjoy and Rice proceed in their Negotiation, and take Shipping at Waterf but before they arrived at Paris, the French Engineer Landed at Corke, and from thence rid with all expedition for Dublin. Then the face of things looked with afar different profpett to what they had done before, and thole little hopes which had fupported the En- glijh till this time, did now evaporate into nothing, which put them upon a necellity ofaffociating to¬ gether, and of getting into Caftles and the beft places of ftrength, they had for the defence and prelcrvation of their Lives. In The Secret Confults,"Negotiations, See. that of making their efcape ; for they were difar- med in one day throughout the Kingdom, and that order executed with lo much rigour, that few per- fons of whatloever quality were permitted to wear their Swords. In the Corporations they fhut up the Gates, and fuffcred none to pals in or out with¬ out learching them ftribtly for arms,and when they came to learch in their Houles, under pretence that the had conceal'd their Arms, theyfome- times feiz'd upon what Plate or Money they could meet with during this hurly-burly, which lafted for feveral days together, moll: of the Horfes which" belong'd to Ettglifb Gentlemen and Farmers in the Countrey were violently leized upon for the King's uie, as was pretended, and feveral hundreds were brought into the Corporations, which were Gar- riloned with lrifh Soldiers, who quartered upon Private, as well as Publick-Houles of the which were lb full of them that they had lcarce Beds for themfelves to lie in. They now were in daily expedition of the Landing of the late King James: And this polfefled them with lb triumphant a joy, that the more to dilcourage the they not only gave out that he was arrived, when there was no fuch thing, but rung the Bells, made Bon¬ fires, the Mayor and Aldermen in feveral Corpo¬ rations drinking the King's Health, and the like. But this imaginary formality was but a prelude to the lucceeding Triumph, to the real Landing of the late King. And then what they had done before in Effizie, or in empty fhow, they now performed lubftantiaily, and to the life. 'Tis beyond any thing of human art to imagine, much more to delcribe the great'nelsof their joy at this time, and there¬ fore 1 fhall not- attempt a reprelentation, which would The Secret Confults, Negotiations, See. fitous Brethren, which the Parliament have raoft humbly fupplicated hisMajefty for,who(no doubt) will in the moft prudent and difcreet manner, make fuch a provifion as will belpeak his Royal Bounty and Charitable fenle of their condition, as well as be proportionable to their prefling and great Necelfities. .1 . , : . .... . ->v '."0 F 7 N I S.