A LETTER FROM Duke Schomberge's CAMP, Giving an Account of the Condition Of the English and Irish ARMY.  
AND A True Account of all the Papists in Ireland, their Number and Estates, with Reasons for declaring them forfeited, and the several Parties amongst them.  
With all the Material Circumstances that relate to that Kingdom.  
From the Camp at Dundalke, November 4. 1689.  
Licenced according to Order.  
LONDON, Printed for Tho. Parkhurst: And Published by Randal Taylor over against Stationers-Hall. 1689.   

A Letter from Duke schomberg's Camp, giving an Account of the Condition of the English and Irish Army.  
SIR,  
IN compliance with your commands, and discharge of my promise, I will acquaint you with the State of our Affairs on this side, to which will be added a distinct character and discrimination of the several Parties amongst the Papists in this Kingdom, their several Interests, and the Numbers of them, by which you will be the better enabled to judge how matters are likely to go here.  
As to the first part; King James having had particular Information from the French Traitorous Fugitives (of which you have heard) of the condition of our Camp, the strength, and weakest parts of our Trenches, where he might most easily surprise Us; and being assured by them that they would seize one or two of our Posts; to facilitate his Entrance into our Camp, he adventured to command his Army on the 14th of September, to advance within one or two Miles of Us, that he might the better execute his Design; his Army consisted of about Forty thousand Men, whereof thirty thousand were Armed, the rest had such Arms as the Country afforded, Sheans and half Pikes; they entrenched themselves, and waited for the opportunity wherein to surprise Us, but providentially the Traitors were discovered, seized, and six of the principal of them Executed; about Two hundred more are sent into England, where, I hope, they will be dealt with according to their deserts. The Irish being informed that their Plot was discovered, their hopes being frustrated, they did on the sixth of October set fire on their Camp, and retreated four Miles with more speed than they came forward, and posted themselves near the Bogg of Ardee, being always willing to have so convenient a Retreat as a Bogg at hand.  
They had not the courage in all that time to make any Attempt on Us. Indeed, seldom hath it been known that two such Armies have been so long posted so near each other, and no Action happen between them.  
The intemperateness of the Wether, the great Rains, the Flux and Distempers in King James' Camp, hath taken off so many of his Army, that he was compelled to send his Men into Winter Quarters, a good part of them are at Drogheda, and a considerable number is sent to Athlone, which is the Centre of Ireland; some are sent to Dublin, and about Five thousand continued Encamped at Ardee.  
I suppose you have heard of the death of some of our Soldiers, for 'tis impossible for an Army, at this season, to keep the Field in any part of the world, and that some should not drop off; but the Companies are in some measure recruited with Northern Protestants who are seasoned to and acquainted with the Country.  
Since I wrote the former, we have a strong report that King James his Forces that Marched towards Athlone continued their March to James Town and Sligoe, and have cut off some of our men in each of those places (whose loss we sensibly lament) the rest retreated, some to Ballyshanon, some to Eniskillin.  
Our General intended as soon as our Forces should join us that were detatched towards Charlemont, to have marched forward towards Dublin. But the wetness and immoderateness of the season will necessitate our drawing into Winter Quarters, it being almost impossible for our men to contend any longer with the Extremity of the Wether.  
As to what concerns the several Parties in King James his Army, the whole body of the Papists in this Kingdom, their Number, Estates, and what may be fit to do with them, and how they may be made to pay the Charge of their Reduction, etc. you will find in the Answer to the following Query.  

An Answer to that Seasonable and Important Question. Which Party of the Irish Rebels may be invited to Submission by a second Declaration, or Offer of Pardon, with most Advantage to His Majesty, to England in respect of Charge, and to the Protestant Interest in Ireland.  
ALL the Papists in that Kingdom, as well those of English Extraction, as the Natives, are joined in this Rebellion; this being noted, it is expedient (for resolving the Question) to consider the several Parties amongst them, and the distinct Interest of each of these Parties which will open the matter, so as it will be easy to observe which of them are likeliest to be charmed to any Advantage.  
The Popish Clergy and Lawyers have a right to the Van, for they are the Contrivers and Incendiaries to Rebellion, sworn Vassals to Rome and France, restless in their Endeavours for Extirpating the Protestant Religion, and regaining the Church Lands: Should His Majesty offer them any of those Lands, to buy them off, it would be resented worse than the taking away of Magdalen College, for our Clergy think them little enough for themselves, and will not consent that a third or half should be given their Brethren of the Church of Rome, yet less than the whole (nor that) will not satisfy, for these pant after the Lives as well as the Live of the Heretics.  
And that this work may be done effectually, both these sorts of men are now commissioned, and actually in Arms: The Bishops, Priests, etc. (according to their degrees) are Colonels, Captains Lieutenants, and Ringleaders of the People; to the greatest Mischiefs of their Secular and Regular Clergy, there are four Titulur Arch-Bishops, 23 Bishops, 2● 28 Parish Priests.  
Next comes the most numerous part of the Gentry and Nobility, who by their Rebellion in 1641. forfeited their Estates, of which the Protestants are seized, these having gained some Military Experience, in foreign parts, are the flower of the Rebels Armed their condition cannot be made worse by any improsperous event of War; dig they cannot, and they will not easily be persuaded to return to beggary, nothing less than a good part, or the whole of the Estates they forfeited will be a bait for them.  
As to the common Soldiers, part of them have been dragooning the Protestants in France, the residue have from their Cradles lived by Theft and Robbery, are incapable of labour of industry; did these and the former submit being disbanded, protected and dispersed, they would be more dangerous than now together in Arms, for they would fill that Kingdom with particular Murders, Rapes and Robberies, render the Planting of it dangerous of impracticable: These cannot be saved to any good use, nor transported, but they run to France, to strengthen that Enemy of Mankind.  
As to the Nobility and Gentry that were restored to their Estates by Charles the Ild's Court of Claims, they were as bloody Rebels as the former (such as the Marquis of Antrim, etc.) yet had better luck, for these were rewarded with better Estates for their Murder's, than they lost by their Rebellion: And good reason if they were commissioned to that Villainy by Charles the First, as they allege and Charles the Second seemed to countenance in the case of that Marquis, who was proved by many credible Witnesses to have been in the first contrivance of the Rebellion in 1641 and to have perpetrated many horrid Murders, yet that King commanded his Estate to be restored, giving for reason that he acted nothing in that matter but by Commission from his Father Charles the Martyr, and by order of his Mother, pursuant to the Royal Commands she received from his Father.  
Of eight millions of Acres profitable Land in Ireland, these Popish Proprietors possess about three millions, or a little more than one third of the whole; they are neither persons of Conduct nor Interest; 'tis certain they have little influence on the common people; for by their Oppressions and Exactions, they have so far lo●● their hearts, that where Protestant Landlords will receive them, they will not live under those of their own Nation and Religion: 'Tis not there as here in England, where Tenants have Leases for Lives, long Terms of years, or such Tenors as lays them under many ties of Interest and Obligation to venture for, or be swayed by their Landlords, but the quite contrary; for the Popish Landlords set their Lands but from year to year, that they may the oftener rack their poor Tenants; and hence it is, that tho' those people live in the most plentiful Country in the world, yet they feed almost wholly upon Milk and Potatoes, only now and then, they have a little Barley or Oaten-bread:  
This party are as deeply concerned in the Rebellion, dispoiling and plunder of the Protestants as the former, should any of these submit, it will be but singly, or with very few, probably with consent of the rest, that they may save their Estates, preserve an Interest for the Papists in future, that they may give private Intelligences to their brethren, that England may be at the whole Expense of the War, the despoiled Protestants of Ireland be left without reprize for their Losses, and his Majesty less capable to prosecute the War against France; should these be pardoned, they will be in a better Condition for a future Rebellion than yet they have been, being disciplined and now enriched with the spoils of the English.  
The only party that remains to be spoken of is the Husbandman and Labourer which constitutes the body of that people, and are Nineteen parts of Twenty of the Papists in Ireland. For the whole of them, Men, Women and Children, are but one Million, of which we suppose 40 or 50000 in Arms unfit to be pardoned or transported (except to the East-Indies) and that these should perish in their Rebellion, and that His Majesty and the wisdom of the Parliament think good to spare such of the common people as are not guilty of Murder, the body of that people will remain entire tho' all the former parties should be destroyed. These (to say the truth of them) are least dangerous, being in themselves a well-natured people, and may by easy methods be made useful, if freed from their Clergy and great men, the generality of them speak or understand English, which the twentieth man did not in 1641. They willingly yield their Children for Servants to Protestants, and are content they become such, their Clergy have of late been so extremely burdensome to them, that they are more than ever disposed to admit a Reformation, and to part with them and their Irish Landlords, and indeed such is the Ascendant that the Priests have over the Consciences of that bigoted people, that it will be difficult and very chargeable, if not impossible (whilst these remain amongst them) to keep them from rebellion on the least Foreign encouragement, as 130 years sad experience verifies beyond Contradiction. They naturally love Learning for their Children, and were there Free Schools set up to instruct them, they would (without compulsion) insensibly become Protestants. For which great and good works the present Rebellion, and their Reduction will furnish their Majesties with a fit Opportunity.  
All that this part of that Nation can expect or desire is Pardon and Indemnity, which His Majesty and both Houses of Parliament, may extend as they think fit, but if any of the former parties be comprehended with them, it will render them dangerous and formidable to the English there.  
Thus I have set down the several Parties and Interests of the Papists in Ireland, whereby it plainly appears that there is danger in sparing any of them, tho' lest (according to my sense) in taking the Peasants, or (in that Country language) the Skulloges into Protection, as for the Clergy, Lawyers and those who lost their Estates in 1641. we have no bait for them; if they must live, they would be least mischievous in the East-Indies; were they charmed at present, these Cockatrices would in a little time bring forth Scorpions; which is true also of their landed men.  
The Common Soldiers are less mischievous in open hostility than under our Protection; their Nobility and Gentry who possess about one third of that Kingdom are as deep in guilt and rebellion as the rest, have little influence on the other parties, the receiving them to mercy will not shorten the War, but give heads to, and strengthen the Papists for the future. Subject us to innumerable mischiefs, impoverish England by bearing the charge of the War at present, and keeping up a numerous standing Army in future to keep these from rebelling, all which by their Forfeitures may be prevented; the despoiled Protestants in part reprized for their Losses, and His Majesty reimbursed, which money employed against France would expedite the bringing down of that Christian Turk.  
Let it not be forgotten that King James and the supposititious Prince of Wales pretend Title to the Crown. And that both their Titles have been recognized by Act of Parliament in Ireland. That not only the Papists in these three Kingdoms, but a numerous party that declare for Passive Obedience and Nonresistance long for and are industriously endeavouring his Restauration, and the destruction of the Protestant Interest, the pardoning the Estated Papists in Ireland will strengthen and encourage these, furnish the French King with the means ●o distract us at pleasure, entail dangers on posterity, discourage the planting of that Kingdom; for the Protestants whose houses and Estates are ruined will not in that case repair them, because they know that the pardoning of one Rebellion in Ireland, is always the praeludium to another. For Cambden truly observes, that by long use it was grown a mischievous Custom in Ireland, That Rebels might with part of the money they got by Pillage and Plunder, (of the English) procure themselves pardon and protection, and escape without punishment, and that the Costly rebellions of Ireland spread under pretext of Religion; were cherished and nourished by contempt, lenity and parsimony in England. As also that great Sums of money were spent about Ireland, but to little purpose, for that by a certain infelicity, common as well to England as to Ireland, where for the most part to such public work, such men thrust themselves forward, and are admitted, as sordidly prefer their own private, before the public good, I hope these passages were Historical and not Prophetical.  
Five hundred years have not furnish'ed one instance of the Irish, being reduced, when in Rebellion, by kind Offers, (unless made them at the last extremity) but there are innumerable of their growing insolent, and obstinate thereby. He that knows not this, understands not an Irish man, nor how rightly to deal with him.  
If we imagine that Liberty for their Religion, a share in the Civil Justice, will oblige and restrain them from violence and treason; we shall be mistaken; for in 1641. the Papists in that Kingdom had their Titular Archbishops, and Bishops, their Friaries and Nunneries, their Secular and Regular Clergy, they were Justices of the Peace, Sheriffs of Counties, Mayors and Bailiffs of Corporations, etc. they were seized of three fourth's of the Lands there all the Laws against them (which are but few in Ireland to what they are in England) were suspended, as to their Execution. There was then a Parliament sitting in that Kingdom mostly of Papists, wherein they remonstrated all their imaginary Grievances; the Government concurred that they should send their Deputies into England to represent them to the King, whereupon they had many forfeitures (some of whole Counties) released to them, and all the rest of their grievances redressed, which only put them into a better condition to rebel. For notwithstanding all these Concessions, in a few Months after, (being stirred up by their Clergy) they broke out into that barbarous and horrid Rebellion, wherein 150000 Protestants were massacred in cold blood (without any provocation) besides as many more that perished by Famine and Sword, in the prosecution of that Rebellion; which is demonstration to all the World, that these people are not to be retained in obedience by Immunities, Privileges and Kindness, nor restrained from Murders and Massacres any longer than they are kept under by a powerful standing Army.  
In 1650. Oliver being in Ireland the growth of Charles 2d party in Scotland calling him into England, he was put to it how in a little to divide, and break the power of the Irish; as the best expedient he elected to hold a solemn debate for three days successively, whether that Nation should not be wholly extirpated, which had the desired Effect: For on notice thereof they instantly were terrified, divided and scampered, and many submitted on condition to be transported.  
Let it be remembered that the Tragedy which for three years past, and now is acting in Ireland, was intended also for the Theatre of England, God forbidden that by weakness, good nature, or out of good husbandry, we should be prevailed on to bring ruin on England also, by preserving the Instruments of our destruction; If they abide among us, they will certainly prove goads in our sides, and thorns in our Eyes.  
The Lives of the Protestants in Ireland can never be secured whilst these remain among the Natives. If (as Sir Walter Raleigh relates) the wise State of Venice, when their Senate is met, will not enter on any Consultation, until solemn Proclamation be made that all Priests shall departed (because they know them pernicious Councillors of State, even amongst those of their own Religion) why should it be thought rigorous, that we should remove such Instruments of mischief, to such distance as may secure us from dangers by them.  
If against what has been said; that vulgar Objection be started, That His Majesty must deal tenderly with the Papists at home, else he will possibly disoblige his Popish Allies: I answer, this Objection is foppish, are not all the Papists in these Kingdoms in the French Interest? Have they not contributed most to that King's present Greatness and Tyranny? Are not all the Irish and several of the English Papists now in Arms against their Majesties? Therefore the Rooting out or suppression of these is as serviceable to the Confederates (at present and in future) as the taking of Mentz or Bonner, for these are they that direct their Majesty's Arms from invading France, yet were the Rebels Estates in Ireland by the Parliament declared forfeited as in 1641. It is demonstrable that money may be raised to reimburse His Majesty's probable charge in that War, which employed against France, will save much to this Kingdom, gratify the Confederates, and expedite the bringing down that French Tyrant.  
'Tis certain there is a very ancient Prophecy in the Vatican at Rome, which saith, That that Mother Church falleth when in Ireland the Catholic Faith is overcome; if it be duly pondered, there is very much in it; were these three Kingdoms once entire, being freed from the Effects of the Plots and Treasons of the Papists, Popery would soon tumble in the World; 'tis pity we should be so stupid as to support that Chair by cherishing those vipers in our bosoms.  
May their Majesties that have been the Instruments of so much good to these Nations, have the Eternal honour to give this blow also to that Interest!   
FINIS.