A LETTER FROM SR. LEWIS DYVE to the Lord Marquis of Newcastle giving his Lordship an account of the whole Conduct of the KING'S affairs in Irland, since the time of the Lord Marquis of Ormond, His Excellency's arrival there out of France in Septem. 1648. Until Sr. Lewis his departure out of that Kingdom, In June 1650.  
Together with the annexed Copies of sundry Letters mentioned by SR. LEWIS DYVE as relating to the Business He treats of From the Hague 10./ 20. July 1650.  
HAGVE, Printed by SAMUEL BROUN, English Bookeseller. 1650.   

MY LORD,  
NOt long after my arrival at the Hague, intimation was given me by a noble friend (upon some casual discourse with him of the affairs of Ireland) that your Lordship had a great desire to be satisfied as well in some particulars touching the conduct of that business since my Ld. Leiut. last went thither, as in what condition the Kingdom stood at the time when I came from thence; Whereupon not knowing whether the necessity of my occasions, (or indeed the usual thwartness of my fortune in what I most covet) would allow me so great a happiness as personally to wait upon you before I left this country, I held it my duty in that case to leave some testimony behind me of my obedience, and readiness to serve you, wherein rather then fail, I have adventured to engage myself in this relation, though conscious of mine own disability to perform it in such sort as the subject requires, the unpollished rudeness of so plain and course a stile, affording no lustre of ornament, or beauty that may render it worthy to be presented to a person of your eminency; which may the easier in my behalf admit of excuse, whose profession, and practice hath all ways been accustomed rather to use a sword then a pen: the only plea I have therefore to offer to your Lordship for this presumption is the candour, and integrity where with it is written, which I have religiously observed through the whole body of the discourse, endeavouring to vindicate truth, which I find highly suffering by the world, either through the malice, and malignity of these unhappy times, or for want of clear, and impartial information: which I am confident your Lordship, and all who rightly know me, will expect from my hands, and which sincerely I promise to afford, without suffering the Bias of any passion, or private respect, or interest whatsoever to sway me in the least circumstance contrary to truth; unless by misaprehension, and want of judgement, or by the misrepresentation of the ablest, and best knowing persons, I may unhappily have been misled. But, that I may the better do it, it will be necessary a little to look back, and take a short view of the desperate time, wherein his Excy. the marquis of Ormond, under took this work; and to reflect upon the sad face that was then upon His Majesty's affairs in all his three Kingdoms.  
In England as your Lordship may well remember, the King was not only made a close prisoner, his Crown, his life, and the succession of his posterity declared against, but also all those parties that stood for him there, or had declared in his behalf, and taken arms for his rescue, were wholly dispersed, and subdued: yea and all other men, whose parts, honesty, or public interest made them worthy of a suspicion, either imprisoned, banished, or utterly disarmed.  
In Scotland the army raised for the freedom, and restauration of the King, having been unfortunatly lost (under the leading of Duke Hamilton in Lancashire,) all that acted by the King's commission were not only compelled to lay down arms, but after being declared incapable to sit any more in Parliament, or to have any share in Government, some of them proscribed, and expelled the land: whilst Cromwell for having countenanced them in these proceed, was saluted at Edinburgh, Preservator of the nation; thus you see there are two Kingdoms, wherein is neither Garrison, nor army left at the King's devotion; nor any person scarce at liberty, that durst own either him or his quarrel.  
Ireland only remains to be considered, and that God knows a woeful spectacle, cantonized into several sundry factions, drawing all divers ways, and driveing on several interests; there was jones, Monk, and Coote playing an Independent game as eagerly as might be; there were the Scots Patronizinge the Covenant, and Presbytery; there was O Neale, and the Nuntiated party of the Clergy, that with might, and main (under the colour of Religion,) were promoteing a foreign interest, in case they could not make a Prince at home; there was the counsel of the confederates, together with all the ancient English, and some of the Irish their adherents (who being more moderate, and averse to such desperate courses, awakened also with the miseries that oppressed them already, & the ruin that menaced them out of England) made fresh applications into France, unto the Queen, and the Prince his highness, that my Lord Leiut. and the King's Authority might again be sent amongst them; whereupon these two factions grew to so great a feud, that the latter were all excommunicated by the first; and the first proclaimed Traitors by the latter.  
Besides all these, there was Inchiquin, who having recollected himself at last, & dislikeing the revolutions in England, had prevailed with his party, to declare for the King. Whereupon he made a cessation with the counsel of the confederates, in expectation of my Lord Leiu ts, coming over; which cessation being violently opposed, both by the spiritual, and temporal sword of the Nuntio, and O Neale, induced finally my Lord Marquis of Clanricard, (who from the time of my Lord Leiu nts. going to sea from Dublin, had retired himself, and his family to a place convenient to ship away: assoon as he should despair of being able to serve the King by his further stay) to take arms, and draw together his army to countenance the cessation, and to make way for my Lord Marquis of Ormond with the King's Authority; to which he did highly contribute, by awing, and curbing the town of Galloway, at that time the seat of the Nuntio, and the principal receptacle of the most factious people in the Kingdom; as also by his successful reduceing of Fortfaukland, Athlone, james town, and the greatest part of the Province into his power; But to the end that you may see with what steadiness that Honourable Person in the depth of all these revolutions hath still adhered unto the service of the King and the Interests, of the Crown even against those that coloured all their designs and practices over, with the artificiallest and most deludeing pretences of Religion (since it is an example fit to be recommended to posterity and truly worthy your lordship's knowledge) you may please to read the particular conduct of this his undertaking in the Copy of a Letter (I send you herewithal) writ from the Marquis himself to Mr. Walsingham then in France.  
In this posture was Ireland when my Lord Leiut. came again upon the stage; with his hands in effect empty of arms, and his purse of money, without the countenance, or assistance of any foreign state, whereby to unite this distracted people, and recover unto His Majesty this divided Kingdom; before Cromwell were at leisure, to make an expedition thither, which as yet either the murder of the King not yet perpetrated, or the unsettlement of that misshapen cub of his new common wealth detained him from.  
Yet notwithstanding all these disadvantages of having neither arms wherewith to awe, or money wherewith to buy men into their duty, or any party ready to embrace him (my Lord of Clanricard only excepted) but upon the rack of screwed conditions; yet at length by God's blessing and his own prudent management of affairs, joined with the great interest he had in that people, he ordered matters so, as in few months to sowlder most of these factions together; and make a peace, whereunto all but O Neale, and the Independent party did willingly submit. O Neale complained that the conditions were neither safe, nor large enough, as to the concernments of Religion, and the Province of Ulster: and the Independent party exclaimed that the Protestant Religion, and the English interest forsooth were both betrayed by it: so oposite were, then, these two parties in their public quarrels, about the peace, who you shall see not long after shake hands behind the curtain against the King's Authority, which indeed is the block they both stumble at; for as to the pretence of Religion in the first, it is manifest how vain it was, for you shall find that party embrace the peace hereafter upon the very same conditions; And as to their Provincial concernments, they were even then well enough satisfied that my Lord Leiut. could in no sort be blamed, he being put upon the choice whether he would accept of the rest of the confederates, and the English party in Monster upon the terms in the printed articles, without any further concessions unto Owen O Neale, and the Ulster army: or else in yielding to their demands, lose both the other two; which may suffice to justify my Lord Leiut. in that peace against their complaints. The invectives of Co ll. Jones, & his party were urged with far greater art, and fallacies, which being industriously published in print, were received, I fear, with too much applause by many of the people of England, that either were unwilling, or unable to judge a right; and being fortified by a national animosity, had too great an influence, even in Ireland itself, upon the English army under the command of my Lord Inchiquin; wherein sundry of the principal Officers were so averse to a conjunction with the Irish, that dureing the time of the treaty they conspired to have surprised both my Lord Leiut. and the Lord Precedent, & to have delivered them up to the Parliament: which in all probability had then taken effect, had it not bien accidentally prevented by their unexpected departure from Caricke, upon a petition, or representation from the counsel of the confederate Catholics to His Excy. that he would remove thence to his own house at Kilkeny; as a place more fit for the conclusion of the treaty: Now whether those sons of Zerviah were so strong, and powerful in the army that they could not be called to an account, or whether it was conceived more conducible for the advancement of His Majesty's affairs to reduce them with time, and gentleness to a right understanding, then to lose so many persons of ability, and authority, I know not, only I fear their impunity was either the sole, or concurrent cause of the general revolt, and apostasy of those garrisons since. But for a full, and satisfactory answer to all objections, that can be made by either of the parties upon that subject, I have taken the boldness to send your Lordship together with this, the copy of a letter (I found lying by me) that was writ by Mr. Walsingham, in return to the last of Jones his printed papers, (after it was thought fit by my Lord Leiut. to reply no more as from himself) which speaks so much truth, and reason, that though it came to Jones his hands, he was well content to give over his paper war; in that letter your Lordship may find the peace so firmly asserted, and both the justice, and necessity of what was done so well demonstrated, as waving all arguments of mine own in that behalf I refer you Lordship thither for an entire satisfaction.  
Only I shall take leave to tell your Lordship this, that his Excy. in associating the Irish and my Lord of Inchiquin together, and in making up of this peace, hath what in conditions to the one, and to the other, so bound up himself, as he may well be said to be Lord Leiut. but upon courtesy, until the time of Parliament; having granted unto my Lord Inchiquin the sole command, and ordering of those forces, and garrisons he brought with him to the King's obedience; and having obliged himself unto the confederates to authorise only those Officers, and to march in the head of that army which their Commissioners should present unto him. By this your Lordship may perceive the necessity unto which His Excy. was brought, but it could not be avoided, either these things must be assented unto by him, or the peace must not be made.  
And in this sort my Lord Liunts. hands were manacled in effect as to the militia, he having no more to do, but only to go in, & out before an army of several factions, & religions much averse to one another: the Officers whereof though never so much disliked by him he could not but admit of; if either the one party, or the other insisted upon their conditions; it cannot therefore seem strange, (when rightly considered,) that Inchiquins, and the Irish forces were never incorporated together, nor indifferently intermingled in all the garrisons; neither why the army was either so ill disciplined, and officerd, (as in truth it was,) since what hath been said is a full answer, as I conceive, to that objection.  
The difficulties His Excy. also had, to make these several Factions understand either him, or one another, were very great; witness the printed Declaration the Monster forces extorted from him before the conclusion of the peace, and those many diffidences, and demurs the Irish made thereupon; both which parties he must of necessity humour, and comply with, or else mutinies, and defections could not be avoided. The case being such, your Lordship (who have commanded great armies, and had experience in some measure of these inconveniences) very well knows, that the skill must needs be great in a General so to divide himself amongst them, as to keep them in obedience, and contented. My Lord Lieut. by the gentleness, and affability of his disposition, and his great prudence in foreseeing, & preventing evils, wrestled a long time successfully, with all these inconveniences, tuneing all these discords into harmony; and at length assoon as money could be got to move withal, or the ground afforded grass for their horse, a part of the army is drawn together under the command of the Earl of Castle-haven (general of the horse) whose prevaileing against several of O Neales', & Jones his garrisons joined to the voluntary coming in of many of their soldiers, and surrender of their holds, gave very much credit, and reputation to the King's army.  
All the time that this is in doing my Lord Leiut. was busied in treating with, and courting Jones, & Owen O Neale unto the King's obedience; the first of which (being as is believed) corrupted by Cromwell's bribes, & large promises, positively declines my Lord Leiu ts. favour, as appears by their printed letters: the latter having at last waved all things concerning religion, more than what was granted in the peace, insists finally upon the command of 6000. foot, and 800. horse, together with those other conditions that since were granted him; the Commissioners will permit my Lord Leiut. to allow him no more but 4000 foot & 600. horse, which number they obstinately refused to exceed; denying him also several other of his lesser demands, whereupon O Neale seeing them willing either to leave him quite out, or to have him come in upon such terms as he judged inconsiderable, (they peradventure thinking themselves able to do the work without him) makes present application unto Monk, and Jones, either to be revenged, upon the Commissioners, my Lord of Inchiquin, the Scots, and all the rest, that he conceived to oppose him, or else, as he afterwards said, to make himself more considerable, and thereby facilitate his conditions with them.  
Whatsoever his motive was, at last Monk makes an agreement with him, in the name of the Parliament;) though they very tamely upon Cromwell's motion did afterwards think fit to disclaim him) upon which score, howsoever, he assisted them all he could, undertaking the relief of Derry, which he afterwards effected; and notwithstanding that his Excy. dureing all this time was very sensible of the great consequence of Owen O Neales' coming in, or standing out, in order to the service, or disservice of the King, and that he looked upon the dispute of denying him the command of 6000. men, when they were content to entrust him with 4000 as a strange kind of oversight in the Commissioners, & the rest concurring with them, the rather, because he knew that by his standing out, that accursed quarrel between the Kings, and the Nuntios' party, (not unlike that of the Guelphs, and Gibbelines in Italy) was kept on foot, the refractory Clergy were countenanced, & upheld in credit with the people, and the great Cities were animated to refuse garrisons, to deny the payment of impositions, and to disrespect both the Lord Leiu ᵗ, and the Commissioners: yet was it not in his power to help it by any means; unless he would have broken conditions with them, which no consideration of any advantage, how great soever, could induce him to do, so tender hath he been ever of his faith and engagements given: The business being grown past remedy, he gives the treaty over, and the season inviteing him to take the field, his army being drawn together, he bends his thoughts wholly now upon the reduction of Dublin, yet meets with a very unexpected rub in the beginning of his march, for the English forces of Monster would not move, neither would the Ulster Scots unanimously submit before my Lord Inchiquin be declared Leiut. General of the army: which command had been immediately upon the peace conferred on my Lord marquis of Clanricard (now upon his march towards Slego) but this demur was also overcome by his Lordship's being content, to part with that command, rather than the King's service should suffer through any concernment of his: soon after my Lord of Castle-haven, upon my Lord of Inchiquins' horse refuseing to obey his orders, quits the field in distaste, and retires to Kilkeny; which his Excy. seemed willing for avoiding greater inconveniences to suffer, giving the Earl of Castlehaven the charge of seeing the contributions brought in, and the Command of the country in his absence.  
These difficulties overcome, His Excy. makes directly for Dublin, all the garrisons in his way (but Ballisonan) by force, or fair means surrendering to him, yet is he set forth so slenderly provided with money, that near Kildare the army is ready to mutiny, & fall to pieces for want of a very small sum, had not a worthy person (that was there but accidentally) supplied them in that extremity; this strait also being overpast, & my Lord of Inchiquins' forces being come wholly up, they hold on for Dublin, and compel Jones that was drawn out as far as the Naas with what strength he could make to interupt them, to retire into the town; whither being come at last, and finding it competently well fortified, and plentifully man'd both with horse, and foot, in so much that it was judged no ways fit to hazard the army upon a desperate assault, and being not as yet a number able to invest the place, especially whilst O Neale, and Monk, together with the garrisons of Drogheda, and Trim lay so convenient to attempt upon them; it was resolved that my Lord Leiut. should with the greatest part of his army encamp at Finglasse, from thence to awe, & distress the town, and be ready to countenance any stirs, or revolts within, whilst my Lord of Inchiquin with a great body of horse, and above 2000 foot endeavours to take in Trim, and Drogheda; all this time His Excy. found great wants to encounter with, his provisions, and contributions coming in so slowly, and disproportionably to the necessities of his army; and many factions to compose, and temper, the Monster, and the rest of the English forces murmuring against the liberty the Irish had there in the exercise of their religion, & the Irish again repining to see themselves murmured at; but more especially to see the English Monster forces (though they were fewer in number, and had contributions of their own) to swallow up both their pay, and provisions also; which though the rest of the army did petition against, His Excy. could in no ways remedy, being constrained to humour, and comply with that party, as being a people so ticklish, and unsteady, that, if disgusted, might probably either side with Jones, or retireing to their own garrisons, compel the army to with draw, from Dublin by declaring themselves for the Parliament.  
Sr. Tho. Armstronge, and my Lord Moor being come in to my Lord Inchiquin; Co ll. Mark Trevors (that was but newly declared for the King) having got notice of a choice party of O Neales', sent to Dundalke to convey thence such arms, and ammunition as Monk had undertaken to supply him withal, invites my Lord Inchiquin to intercept them, who came so opportunely thither, that he gained O Neals suplie of ammunition, with the utter defeat of his party; whereupon soon after the gaining of Drogedah, which ensued immediately upon O Neales' defeat; Dundalke itself being summoned, the soldiers compelled Monk to a surrender, and themselves took arms for the King.  
Immediately after this defeat of his party, O Neale hasteneth towards the relief of Derry which was the only town in that Province untaken, all the rest being already reduced by the Lord of Ards, Sr. George Monro, and Co ll. Trevors, who were now hindered only by O Neales' army, and the Siedg of Derry, from bringing up a considerable body of horse, and foot to the leaguer of Dublin. Where may be observed how great a prejudice the faction of those men (who desiring out of animosities, & ends of their own, to stave of O Neal & his party from the benefit of the peace; stood chaffering with him about his command of 4000, or 6000. men, and other trifles) have done to the King's service, and to the whole Kingdoms in deprivinge themselves thereby, not only of the forementioned assistance of the Scots, but also of the possession of London Derry, together with so considerable an addition of forces as O Neale could then have brought; whereby not only the whole Province of Ulster would have been secured to the King; but Dublin itself either reduced, or so strongly furrounded, that it would have been impossible either for Jones to relieve himself, or Cromwell to invade the Kingdom: which, notwithstanding all these fore mentioned disadvantages, was, upon the matter, even gained already, and would have been entirely, without any manner of question, if it had fortuned that His Majesty had feasonably come thither himself in person, which by all parties was desired with infinite passion, but especially by those whose prudence made them best able to judge how effectual his presence would be, not only for the animating of his own loyal party, but also suppressing of all factious humours, and uniteing all interests cheerfully, & unanimously to go on against the common enemy: which must soon have put a period to that war, and made his authority absolute in that Kingdom, without dispute; for as upon his arrival His Majesty should have found Monster entirely in the Irish, and my Lord of Inchiquins' possession, Ulster all reduced, but the fort of Culmore, and Derry into the hands of the Scots; Conaght by the Marquis of Clanrieards fortunate gaining the strong fort of Slego (with what else the enemy had then remaining in that Province) wholly cleared: in Leinster nothing left for rebellion to nestle in, but Dublin & Ballisonnan; both which were so well attended upon, that the defendants had but little pleasure to air themselves without the circuit of their works; so by his coming he would undoubtedly have diverted Owen O Neale (who would immediately have submitted unto the person of the King from relieving London Derry, and thereby have secured both that town, and Province, with Dublin also as it is thought) for they that had reason to know Jones his mind apprehended that his leaving the King's party did proceed from a Pique either against my Lord Leiut. or Sr. Robert Byron about a Leiut. Co lls. place, which was conferred over his head upon an other; and that then the scene being altered in England, & his old friends out of authority there, his new terms with the Independents also yet unmade, he had himself come over, if the King had been there in person; or if not, yet his party would have all deserted him; and the work had been done one way, or other; that Kingdom wholly reduced without ablow; all factions, as I said before extinguished; and His Majesty had an army of above 20000. men to have employed where he pleased.  
However, thitherto you see my Lord Leiut. (having cemented together so many differing parties, & mastered almost incredible difficulties) hath with prudence, and success conducted the business, and is hindered only by the wilfulness, and faction of some of his own party from completing the work. After the taking in of Trim (which followed soon upon the surrender of Dundalke,) my Lord of Inchiquin brings up his forces, now much improved in number, to the army before Dublin whereupon His Excy. leaving a part of his army at Castleknock under the Command of my Lord Dillon of Costelo (a person of much gallantry) to keep them in on that side the water, removeth his Camp to the other side the town, to distress the enemy that way also, which, whilst they are endeavouring to do, (upon intelligence that Cromwell was ready with an army to embark himself for Ireland, and that he intended to land in Monster) my Lord of Inchiquin thought it fit that he should with a good party of horse go down into those parts to secure his garrisons and provide for the worst.  
His Lordship was no sooner gone, but my Lord Leiut. designing to shut up the enemy within his works, and quite impede as well their getting in of hay, as the graseing of their cattle without their line; gave order to Patrick Purcell, Major General of the foot, to march with a sufficient party of men, and an Engineer to Baggot-Rath there to possess himself of that place immediately, & cast up such a work as had been already designed: Sr. William Vaughan Commissary General of the horse, had order likewise to draw together most part of the troops that were on that side the water and to keep them in a body upon a large ploughed field looking towards the Castle of Dublin, there to countenance the foot whilst the works were finishing, and to secure them in case the enemy out of the town should attempt to interrupt them. These (my Lord) were the orders given, but not executed, for notwithstanding it did not much exceed a mile, whither the foot were to go, yet through the ignorance, or negligence of the Officers, that were to conduct them many hours were spent, ere they came at the place: Whither when they were come they found the work so wretchlesly advanced by Mr. Welsh the Engineer, (and to help all) themselves kept such negligent guards, that many judged it was done on purpose; & that these neglects proceeded from those lurking seeds of discord between the Kings and the Nuntios' parties: for it is certain that about that time upon an apprehension that things went on too prosperously with my Lord Leiut. there were Letters written to Owen O Neale, about broaching a new war, in case Dublin had been taken; what ever the grounds of these faileings were, the enemy never stood to examine, but being much troubled to see a fort designing there, (where, with so much ease they might not only be kept, from all forage, and secure by land, but intercourse with the sea also:) and perceiving the posture they were in, destitute of horse, to guard them, resolves upon a desperate sally to disturb this work, which they happened to make about eight of the clock in the morning, when His Excy. who had been on horseback most part of the night (as his constant custom was since his coming near Dublin) was newly laid him down in his tent to take his rest.  
The enemy found the new fortification so slight, and the resistance there so weak, that they soon became masters of the place, from whence seeing the Irish fly in such fright & disorder, (contrary to their first intentions,) they pursued them up to the avenewes of their Camp, where finding the soldiers also that were in guard with great security, and unconcernment looking on, they laid hold on the advantage, charging briskly in, and in a trice beat them of their posts, which if they had defended (as a far less number than they were, might very easily have done) the Camp being no way accessible towards the town, (excepting by those few avenewes which there purposely had been left open, nay some of them thrown open contrary to orders for the conveniency of the soldiers) could possibly have run no hazard.  
But these passes being thus lost, & abandoned, & more men coming out of the town to reinforce those that were already so successful, the whole army in the greatest terror, and confusion that might be, falls a running every one a several way, & in this condition were all things brought before my Lord Taaffe then General of the Ordinance had awaked my Lord Leiut., who presently takeing horse together with my Lord of Castle-haven (who was now returned bacl to his command) & Co ll. Milo Power; made towards the enemy taking all such a long with them as they could either by force, or fair means persuade to face about, with intention to beat them bacl, or at least, by making head a while, to stop their progress till some considerable part of the army could be rallied, and brought up again, to oppose them: but by that time they came near the enemy, their followers were grown so thin, that His Excy. (after the having exposed himself to much danger, and received a shot upon his arms in a brusk charge that he made upon the foremost of the enemy's troops,) was feign to retire at last, and seek to recover his army that was gone before; Sr. William Vaughan being already killed, his brother Co ll. Richard Butler taken, and the whole camp in effect abandoned except by those that could not get them ready, or wanted means of flying.  
Thus besides the slaughter that was made, and the prisoners that were taken, one of which was the lot of most of the English that were under the command of Co ll. Woogan (whose behaviour that day deserves much commendation) who having gotten together into a small body defended themselves so gallantly and with so much resolution against the whole power of the enemy, as at last, after a great slaughter, the rest made conditions for themfelves before they could be enforced to yield, or lay down arms:) the total plunder of the camp, with all the artillery, tents, and baggage fell into the enemy's hands, most of my Lord of Inchiquins' foot, that at first made some resistance, seeing the day lost, upon this disaster changed sides, and revolted to the enemy. All this was done in so short a space, and with so little noise, that my Lord Dillon, and the rest of the forces that were on the other side the river of the Liffy, knew nothing of what was done till the business was over, and some scattering runaways brought him word of it; the Irish that got of, made such hast every one towards his home, and with such distraction, that it was impossible for my Lord Leiut. to draw any body of them together; and therefore (having met with the news of the surrender of Ballisannon that very day into the hands of his forces that lay before it) he rested at Caterlo that night, and went the next day to confer with the Commissioners of trust, and my Lord Inchiquin at Kilkeny.  
When this great disaster is well considered, scarce any other sound reason can be given for so sad a misfortune, but the good pleasure of Almighty God. who (if it be lawful to look so far into the judgements of heaven,) knowing the ill intentions and designs that were in the hearts of many both of the Irish and English there, in case Dublin had been taken, saw them unworthy of that blessing, and took that time, for their punishment, and humiliation; not only in this but a torrent of other crosses following in the neck one of another; for besides this mischance before Dublin, to the ruin of so great an army, about the same time O Neale relieves Coot in London Derry, to the immediate loss of that Province, & the future scourge of his own followers; not long before likewise the plague was brought by a ship out of Spain into galway, and besides the havoc it made in that town, so dispersed itself over all the Province of Conaught, that my Lord Marquis of Clanricard; being deprived through the Calamities that were upon that town, & country both of money, and means, to march withal, could not for many months draw his army together, either to act any thing alone, or join with any other, for fear least by that means the plague, that made such spoil while they were asunder, should mow them down when they were all together.  
This Rout at Dublin, the relief of Derry, and the plague might be thought competent afflictions to be cast upon a people so impoverished, & a Kingdom so wasted before; yet this sufficeth not, there are heavier losses yet to follow, and a worse pestilence to land shortly at Dublin, that will sweep away their men, and towns together; but here your Lordship may justly interrupt me, and say, that though it must be confessed, that whatsoever befalls us in this vale of misery is to be attributed to the hand of heaven, or the permission at least of the divine providence, (into the reasons of whose secret, and hidden counsels, our weak capacities are unable to search) yet nevertheless those visible causes, whereby we draw misfortunes upon ourselves, by such, who through neglect of their duty, & disobedience to their superiors, are apparently the authors thereof, ought not to pass unpunished, and therefore you see no reason why those were not called to an account that deserved it both by their cowardice, and so shameful omission of their duty, as could admit of no excuse.  
But when your Lordship shall be pleased to reflect upon what I said before, that my Ld. Leiut. commands this army, & indeed the Kingdom but as it were upon courtesy, all his authority in effect consisting in the aweing one faction with another, the best of which he found to be on so uncertain, & unsettled, terms; that you will I doubt not when you reflect upon it easily grant, that my Ld. Leiut. could not in prudence do an act that was likely to give so great, & general a distaste as indeed to have proceeded against the Major General would have been to the confederates, amongst whom he had so many alliances, & friends: & the running away of the rest was so universal a fault, that it was hard to discover who deserved punishment most; & harder to find a Court of war to censure them.  
Dureing this short residence at Kilkeny, His Ex. cy: having taken order with the Lord Inchiquin to bring up what forces he could possibly make, and with the Commissioners for the recruteing, drawing together, & arming, their dispersed forces assoon as could be, to the end they might be sent after him, who speeds away himself in the company only of 20 or 30 horse towards Trim, and Drogheda, as the places both nearest the enemy's attempts, and likeliest to totter bacl, if not secured in time: at Tecroghan (a house of Sr. Luke Fitzgarretts) he makes a stay, till those several bodies that he then expected were come up, and upon notice of their coming removes to Trim; where he meets with news of Jones his being before Drogheda, who soon after, upon intelligence that my Lord Leiut. was at Trim, and suposeing his forces, to be greater than indeed they were, drew of in the night, & returned Immediately to Dublin.  
The next day His Excy. went through to Drogheda, where a party of the Scotch horse, and foot under the Command of the Lord of Ards, and the Lord Clanbrazill. Came up unto him, but, whilst they are consulting what to do, they receive assurance of Cromwell's landing with very considerable forces: Whereupon concludeing that town necessary to be kept to entertain the enemy before whilst they made up their army, as they hoped to do very considerably, & soon enough to come to the relief of the place; of which if they should fail, no question was made, but after the gaining of time, which was then precious, they in the town should be able to make honourable conditions for themselves; whilst Cromwell is refreshing his own men in Dublin and reducing Jones', there is put into Drogheda a garrison of 2500 foot, and 300 horse, which was thought sufficient: & so having furnished it with provisions, as well as that short time would give them leave, His Excy. commits the charge of that place to Sr. Arthur Aston, as a person whose experience, courage, & approved fidelity did worthily deserve the highest trust. These things thus ordered His Excy. returns to Trim, and from thence he dispatched away Co ll. Daniel O Neale then Governor of that place, (with a Commission to set on foot the treaty again with Owen O Neale, if it were possible, & to endeavour the reduceing of the Ulster army even upon any conditions;) a person esteemed by all, best qualified for that employment, as well in regard of his singular abillitye, and approved fidelity to the King as the great interest he was supposed to have in his Uncle, who managed the business with that dexterity, as he won his Uncle to hearken again, unto an agreement; whereupon. Sr. Richard Barnewell, and Sr. Nicholas Plunkett are sent after to make an absolute conclusion with him, though by the way this may not be unworthy of observation, that those persons who were formerly most opposite to this agreement, were now become the greatest sticklers to promote it with His Excy, being grown sensible of the imminent, and approaching danger that now threatened them.  
Tecroghan is the next stage His Excy. removeth unto, (where I had the honour first to kiss his hand after my arrival in Ireland,) here he makes a stand, as being the most opportune place to draw his army together in, and lying most convenient after that was done, to relieve Drogheda, or make any other attempt upon the enemy: Where besides the remains of the Irish army, already some what recruited, there joined unto him a good regiment of my Lord Marquis of Clanricards of above 1000 foot, together with 300 horse; likewise that party of the Scots before mentioned; Sr. Thomas Armstrong, and Co ll. Trevors, together with what forces my Lord Inchiquin could bring out of his precincts; these being got together, and daily additions being still expected to the making them up a more considerable body, than they were at Dublin; my Lord Leiut. received several advices from Sr. Arthur Aston to precipitate nothing: for he doubted not of finding Cromwell play a while, as certainly he had done had not Co ll. Walls regiment after the enemy had been twice bravely repulsed; upon the unfortunat loss of their Colonel in the third assault been so unhappily dismayed, as to listen before they had need unto the enemy offering them quarter; and admitted them in upon these terms; thereby betraying both themselves, & all their fellow soldiers to the slaughter; for Cromwell being master of the town, & told by Jones that he had now in his hands the flower of the Irish army, gave order to have all that were in arms put to the sword: Where besides the gallant Governor Sr. Arthur Aston, Sr. Edmond Varney, Co ll. Warren, Co ll. fleming, and Co ll. Birn, Leiut. Co ll. Finglasse, and Major Tempest, together with many other excellent Officers, and Gentlemen, there were butchered near 3000 soldiers, and those truly reputed the best that Kingdom afforded: in whose fall, there is sadly observable, how great a number of them were guilty of the unlucky breach of that solemn agreement, made about two years before between the Lord marquis of Clanricard and the Leinster army at Sr. Nicholas Whites Castle of Lexleap; several of those that survived having perished since; and few, or none of them escaped some remarkable affliction, or other. This massacre at Drogheda having lopped of a principal limb of my Lord Leiu ts. army; and the loss of that town, letting the enemy lose, caused his Excy to remove his army from Castle Jordan down towards the Counties of Wexford, and Kilkeny, there not only to lie secure, till General O Neales' army came up unto them (with whom now at last he having been rejected by the Parliament, and the Commissioners whipped to reason with adversity, there was an agreement made, and he submitted to the King's Authority) but also ready to be drawn into either Wexford, or Kilkeny, as there should be occasion, for upon one of those places after the enemy's retreat from Drogheda to Dublin, it was concluded they would fall next. For which reason His Excy. for many days courts the town of Wexford to take in a Garrison, Kilkeny having received one already, but they (affirming they were able to defend their town themselves) would never be brought to admit of one till the enemy was at the Walls, and then tumultuarily Sr. Edmond Butler with near 1500 men was received in, as Governor; whom to reinforce, after the enemy was now set down before it my Lord Leiu nt comes with new supplies with in sight of the town, & had put them in, to the infallible preservation of the place, if James Stafford then Governor of the Castle had not upon terms of advantage to himself before His Ex cies eyes shamefully betrayed it, and the town into the hands of a most cruel, & faithless enemy, who butchered there also after they were admitted in, above 2000 more.  
There was nothing now remainning to be done, the Ulster army being not yet come up, and several troops of my Lord Inchiquins' being since the siege of Drogheda run away to the enemy) but put a Garrison into Rosse which was sent in under the Command of Luke Taaffe with orders (for the place was judged scarce tenable against so powerful an enemy) to make conditions when they saw themselves able to resist no longer, as at last they did when the breach was made, and the enemy ready to give an assault, having terms to march away with their arms.  
About Graigge and Thomas Town His Excellency hovered with his horse, and the small remainder of his foot, until the coming up of the Ulster army. Under the Command of Leiutenant General farrel, (the General himself lying then a dying:) This new Conjunction with Owen O Neale, and so great an accession of Forces brings my Lord Lieutenant into a Condition not only of putting a stop upon Cromwell's hasty progress, but even of gaining ground upon him, as questionless he would have done, had not another misfortune greater than any of the former interveened to frustrate all; which was this, my Lord of Inchequin having as I said before conditioned to have the ordering of those Garrisons, and forces that he brought in with him to the King's obedience left wholly to himself out of desire (as is believed) to keep himself still considerable upon a bottom of his own; would never hearken unto any Proposition of admitting a proportion of Irish into any of his towns, Kingsale only excepted into which place at the importunity of Prince Rupert he at last admitted some: Being confident that the English forces under his command having served under him so so long upon several scores; all, or the most of the Officers where of being either Creatures of his own, or men obliged, and endeared unto him upon a long account, would never separate themselves from his fortune, or abandon his service. But his Lordship it seems taken wrong measures, for the most part of them being steared wholly by self interest, and knowing the way already, how for advantage to serve against the King (whose business they saw so much declining, that no more was likely to be got that way) whilst Cromwell was full of money, and success; Conspired together how to possess themselves of my Lord of Inchiquins' person, together with the towns under his Command, that they might make a surrender of all at once unto the enemy: Youghall gins the dance, and taking occasion to mutiny against the English Cavaliers under Woogans Command that were quartered there, imprisoned, & disarmed them all, and afterwards stood upon their guard.  
Whilst my Lord of juchiquin is by all Gentle means endeavouring to reclaim back this town, several of his Officers combine to seize upon him, (then lying secure at Lieutenant General Barries house of Castle Lions) but they, and their design being discovered to his Lordship by one of their own complices, were so far prevented as to be seized all upon themselves. Whereupon the town of Youghall seeing Cromwell yet at too great a distance, & the time of his coming into Monster uncertain, offered to submit upon assurance of indemnity, the release of the imprisoned Officers, and removal of the Cavaliers; which his Lordship either wanting the means to compel them, or being willing with kindness, and fair means to win upon them, & keep them in order assented unto. After which, having visited his Garrisons, and believing all things so secure, as not to require either his further stay there, or the bringing any proportion of the Irish into those other towns, he returns unto his charge in the army. And now Cromwell having newly received an affront before Duncannon, through the courage & gallantry of Wogan wirh those English Gentlemen, that were put in with him upon that occasion, was retired back to Rosse there under the Protection of the town to make a Floating Bridge over the river to the end that by having a passage to the other side, he might at his pleasure either compel His Excy to divide his army, to attend upon his motions and so give him an opportunity of setting upon one part, or other of it; Or, at least, if it kept together, of getting a Passage into Monster, where he expected, to find a general Revolt of those Garrisons under my Lord of Inchiquins' Commands, as it afterwards happened.  
My Lord Taaffe was sent with a part of the army to hinder the work; But what through want of powder, (and indeed all sorts of ammunition) which was now grown exceeding scarce, extremity of foul weather, distempers amongst his men, and other ill concurring accidents, he was not able to effect it. My Lord Lieutenant through Cromwell's sudden retreating in the night, from before Dun Cannon, having lost the opportunity of fight him, (as he was then resolved finding his army cheerfully desire the occasion) had nothing left him now to do, but wait upon the enemy's motion, and endeavour to cut of his provisions, (which the country people alured by the orderliness of his soldiers, who had money to pay for what they took, and command it seems to do so) brought them in as fast as could be; whilst His Excellency having no money to pay his army, nor indeed a competence of bread to give them, was constrained to let them take their sustenance where they could find it.  
During this intermission of action, Cork, Youghall, and all the English towns of Monster (even through the incitation of those Officers, that were but lately released) being openly revolted, and the Lord Broghall with some men landed in those parts; Very many of my Lord Inchiquins' party, both horse, and foot deserted my Lord Lieutenant, and ran daily over to the enemy: In so much that both the Commanders, and soldiers of the Irish (not without reason) grew very jealous of the rest that remained behind, fearing that if ever they came to engage against the enemy, they would turn upon them, and betray them, there wanted not divers also (though doubtless very unjustly) that extended their jealousies unto my Lord of Inchiquin himself grounding their accusations upon his Lordships not punishing the Conspirators when he had them in his power, upon so fair a warning, and just an occasion, as then was given him, his not putting Irish into his Garrisons; Upon his wife, his family, plate, and goods being sent him safely out of Cork into the Irish quartars, upon his not consenting to the dismounting, and disarming, of the rest of his men, when some of the Commissioners pressed the doing of it, upon his delivering his advice in Council (as they heard for his Excellencies coming to conditions with Cromwell, and making this an argument for it, that his men would fight no longer; and lastly upon an impertinent accusation without head, or tail (appeared when he came to be examined in the business) brought against him by the Marquis of Antrim, for holding correspondence, and having made conditions under hand with the enemy.  
Upon these foundations, and such as these, did many of the Irish represent unto my Lord Leiutenant the necessity of discharging my Lord Inchiquin of his Command, & securing his person; which his Excellency being more tender of the King's honour, and his own, then upon bare surmises, and suspicions to deal in that manner with a person that had but lately deserved so well both of the King, and him; would not be brought unto: Choosing rather to run any adventure, then to be guilty of breach of conditions with him, which he must needs have been, if before a conviction of apparent treachery he should upon the score of my Lord of Inchiquins' oversights, or the uncertain jealousies of the Irish; have condescended unto either of the things proposed.  
This temper and justice in my Lord Leiutenant (in not suffering himself to be led by the clamours and importunity of the people, and soldiers) involues him also at last under their displeasure, and mistrust: so that out of want of confidence in their chief Commanders, and out of diffidence in one another, the army was now fallen into a very unfit condition of hazarding a battle with the enemy, if an occasion should offer itself: and to make it worse the Scots that were there (being tired out with the necessities, the whole army suffered, and receiving news of the enemy's prevalence in their Country) desired leave to return into the North which after great importunity at last being granted them, they immediately with drew their forces, and hasted homewards; where they were no sooner come, and Sr. George Monro joined unto them, but they received so sore a blow from Coote with so much loss, and dispersion of their men that they were never able to make head in Ulster since.  
Cromwell now finding the army so much weakened, by the desertion of so many of my Lord Inchiquins' men, and the departure of the Scots, and likewise knowing that it was in such disorder through the distrust, & animosities that were amongst them, so that in reason he was like to have much the advantage if they should fight him, adventures over his bridge at Rosse into the County of Kilkenny; where by facing my Lord Leiutenants' army, and moving after it up, and down, he amuzed the Irish; whilst Jones, his Leintenant General, with parties took in the Castles of the Country, & had Carrick given into his hands wretchedly by Martin that Commanded there; Upon notice where of Cromwell hastens thither, to pass his army over into Monster, which was now his business; for notwithstanding his purse to buy provisions of the Country, and his ships that wherever he went waited continually upon him, his army through the unseasonableness of the weather, and want of quarters, was so much harassed, and wasted; many of his men falling sick, and dying daily, that if he did not hasten to his Winter quarters, he would in probability have perished without a blow, which nevertheless, to make sure work, my Lord Leiutenant (whose army also was quite tired out with wants, sufferings, and continual marches) hearing that he was gone towards Carrick intended to bestow upon him before necessity forced him to disperse his men, and to that end his Excellency marched speedily after the enemy with design to set upon him whilst he was either engaged before Carrick, or else encumbered at some other pass upon the river; but after all this diligence when my Lord came near the town he then learned that the place was lost before, and that Cromwell leaving a competent Garrison therein, had only past his army over, and was gone towards Waterford, which town during Cromwell's Residence at Rosse, though the persuasion (as it is said) of Geoffry Baron, and Hugh Rochfort had underhand begun a treaty with him, for the delivery of the town unto him; Which treaty only stuck upon the free exercise of their Religion, and the Churches denied unto them by Cromwell.  
The knowledge of this caused my Lord Leiutenant now to hasten thither, with no small danger to his person to press them to admit of a Garrison, which being a long time denied, & my Lord of Castlehaven, with divers others, that his Excellency propounded, being utterly rejected by them; yet at last they were content to admit of farrel, and the Ulster men, who accordingly were sent immediately unto them. After Farrells admittance, he upon notice of the enemy's motion that way, fearing some commotion in the town, and thinking himself not strong enough to resist the enemy without, and master them within writes unto his Excellency for a supply of men; And these his Excellency (seeing Cromwell so unexpectedly got over into Monster through the treachery of the Garrison of Carrick) intends now to conduct himself out of hand into Waterford, before which the enemy was supposed to be; Thereupon some Principal Officers of the army desired leave that they might in the Interim attempt the regaining of Carrick, against whom his Excellency objecting the want of materials necessary for such an enterprise, was assured they had enough to serve their turn for that work, yea, and some of them positively undertook the taking of the place that night; Wherefore leaving them to their business my Lord bends his Course for Waterford, where he arrived when it was late; upon notice where of Cromwell despairing of doing any good upon that town, and finding many of his men fall sick, and die of the flux, which then raged amongst them, draws of in the night, and hastens towards his Winter quarters at Cork and Youghall, in which march as he gained Dungarvan, so he lost Jones his Lieutenant General.  
During my Lord Leiutenants' absence, the army at Carrick assaults the place, the foot falling on with extraordinary gallantry, and resolution, where after the loss of many of them, they failed of carrying the place only for want of a few pickaxes, and spades which being called for were not where to be found, which necessitated the poor foot, after having done so handsomely, and stood under the walls some hours, to quit the business, and draw of; when extreme want of food (they having eaten nothing almost for two days) enforced them to march away towards Clonmell, all the Country betvixt Carrick, and Kilkenny Being totally spoilt already.  
The removal of the army hence without sending notice of it to my Lord Leiutenant had like to have put his Excellency into the enemy's hands, for he making full account of the regaining of Carrick upon the former assurance that was given him, was upon his way directly thither, (where the enemy had 300 horse, & he not forty in his Company) when Colonel Milo Power by good fortune found him out, and told him of the ill success of the enterprise, and the motion of the army thence, whereupon he altered his Course another way. And then considering that the enemy was now retired into his Garrisons, that the weather was bitter, and unfit for action, the Winter being now come on, or if it were not so that he had neither meat, nor money wherewith to keep his men any longer together, having since the revolt of Monster (which deprived him of the greatest share of his Contributions, and Provisions) been along time already forced to live upon the spoil of the rest of the Country; he concluded upon dispersing his army into quarters also, which (because the Principal towns refused to admit them in) he was fain to scatter over all the Kingdom. The greatest part of the Ulster forces were sent into their own Province there to Choose a new General according as their conditions allowed them. Luke Taaffe, and Morogh, O Flahartye with their men were sent back into Connaght to my Lord of Clanricard; my Lord of Inchiquin with the remainder of such as belonged unto him, went over into the County of Clare; my Lord Dillon with his, into Meath, and towards Athlone, all the rest were scattered several ways; Only Major General Hugh O Neale was admitted with about 1500 Ulster men into clonmel as Governor, and Kilkenny received also a Competent Garrison to secure them against so ill neighbours as Rosse, and Carrick were.  
Here your Lordship beholds a summary of what passed in the field, since the army first set forth until their going to their Winter quarters; in all which time how ill soever the success hath been, nothing can with any colour of reason be laid to my Lord Leiutenants' charge, except the not punishing those many failings, treacheries, and disorders that were committed during this Summer's expedition: Yet as to the disobedience, & neglects in the siege of Dublin I gave you reasons why that was passed over before; And those that were committed since were for the most part by men of that condition, & Interest, that it was neither safe, nor fit (all things considered) to call them to an account; as for treacheries, most of the authors of them took care to secure themselves and in time get out of reach; Only Crosby that betrayed Kingsale, after he was designed to die, by my Lord Lieutenant, upon my Lord of Inchiquins' coming to town, was, I know not for what considerations, repreived and saved; The want of money to pay the soldiers, and the exigences they were for the most part in, after the mischance at Dublin, did so much authorise their disorders in the Country that if they had not been passed by, and connived at, there had been no means of keeping them together. There was no Officer in all that army, that will not likewise confess that my Lord of Ormond did too often, and too freely expose himself to danger by going upon every little expedition; and that he did take more toil, and pains than became a General, by descending frequently to play the Major General, the Quartermaster, the Provost Martial, or any thing; which yet the unremediable negligence, and insufficiency of many of his Officers obliged him unto.  
Out of all which it is very evident that it was neither want of conduct, courage, or vigilancy in him that brought those sad successes upon the Irish, but (next after the immediate hand of God) those factions, that he had neither power, nor means of mastering, those treacheries, which no man's Prudence could prevent, and those wants, that his empty purse and deep engaged fortune could not supply. For I dare boldy say, that had it not been for the aversion of the Commissioners, my Lord of Castlehaven, my Lord of Inchiquin, & the Scots, to Owen O Neale, he had been reduced in time; Both Derry, and Dublin would have fallen into my Lord Leiutevants hands, & no landing place have been left for Cromwell unsecured: Nay, I have many reasons to believe, that notwithstanding the defeat at Dublin, and success upon Drogheda, Cromwell with all his great army, his fleet, and store of money, had been lost, and sunk to nothing, if the Castles of Wexford, and Carrick had not been so foully betrayed; Nay, and after that too, if those towns, and forces in Monster had not so treacherously revolted.  
But how innocent soever his Excellency were, by this time, some leaders of the factious part of the Clergy, and people (thinking now they had got a fair occasion of lifting him out of the saddle, and thereby of slipping their own necks out of the collar of obedience again,) begin to exclaim aloud against my Lord Lieutenant for their ill successes; they blame his conduct of the army, as if he had misguided it on purpose; his disposing of their contributions, as if he had defrauded them; his Kindness, & Countenance to the English Gentlemen, was a sign he wished our Nation, better than his own; and an inference of his not being fit to be trusted longer by them; for to confirm which they coined a thousand arguments, and scattered industriously amongst the people opinions, that my Lord of Ormond was guilty of the greatest treacheries, and miscarriages that had been committed. To make which probable, they called to mind afresh the surrender of Dublin to the Parliament, rather than to them, They instanced also his present supporting my Lord of Inchiquin, though suspected so deeply by every one; Nay, out of his standing so hard with them in all past treaties upon concessions of Religion, and out of his steadiness in his own Profession, they framed arguments of his unfaithfulness to them, and aversion to theirs: So that now you could speak with few amongst the common soldiers, or the peasants that would not either say, they could not look to prosper under the Command of a Protestant, or else tell you, that it was no wonder their armies were beaten, and their towns were lost, since their chief leaders betrayed them.  
Thus did the knavery, and malice of a few steal away the hearts of the generality of that undiscerning simple people from my Lord Lieutenant, few of them being able to judge at all of the Prudence and integrity of his conduct; or to consider that the army that was in the field the foregoing Summer would have required four times the Contribution that was raised, without leaving any surplus either to be hoarded up, or sent beyond seas: From which his Excellency was so far, that on the other side, he frequently offered to engage at a very low rate all that remained unmorgaged of his Princely estate for the support of the army.  
These people could not reflect how much right, and honour he did their Nation in his civilities, & Nobleness to those English Gentlemen, that were in want, and banishment only for their faith unto the King, and who, if ever the Royal Interest recovered, were many of them like to become so capable of acknowledging those favours with advantages back unto them; wherefore his Excellency, as well out of their common concernments, as his own goodness, bewailed nothing more, then that his own private, and the Kingdom's public necessities limited his bounty; and that the ill nature, and indiscretion that reigned amongst many of the Irish would not suffer them to hid their repininges, at his favour towards these Gentlemen.  
The surrender of Dublin truly had been made unto the people of Ireland by the arts of those, that were at that time in Government amongst them, a most odious thing; though those very persons knew well enough, it was themselves and not my Lord Lieutenant, that was in the fault; by twice foully violating their public faith with him, first in breaking a peace made, and solemnly published both at Dublin, and Kilkenny, (the respective seats of the King's Lieutenant and the Council of the Confederates) & in seconding that act (after having imprisoned the Lord Muskerij, Sr. Robert Talbot, Sr. Lucas Dillon, Mr. Brown, Mr. Belings, and the rest of their Supreme Council, that had made the peace, and still stood honestly to what they had done) with bringing their armies before Dublin, where having caused the burning, and destruction of those quarters, the town itself must have been lost unto them, if upon overtures of a treaty with the Parliament they had not sent men and supplies to rescue it. And next in the breach of that solemn engagement made between them, and the Marquis of Clanricard, as soon as (upon belief of their resolution to return unto their duty) the treaty was broke of, and the forces of the Parliament sent home again; Can it be expected, that after two such acts as these any wise man would trust, or treat with the Irish any more, whilst the Government was still in the same men's hands; Who after all this wrought the whole Assembly to declare they would never have any Protestant Governor more, and namely not my Lord Lieutenant; and who were not ashamed at the same time, both to annul the Peace, and yet acknowledge that the forementiond Gentlemen that had been makers of it, and suffered in justification of it, had neither exceeded their instructions, nor done any thing misbecoming honest men.  
These kind of proceed at Kilkenny joined to a new expedition designed against Dublin, as soon as the season of the year would suffer them to march, were, it must needs be Confessed Provocations sufficient to have justified my Lord Leiutenant (if he had received no such instructions from the King as he did) finding himself unable to keep the place any longer, in the surrender of it: (rather then to so faithless a people, as those were, that then swayed there, and who were driving on a foreign Interests with might and main) into the hands of the Parliament (who were at that time in treaty with the King) upon conditions of giving him free access to His MAjESTY, and of repaying unto him those moneys, which he during the troubles of his Government (the King's Exchequer failing) had out of his own purse lent unto the army. Whether His Excellency did in this case like a man of honour, and as became him, let the late General O Neale be judge, who (if he be not much wronged) did affirm unto a confident friend of his, that if he had been entrusted from the English Nation, and with the Interests of the Crown of England there, as my Lord Leiutenant was, he would have done just so, as His Excellency then did.  
His supporting my Lord Inchiquin then sinking in the General opinion, if it had been duly waighd, should have been an argument of much comfort, and satisfaction to this jealous people to see his Excellency so tender of the King's honour, and his own word; so just in his freindships', and so exactly careful to observe conditions; Out of his wariness in all his treaties with them, they might also have pleased to infer (rather, than what they did) these two things; first that like a faithful servant, he endeavoured to make as good a bargain as he could for the King his master; & secondly that without designs of cheating them into their duty (like those, that some others had) he was resolved to assent unto nothing, but what His MAjESTY, and he might justly own, and safely make good unto them: Finally his steadiness in a religion, that from very tender years he had been imbued with, and his firmness in his loialty, in having stood for many years all those batteries, that either with arguments or incredible offers of advantage, they had often made to win him to their party; in so much, that they might see that nothing but the hand of God and the convinceing of his judgement could alter him in the first, nor any thing in the world corrupt, or shake him in the latter, might at least have been an assurance to them, that he would never become a Proselyte to a Religion far less rational, and alluring, then theirs was (I mean Independency) and that having refused to become their Prince, he would not betray so eminent a loyalty, his Country, his friends, and so noble a fortune as his is, only to become a Vassal unto Cromwell; from whom he could not possibly promise to himself (if a security for the performance, or permanence of it could be given him) any thing of honour, or advantage equal to what he did already enjoy, and might hereafter justly promise to himself from the King.  
Thus went those kind of Spiders about making poison out of every thing, where with having now either alienated, or infected far the greater part of the Kingdom, by abusing them at home, they have attempted also to do the same abroad, and most particularly at Court, by their letters, and sneaking emissaries such as Hugh Rochfort and Fitzmorris, who, under pretence of great devotion to the King, by impudent corner suggestions, and malicious whispers, have laid all the foregoing accusations to His Excellencyes Charge, & endeavoured so to blast him there, that his MAjESTY might have been enduced to remove him from the Government, which on my soul if he had done, or should do, whilst these distractions continue, it were the ready way to ruin all his Interests in that Kingdom; for my Lord of Clanricard waving it, as (especially upon that score, and such a conjuncture) without doubt he would have done, Irland afforded not another person, who for all respects was able, and fit for that trust; and no stranger could have been sent, whose want of knowledge in that Nation, and want of interest amongst them, should not have laid him open to so great disadvantages, as he should have done nothing else but lose himself, and the King's business. Which is the Real end, which these base informers, and their abettors drive at, and the lurch they lie at for the broaching of a new Rebellion; the impossibility of setting which on foot, whilst so wise, and experienced a person, and one of so great an alliance, and interest in the Kingdom is at the helm: and their utter despair of ever being able to bring my Lord of Ormond to their bent, are the only true reasons of all their persecutions of, and aversions to him.  
Whom, as I remember, (before this long, yet necessary digression) I left at Kilkenny, where having in vain endeavoured to qualify the universal discontents, and observing how fast (notwithstanding the admonitory Declaration of all the Bishops from Clonmaenosse to the contrary) the people being alienated with the ravaging, and disorder of their own armies, and alured with the successes, and smooth invitations of Cromwell, ran headlong into him for Protection, and under Contribution; as also, how great numbers of the Irish soldiers, some frighted with the plague, which now began to spread into the other Provinces of the Kingdom, and others for want of livelihood, as having neither meat, nor pay, flocked in unto the enemy. He goes into Conaght to confer about carrying on of the public business, and the remedy of these disorders with the Marquis of Clanricarde at his Castle of Portumna about the end of Christmas; who being a person of that eminent merit towards our King, and Nation, & deserving so much honour from all honest men; I shall, I believe, do a thing very pleasing to your Lordship to give you a brief Character of him.  
The Story of his Charity, and Protection to such multitudes of distresst English, and Protestants in the time of those Tragical Massacres, and Rapines, that at the beginning of the war were acted in Irland; & his civilities, & Nobleness to those of our Nation, whose honesty deserved his favour ever since hath so many Living Relators, that I need not meddle with it; likewise for me to give a particular account with what integrity, and wisdom he hath preserved his Loyalty, through all those straits, & troubles that have hedged him in, free from the guilt of the least compliance with either the Parliament, or Confederates, though menaced, and courted incredibly by all, not only the Nuntio and O Neale, but even by Sultan Cromwell himself (as looking upon his Lordship for the person likeliest now to give him the greatest opposition, and to contribute most to the preservation of what was left) all which assaults he hath stood out with the greatest constancy, and modesty in the world, would make me too tedious upon this occasion.  
Wherefore I shall content myself to tell your Lordship in short, that he hath conducted his own, and that share he hath had of the King's business, with the greatest prudence, & honesty the freest from faction, or ambition, and with the clearest neglect of self interest, & private advantages, that hath ever yet fallen under my observation; in fine I will assure you, he is a subject as well worthy of a Prince's favour, and as fit for his Counsels, that he is as real, and hearty in his freindships', and hath a soul as full of justice, and honour as is any where to be found.  
Upon his coming to Portumna, my Lord Leiutenant meets with Sr. George Monro, who was posted thither out of the north to make some Proposals in order to the reduction of Ulster to His Excellency & my Lord of Clanricard, (who had the Summer before assisted him towards his Ulster expedition with a Regiment of foot 100 horse, and 1000 pounds in money out of the Province of Conaght;) & in case those overtures of his were not approved of, to demand his pass, that he might leave the Kingdom; But what he propounded, was so plausible, that in case money, and arms could be had in time, and in proportion to what he demanded, (as the infection of Galloway out of which town chiefly both were to be had, made it very difficult) they judged it a very likely expedition; Whereupon my Lord of Clanricard, desirous to keep so able a commander as Sr. George in the Kingdom, furnisheth him with what money he could at the present, and sends him Northward to lay, and prepare the business before; promising to do his uttermost endeavours to procure him those supplies of money, ammunition, and arms by the time appointed; as also to bring his army up as far as Sligo, there to countenance Sr. George in his undertake, and be ready for any fair occasion, that should present itself for the mastering of the Country.  
After four, or five days stay at the most, His Excellency took his leave, and hastened towards Kilkenny, obliging my Lord of Clanricard to come after him, to be present at a meeting he had appointed there, for the procuring of a good understanding between the Clergy, the Commissioners, and himself, and for taking the best order they could for the raising, and maintaining an army against the next spring: But though they met, nothing at that time could be done, or agreed upon; Wherefore my Lord of Clanricard returns into Connaght to take order for his Northern expedition; which out of the great difficulties of getting his men together, arising out of the universal distractions, that were then in the Kingdom, the hard season of the year, the Pestilence, the want of moneys, and provisions; he could not possibly go through with, against February which was the time designed; Nor even then, when he did, without very great necessities, and inconveniences to himself, and his army, as I can well witness, having had the honour to wait upon him most part of that journey.  
This failing in Point of time, and a great part of the moneys promised him, (which nevertheless as things stood no man's Industry could have remedied) Sr. George Monro complained very much of, affirming that their opportunity was lost thereby; especially now they being come, the army was able to move no further, through extreme want of Provisions (kept from them by foul & contrary weather) for which, & the residue of the money, together with hopes of an accord between my Lord Lieutenant; and the Commissioners some days were spent in Expectation, but nothing coming in the end, except only a letter from my Lord of Ormond summoning my Lord of Clanricard, suddenly away; his Lordship was forced to leave his army, and the Northern business to the hazard, and return back to meet my Lord Lieutenant, and the Commissioncrs at Loghreogh: Whereupon Sr. George Monro believing now that my Lord Lieutenant would leave the Kingdom, seeing the divisions amongst the Irish grow daily greater, and giving all for lost, and lastly finding the impatience of his own party to treat with the enemy, (as he had often before publicly declared he would) retires himself to Eniskillin, and having made Conditions for himself, the remainder of his Party, and his Officers that were in prison, gave up that place to the enemy, & departed the Kingdom. Very soon after whose retirement, my Lord of Clanricards army for extremity of want was forced to return from Sligo back towards the County of Galway.  
Where I will leave it, and come back unto his Excellency, who being left by my Lord Clanricard lately in Kilkenny, after having caused Captain Tickle to be executed for a design he had of betraying that town unto Cromwell; was by the breach growing daily wider between him, & the Kingdom, and through the increase of the sickness now come thither, at the joint request of the Commissioners, and Officers, induced to remove towards Lymerick, where being negligently received without the accustomed respect used to the King's Lieutenant, he after a short stay departed thence into the County of Clare. Immediately thereupon, the enemy having refreshd his men, and increased his army, with a great accession of old soldiers, that had formerly served under my Lord Inchiquin and my Lord Lieutenant, takes the field, and falls a summoning Castles, and bringing the Country under Contribution, wherein he had a general success, most of the Castles surrendering upon appearance of a party of horse, except Kiltenan, which gave him some resistance.  
His Excellency's army through the forementioned obstinacy, and disobedience of the towns against receiving Garrisons, was so far dispersed, that there was no means of drawing them together; Neither, if that were done, of keeping them in a body, for the Country was destroyed, and waste, so that it could not supply him; besides during these disagrements between my Lord Lieutenant, the Clergy, and the Commissioners there were few, or none of the Irish soldiers (if there had been Provisions for them) that would obey his Excellency's Orders. Of all which Cromwell was well ware, and therefore went securely, and with confidence to work, carrying all before him: A mongst other of his successes, Ballisonan is sold unto him, and Cahir Castle (than the dwelling house of Master Mathewes a young youth, and half Brother to my Lord Lieutenant) given him contrary to those strict orders left by his Excellency with Master Mathewes for the keeping of it; who was so conscious of his own misdoing in the act, that he refused upon several summons, and invitations to appear before my Lord, & stayed still in the enemy's quarters to secure himself from His Excellency's indignation. But nevertheless this act of Mr. Matthewes is made aground of new suspicions, and fresh clamours against my Lord himself by the Irish, who all this while run on in their extravagancies, intent only upon their disputes in hand, as if there were no such man as Cromwell in the Kingdom; in so much, that seeing so many several meetings assigned, and so much time spent to so little purpose, His Excellency concludes that those people would never be brought into order by him, and therefore resolves to withdraw himself from the Government, if not to departed the Kingdom, and to commit the mannagement of all unto the Marquis of Clanricard, which was the reason of his Lordships being sent for back from Sligo.  
The enemy in the mean time having the Castles of Gowran, and Laghlin, together with the Officers commanding in them delivered into his hands by the common soldiers, sets at last upon Kilkenny; Whence a while before the Earl of Castle-haven, (who was now left with chief command in Leinster) was drawn out with his forces, by reason the sickness raged so, leaving Sr. Walter Butler, and Major Walsh with about 50 horse, and some 400 foot in the place, where a breach being made, and the enemy assaulting, they were bravely repulsed, leaving 600 arms behind them; after which check, they resolved, to march of, and are sending their artillery away silently before, whilst the townsmen convey a drummer privately over the wall, and upon I know not what accord, let the enemy in, unknown to the soldiers, who were then forced to retire to the Castle, & make their terms, which being granted them, they march away.  
Kilkenny being gained by him, let us leave Cromwell at Cashell for a while amongst his Committee men, & return into Connaght, where the Clergy, and Commissioners seeing that my Lord of Clanricard having refused to take the Government upon him was resolved in case, they continued disobedient unto my Lord Leiutenant (lest the King's Authority should be exposed to further disobedience & contempt) to leave the Kingdom together with His Excellency, & considering what a certain ruin their departure would be unto them all; are now courting my Lord Leiutevant to stay, and offer to come to composition with him: who demands assurance from them that the respective towns of Lymerick, and galway shall receive sufficient Garrisons, and that themselves with all the soldiers, & people shall hereafter readily obey him; Which they undertake unto him, upon condition that all the English what soever under his Excellencies command might be disbanded, and sent away; that the Bishops of the Kingdom might have a share in Council, and the mannagement of things; that the Receiver General (which was Sr. George Hamilton Brother in law to my Lord Leiutenant a person of great parts, honour, and merit) might give in his accounts; all which his Excellency, out of his great desire to satisfy, and unite the people thereby to preserve the Country, and the King's Interest (if it were possible) at last assents unto.  
This agreement being made, the English were accordingly (to free the Irish of their jealousies, who either were, or would seem to be equally suspicious of the Cavaliers, as of those, that had served the Parliament before) disbanded, and since there was no further employment for them, nor means of getting away by sea, they had leave to make their conditions with Cromwell, to pass through his quarters out of the Kingdom, which being granted by him, all the small remainder of my Lord of Inchiquins' men, (except a few that Colonel Buller was to Carry for Scilly) went under the conduct of Colonel John Daniel into the enemy's quarters; so did my Lord of Ardes, and after him, Sr. Thomas Armstrong, with whom went also Mr. Daniel O Neille upon the Score of carrying a Regiment into Spain, There remained none behind, that was permitted to bear any charge, but Lieutenant Colonel Treswell, at my Lord of Ormonds particular instance to command his Guards of horse; only my Brother John Digby, Colonel Henry Warren, & Colonel Hugh Butler stayed to wait upon his Excellency's Person, and bear him company in his adventures.  
But before I go on, I must not omit to tell you, how Dean Boil, who was sent to treat with Cromwell for the English, that were disbanded, being offered it, as he says, by Cromwell, and imagining, as himself affirms, to do a service to my Lord Lieutenant, & my Lord Inchiquin, in it, adventured of his own head to take passes from him, for their departure out of the Kingdom; Whereof, assoon as ever Dean Boil was gone, he makes use to debauch the Irish Garrisons, to take conditions from him, assuring them my Lord Leiutenant had received his pass to departed the Kingdom, as appears by a letter that the Governor of Rosse writ (it seems by Cromwell's order) unto General Preston commanding in Waterford; the Copy of which Letter, with that of Cromwell's pass, & three of Dean Boils Letters concerning it, together with his Excellencies to Cromwell, when he sent him back his pass by a trumpet of my Lord Clanricards, (having procured them for my own satisfaction) I herewithal send your Lordship, that you may see how absolutely without my Lord Leiutenants' privity, or licence these passes were accepted, & with what indignation resented. Emer Mac Mahon Bishop of Cloghor, who had been chosen General of the Ulster army, having a good while since received his commission from my Lord Lieutenant, was now gathering together his army, which in ad short time after (before my leaving the Kingdom) he had made up to be about 6000 men, wherewith having taken several little Castles in his way, he was marched up into the Claneboyes, and become master of the field.  
The next enterprise Cromwell went in hand with, was, to take clonmel which was kept by Major General Hugh O Neale, who behaved himself so discreetly, & gallantly in defending it, that Cromwell lost near upon 2500 men before it, & had notwithstanding gone away without it, if they within had had store of powder; but their small proportion being spent, the Governor with his soldiers was fain to go out of the town on the other side of the river by night towards Waterford, & leave the townsmen to make conditions for themselves; which they did the next morning, the enemy not knowing but the Garrison was still in town, till the conditions were signed. Thus the loss of this place, & several other Garrisons, for want of ammunition, was another effect of the disobedience of the towns; In so much, that had it not been for a little magazine, that my Lord of Clanricard had providently made before hand, & wherewith, since the loss of Drogheda, his Excellency's army, the Scots, the ulsters, & most of the Garrisons were furnished; All might have gone to an irrecoverable ruin, whilst the walled towns like free States looked on, as unconcernd, denying to afford it to them.  
This being true, no body that hath heard of any injuries, or injustice in point of trade, or prizes here, can blame the King, or my Lord Lieutenant for it, neither of whom they did obey, further than they pleased themselves, but now having received Garrisons, (as I make no question they have) I dare be bold to assure any body, that trafficks that way, of all equity, & justice from my Lord Lieutenant hands. About the time of the siege of clonmel, David Roch having raised above 2000 men in the Counties of Cork, & Kerry, and beginning to make head with them, received a small brush from my Lord of Broghall, which only dispersed his men for a few days, his loss being not considerable for any thing, but the Bishop of Rosse, who being taken was hanged with two other Priests by Cromwell, for being found in arms (as they said) against the Right worshipful the State of England.  
Soon after the gaining of Clonwell, Cromwell, upon letters out of England, inviting him thither, goes to sea, and leaves Ireton in chief command behind him, to subdue the rest of that miserable wasted Kingdom, whilst himself went about the conquest of new Empires, more worthy of his presence; But since he is gone, I cannot but here observe, that of all those thousands, that either came with him thither, or were sent after, there are now few hundreds surviving, either to reap the benefit, or report the stories of their Victories; his army upon his departure being sunk to a very inconsiderable number, especially in foot, and near three parts of those consisting of either Irish, Jones, or my Lord of Inchiquins' men, who only are able to undergo the woeful incommodities of that Country, now groaning under a universal plague famine, and desolation, to that degree, that if they knew but half the misery that expects them there, I am confident that no threats, nor flatteries, could persuade men out of England thither, in hopes of reaping the fruits of their fellow's labours in that destroyed Kingdom. Which, as low as 'tis brought, may chance to cost Cromwell a second expedition, and another army, and yet go without it.  
For they have Waterford, Galloway, and Limrick three of the strongest, and most considerable towns of the Kingdom still untaken, any of which, if they be well Garrisond (as questionless now they are) will be near a summer's work to reduce; The forts of Duncannon, & Silgo, the Castles of Caterlo, Athlone, Charlemont & Neavagh are not easy puachases; the Province of Connaght is still preserved entire by my Lord of Clanricard, who will be able to bring 4000 men of his own into the field, now that Galloway & his Country is somewhat cleared from the infection of the plague; which gins to rage's greatly in the enemy's quarters, as Cork Youghall, Wexford, and Dublin itself; Kilkenuy, Clonmell, with several places there about'ts being left desolate with it. The County of Clare in Monster brought unto my Lord Lieutenant at a Rendezvous just upon my coming away, above 2000 men wherewith his Excellency being invited by the Magistrates was ready to march into Limrick for to Garrison the place, and to make it his residence  
What Forces the Irish had in Ulster, & towards Kerry, I have already told you, as likewise what Connaght, and the County of Clare afforded: I must add that Hugh Mac Phelim had in Wicklow, & towards Wexford, hard upon 2000 men, & at Waterford. General Preston and Hugh O Neale had little less; to conclude besides all this the Lord Castlehaven, the Lord Dillon, and the Bishop of Drummore, made account they should draw together a considerable body in Meath, and the rest of Leinster to join with the Marquis of Clanricard towards, the relief of Tecroghan, then beseidged by Colonel Reynolds. Thus your Lordship may see that (provided they be united amongst themselves) (as truly I left them) and that means can be found of keeping them in bodies together, there are men enough in arms yet to dispute the business with an enemy, that is not half their number, & whose quarters are pestered likewise with the plague, and famine, as well as theirs, especially these having such strengths, and fastnesses, still in their hands, as are almost inaccessible to Cromwell's soldiers. Who after having mastered the greatest part of Monster, and Leinster, and their supplies from England coming in but slowly ● have made bold at last with the people they flattered with before, & altered their manner of proceed, taking from them by force what they pleased, and violating their protections given; making not nice to tell them, they suffered them to possess their estates but during pleasure, and till they could have planters to put into their rooms; by which kind of clear dealing they have so lost, & made desperate the natives, that lamenting their former too ready compliance with the enemy, they now call for my Lord Leiutenant again, & taking arms in their hand begin to rise in all quarters of the Kingdom, so that it is impossible for a greater power than Ireton has there to attend to the suppression of them all.  
In this posture left I that Kingdom, it being very probable, that if the enemy's recruites, and provisions out of England did fail through any other diversion, and the Irish receive but any moderate supplies from abroad, they would not only make good all that was left them, But also recover upon the enemy considerably this Summer, which really I wish with all my soul they may, Principally for His Majesty's sake, and the present engagement of the Kingdom of Scotland, to both which the preservation of what is left, or the regaining of what is lost in Irland, must needs be, if well considered, of high concernment; And in the next place for the sake of many worthy families amongst them, some of which were never involved in the association, nor had any hand in the war, and many of the rest, through the menaces & strange kind of proceed of the Parliament against the whole Nation upon the Insurrection, & the villainous practices of Parsons, & Burlacy, the then Lords Justices who desired to make them all forfeit their estates, were frighted & forced into Rebellion. All which are now to suffer equally, and by Cromwell with out distinction designed for ruin, together with those, that were the Original authors of the first Rebellion, and those ugly massacres, that were committed: which indeed deserves commiseration, since very many of the Nobility, & gentry, with the body of the people wish the King as well, & have as great dispositions to his service, as can be desired, having been abused who● into those offences they have committed, by a few malicious ill affected persons, craftier then most of the rest; Who ha● with great art, and industry acquired unto themselves the opinion of wise, religious, and honest men: Whereby they misled that credulous, and for the most part unwise Nation, upon pretence of the advancement of their Roman Religion, and preservation of their Country, to what they please.  
Having been able to persuade them, that all these afflictions, & misfortunes they suffer under, are come upon them for their admitting of a cessation, & a peace indisobedience to the Nuntio, & for their joining with Heretics; Not suffering them to consider rightly, that it is their disobedience to the lawful King, & the blood, and murder they are guilty of that, makes them so unfortunate, that is their breaches of public faith in compliance with the Nuntio, the rapine, and want of justice, that reigns amongst them, that hath brought upon them these heavy punishments, & given them over to be scourged by the hand of so faithless, & Bloody an enemy. And surely whosoever shall recollect how first, after the double breach of the former peace, they were immediately punished with the defeat of two considerable armies, one after another; with the desolation of the flourishingest part of their Country; upon which a famine ensued, that devoured near 20000 souls, then how the plague, that hath since over spread the Kingdom, began first at Galloway the place that did most, & longest countenance those ill proceed of the Nuntio, & O Neale, of any other in the Kingdom; where it swept away about 5000 souls, & those only of the common, and meanest sort of people, who were they, that contrary to the inclinations of the principal persons (being most of them moderate, & well disposed men) carried all things their violent way.  
Next how the Ulster army, which I hear have received a great defeat since my coming away) who were the beginners of the rebellion, the breakers of the first Peace, the opposers of the second, & the releivers of Derry, are now come to fall under the hands of Coote, & those men, who, if it had not been for them, had certainly been destroyed; And lastly how the Bishops of Tuam, & Cloghor, who had so deep hands in the contrivance of the war, & were guilty of so much blood, have both fallen (if the printed relation concerning the last of them be true) upon the edge of the sword, together with their armies The Bishops of Rosse, & Down also, (the first of which had, not many weeks before his own miscarriage, appeared very unhandsomely in the persecution of the Protestant Lord Bishop of London Derry, a person of great worth, moderation, and prudence, & one; Who, as he had merited highly from the King for his loyalty, and constant services, so, also was he very far to my knowledge, from deserving ill from that Kingdom; The second, one, who had ever cherished stirs & factions, & both of them notoriously averse to peace, & to the Government, coming to perish ignominiously in the hands of those enemies, (that by staving off a timely submission to the King's Authority, & hindering the settlement of the Country) they may be said, after a sort, to have brought into the Kingdom. He must needs, as I do, admire the order of God's Chastisements, with submission acknowledging that he is just, and that his judgements are right.  
Through whose fault, or through what miscarriage, Tecroghan is lost after it hath been so long and gallantly defended by Sr. Robert Talbot, and the lady Fitzgarret, and the Ulster army defeated, I cannot undertake to say, since they are accidents after my coming to sea, Though I do much fear that the first was occasioned principally through the relics of those unhappy emulations & backwardnesses that dwelled in some of the great ones against others who were like to reap too much honour and advantage from the enterprise in case that place had been relieved and preserved.  
What ever the matter were I confess those mischances have much altered the case from what it was, but yet I despair not of the business in giving all for gone, but hope God's justice having been in some measure satisfied, & the people being become more humble, & more united, that by God's blessing they may weather this storm, & preserve themselves with that Kingdom to the King. However I am confident this late defeat of the Ulster army under the conduct of the Bishop of Cloghor by so small a party will convince the people, that these misfortunes are not entailed unto either my Lord of Ormonds' person, or religion, & conduce much to satisfy them, that his Excellency hath neither betrayed the King's Interest, nor them into this low condition they are brought into; Of which being once persuaded, they will turn their hearts, & fix their hopes wholly upon the King's Lieutenant; Who, believe me my Lord, is as Wise, as Honourable, & Gallant a Person as is any where to be found, & as excellent a subject, as any Prince in the world can boast of; Yea and one who, I assure your Lordship, (if ever he shall think it fit to give the world an account of his actions) is able with modesty, & truth to say so much for himself, and for what he hath done, as will wring a confession out of the mouth of envy herself, that he hath behaved himself so prudently, & so uprightly in the place he now holds notwithstanding all these forementioned misfortunes, that no man hath ever out gone him in loyalty to, or merit from the Crown and Royal house of England, of which a better argument needs not be given then that most Excellent Speech (for the eloquence, and subject of it deserving an Eternal Memory) delivered by his own mouth unto the General Assembly of the Confederates upon the conclusion of the Peace wherein you will find the Principles he goes upon, so Loyal, and so Vnbyassed; The Treasons, Defections, and Impaciencies of the people that have fallen out since, through the national animosities particular factions and pressures of the war so prudently foreseen, & so Prophetically foretold, that those persons (of what Nation soever they be) must be as blind as they are Malicious that shall attribute any of those misfortuns that have ensued, either to want of Abilities or Fidelity in my Lord Leiutenant.  
Wherefore I Lordship (if any where it seem less clear, and satisfactory, than you could wish) not to look upon this short account I have given, as upon all that might have been said upon the subject, for these being only reflections of my own, and delivered in such haste, it is no wonder, if some things be mistaken, and more forgot, by him that is with all the duty and affection in the world:  
My Noblest Lord Your Lordship's most devoted humble servant LEWIS DYVE. From the Hague july the 10. 1650. 20.   

THE COPIES. Of the several LETTERS Mentioned by SR. LEWIS DYVE In the foregoing Discourse.  

A Letter of the Marquis of Clanricard to Mr. Walsingham Secretary to my Brother the Lord Digby concerning his Lordship's taking arms In defence of the Cessation-mentioned. PAG. 6.  
WORTHY COUSIN,  
THough at a late hour, accept of my thankful acknowledgements for the frequent intelligences and advices I have received from you; though the obstructions they met within their Passage to me, and their finding me engaged in the remotest parts of the Kingdom, did not afford me opportunity to keep the like Correspondence with you, nor reap the full benefit of your advertisements: which a more quick and seasonable conveyance might have produced. But now, not knowing what, or whether any right information hath gone from hence of our past proceed, I hold it not impertinent (having met with so sure a messenger) to entertain you with some brief notions of them, Conceiving your friendship and respect to me, will take of the Scandal of any vanity or ostentation in me to be the true relator of my own story unto you in these disastrous times.  
Upon my Lord Lieutenants and my Lord Digbyes departure (having devested myself of that small power then remaining with me, and sequestered my thoughts from ingageing in any business) I retired to some Castles of mine near the sea side, with an intention together with my family to ship for France; but not so settled in that resolution as not to be inclined to weather out the storm, as long as I could discern any probability of safety in that solitary retirement, in which I remained until my Lord of Inchiquin declared for the King, and that intelligence was brought me of my Lord Lieutenant's arrival in France; and the probability of his return hither in his former Command.  
Then upon Consideration of the Condition of affairs in order to the King's service, (though the distemper of this miserable age could not afford me such authorities as might secure my undertaking) I thought it a seasonable and becoming duty in me to appear abroad, and make some trial how the people stood affected towards a setlement: Whereupon finding many friends well disposed, and willing to run any hazard with me rather than admit of my departure out of the Kingdom: I put on a resolution to appear in arms in opposition to General O Neales', and the Nuntios' faction, who were then grown very strong and resolved both to break the present government, and overthrow all overtures towards a peace.  
In brief after I had framed and published a declaration (which I am confident you have seen ere this, and therein observed the straits I was put unto to keep myself within due limits, and to make it likewise satisfactory to those parties whose assistance was necessary for me.) I procured my Lord Taaffe and a party of my Lord of Inchiquins to come and join themselves unto those forces I had raised; whereupon we advanced towards Owen O Neale then at Athlone, who though he exceeded us in number marched away through the counties of Roscommon and Letrim clearly out of Conaght: Whereby I recovered the strong castle of Athlone (formerly as you know so destructively and so unseasonably lost) james Town a very considerable place, the Moat, Elphin, & several other holds of strength and consequence; by which means, and by the committal of some principal factions persons, having settled the lower parts of the province. I returned homewards; where some rebellious persons and others of the county of Mayo associated with the town of Galway, and taking the advantage of my absence had surprised some Castles of mine, and stopped the arms and ammunition I had contracted for at Galway. But after having blocked up that town I brought them to a submission within three weeks, and to pay a considerable sum of money: Besides all which I would have forced them to take in a Gurrison but that I was necessitated to hasten away, and attend Owen O Neales' motions; who having fetched a great compass was gotten into Ormond, and had surprised the Neanagh (a strong Castle of my Lord Lieutenants tenanted by young Sr. George Hamilton) after which he took the Birr in the King's County, and then Fort falkland; a fort of the Kings which had a dangerous Prospect towards me; giving him passage over the River within seven miles of Portumna.  
But by the time I was drawn of from Galway and gotten home, I received intelligence from my Lord of Inchiquin that he was in pursuit of Oneile and had by storm regained the Neanagh, and likewise Birr; And finding him desirous of the assistance of my forces to attempt Fort falkland, I repaired immediately unto him, with a considerable party of horse and foot: When being ready at last to fall upon the fort, my Lords Officers tired with foul weather, and long Marches after Oneile would not be persuaded to stay: But whilst this was in dispute (most luckily as it fell out) Owen O Neale with 7000. foot, and 500 horse clapped down hard by us in astreight of Bog and wood and thereby utterly obstructed our passage back; so that our army being forced to stay I prevailed that my men with my Lord's Battery should attend upon the fort, whilst my Lord's army did face Owen O Neale: Whereby after a day or two battering, the fort was surrendered to us; & O Neale who thought ●o starve us had that lot himself, being, forced to steal away in the night; and then I having plentifully supplied the army by boat out of the county of Galway) his Lordship had a free passage back, leaving me in the possession of the fort much to my advantage and security. Soon after which to perfect our Good Success, we received certain notice of my Lord Lieutenants being landed at Cork, which concludes this story.  
I shall not need to enlarge myself upon the happy concluding of the peace, and the great difficulties we overcame; they will come fully represented unto you by several ways. I shall only express my confidence that we are now secured from any second revolutions amongst these people, though the Marquis of Antrim & Owen O Neale have not yet submitted, for I conceive they are not so considerable but they will be soon suppressed if they continue obstinate. I judge it likewise very possible that this summer Dublin may (if God so please) be recovered either by force or treaty. And now believing I have tired you with this tedious imperfect relation, I shall with brevity and much truth give you assurance that you shall constantly find me.  
Your very affectionate Cousin CLANRICARDE. Kilkenny Castle the 26. of january 1648.   

A Letter of Mr. Walsinghams' to Colonel Jones Governor of Dublin in justification of the peace of Yrland, and in reply to his second answer to my Lord Lieutenant. Mentioned, PAG. 8.  
SR.  
Having been at last so much beholding to your vanity, as some daîes since to meet with those papers in print that I long before heard were transmitted between my Lord Lieutenant and yourself; which I perceive his Excellency's modesty & scorn would have still concealed, had not your itch to have your confidence, and clearkeship known, transported you so far beyond discretion as to snatch at the occasion of publishing my Lord Lieutenants letters (though such indeed as if your care and prudence in managing the cause you plead for, were not far inferior to your own vainglory you would industriously have smothered) to the end you might not want some pretence to intrude upon the world together with them, those manifest Cavils, and lean discourses of yours that are stuffed with nothing singular but insolence, and malice. And finding that his Excellency with a generous neglect both of your person and impertinence (with whom his public zeal, and duty to the King and Kingdom had enduced him to take thy pains, and descend so low) had now as one unworthy of so much honour, and incapable of so much reason as was pressed upon you, given you over.  
Notwithstanding as well for justice sake that you might not want the right of an encounter from a more equal hand then my Lord Lieutenant, as also for that possibly there may be (as I believe there are) some men so weak and so willing to be deceived, that your impudence and fallacies shall pass for reasons with them if not replied unto; I thought it fit that your last voluminous and peremptory Letter be not let pass unscand, and brought unto the test by a more familiar pen; that may with decency deal roundly with you, & give you (what you cannot receive from his Excellency) the confusion of an foil.  
Though for man to think either with reason or language to contribute to the satisfaction of any discreet unprejudiced person, much less to the rectifieing your mistakes after my Lord of Ormond hath gone before: is a sottishness as great as yours, who after two addresses from his Excellency so civil, so full of prudence, & unanswerable truth, had the face to tell him you were nothing satisfied therewithal, nor any way convinced in judgement thereby.  
By which affirmation of how much impudence and malice you are convicted by yourself, I leave you and the world to gather out of what I shall hereafter say; which I am confident will convince other men aswell as you (that know it well enough already) that your judgement was drowned in ambitious, and self interests so absurd, and so ill biased, that since reason and justice were inconsistent with them, you had no will to be rectified.  
For if you had, surely you would never have produced arguments to colour your persisting withal; that well examined persuade point blank against, and may be returned with a double force upon you; (unless you did it out of so invincible a simplicity (as to deal painely with you) is not compatible with that hypocrisy & sophistry your unmannerly epistle swells withal; as I now come ro instance particaliarly unto you.  
In the first place you hold forth the protestant religion for a baby to the people, and alas good man your compassion and care of it is very great, aswell becomes the son unto a Bishop, and one imbued both by education and many year's profession with it, you say you see not how it can be advanced by an army of Papists, nor how it can be secured in the peace no provision being made for it therein: yet that 'tis no such miracle (they being secured of their own liberty of conscience) that an army of Catholics, subjects to a protestant King, and lead by a protestant General, may in order to the restoreing their oppressed sovereign, and to the supression of such a Turco judaisme as is now on foot be induced unto it; and that it is no new thing in the world for men to be engaged so, nay (where they have no ties of duty, nor other such powerful motives as these men have) directly against the interest of their own religion, you need but look into the, Ottoman armies where you shall find thousands of Christians fight daily against Christianity itself, and under the ensigns of France & Spain many regiments of protestants fight in quarrels if you will believe the princes themselves purposely set on foot for the advancement of the Roman Catholic faith: which if weighed makes it neither impossible nor strange that the Irish should be content to concur with any body, and almost upon any terms to the destruction of that Wild Boar who having already rooted up and overturned all government and religion in England, is now preparing to do the like in Irland.  
Now as for the provision the you find unmade for the protestant religion in the peace, I believe you urge that only to show your own dexterity in finding out objections: for you are rational enough to know where his Majesty's authority is once restored his laws return to their vigour; and you should be lawyer enough to know that there are laws enough provided in this last fourscore years for the security of the protestant religion, all which the Roman Catholics will willingly submit unto except such penal statutes as deprive them of the free exercise of their religion, that are indeed by the peace to betaken a way, and which being laid aside, take not any thing from the security of the protestant.  
The Roman Catholics are not the givers but the cravers here; they desire only to secure their own, not to usurp upon the liberty of othermen's consciences; as is evident both by their daily professions, and the whole transactions of the peace, what absurdness than it is for any one to think a new provision necessary; or to expect it in this case, that very condition for that army of sixteen thousand foot, and two thousand five hundred horse, with the deputation of those trusties for to secure them of pardon for their past offences, and of liberty of conscience, with those other promised graces and immunities against the severity of the laws in force, until all were confirmed in Parliament: to any man endued with but Common sense is a sufficient argument; to say nothing of the apprehensions (though vain) still amongst them that they are yet not for all this secure enough.  
And what cause they had to insist upon this army and these commissioners, do you but look into your own Conscience and laying your hand upon your hart imagine so well of yourself as that it were your own case, and I am sure you will tacitly confess it is a provision but very reasonable. Nay let a looker on consider the time these men took to submit to his Majesty's authority, when he had neither means to punish, nor protect them left; and he will certainly commend their duty, and be far from discommending either the king or my Lord Lieutenant for any thing that in the peace is granted unto them; not excepting against either the number of that army, or power of those Commissioners you make yourself so scandalised withal.  
His Excellency hath been already pleased to tell you that as to the army the supreme command thereof is in the King's Lieutenant; the ordering of which, and disposing of all future commands wherein so it consist of, and be to Roman Catholics will in effect be left to him; now that there are very many of that Religion inseparable from their duty to the King, both the confederates and the Parliament have to their great cost and trouble had a plentiful experience; witness the prudent and generous marquis of Clanricard, Whose eminent piety and constancy in his profession, joined to his irreprehensible allegiance to the King will remain to the glory of his Nation and Religion a great and lasting example to future times of a firm and united Loyalty both to divine and humane Majesty; as it hath served the present already for a pattern unto several Other considerable persons in Ireland to follow. And you have no reason but to think there are a good number of those in this army which will somewhat lessen the groundless danger you fancy to yourself: especially if you take also into consideration the frequent ways and dispensations that have been found for entertaining very many protestants into several employments in this army; and how both these parties (to say nothing of those in the north that have submitted to the King's authority) added to that remnant army as you call them in monster consisting of about six thousand men, led by an able and successful commander (who being undeceived at last by the public villainies in England have betrayed themselves (it you will have it so) again into their duty will balance any thing of ill that may be pretended in the case, I leave it to any one that is but capable to judge in such a matter.  
This dangerous argument being once removed how little remains of hazard in that other of the power of the commissioners, is very evident by the articles of peace; where it is plain that their power is absolute in nothing but the levies to be made upon their own and that part of the people's free holds which formerly acknowledged their jurisdiction, and who now had entrusted themselves into their hands: whilst in all the other cases so industriously quoted by you (though to no other end but take up paper, and amuse the readers) they limit him as little as formerly the counsel table did; He being able to determine nothing without their advice or Consent, nor they to actuate any thing without his Commission & authority: which circumscription should you still affirm to be too much, would entirely vanish should his Majesty come in person hither (as 'tis both hoped and believed he will) there being no condition in the peace that limits him.  
But suppose the hazard & prejudice of the protestant religion by the peace were as great as you affirm it is, whether must be in fault the King, or those men that pressed him to that extremity that he was only left to choose whether he would drown, or take hold of a brier to save himself; whether he would utterly abandon his interest in all his Kingdoms to those that were rebels against his person, his posterity and Kingly power, or by giving the Irish whose rebellion could in the nature of it bear nothing so ill a Construction those not much unreasonable conditions they so positively insisted upon) repossess himself of one of his three Kingdoms again, and thereby become enabled to dispute for the other two.  
Thus far have I discoursed for the satisfaction of other men, with yourself I might deal more briefly, and tell you it is gross hypocrisy for you to pretend so much solicitude for the security and advantage of the protestant religion on this side; and yet can find them both sufficiently provided for by an army of Sectaries on the other side (without any protestant superior to moderate them as these have) that have not only quite pulled down the whole building of that Religion but almost levelled the walls of Christianity itself? by providing a liberty for all opinions and religions in the world the Catholic and protestant alone excepted because they conceive them forsooth to be more destructive to the great ends of their republic then any other, the first, as being too Monarchique, too full of Majesty, & pleading prescription amongst Christians, with too much authority; and therefore likely to gain overmuch ground upon them in a time when all order & religion were of the hinges, & the people so much at a gaze; and the second as being for decency & order not only overpopish but also from its birth too much interwoven with the interests, of this Crown and royal family.  
Can any thing be more ridiculous then, that you who derive your power from the Commanders and Commissioners of this army of saints, and who are by your Commission (if I be not mistaken) incorporated into it, having likewise set aside the profession, and exercise of this protestant religion (misconceive me not) that Religion which for near a Century of years hath been practised & established in the church of England, & accommodated yourself clearly to Mr. Cromwell's Cut (though such a one as you or scarce himself if Cathechized can give an account either of the tenants or constitutions of) should become so great a patron of, and so much concerned in, the interests of a religion that either out of Change of judgement, or out of ends (no matter which in this case) is abandoned by yourself already.  
After the protestant religion comes the English interest; a consideration indeed if urged to a person whose trust from, and concernment in it were somewhat less than my Lord Lieutenants, fit for you that are of English blood, and whose sword & pen are both by nature, and the laws obliged to the service of that crown (in which only, and the colonies of English here, the English interest of this Kingdom is included) but what this English Interest is when we shall have once examined your fright concerning it will soon be over; it appears to me to be nothing else but that the right and authority of the crown of England over them should be acknowledged by all the subjects of this Kingdom; and those Colonies of English, aswell as the native Irish, be thereby protected and secured in the possession of such fortunes, and estates, as either by the sword, the royal gift, or purchase have been lawfully acquired unto them. Beyond this the English Interest is an unknown-land to me; and how far this Interest thus stated is secured by, or Consistent with that peace you blame so, I leave it to any third unpreiudiced person to determine.  
Who I am certain will find them square so well together, that he shall have reason to believe the English interest taken in your sense infers an obedience to you, and your independent master's abstract from all relation to the crown: an establishment of your Tetrarchy here, till your ambition were wearied out, and you with your corrupt and hungry family had ungratefully glutted yourselves in the blood and fortunes of those noble persons whose smiles and patronage in your mercenary pleading days were the top of your ambition; that so by this consequence, the lives and estates of all that have been here in arms, may beleft a prey to worse rebels than the worst of these have ever been.  
This is an English interest indeed that the peace securs not, and which I cannot blame you for pleading for with so much passion as to affirm, that were there neither king nor parliament you would maintain it; neither for averring that my Lord Lieutenants transporting a considerable part of the English army hence, was destructive unto: but as to the true English Interest I mentioned before, it was very suitable to that, that my Lord Lieutenant should without dispute comply with the King's commands: from whom only he had his commission and derived his authority, and whom both himself and that army in all relations both of honour and duty were obliged to obey. Besides his Excellency knows well enough how much he was concerned in the support of that cron●ne that gave him and all the English in this Kingdom the title to what they possessed here; nothing of which could be long secure unto them, and the crown at home in danger.  
In the next place I do not know whether the Parliament is more beholding to you for asserting their infringed authority; or the Irish themselves in your being so generous as to let them see the invalidity of this peace they are abused withal: for to prove both which you bring noworse an argument than an English act of Parliament; which underfavour your own skill in the law (if you have not forgot it) will tell you can be of no force here, until received by a Parliament in Irland: which asserts a power as just and absolute to itself, as the Parliament of England can; else should the ancient conquerors of this Kingdom, and their free posterity, unjustly undergo the dominion of those, to whom neither Interest, nor merit hath given any right or footing here, or privilege over them.  
Besides you shall have others which will tell you, and make it good, that a Prince cannot give a way the jurisdiction of his people to one that hath no title to it (as the Parliament of England hath none to Irland) without their own consent: yet grant for argument sake that these people by taking arms unlawfully had put themselves into that condition that might aswell enable as induce the late King of ever glorious memory to invest the Parliament of England with such a power over them as that act involues; yet can it not be believed that the King ever intended to trust them with managing the war of Irland against himself: as by what they have done in England 'tis evident they would have done; but let us also suppose it possible that the royal power can be so conveyed unto another, as that contrary to the intention of the King it may be converted to his own destruction (which is a possition I am sure that no Sophister less acute, and learned then yourself will be able to make good) yet must this power surely needs revert to its firfl original the crown: through the death both of the King that gave it, of the Parliament it was conferred upon, and that (since that the King's death is out of dispute) this Parliament hath for this seven years at least wanted both a King and freedom which being the head and hart of that body are two things most necessary to the life and essence of it, nay that, that breathless headless carcase of a Parliament, hath by those Independent vermin that bred out of the putrifacton of it; been anatomised and quite dismembered since, there is no man that is not deaf and blind that can be uninformd.  
Now that such a martyred mooncalfe canstil be a living Parliament I am sure there is no man wakes that can be so persuaded; especially the King that called it being dead, which both the law & custom tells you, that a Parliament could never yet survive: upon which conclusion you must needs grant that his present Majesty (who hath already confirmed by his; both my Lord Lieutenant, and all that his Excellency hath done by his Royal father's Commission) hath now indisputably reverted to him the power to manage a war, and conclude or confirm a peace in Irland except that you will still maintainé that the authority of the late Parliament is by I know not what legierdemain translated into those usurpers, that have not only destrojed that Parliament but also declared that they intent there shall never be any more; and this non consequence if you still insist upon, I will conclude you are cracked as was that Spanish gallant and leave you in your quest of Windmills.  
But if you can prevail with yourself to be so ingenuous as acknowledge the preceding truths, I will hold on still, and endeavour to remove out of your tender conscience your last and greatest difficult of breach of trust: indeed a scruple very suitable to a man of honour such as I would willingly take you for; and to begin the work I must tell you that the premises are very convinceing that in your compliance with my Lord Lieutenant there is no trust broken either with God, or King, or Parliament (who are all you can pretend to owe a faith unto) by deserting those villainous impostors, who have supplanted religion subverted Monarchy, murdered the King, violated the Parliament annihilated the laws, trampled upon learning and nobility, and left neither worth nor justice unopprest within their reach; which kind of perfidious people surely to deceive right reason itself tells you there is no deceit.  
Yet had you no such assurance I should think it strange, that you who have stretched your Conscience so often & so far already, as first to break your trust with the King when by several oaths both as a gown man & a swordman you had obliged your faith unto him; then with religion which considered with your education, parents, and a long profession, we may say (& not improperly) that it was even by nature conveyed into you; after, with that late carcase of a Parliament from whom you took both Commissions and employment; and lastly with that presbyterian Senate that preferred you hither as a proselyte of theirs, should I say now make a scruple of breaking with these wretches, to whom you can pretend no other tye, but a Confraternity in treachery and mischief.  
It is not your repetition of Rebels and bloody Rebels will serve for your excuse, since that you yourself are engaged with those rebels that have waded deeper into blood, and committed murder even with the sword of justice upon not only innocent but Royal blood; more impudently, and more in humanly than any people how barbarous soever that as yet have breathed under the face of heaven.  
'Tis true there hath been much barbarity and cruelty acted in this Kingdom since these unhappy tumults in the midst of confusion and disorder, but nothing done under the form of a mischievous law or the colour of abused justice, against any body; much less against the life, or person of a King, and the best of Kings, such as those whom you will needs profess a faith unto have butchered on a scaffold, with a hitherto unequalld villainy, which without all doubt heaven to convince the world that there is a divinity and justice there, will certainly when his indignation towards us is in some measure satisfied, at last see Notoriously punished upon them, and all their abettors with scourges as much transcending ours, as do their crimes.  
And in order to this just revenge it will be virtue in the King and my Lord Lieutenant (which as yourself confesses will be a sin in you circumstances considered) not only to forgive but court Father Reyley (& if there be any others of his party less pardonable and less avowable than he) unto their duty whom you can pretend to do nothing with in your Intrigues but either confirm them in their present, or engage them in a new rebellion worse and more malicious than that they are already plunged in, and which they (being a trampled and abused people, of another nation and religion from their Sovereign) leapt at first into, out of a general fear, and sense of their particular wrongs from, and aversions to those, who frequently misused upon them both their own power and the King's authority.  
For the restitution of whose just Sovereignty, and the preservation of whose life, my Lord Lieutenant (whom you express a shameless impudency to accuse with any guilt of his destruction hath run greater adventures in his person, made more prudent essays, and under went the hazard of a better fortune than any subject in the three Kingdoms had to lose besides; against whom your inference is very strange, that because by the Kings own direction & Commission he endeavoured to set on foot the Royal interest again, he musts need be guilty of, what was acted by those that (before he left France, or appeared the second time here about it) had already robbed the King of his liberty, and actually declared against his life.  
But they having since ravished from his Majesty his life aswell as liberty, and taken away both his Crown and Royal head together, so contrary to your then declared opinion (delivered as yourself confesses to my Lord Lieutenant when the army first Seized on the person of the King who as you there professed to believe intended nothing else but to secure him from attempts & danger) must needs be a motive sufficient either to Convert you from adhering longer unto them, or an argument at least to convince me and all the world, that you both approved of, and consented to, what ever they have done: how foreign soever you seem to make it to your charge, in a City where, and at a time when, if you should own it you might well fear to pull the indignation of the people, and a certain destruction upon your own head.  
Yet surely you would much more have played the man of honour to have laid aside these grosser cheats & Mummeries, & dealing plainly to have avowed the bare faced Truth (as your great masters in England have found the courage and the confidence to do) that it is neither your care of the protestant Religion, or English Interest, neither your duty to the Parliament, nor tenderness in breach of trust, that holds you from submitting to the King & my Lord Lieutenant but your over consciousness of your own past unfaithfulness and ingratitude to those you had so many ties unto, your despair of a full and free forgiveness, your observation that villainy now a days is only prosperous, and your conception that the course you are in suits more with your mistaken Interest & wild ambitions then returning to your duty would; lastly your desire to continue yourself and that Sr. Politic, your most reverend brother, there A Moses and Aron to the Irish Isralites to conduct them safe out of the bogs and woods of their fortunes and estates through the deserts of delinqnency; until they stripped of all those cumbersome impediments were ready for the land of promise, and you laden with their Egyptian spoils, and a good old age were fit to be transplanted from Dublin to the government of the new jerusalem.  
But let me now at last before it be too late prevail with you so far as to persuade yourself that it is never too late to mend, that both the King and my Lord Lieutenant have mercy and generosity enough to forgive and forget all your past transgressions, that fortune (how hopefully soever she seem to look upon you) hath neither leased out her wheels unto your Chariot, nor victory entailed herself unto you Ensigns so, as to encourage you to that confidence and presumption you do put on; forgetting that God Almighty doth frequently lull in security and besot with their past and present prosperities those that are designed for a headlong destruction: and lastly that (how successful soever it may be for a time) there is a fullness of iniquity which men being once arrived unto, God's judgements are never long behind. Which exuberance of sin if any people ever attained unto, surely it is they that have been either actors in, or abettors of, the murder of the King: of the guilt of which horrid crime, that you may clear yourself, and prevent the hevy judgement that infallibly attends it by a seasonable submission and returning to your duty, is all that he aims at, who hath dealt thus freely with you; and who on that score will be most really.  
Sr. Your very humble servaunt. EDWARD WALSINGHAM. Roscoman Castle june the 14. 1849.    

The several Papers concerning Cromwell's Pass to my Lord Lieutenant. Mentioned PAG. 48.  

Dean Boyles, Letter to my Lord Lieutenant touching the transactions with Cromwell in behalf of the disbanded English.  
May it please your Excellency  
BEing now returned from the enemy's quarters, I am bold to give your Lordship an account of what we have done there; we were two days held in suspense by General Cronwell whether he would descend to any capitulation upon those articles we delivered him, dureing which time, his arguments were few, but his persuasions many, to come in upon a Clear score without any articling for conditions, and that he said would put the whole party into a Condition of being trusted by the Parliament, which their insisting upon articles would deprive them of; But we, wholly waving the force of his persuasions, told him that we were limited by instructions, and to decline them in any particular, were very unfaithful, and beyond our Commission, we therefore desired his positive resolution, whether he would ascertain them of their securities, or the like, or no, that so we might return with an account to them that sent us, whereupon ireton objected that by those proposals, which we gave in to them, our design might be to contract for the Lord Inchiquint estate, aswell as others, he being under your Excellency's command, to which I made him this answer, that indeed it was much the desires of the Officers to serve him in that particular, but that I had peremptory directions from his Lordship to signify unto them that it was not your Excellency's intent, or his Lordships to Capitulate with then at all, or to be comprised under any general Conditions, whereuphn Cromwell then made answer, that if that were our purpose he would not a jot the more decline the business; There were many hours wasted in debate. before we came to any issue, at last the result of all determined in these enclosed conditions, wherein your Excellency may he pleased to observe, that there lies no obligation at all on our parts, but all on theirs, so that your Excellency may dispose of your men, or any number of them, as you shall think fitting, notwithstanding any engagements from us, only thus much we are obliged to, that our party under the covert of those articles, do not prejudice them in the surprisal of any of their garrisons, or the like, which emboldens me to beseech your Excellency, that Sr. Thomas Armstrong may take notice of it, and send his engagement hither, for Sr. Robert Starlings, and Lieutenant Colonel daniel's security, and mine, this enclosed to him I held it my duty to present open to your Excellency, before I sent it to himself. My Lord Dureing my being there, I had many opportunities, and hints given me by General Cromwell, and Ireton whereby I might plainly understand that if I would move any thing from your Excellency, or the Lord Inchiquin they would willingly hearken to it, but I waved them all so far that they at last in plain English asked me what your Lordship intended to do, if this party came of: I said I was not acquainted with your resolutions, But that I believed you would endeavour to form the army there into a considerable body, if upon the coming off of the English party, you did not find their behaviours to be such, as might give you no great confidence of them, & so enforce you to desert them, if you were not necessitated to tarry with them for want of convenient transportation; to which they insinuated unto me, that I might have a Pass for your safe going of, if you had a mind to it, & that I desired it; my reply was that I had no commission to that purpose, but on the contrary had positive directions not to ask any thing in your Lordship, or the Lord Inchiquins' behalf, yet if they would deliver me any such passes for your Excellency, and the Lord Inchiquin, I would reserve them by me, and if I had any opportunity, make use of them; the Passes I have here to dispose of as your Excellency shall appoint My Lord Inchiquin doth exceedingly dislike my bringing them at all, and the rather, be cause there is not included in them a liberty for the ship itself, and all others to go with you, that have an intent to wait upon you: But I find if your Excellency have any inclination to make use of such a Pass, it might easily be gained for any, that shall desire it, either for my Lord Muskery; or my Lord Taaffe, or any other officer of quality; They say they are very much concerned for the Marquis of Clanricard and if he would but desire any thing that lies in their power to serve him, he should find that the State of England would not be unmindful of those many good offices (they were informed) he had done for the poor Protestants in that country. They gave me likewise a hint concerning Sr. Georg Hamilton, and the Castle of Nenagh, but I took no notice of it. Upon discourse with General Cromwell, he said that he had no interest at all in your estate, nor any design upon it: he pretends to be a great servant of your ladies, and much to pity her condition, the estate which she brought your Lordship, they openly profess, shall not be given to any from her. The day before I came from thence, there came a packet, which gave them some seeming disturbance, upon the observance whereof, I used means by one of their own party to discourse with the captain that brought it, who certified him that the news was very bad, and that Montrose was landed, or certainly did intent to land in Irland, with 12000. men, something of consequence there is in it, but whether this be the Certainty thereof, or no, it is not yet known. I must beg your Excellencies pardon for this tedious, and rude diversion, which I could very much lengthen by several other passages, but I fear I have transgressed too far already, which submitting to your Excellencies Charitable interpretation, I remain.  
My Lord, Your Excellencies most faithful and most humble servant, M. boil. Clare 30. April 1650.   

Cromwell's Pass unto my Lord Lieutenant.  By the Lord Lieutenant of Irland, 
THese are to require you, and every of you, to permit and suffer his Excellency the Lord Marquis of Ormond, and his family (not exceeding the number of twenty persons) with three horses, and also their clothes, household stuff, and other goods (not being merchandise) quietly, and safely to take shipping at any place within the river of Shannon, or at Galloway, or to Pass to Kinsale, and take shipping there, and from such place of their shipping to be transported to any parts beyond the seas, (except to England, Wales or Scotland) without any violence, injury or molestation, as you will answer the Contrary at your perils. Provided they take shipping, and departed from Irland within the space of two months after the date hereof, and that in the mean time they, or any of them do not act any thing to the prejudice of the Parliament, or Commonwealth of England. Given under my hand, and seal the seaventh day of May, Anno Dom. 1650.  
O. CROMWELL.  
To all Officers soldiers and others under my command, & to all Captains & commanders of any of the shipping under the obedience of the Parliament.   

Dean Boils second Letter to my Lord Lieutenant to justify himself concerning the fore mentioned Pass,  
May it please your Excellency.  
REflecting upon the present sad Condition of those, who have adhered unto his Majesty's service, I assumed to myself very much satisfaction (above many others) in the Clearness of my deportments therein, which hitherto hath always justified me in the opinion of those, who have been entrusted in the mannagement of his affairs; But I find by some Letters of your Excellencies to my Lord Inchiquin that I now lie under some hazard of being blasted in your Excellency's esteem, by a severe charge laid on my discretion, and a greater wound upon my integrity, as if I had exceeded the limits of my Commission, in this last, (and I may justly call it unfortunat) transaction: My Lord, my pretence is so slender to the first of these, that I can very easily digest any thing, that is objected me on that score, being much more sensible of my own weakness, than any other man can be, though I cannot yet convince myself of any sin against the rules of reason: for apprehending When I left your Excellency, that it was your resolution to departed the Kingdom, and finding the intentions of the enemy to block up that Harbour, by their shipping, from whence you purposed your departure, I esteemed it a special piece of providence for the preservation of your person, and your honour, that they by an accidental discourse should offer that of themselves, which I suspected you might have been necessitated to make suit for; As for that clause in the Pass obliging you not to act any thing to their disadvantage, during your remainder here, though I must confess that to be no way suitable to your Excellency's condition, yet I conceive it may justly excuse my acceptance of it, I not making it at all my business to seek it, and might therefore appear impertinent, and indeed injurious to your Excellency to except against it, which I the rather passed over out of an opinion that your Excellency would have declined the service here, by the time of my return out of their quarters. But for this particular as it intrencheth only upon (that which I cannot own) discretion; I submit it wholly to your Excellencies better disquisition, having this sanctuary at last to be my refuge, that if I have transgressd therein, it had no other design in it, but your Excellency's preservation, and honour. But as to the other particular of exceeding, my Commission, I must beseech your Excellencies leave a little to justify my integrity, the rather in that I look upon myself out of any Capacity to serve you hereafter, whilst I lie under the justice of that reproof, dishonesty being an offence which I abominate towards the most ordinary person, much more towards your Excellency, who have laid so many obligations upon me; I had nothing in Charge from your Excellency in the transaction of that business, but to declare your refusal of coming to any conditions with them at all, or of having any inclinations there unto, which I did oftentimes not privately, or to the meanest of them, but publicly, to the chiefest amongst them, Cromwell and Ireton. Which I conceive to he a perfect discharge of what was entrusted to me by your Excellency, and as for my bare reception of the Pass, as it proceeded not at all from my demand, so it cannot certainly, without very much severity, be interpreted a breach of my Commission.  
This poor party being very suddenly to be dispersed to their several destinies, I know not what providence intends me for the future, but for the present I am like to be necessitated to the same misfortune with them, and by this great mistake of my essays for their service, to be enforced to desert the persons whom I honour, and to retire amongst those, who are, and have been my most professed enemies. I know not when I shall have the opportunity to wait next upon your Excellency, and have therefore assumed the confidence of giving your Excellency the trouble of this my just excuse; if it may prevail to re-establish me in your Excellencies good opinion, it will afford me many peaceful thoughts, while I continue in my banishment. However, as I was your Excellencies most faithful servant, before you placed and of your favours on me, so no misinterpretation of my actions shall make me a whitt decline my unalterable resolution of avowing myself.  
My Lord, Your Excellencies most obedient and humble servant. M, boil. Cloenraud May 9 1650.   

The Governor of Rosse his Letter to General Preston commanding in Waterford.  
My Lord.  
HAving had experience of your Lordship's honour, and civility, and considering the condition of the place under your command, what by contagicusnes within your city, and the sword about it, and the regardless inconfiderablenes of your party for your relief, induces me to sympathise with your Lordship, I having now a seasonable opportunity to offer such conditions to your Lordship, as may befit such a person of honour to accept hereof, and blemishes; and objections being removed, you have no less precedents than the Lord of Ormond, and the Lord of Inchiquin; Their Commissioners, and the Lord Lieutenant General Cromwell for each, and in behalf of both parties have concluded for their Coming in to the Lord Lieutenant General Cromwell, and to take up arms that will, others to go beyond seas, with their equipage within two months. This was confirmed, and ratifyed last Friday at Feathered. And I would not tell you a false thing for Rocks of pearl; If you please to be so fortunate to your self, and family, as to adhere to this offer here enclosed they shall be confirmed under the Lord Cromwell's hand, and seal, upon the capitulation, and agreement betwixt your Lordship, and myself, for the surrender of the City to the use of the state of England; If you please, I shall meet you for a personal treaty, where you shall appoint for better satisfaction, and during our meeting, or going from it, no acts of hostility to be commited on either side, of which I assure to your Lordship if your Lordship promise the like to me; And for the Citizens they shall have the same conditions, as Rosse had, which is now a Flourishing place. In tenderness to your Lordship, and the City, that both may be preserved, and in a happy condition, I did prevail to make these overtures, and negotiation, desiring your Lordship's answer I remain.  
My Lord, Your Lordship's humble servant. D, AXTEL. Rosse April 30. 1650.   

Dean Boils Letter to Cromwell about the Passes he received from him.  
My Lord,  
I presume your Lordship remembers upon what score the Passes for the Lord Lieutenant, and Lord Inchiquin were received by me from your Lordship upon a suspicion I had there might fall out some unhandsome carriage towards them, upon the departure of these English out of the quarters; which opportunity of serving them, I was not very unwilling to embrace, conceiving it an honourable expedient for their security, in case they should be necessitated thereunto. But I find His Excellency it not at all satisfied with me therein, I having no Commission to that purpose, and upon intimation sent his Lordship that I had such a thing, he commanded me to return it with civility to your Lordship; But finding by the Copy of a Letter to the Governor of Waterford (which I here enclose) that there is some use endeavoured to be made thereof to his exceeding prejudice, and dishonour, he hath commanded metosend it to himself lest the return of it should be perverted to his prejudice, as the acceptance was; I have hereby returned your Lordship the Pass for the Lord Inchiquin, and from both have received very slender thanks for bringing them. Your Lordship knows I made no engagement for any thing no either of their behalves, but on the contrary in the discussion of those proposaIls, which I presented to your Lordship from the Officers, did declare, that I had positive commands to except the Lord Marquis of Ormond, and Lord of juchiquin, from having any benefit of, or relation unto any thing, that was comprised in that treaty, so that the suggestions of M. Axtell to the Governor of Waterford, though they are nothing a agreeable to the conditions we received from your Lordship, yet they give a very great dissatisfaction to many here of my integrity, as presuming me to act some thing under hand, either by design, or beyond Commission wherein if your Excellency, would be pleased to afford me the justice of some kind of vindication, it would extremely oblige me in a very grateful resentiment.  
My Lord, Your Excellencies humble servant. M. boil. Cloneraud May 3. 1656.   

My Lord Lieutenant's Letter to Cromwell when he sent him Back his Pass.  
SR.  
DEan boil having brought me a Paper signed, and sealed by you, seeming to be a Pass for me to transport myself beyond seas; I did much wonder from whence, or for what reason it was, that you either gave, or he accepted it; since he was directed to declare to you (if it came in question) that I had no intention to treat with you for a Pass, or any other thing; And though I am yet to seek a reason for his part of that transaction, yet yours appears to me in Axtells' Letter to General Preston; I have by this Trumpeter returned you your Paper, and for your unsought courtesy do assure you, that when you shall desire a Pass from me, and I think fit to grant it, I shall not make use of it to corrupt any that commands under you, I remain.  
Your humble servant. ORMONDE. Kogh reogh the 17, May 1650.   

The Speech of his Excellency the Marquis of Ormond unto the General Assembly of the confederates in Irland upon the signing of the peace, in answer to the Oration of Sr. Richard Blake Chairman of the Assembly. Mentioned. PAG. 55.  
My Lords and Gentlemen.  
I Shall not speak to those expressions of duty and Loyalty, so eloquently digested into a Discourse, by the Gentleman appointed by you to deliver your sense, you will presently have in your hands greater and more solid Arguments of His Majesty's gracious acceptance of them, than I can enumerate, or then perhaps, you yourselves discern, for, besides the provision made against your remotest fears of the severity of certain Laws, and besides many other freedoms, and bounties conveyed to you, and your posterity, by these Articles, There is a door, and that a large one, not left, but set open to give you entrance, by your future merits, to whatsoever of honour, or other advantage, you can reasonably wish, so that you have in present fruition what may abundantly satisfy, and yet there are no bounds set to your hopes but you are rather invited, or, (according to a new Phrase, but to an old & better purpose) You seem to have a Call from Heaven, to excercise your Arms and uttermost fortitude, in the noblest, and justest Cause the world hath known; for let all the Circumstances, incident to a great & good Cause of war, be examined, and they will befound Comprehended in that which you are now called warrantably to defend; Religion, not in the narrow circumscribed definition of it, under this, or that late found out distinction, but Christian Religion, is our Quarrel, which certainly is as much and as fatally struck at (I may say more) by the blasphemous Licence of this Age, than ever it was by the rudest Incursions of the most barbarous and most avowed Enemy's to Christianity. The venerable Laws, and fundamental Constitutions are trodden under impious, and, for the most, part Mechanic feet. 
a judge reader if these be the words of one that intends to betray the Kingdom and King's interest to Cromwell.  The sacred person of the King (the life of those Laws) under an ignominious imprisonment, & his life threatened to be taken away by the Sacrilegious hands of the basest of the People that own Him obediences, And, to endear the Quarrel to you, the fountain of all the benefits you have but now acknowledged, and of what you may further hope for by this Peace, and your own merits, is now in danger to be obstructed by the execrable murder of the worthjest Prince that ever ruled these Islands. In short, Hell can add nothing to the desperate Mischief now openly projected.  
And now judge, if a greater, or a more glorious field was ever set open to action; and then prepare yourselves to enter into it, And receive these few Advices from one throughly embarked with you in the Adventure.  
First. Let me recommend unto you, that to this, as to all other holy Actions, you would prepare yourselves with perfect Charity, a Charity that may obliterate whatsoever 
b Are not here the factions.  of Rancours a long continued Civil war may have contracted in you against any that shall now cooperate with you in so blessed a work, & let his engagement with you, (who ever he is) be, as it ought to be, a Bond of Unity, of Love, of Concord, stronger than the nearest tye of nature.  
In the next place, mark, and beware of those that shall go about to renew, or create 
c jealousies.  jealousies in you, under what pretence, soever, & account such as infernal Ministers, employed to promote the black Design on foot, to subvert Monarchy, & to make us all slaves to those that are so to their own avaricious Lusts.  
Away, assoon & as much as possibly may be, with those distinctions 
d And national animosities fore seen & forelold that since have ruind all.  of Nations, and of Parties, which are the fields where in the seed of those rancour weeds are sown by the great Enemy of our Peace.  
In the last place, Let us all divest ourselves of that preposterous, that ridiculous Ambition, and self Interest, which rather leads to our threatened general Ruin, then to the enjoyment of Advantages unseasonably desired.  
And if at any time you shall think yourselves pinched to near the bone by those Taxes, & Leavyes that may be imposed on you for your defence, Consider then, how vain, how foolish a thing it will be, to starve a Righteous Cause for want of necessary support; to preserve yourselves fat & guilded sacrifices to the rapine of a merciless Enemy.  
And if we come thus well prepared to a Contention, so just, on our part, God will either bless our Endeavours with success & victory, or 
f Were there ever nobler or more generous expressions of loyalty than these.  Crown our sufferings with honour, & patience; for what honour will it not be, if God have so determined of us) to perishwith a long glorious Monarchy? And who can want patience 
e The people of Irland have found the truth of this by a lamentable experience.  to suffer with oppressed Princes? But as our Endeavours, so let our prayers be, vigorous, that they may be delivered from a more unnatural Rebellion than is mentioned by any story, now raised to the highest pitch of success against them.  
I should now say something to you for myself, in return to the advantageous mention made of me, 
g Or greater modesty.  & my Endeavours to bring this settlement to pass; but I confess my thoughts were wholly taken up with those much greater Concernements; Let it suffice, that as I wish to be continued in your good esteem & affection, so I shall freely adventure upon any hazard, and esteem no trouble a difficulty too great to encounter, if I may manifest my zeal to this Cause, and discharge some part of the obligations that are upon me to serve this Kingdom.   
FINIS.   

ERRATA.  
PAg. 6. l. 7. for Interests, of the crown read Interests of the crown, P. 7. l. 28. for Monster read Monster. P. 9 l. 22. for prece read peace. P. 24. l. 17. after Col. Birne, read The famous Pudsey with the poleaxe, Colonel Walton, Grissith Cavanagh, etc. P. 29. l. 16. for appeared read as appeared. P. 49. l. 3. for ad read a. P. 50, l. 10. Clonwell read Clonmell. P 51. l. 3. for Neavagh read Neanagh. ibid. for Puachases read Purchases. P. 52. for hand read hands. P. 53. for that is their read that it is their. P. 56. for I have given read I have here given. Erratas in the Letters. P. 4. l. 19 for take thy pains read take this Pains ibid. for an foil read an unglorious foil. P. 6. l. 42. for it read is. P. 12. l. 1. for to laid ad to have laid ibid. l. 27. for is fullness read is a fullness. P. 3. l. 8. for Cronwell read Cromwell.