A LETTER From the Right Honourable the LORD INCHIQVIN And other the Commanders in Munster, To His Majesty Expressing the Causes and Reasons of their not holding the Cessation any longer with the Rebels; With their desire intimated to his Majesty, that he would be pleased to renounce any Treaty with the Rebels any longer, and that he would again proclaim them Rebels, and would now comply with his Parliament, and make a Peace with them. With several other Letters from the said Lo. Inchiquin and other the Commanders in Munster in Ireland to several other their Friends here in England, advising them of their Proceed, with several Motives and Reasons to persuade them also to return unto their former Charges in Ireland, and to join with them to oppose the said Rebels, and for to vindicate with them therein their Obligation unto Religion, the Preservation of that Kingdom, and the honour of the English Nation. Published by Authority. Printed at London by George Miller. 1644. A Copy of a Letter to his Majesty, from the Lord Inchiquin. May it please your most excellent Majesty, WE your Majesty's most humble and Loyal Subjects the Protestants of the Province of Munster do with all humility acknowledge your Majesty's special care towards our preservation, and we should esteem ourselves guilty of two high an ingratitude if we should not discharge our duties to God, and your sacred Majesty, by acquainting you that no peace can be concluded with the Irish Rebels; which will not bring unto your Majesty and the English in general, a fare greater prejudice than the show of a peace here will bring us an advantage; and since your Majesty hath showed us so high a degree of your pious care in all things that might take from our afflictions as our Declaration doth manifest to the world; those actions show so piously in your Majesty that you have entrusted us, and makes us humbly beg your Majesty, that you would not so much regard so inconsiderable a handful of people as we are; as to purchase but a seeming security by leaving the Protestant Religion in all likelihood to be extirpated, and your Majesty obnoxious to the loss of this your Kingdom. Indeed it is too truly called a seeming security, as in our Declaration which we humbly present unto your Majesty doth largely and plainly appear, as also with how much reason we have taken up arms, to defend our Religion, lives, and your Majesty's Interests, and we firmly hope that our infinite wrongs and miseries will be a sufficient motive and rise for your Majesty to send unto the Parliament for the procuring of a peace in England, without which we must be (as speedily) as unavoidably ruined, and, the Protestant Religion quite rooted out of this Kingdom; We have likewise sent our humble desires to the same purpose unto the Parliament, with a strong belief that both your Majesty and they will so seriously consider the justness and necessity of the Irish war, that it will wring the sword out of both your hands, and employ those armies (which are likely to be destructive to the Protestant Religion) for the suppressing of those bloody enemies of the Gospel; and truly when we consider how correspondent this blessed motion is with the goodness of your Majesties own inclination: We do not despair but that God which brings the greatest things to pass by the weakest means, may through our great necessities and humble prayers, restore England to that just Peace which it hath been so long deprived of. But if the judgements of the Almighty are not all fall'n upon that Kingdom, and that the just quarrel to this nation, which would be fare more glorious to the English armies, than the wars there, is not a sufficient power to produce our agreement between your Majesty and the Parliament. We do most humbly beseech your Majesty not to give care to any that shall strive to blemish the Integrity of our proceed, since we take God to witness we aim at nothing but God's glory, your Majesty's honour, and the safety of the English Nation. And that the world may see that your Majesty believes us to be (what really we are) we humbly beg your Majesty, as we have likewise done the Parliament to send us what supplies of Men, Arms and Ammunition your sacred Majesty thinks fit for a people, which value not their lives and fortunes, where your Majesty's honour is concerned, and that we may die as perfect Martyrs in the opinion of men, as we are certain all those that suffer in this cause will be in the eye of God; that your sacred Majesty would be pleased to proclaim again the Irish to be rebels, and not pardon those who have committed so many barbarous crimes, that they are as fare above description, as they are short of honesty, nay, more publicly, profess they had your Majesty's Commission for what they did: The true sense of this devilish aspersion cast upon your Majesty, with all those other reasons, which we have set down in our Declaration, makes us resolve to die a thousand deaths rather than to condescend to any peace with these perfidious Rebels; and since death is a tribute we must all pay, who will apprehend the payment of it somewhat the easier to purchase by it a Kingdom as full of glory as this is now of misery to all honest men, neither is this only the resolution of all the most considerable men amongst us, but of all in general; for our gracious God hath so inspired the hearts of all the Commonalty, that they have vowed never to desert the cause that is so visibly God Almighty's, and we beseech the Almighty so to direct your sacred Majesty, that our great miseries may through your Majesty's pious furtherance beget that blessed peace in England, which is so zealously prayed for by Your Majesty's most humble, most obedient, and most loyal Subjects, Inchiquin. Broughill. Tho. Searle. Fenton. Percy. Smith. Will. Brockett. Agm. Muschampt. Cork, 17. July, 1644. A Copy of a Letter to Coll. Nicholas Mynn. Noble Sir, SOme Councillors about the King have prevailed with him to make such an agreement with the Rebels here as leaves the interest he now has in their power, whereof we find they mean to make up for the Extirpation of the English Nation and Protestant Religion out of this Kingdom: and this being discovered unto us by certain and undoubted intelligence, we have given notice thereof to King and Parliament, whose Assistance we have craved for our own defence, and the mean time we have turned out the Irish, who we know were the Rebel's confederates, now we doubt the King will not approve of what we have done, because the papistical faction about him will oppose us, but we are confident the Parliament will send us great supplies to follow the war against the Irish, wherefore, and seeing our cause is so good, we are hopeful as many forces as went from us will come to us forth with, and you I must desire to come with your whole Regiments to Milford Haven, where you may recrewt your Regiment and bring them away in the Parliaments ships, and that you may not scruple at this action, we have sent you our Declaration, which will show open the realityes of our intentions. Then for encouragement for the Officers and Soldiers, I can assure you to have all arrears allowed in adventures, and that we shall have very good pay for the time to come, I am so confident of your coming that I have writ to the Parliament to make you Major General of the forces that shall be now on foot here, which I believe will be no less than 10000 horse and foot, we have already 3000 of our own besides the expectation of my own Regiments and yours; So that if they send but 2 or 3000 forth of England, and order for the like number of Scots to come by sea hither we shall make up that number. I have likewise sent to the Parliament to get a stipend settled upon you as Governor of (Halboling) which I am confident will be done, for that I hope these inducements calling you to a cause of comfortable, as we may term it, Gods own cause, that will make all speed unto us, in expectation whereof I remain Your very affectionate Friend and servant, Inchiquin. Cork 20th july, 1644, A Copy of a Letter to Lieutenant Coll. Saintleger. Dear Brother. WE find that his Majesty is strangely beguiled by the Irish rebels, who making great and fair promises unto him, have gained such trust as that we see the Kingdom, save what the Scots have, is to be left in their power, whereof we know most certainly, they mean to make such use as that no English (if Protestant's) shall be left therein, for they resolve to leave no professors of that Religion; But their wickedness will not stop there neither, for seeing the King of England unable to give them assistance against the Scots; they have employed agents abroad to treat with foreign Princes, and to give assurance unto him that will undertake to supply them with money and utensils of war, that they will become his subjects; when we were sufficiently assured of this, we resolved to resume our arms and rather to die gloriously, then to live miferably; But although we know these actions of ours are effectual, condueing to his Majesty's service; Yet we fear the instruments that gained favour for the Irish, will have power to possess his Majesty with an ill opinion of our proceed, because we receive assistance from the Parliament of England, notwithstanding (knowing the goodness of his Majesties own disposition, and hoping for God's assistance to make him apprehensive of our real love to him) we have presumed to write unto him, signifying how undoubtedly our Religion had been extinguished, and his Kingdom lost, if we had not prevented it, and desiring that his Majesty would not only approve of the Parliaments sending us supplies for the following of this war against the perfidious Irish rebels; but that he would graciously reflect on us with what assistance his condition will permit, and proclaiming the Irish Rebels; This if his Majesty approve of may happily be a good recourse for such a treaty to be had between him and the Parliament, as may produce a happy Accommodation, which may give them both leave to employ the Armies now destructive to England against these malicious enemies of our Religion, and most dangerous enemies of his; but if he do not, our Consciences bear witness we intent nothing but loyalty to him, and we hope this will appear when they see the grounds of our proceed, which we have partly set forth in a Declaration, though we have left out things that we thought might displease his Majesty, who we know cannot choose but extend a gracious eye of favour towards us, when things are come a little more to light, and that the Villains of those Irish now smiled on shall be discovered; In the mean time, I pray you Brother to consider, who we fight against, namely Papists and Rebels, and that it is a happiness to be employed in such a Quarrel, rather than against Protestants, whatever their Loyalties be, we are sure we fight neither against the King's Person nor Laws; neither against his profit; but you are not sure there but that you fight against the two last, neither do you know but that you fight against Religion, which Implicitly is against God, and that sure you will confess to be more than doing the first. Wherefore I beseech you to get away hither as soon as you can; And get what Officers and Soldiers, especially W. Kingsmill to come with you; the best way for you to come by, will be to come to Milford Haven, where the Parliament shipping will take you in, and transport you hither, with what horse or foot, you can get; There you will have good pay, halfe your Arrears in Adventures; and if God prosper our designs we shall surely possess the estates of our enemies, with the comfort of having all our neighbours English and Protestants. Your Mother hath written to you earnestly desiring your repair hither, the which she doth with tears often pray that she may see; God put it into your heart to obey her therein, which would exceedingly rejoice Your most affectionate Brother and Servant, Inchiquin, Cork, 21. July, 1644. The Copy of a Letter from the right honourable the Lord Baron of Inchiquin to Colonel William jephson the Governor of Portsmouth. ALthough I have been earnest in prosecution of all the Commands come unto me from his Majesty; yet I was ever as industrious for the preservation of the English here, and the Protestant Religion, as my weak abilities would give me leave, and now that I perceive his Majesty to be so deluded by a Papistical Council, as that his Prorestant people are like to be all extirpated, and our Religion extinguished; I confess it is no longer my duty to execute those Commands, knowing them to proceed from the advice of those, who expose Religion and the Commonwealth to shipwreck, under pretence of advancing his Majesty's service, whilst indeed they do but contrive their own deliverance from the hand of justice: The Bearer will tell you more of this, and of my resolutions to use all endeavours to prosecute the war against the Rebels in Ireland, and cross those who are more mischievous (than any Rebels can be) in England; and if the Parliament do speedily supply us, I am very hopeful (with God's assistance) to put the work here suddenly into a good forwardness, for I am confident my Brother Harry will (if he can) deliver Wareham again into the hands of the Parliament, and will come away with my whole Regiment hither, when you send Ships to fetch him, which I think will be greatly advantageous to them there, and us here, If notwithstanding my new Professions the Parliament should distrust me, because it is true, I have served the King with all my power according to his own commands, I shall in the first place let you know, that I forsake a plentiful fortune, for the good of this Cause. And then I shall desire you to say only to them that (if the placing of another person in my room be thought an advantage for the prosecution of the war,) I shall be well-pleased with it; and do most earnestly desire it; for truly no preferment or prosit can be so pleasing to me, as to see this war followed with effect against the Irish Rebels. I found that having the disposal of what money we had here, I lost the favour of many, because I could not comply with their particular desires, wherefore if I should be thought fit to command again, I would by no means meddle with that task, and shall in that case pray the Houses to send one or more Commissioners to see the carriages of affairs, and to disburse the treasure as shall be requisite. This Course I conceive will give much satisfaction both to the Parliament and us, to them in regard of the assurance they shall have that the money is employed to the best advantage, and that they shall have complaint of none but real wants; to us, because we shall then expect to be better supplied then otherwise. Another thing that I desire you would offer to the Honourable Houses is, that they would take the poor English here into their consideration, and to take a course for their satisfaction, concerning those debts due unto them from the Army, which I conceive may be done out of the Houses and Lands of the expulsed inhabitants, as if their money had been given upon adventure for them; I could write a volume of things that would cause your admiration, as they have done my Alteration from the course I was in, but I know you have been told some of them by your Wife and P.S. and others you will hear from the bearer; wherefore I will now say no more, but that I am Your affectionate Friend and Servant, Inchiquin. Cork 20. July. 1644. A Copy of a Letter to Sir I. Powlet from the Lord Inchiquin. Noble Sir, AS I must confess I had always great inducements to love your person, so must I acknowledge an obligation now, both to increase that affection, and profess myself infinitely your servant, for I have it from many good hands, that you were noble, just and friendly, zealous in defence of my honour, being wounded very much by my Lord of Corks traducing me for betraying his Towns unto the Irish rebels. Sir I could wish now that I had told you somewhat more than I did of that business, which truly I forbear, because I thought it would be deemed vain glory in me, for if ever I did any thing towards the defence of this Province against the Irish, this was that I had cause to brag off, whereof I shall take you for a witness; for you know that at the time when the enemy came to Lismore we had no provisions in any of our stores; and a week before their coming (that false friend) my uncle Edmond came unto me to let me know, that the Irish Army were advancing towards our ports, and that if I would give way to their taking of Cappoquin and Lismore they would spare the rest of our quarters, which he said they would otherwise burn and destroy, but before he delivered me this message from my Lord of Muskerie, he made me promise him secrecy, which as I made good, so I made use of what he told me for my own advantage, for presently I sent all the provision I could get in Cork and Yawhall with all haste to Cappoquin, and with it 400 commanded men, Lismore was of itself well provided, but if it had not, you know I was not then able to help it, at that time I communicated to yourself and the Officers the intelligence I received of the enemies advancing, and after advice taken of what was fit to be done; we found our wants, and the scarcity that was in all places, would make it impossible for us to keep the field with our. Army, part whereof, to the number of 1200 were with Colonel Mynn in the West, where they had no food, but what corn they cut, burnt and dressed the same day to eat, so that all we were able to do was only to draw 1600 foot and 250 horse to Tallow, out of the several garrisons, for whom I had not one day's victuals to march, they being only on billets in their several quarters; when I found that this was all we could do, than I bethought myself to make use of the motion made unto me by my uncle, and whereas he (under pretence of giving me intelligence) went about to work upon me, in hope to make me an instrument to betray the English, I did in the like manner endeavour to make use of him, for the overthrowing the rebels design; Which with God's assistance I did thus happily effect. After I had taken advice with you and found that we could not draw the western forces unto us, and that without them there was no fight; I seemed to him to have put on a resolution with your advices presently to gather all our forces together, and told him of a great strength that we were able to make; letting of him know that I was glad the Irish were coming into a trap to us, for that I knew there would none of them get off again, and then to fetch him about, I told him that I was sorry that my Lord of Muskery was not more real in his professions to the King, which I perceived were all but dissilmuations, or that otherwise he would not now press so hard upon our quarters, being he expected a cessation soon after, and being that then it was professed by them that they would go into England with forces, so soon as that was agreed on, I marvailed that they would be so much the Kings and their own enemies as to seek the destruction of those people (meaning theirs) whose assistance I did soon expect in his Majesty's service, which I told him was a thing I would willingly avoid, if I could, and then finding by him that they were resolved to come, notwithstanding all my threats, I told him that I would not draw our forces together till such a day, if they aimed at nothing but my Lord of Corks towns, for that I cared not if they took them, and that therefore I had so ordered it that the forces should be there no sooner to hinder them, which would be time enough for them to take them in; But said that if they took them not by that day, that then they must resolve to retreat, or that otherwise I must fall upon them, this they thought was enough, and therefore they promised that they would retreat that day, whether they took them or not, though with as little intention to perform as I expected. Now that I might seem unto him to be able to do this, I presently made all the noise I could of my resolution to fight with the enemies, and wrote unto all the Garrisons to let the inhabitants know that if they did not make some shift to furnish the Soldier's knapsacks for the field, that they were all lost, whereupon they furnished us with five day's provision, so that you and I made a shift with the before mentioned number, to get thither by the day that I threatened to fight with them, if they were not gone, which you know was the soon that I could be there; you being a witness of the diligence I used to get the men into the field, and certainly if I could have come thither sooner, I would have threatened the enemy accordingly, but when we were come to Tallow, the rebels belike having notice of our weakness continued the siege notwithstanding the promises, which I perceiving, and being fearful they might take Lismore, offered unto yourself, Lieutenant Colonel Appleyard and the Officers, to fall upon them if you should advise, whereupon you all advised to send presently for Colonel Mynn, and not to attempt any thing till he came. This delay, after I had threatened to fight with them, I I was fearful would make the enemy contemn us, and thinking that it was very likely that before Colonel Mynn (who could not in less than five day's time be with us) should come that the place must needs have been lost, I bethought myself to send jack fitz Gerald privately to them, to let them know that they were very happy in that Mynn was not come yet unto me, and that I had received letters from him intimating his being on his march towards me, whereof I gave them notice out of my desire to preserve them whom we thought would soon become his Majesty's Subjects and servants, and therefore let them know that if they did not go away the next day, that I must of necessity fall upon them, but all I could do could not divert them from their own ends, till my Lord of Cork landed and brought me a Letter from the King commanding me to give credit to what he should tell me, who told me that it was his Majesty's Command that I should forward the Cossation by all the means? could, whereupon I desired a Conference with my Lord of Muskerie, and you know how my Lord of Cork delivered the Message sent unto me there before my Lord of Muskerie, and did assure my Lord that if he would withdraw the siege, he knew his Majesty would take it well, which my Lord (thinking that I would have fallen upon them the next day) assented unto, now let the world judge whether I did intent to give up my Lord of Corks Towns, they knowing our wants, our condition, our strength, Nick Mynns being in the West unable to come to us, my offering daily to fall on, if a Council of war should advise it, and all other circumstances to be as I have related, and let them also that know how we were, say if it had not been easy for their 3000 foot, and 800 horse to have taken all our Quarters, if I had not by this means prevented it, by giving them occasion to stay where I had provided against their attempts, whereas if they had marched on in to our Quarters, I could never make head against them, knowing the Country to be ready to rise and afford them their assistance against us, and that we could never bring our Army into a body to have given them Battle, so that truly I never was so happy in any thing concerning this war, as in that diversion, which (by my Uncle edmond's and my Lord of Muskeries ambush) it pleased God I gave them, and thereby preserved all the poor English that were abroad in our quarters: and Sin for confirmation hereof you know we were frequently told that it was a common report amongst the Irish that I had fooled my Lord of Muskerie, and he them; then let all the world think whether I could be so foolish as to give way that so many of them should know such a secret, if I had not my own ends in it, or if those ends had been to favour them, whether that favour must not proceed from hope of reward, of effection to their party; the first of these I am confident no enemis will allege against me; And I hope my Actions have never given Cause to suspect, me for the last; perhaps my Lord of Cork will say I did it out of malice to him: to which I answer, that it were strange I should put my safety into the hands of the Irish, only to do him a prejudice, who I knew durst not affront me, not any man that durst strike a known Coward unless I did intent to become one of the Irish party, which sure now I shall not be suspected for, s●eing I have put on a resolution to follow the war against the Irish whereunto myself, and the rest of the Officers here have been induced by the certain knowledge of their designs, being no loss (then to extirpate all the Protestant and their Religion, and give▪ this Kingdoms into the hands of another Prince, who they think betten able to assist them against the Parliament than the King of England is; Sir, we have made this known to the King and the world in a large Declaration; but we fear that the same instruments that gained such trust for the Irish (as that the King condescended to leave this in their power, supposing them to be more faithful to him then that they would do any such thing) will also prevail to make him discredit our Declaration, and disapprove of our proceed, which yet shall appear to be effectual for his service: But because we knew that his Majesty (by reason of the Parliaments strength at sea could not assist us,) we have applied ourselves to the Parliament, also desiring their Assistance against the Irish, and have besought both King and Parliament that they would (from the knowledge of their treacheries) take a rise to beget such an Accommodation, as that by their joint consent this war might be followed, and that in England may surcease. I know not what effects this may produce for the good of that Kingdom. But I know we shall have large supplies here, and good pay for 10000 horse and foot to keep the field, and that it may be an encouragement for our old friends to come over to us again, the Parliament do undertake to pay the Arrears due unto all the Officers and us in so much Adventure; besides which there is no doubt (if God make us vanquishers) but deserving 01 men will have estates conferred on them in the end of this, as it was in the end of the last wars (I mean Tyrones' wars) of Ireland; I should think it a great happiness that I might have your Assistance in this business, promising you that (if it lie in my power) your condition shall be one of the Chief in the Army; but I know your Nobleness and Uprightness to be such as that I shall offer nothing as an inducement to you, but that here you may fight in a Cause which first is Gods own, then that we fight against those who are Papists and Rebels, and who we know to be enemies to the King and our Religion: And lastly, I would desire you to consider that if the King should get the upper hand with the help of these men, whether it be likely that it will be in his power to establish the Protestant Religion: if you think fit to come, you must not make known your Resolution till you see how the King approves of our Declaration; But if that be not come to his hands, I would advise you to come without the knowledge of any (but such as you think will come with you) to Milford Haven, where the Parliament shipping will receive you, and transport hither any that desire to come: I pray God direct you for the best, which is hearty wished by, Sir, Your most affectionate Friend and Servant, Inchiquin. FINIS.