A DECLARATION OF THE Treacherous procedings of the Lord of INCHEQUIN against the PARLIAMENT OF ENGLAND, And some Officers in their employment In the Province of Munster in IRELAND.  
By colonel WILLIAM KNIGHT.  
London, Printed in the year 1648.   

A Declaration of the Treacherous proceedings of the Lord of Jnchequin against the Parliament of England, &c.  
FEaring lest my Enemies by my too long silence, might take an advantage to persist in this false traducing of me, and by that means induce some of my Friends to give Credit unto the same; to stop their mouths, and to give satisfaction to the world of my real and faithful service to the Parliament of England, I have thought fit to publish this ensuing Declaration.  
Living in Ireland upon the Eruption of that horrid Rebellion( after some Services performed) for endeavouring to obstruct the Cessation then to bee made with the bloody Irish Anno 43. for justifying the proceedings of Parliament, for writing over several Letters to Sir William Armine, a Member of the House of Commons, of the destructive proceedings of the earl of Ormond; and his Adherents to the Parliament, and Protestant party. Some of which Letters being intercepted, I was sent for to the council board, and from thence committed to the Castle of Dublin, and after long Imprisonment, Indicted, and tried at the Kings Bench for the same, and although I were then acquitted, yet presently after by the earl of Ormonds Order Plundered of all my Estate, my Wife turned out of of doors with that inhumanity, that it suddenly cost her her life: Presently after my acquittal, I got into England, where I no sooner came, but I entred into the Parliaments service, in which I faithfully continued upon this place till 1645. then forces being raised for the service of Ireland, in the Province of Munster, I went over into the said Province, Captain of a Foot Company, where by Gods blessing upon My Endeavours, I was in August 1647 made colonel of a Regiment of Foot and in these, and other my several employments, continued faithfully according to the trust reposed in me; But observing a new Cessation to be made by the Lord Inchequin, and several of his Officers, with the Bloody Irish in that Province, at such a time when the whole Province was Conquered except four towns, two of them not being considerable, when we could not march any ways but the Country was as full of cattle and Sheep, as any part of this kingdom, with stolen of Bread, and other Provisions for the soldiery, when our Army could, and did march at pleasure from one end of the Province to the other,( not an Enemy daring to look in our faces) and settled it in a constant Contribution for the maintenance of the same with Hostages delivered from the several Counties for payment of it; By which means the Contributions were raised to so considerable a sum, that it would have plentifully maintained our Army with little help out of England: I say, observing a Cessation to be driving on at such a time when we were so absolute Masters of the Field, that our Beaten. Enemies durst not appear in the Province, when the Harvest of all our hard labours was then coming on of which we might have enjoyed a plentiful Crop I presently conceived that there was some piece of treachery to be acted against the Parliament, and kingdom of England; and having observed that the Lord of Inchequin by private instructions from the Parliament of England affixed to his Commission, was not to carry on that War, or any Dengue upon the place, without the advice and consent of the Provincial council and knowing none of them to adhere to the Parliament Cause, except Col. Sir William Fenton Knight and colonel Peregreen Banastre; About the beginning of April I repaired unto them for their advice, and  told them that I had ever faithfully served the Parliament of England, from the beginning of their troubles to that present. That I observed the way that the Lord of Inchoquin was now going, in making a Cessation with the Irish, would be destructive to the Protestant Religion, and the English interest. That my Conscience would not give me leave to steer that Course,( Besides the trust that was reposed in me) and therefore conceived it my best way( in regard it was out of my power to prevent his proceedings) to quit my Command, and begon for England; To which I received answers from them both( severally) that they would by no means have me do so. But to keep my Command as long as I could, for they doubted not but the Parliament would presently be in a Condition to look upon us, and then by my staying I might do them good service; But if I left the place, I should but weaken their party, and give an advantage of more strength unto their Enemies, with several other reasons for my staying there( as those Gentlemen now upon this place, are ready to testify) upon this I fixed my resolution according to their advice. The 22 of May following, the Cessation was concluded by the Lord of Inchequin and his Adherents with the Rebells, and then it plainly appeared to all men( but those that were wilfully blind) that all his proceedings were destructive to the Protestant Religion, the English interest, and the soldiery under his Command; First to the Protestant Cause, by giving the Irish Rebells free liberty to exercise the Romish religion, by saying mass, &c. under the very walls of all our Garrisons, when as before they were forced to do it at a distance, and so privately that the Protestant party could take no notice of it, by tolerating their Priests, Jesuits, friars, and the like, to exercise their Function, and quietly enjoy their Church Livings, as by the Articles of Cessation may appear. Secondly, destructive to the English interest, and the Protestant party there, by his endeavouring to turn many Protestant Families out of strong holds gained by much English blood, and to put Irish Rebells into the same again, though long before expulst by the English sword, I will onely instance it in two, or three particulars amongst many, the strong Castle of Coolemaine, in the heart of our quarters, having a Ward kept in it by the Protestants, since the first reducing of it, and all English Tenants placed upon the Lands, yet these must presently be outed their possessions, and Mr. Carthy Reaghe restored to the same, though the Commander in chief of all the Rebells in those parts, and an active bloody one himself, since the beginning of those Warres, having plundered, burnt, and spoyled, all the English then residing in that Castle, of their Estates and livelihoods; The strong Castle of Loughart near Malloy taken from Mr. Donnoghe, Mr. Carthy, a Grand leading rebel, then a Prisoner in cork, and a Garrison of English put into the same, yet by the bellowing and bleating of English sheep and cattle, Mr. Donnogh must bee set at liberty, the Garrison displaced and he restored to his former Possession; But his wicked designs not staying in these( as he conceived) petty things; in the latter end of June he used extraordinary ways to patch up such a Peace with the irish, as that he would have restored them all to their former Possessions; by which means the whole City of cork, which now consists of none but Protestants, should have been outed the said City,( though formerly by the Rebels despoiled of all their Estates) and all the Irish veceived in again; and then to have joined the Army under his Command, with the Irish Rebels Army, and so to have fallen down upon colonel Jones, and the british forces, thinking thereby to have possessed himself wholly of that kingdom, while the divisions were so high in this, and so according to his often expressions, have made that kingdom independent to England, and possibly he might have thoughts to be King of Munster, as he hath been pleased several times of late to affirm his Ancestors were. Thirdly, destructive to the soldiery by giving away two Counties, Limrick and Tipperong( upon the Cessation) which wee had conquered by the Sword, except the foresaid Towns, for the maintenance of the Irish Army under the command of the Lord Taffe, which two Counties did afford us about 4000 pounds per mensem, towards the payment of our Army: with these and the like abominable practices, because I could not Comply without the highest Breach of trust both with God and man, nor stay upon the place to see them acted with a safe Conscience, and finding several, of the best affencted Officers to the Parliament, to perceive their former error, and inveigh much against these his unjust proceedings( and that most of the Protestant party; were disaffected with the same: who had observed many of his false and pernicious oaths to them made, and never kept, as one amongst the rest at Mallow, when calling all his Officers, together then with him,  told them that he heard there was a disaffected party in the Army, that used all the endeavours they could, to possess the Army, that he intended to join them with the Irish Forces and so endeavoured to beget an ill opinion of him and his proceedings amongst the said Officers and his Army, and after many oaths, and execrations by him made to the contrary dismissed them; yet within two dayes after, sent his Potent to several Regiments, to rise and march into Thomond to Lieutenant general Purcell,( the L. Taffes Lieut. General) and to join with his Forces against Sir Charles coat, and from time to time, to obey all such orders as they should receive from Purcell, or in his absence from his Brother Christopher Bryen, one that we had taken Prisoner long before at the fight of Ahecooty, and never exchanged or ransomed, this perfidiousness of his( amongst many others) being observed, & hated by the better party, I thought it then a fit time to step in and confer with some Officers and Townsmen of most note, and integrity, by laying before them the great danger they were fallen into, as also prescribing a remedy, how the Parliaments interest might yet be preserved with their safeties, all which I conceived to be very cordial to act any thing with me for the English good; the L. of Inchequin being then out of Town, came home the next day: the morning following he sent for me, where I soon perceived all the business was discovered unto him, I perceiving it was no time time to go back by denying what I intended to have acted after some discourse 'twixt him and myself,( before several Officers)  told him that I much wondered at that course he now steered in declining the Parliament of England, conceiving there could be little security to him by taking that course he now did, in regard the King could not cordially love him, because he had formerly deserted him; The Queen he knew could not choose but hate him, for those loose reports, he frequently, and publicly used of her; For the Marquis of Ormond into whose hand he was now giving all the Power he had let him but well weigh the late difference that was betwixt them, and he might easily conclude from thence that the Marquis of Ormond played but his former game, and that being once played he might expect onely to have the honour, as to be last cashiered out of the Army, and therfore desired him to desist from these proceedings, which would speak him fickle to all the world, in now betraying the trust reposed in him by the Parliament; But this discourse not affecting him, he  told me he would break the neck of the Jndependent party, and without any more words, I was forthwith( being the ninth of July) committed to my quarters, with a guard of Musquettiers upon me, presently after J was Articled against at a Court Martiall, and two dayes before J was to bee tried, he calling several of his Officers together,  told them amongst other things, there could bee no safety for them and the Army, unless they took me out of the way; upon the seventeenth of August I came to my trial upon the said Articles, the Copies of which proceedings follow.  

Articles exhibited at a Court Martiall held at Corck against colonel William Knight, by Joshua boil Esquire Judge Advocate, as followeth, viz.  
IMprimis, It is objected, Articled and alleged against him the said colonel William Knight, that contrary to his duty, contrary to the Laws, Orders, and customs Military, he the said colonel William Knight hath most wickedly and maliciously practised, and endeavoured to sow sedition, and breed mutiny in the Army, and to raise and foment division, and faction amongst the Officers, and Commanders thereof against the Right Honourable the Lord President of this Province, and general of the said Army, and in pursuance of such his wicked designs, in the month of June last, or in this present month of July in presence of divers Officers, and other persons( to the end to draw them into the same practise with himself) hath spoken and uttered seditious words and language tending to breed mutiny in the said Army, and distrust of the general aforesaid, in his under takings and designs for the public service, &c.  
Item, It is objected, Articled and alleged that he the said colonel William Knight for the furtherance of that his wicked purpose, and for the causing of mutiny in the Army hath lately laboured to seduce many of the chief Officers thereof, and to persuade them,( and more particularly colonel Richard Townsend) that there is a design intended against them, for their Cashierements from their several commands, and that they might be induced to practise with him, and his complices, in the same combination, hath assured them that a List of the names of twelve Officers of quality in the said Army( whereof he affirmed the said colonel Townsend to be one) was sent from hence into France to the marquis of Ormond, as Officers not sit to be trusted, in order to the Kings affairs, with a List of as many cavaliers to succeed in their places, intending thereby to possess the Members of the said Army with an apprehension of much danger, in his said Lordships arrival in this Province, that so they might combine with the best of their endeavours, to obstruct the same, and to beget an opinion among the said Officers, that there is a Complotment between the Lord President, general of this Army, and the said marquis of Ormond, for the Cashiering of all Officers of quality who have served under the Parliament; and by this means to beget a disopinion of his Lordships proceedings to raise a distrust of his general, and cause breach of unity and disturbance in the Army.  
Item, It is objected, Articled and alleged that he the said colonel William Knight, for the better accomplishing of this his wicked design, hath advised, and endeavoured to persuade many of the principal Officers of the said Army, that there can be no security for them( who have served the Parliament) in this Province, except they could gain into their hands the Town and Fort of Kinsale to be put under the Command of such a Parliamenteeras they should approve of, by which said undue practise, he the said Coll. Knight designed to necessirate his Lordship, either to comply with his foresaid demands by yielding the said town and Fort, By attaining whereunto he insinuated they might be at liberty to receive support & Conditions from the Independent party by Sea, and with more security proceed to further resolutions, or else by denying them to ncrease that jealousy and destrust of his Lordship to a higher flamme, which by his many soul suggestions he had kindled within them, and the said colonel William Knight in pursuance of his wicked designs, for dividing and engaging the said Armies into factions and parties one against another, and more particularly to engage a party for the Independent faction, hath laboured to persuade divers Officers of the said Army, that there was no such thing as the Princes coming into England, and that he was a dull man and not to be drawn into any action of consequence, and that all things were in a quiet, and peaceable condition under the Independent power, and that the Lord of Broghall would be employed with a Fleet of men and money to be tendered unto us here, But if resused would be dispatched for Dublin, By which practices, and endeavours to divide the said Army, nothing could be more palpably designed then the utter ruin and subversion of the same, unless it could be brought to subjection to the Independent power in England, by which means the English interest in this kingdom must have been utterly lost and extinguished.  
Item, It is objected, Articled and alleged that he the said colonel William Knight, for the speedy perfecting of that and other his malicious intents, in absence of his said Lordship then in the Country did dispatch away Letters, to several Officers of the said Army for their speedy repair to the town of Corck, thinking in that opportunity of time, with more facility to seduce, and persuade them to join with him, to have something in a readiness to act against his Lordships return, which can be no other thing then the apprehending and securing of his Lordships Person, upon his just refusal of his unjust demands.  
Item, It is objected Articled and alleged, that he the said colonel William Knight by his advice and discourse hath laboured to foment differences, betwixt his Majesty, and the Presbiterian party, thereby designing to raise discord in the said Army, and to gain a greater party to adhere unto him in his aforesaid practices, all which have tended very much to the disadvantage of the Protestant party, and prejudice of the public service, &c.   

The relation of Lieutenant colonel Edward Doyley Jurat 17 August 1648.  
IN the month of July last, colonel William Knight and this deponent walking in Cork-streets, streets, colonel Knight said, how, now Dorley, do you intend to stand to your principles, To which this deponent answered yes, And if any man can convince me, I do not in the way I now go, I will decline it to morrow, then colonel Knight replied I wish you may. But how can that be when they say my Lord of Ormond is coming over, To which this Deponent answered for his coming over I am well satisfied. I know upon what account he comes here ( viz.) By Directions, and approbation of the Presbiterian party in England, and the Parliament of Scotland, To which, colonel Knight said well, well, be not deceived, that cannot be, you understand yourself, and have served the Parliament, he comes over here Lord Lieutenant, and must command all, and then what will become of you and me, and all that have served the Parliament, and their Interest, to which this Deponent said I fear him not, he can do us no harm so long as my Lord stands to us, which I am confident he will, he having made so many professions to us, and his Interest being involved with ours; Then said colonel Knight that's true, But I can assure you the marquis of Ormond is one of the greatest head pieces in the three kingdoms, and may over-reach him, and you, come, Come I tell you there came lately one from France who saw a list of twelve( names in my Lord of Ormonds study) of Officers here that served the Parliament, that were sent from hence, and to be Cashiered at his coming over, as men not fit to be trusted, To which this Deponent said are you sure of that, then colonel Knight said my life for the truth of it, Come Doyley we are in a mist, I could tell you many things if as Agent, you would not speak of them, To which this Deponent said, colonel Knight trust me not with what you would not have known, for I cannot promise you, well said colonel Knight why should not my Lord give us the town and Fort of Kinesale for our security. To which this Deponent answered, I doubt not but he will, if it can be made appear to him, wee are in any danger by my Lord of Ormonds coming, But how can wee do amiss, when my Lord is true to us, and most of the soldiery inclined to the Parliament, then said colonel Knight what if my Lord of Ormond should bring the Irish Armies upon us, To which this Deponent said sure colonel Knight you cannot but know, though my Lord of Ormond be a Royalist, he is true to the interest, and crown of England, To which colonel Knight said you know him not so well as I do, I wish still you be not deceived, all that you hear is not so, wee have great talks of the Prince, and Armies in England, there is no such matter as I can hear, for the Prince tis true he is much urged to go by a great Company of gallants that are with him. But he is a dull man and cannot be persuaded to go, if we had a Garrison wee were secure, To which this Deponent said who can we trust that will not comply with the Shipping to make his own peace, To which colonel Knight said the rest must bee engaged to my Lord for him; then said this Deponent I will move any thing with others to my Lord; But I will have nothing to do under hand, Then said colonel Knight my Lord is a gallant man, I wish he be not deceived, he he shall have only the honour to be Cashiered last, then said this Deponent come, we will go to colonel Townsend and talk of these things, &c.  

Ordered. 17 August 1648. At a Court of War.  
Whereas it evidently appeared unto this Court as well by the Examinations against colonel William Knight, as by his own Confession, that he the said colonel had uttered divers words, unto Lieutenant colonel Edward Doyley, and colonel Richard-Townsend, which were by the Court adjudged to raise mutiny and faction in the Army; the Court therefore after long debate had of the whole matter, did unanimously vote and declare, that the said colonel William Knight should be Cashiered from his Regiment, and bee committed close Prisoner during the pleasure of the Right Honourable the Lord President, and sentence accordingly was given.   

The Petition of colonel William Knight: To the Honourable the Lord President of Mnnster.  
SHeweth, that your Petitioner, at a Martiall Court was Cashiered from his Regiment, and imprisoned during your Lordships pleasure, that for these three yeares he hath served your Lordship according to the trust reposed in him, he came over here to serve your Lordship under the Parliament of England, and upon no other account, your Supplicants request is, that he may be released of his imprisonment, and have your Lordships pass, &c.  
12. Octob. 1648.   

The Petitioner having abused the Liberty and favour already afforded him, by entering into new Combinations and fresh practices, I may not give any ear or Concession to his present request.  
INCHIQUIN.   
After this I was imprisoned several months, and then Lieutenant colonel Beecher, was sent from the Parliament with the Lord of Inchiquins Son, to setch of all Prisoners, that suffered for them upon that place, but such was the malice of the Lord of Inchiquin to me, that rather then I should be Exchanged upon that account he commands Lieutenant colonel Beechar to depart the harbour, and take his Son back for England I then being excluded the Exchange was foret( with all the means I could make for the quitting of myself) to deposit 100 l. in colonel Sterlings hand to procure Sir Arthur Blany Knight, or Lieutenant colonel Crafford for my Exchange, or within six months to render myself a Prisoner again, other ways to forfeit the aforesaid 100 l. as appears by my parole. notwithstanding all these my sufferings, malice having filled the mouths of some of my enemies, who dare but bark at a distance, yet by insinnuation more then by any desert, are crept into the bosoms of some gallant and Religious Gentlemen, and with their smooth, yet false speeches, endeavour to cast an odium upon me, that I have served against the Parliament, and this Army, and only suffered out of some self ends of my own, By which false aspersions, two much credit being given unto them by some, who should have two ears to hear before one tongue to censure, all my just applications either to the Parliament, or Army for some reparations for these my great sufferings, and for my Arrears so dearly earned with the price of my blood, though invited by an Ordinance of Parliament, are obstructed and blasted before I can bring them to any perfection so as to stop the mouth of malice and to undeceive all good Christians, I am forced with an unwilling, willingness to put myself in Print, and by this my Declaration to manifest to the world, the innocency and integrity of my heart and actions, desiring all that shall red the same seriously to consider what I have said and then judge.  
As likewise the time when I appeared for the Parliament, being the beginning of july last, when the Cavalleers had Colchester, when Langhorne was up in Wales, when the rising was in Kent, and several other parts of the kingdom, when the Scots were ready to invade England on the one side, and the revolted Ships on the other, when the Lord of Inchiquin, and his Confederates thought they had been ready to have devoured colonel jones, and the british forces, which undoubtedly they had attempted had not God( by me his weak instrument) interposed at that time, which bread such a distraction amongst his Officers, that it was impossible for him to carry on that design or to knit them together to this day; as at this day it is most evident when it was expected, and here below decreed, that the Parliament and Army should have been swallowed up in a moment, and an end put to both their beings. I say to step out at such a time,( when I might have been courted to have satin down with so great a Command, as I then had) let the world judge what selfe-end. I could then have; But if the time were such when Gods glory, and the public welfare lay at stake, and that I engaged for no other end then the endeavouring to the utmost of my power to preserve them both, and to keep a good Conscience both before God and man; Then God in his good time,( mangre the malice of my enemies) will cause my innocency to break forth as the Sun at noon-day, yet in case he will not( let them know) I am resolved to wait his good pleasure with patience, and lay forth myself to the utmost of my power, when I shall be thereunto called, for the good of his Church, and people, though never so much discountenanced by man for the present, were I conscious of the least breach of trust in my public mployment: I would judge myself, by laying my hand upon my mouth, for some particular failings twixt me and other private men: Far be it from me to justify myself, humanum est errari; But for my service to the public, I must profess before God and man, that I have faithfully served the Parliament of England, since the first infancy of their troubles, according( o the trust reposed in me and this I am confident will be enough to satisfy good Christians, and honest men; for others it is too much, being assured that nothing will satisfy them. To conclude, for the Lord of Inchiquin, and his machiavellian tricks, with the very genius of the Hocus Pocus, and how that, under seeming sanctity, and the Cloak of Religion, he hath deceived both King, Parliament, and soldiery; his aim tending to no other end, then the destruction of the Protestant Religion, and party, and the annihilating of the English interest in that kingdom. All which I will at large fully and faithfully publish to the view of the world, that posterity may be acquainted with his treachery, which is more fit for a Volume then a Manifesto.  
FINIS.