A MANIFESTATION DIRECTED To the Honourable Houses of Parliament in England, SENT From the Lord Inchequin, the Lord Broghill, Sir Wil Fenton, Sir Percy Smith, Lieut. Col. Will. Brocket, Lieut. Col. Thomas Serle, Serjeant-major Muschamp; Containing the reasons of their now opposing the Cessation with the bloodthirsty Irish Rebels; and their resolution to live and die in defence of the Parliament and Protestant Cause in that Kingdom.  
As also, The joint and unanimous Declaration of His Majesty's Protestant subjects in the Province of Munster, showing to the whole world the many inhuman, cruel, and unheard of perfidious deal, treacherous conspiracies, and horrid combinations of Friars, Priests, and Jesuits, to betray the Castles, Forts, and Garrisons, and their murdering many Protestants in that Province, contrary to the Article of free Commerce, and other Articles of the late Treaty.  
Die Veneris, 9 August. 1644.  
ORdered by the Lords assembled in Parliament, That this Letter and Declaration be forthwith printed and published.  J. Brown, Cler. Parliamentorum. 
Corrected, and amended.  
LONDON, Printed for J. Wright in the Old-baily, August 14. 1644.   

TO THE LORDS and COMMONS Assembled in PARLIAMENT at Westminster.  
May it please the honourable Houses,  
IF the miseries which we have suffered in the Province of Munster could be described, they would be as fare short of what they are, as our ability to right ourselves is short of our desires; and though our past sufferings have been extreme great, yet we are like to be much more oppressed, unless the honourable Houses of Parliament do take us into their protection, and send us some speedy relief.  
The several Agents we employed before we submitted to the Cessation did often acquaint you with the heavy burden we groaned under; and when we saw our lamentable condition did only produce your pity, but could not your relief, which was diverted by the War in England; we esteemed it fare more advantageous for the cause to submit to the Cessation, and by that means preserve our Garrisons, then by a ruinous obstinacy to continue in a War, which we knew not how to maintain ten days. Neither can this action be imputed to any desire of having a peace with our bloody enemies; for if we had had any such design, upon the first or second failing of our supplies, we might have embraced that opportunity; but we saw God's glory and the honour and advantage of our Country too deeply engaged to condescend to any thing that had the face of a peace, as long as possibly we were able to maintain a War.  
If we thought the honourable Houses had any greater ●…terest than the protecting of the oppressed Protestants, ●…e might represent divers great advantages unto them; ●… more than a probability of the Adventurers gaining ●…eir purchased right, which otherwise is utterly lost, ●…d many other advantages which we will not specify, ●…cause we know your justice to be so great, that no●…ing can add to your pious care, where the Protestant ●…eligion is so deeply engaged.  
But if through your great necessities we should fail on your relied on aid, the World shall see how much we value the vindicating of God's glory, and the honour of the English Nation above our lives and fortunes.  
Neither is the payment of this duty the only advantage we propound unto ourselves by this action, for we firmly hope, and humbly desire this honourable assembly, that our unexpressible wrongs and miseries might be a rise for you to send unto his Majesty for the concluding of a happy peace in England, without which we apprehend this War cannot be prosecuted as it ought to be. We have likewise sent our most humble des●res unto his Majesty to the same effect, whom we hope God will direct in that way which will so much conduce to the establishment of the Protestant Religion, and the happiness of the English Nation.  
We will not trouble you with an over-tedious Letter, since this enclosed Declaration which we humbly present unto you will acquaint you with our actions and intentions. We have likewise sent our humble desires, which we make no doubt will be found as just as our designs; since both shall be for the settlement of the true Protestant Religion, and the maintenance of our Laws and Liberties; for the defence of which we have vowed to sacrifice the lives and fortunes of those which for your absolute security (if you should doubt the reality of our intentions) do offer, when any of your ships shall arrive before our harbour, all, or any particular person of us will go aboard, till you have secured yourselves of all or any our Garrisons. But we strongly hope this wise Assembly will distinguish betwixt the effects of necessity & dishonesty; and impute our submitting to the Cessation to the first, being too miserable already in our sufferings, without increasing them by a needless jealousy of the last.  
These our miseries and infinite sufferings we most humbly submit to your judicious considerations, not doubting but when you have well weighed them you will send a speedy redress to  
Your most humble and affectionate servants, 

The Lord of Inchequin, chief commander of the Protestant forces in Munster.  
Lord of Brohgill, governor of Youghall.  
Sir William Fenton, Kt.  
Sir Percy Smith, Kt. Lieut. col. and Deputy governor of Youghall.  
Lieutenant-col. Wil Brocket, Governor of Kinsale.  
Lieutenant-col. Thomas Serle, Governor of Bandon, etc.  
Serjeant-major Muschamp, Governor of the Fort of Cork. etc.   Cork, July 18. 1644.   

The unanimous Declaration of HIS MAJESTY'S Protestant Subjects of the Province of of MUNSTER.  
IF in the undertaking of a just design, it were only requisite that the hearts, and consciences of the undertakers were satisfied, we should not need to publish this Declaration. But lest our Enemies should traduce the candour of our actions, and intentions, we have made this manifestation of them, which will acquaint the world with their malice, and our innocence.  
We are confident that all Christendom hath heard of the bloody Rebellion in Ireland; And we are as confident the Rebels, and Popish Clergy have so palliated and disguised it, That many are fully persuaded they had reason for what they did; but we believe all men of judgement will change that opinion, when they shall know that though they were a conquered people, yet the Laws were administered unto them with as much equity as to the English; That they enjoyed their Religion, though not by Toleration, yet by Connivance; That their Lords (though Papists) sat in Parliament. And that the election of the Knights of the Shire and Burgesses was free, and though of a contrary Religion were admitted into the house of Commons, yet for all these, and many other vast favours and privileges, when every one was sitting under his Vine and Figtree, without any provocation, they resolved upon a general extirpation both of the Protestants, and their Religion, which without doubt they had effected, had not God been more merciful than they were wicked, and by a miracle discovered this devilish design; Whereof, though we had notice just time enough to secure our main Magazine at Dublin, yet we could not prevent the butchery of multitudes of innocent souls, which suffered at the first in the Province of Ulster, and since they have continued this Rebellion with such perfidiousness, and bloodiness, that though we had been as guilty, as we are innocent; yet the prosecuting of the War with that barbarousness, had rather been a sin then Justice. But by God's great providence, when the Rebellion broke out first, the Parliament of England was sitting, unto whom His Majesty communicated so much of his power over this Kingdom, as we shall hereafter mention, and gave them great encouragement to prosecute the War against the Rebels by granting lands unto such as should adventure money for the maintenance of the War. Whereupon the Parliament (who were most willing to advance so good a cause) sent us at first large supplies, which had so good success that the Divine aswell as humane Justice did proclaim them Rebels, for indeed God Almighty (since the deliverance of the children of Jsrael from the Egyptians) never appeared to visibly as in this War. But the unhappy misunderstanding between the King and Parliament did so hinder the continuance of those supplies for this Kingdom, that all we received in nineteen months amounted not to five week's entertainment, so that the Army which was sent to relieve us, lived upon us. And truly we may with Justice profess, That the forces of this Province did feed as miraculously as fight, being never able to prescribe any certain way of subsistence for one month together; But when the poor Inhabitants were absolutely beggared, and no means for the forces to subsist on, left, a cessation of Arms was made for a twelve month with the Rebels, which our necessity (not inclination) compelled us to bear with, and the rather out of a firm hope that the Almighty out of his infinite goodness would within that year settle a right understanding between the King and Parliament, That then they would unanimously revenge the crying blood of so many thousands of innocent souls; And until God blessed us with the sight of that happy Union, we might keep our Garrisons (which otherwise we could not) the better to enable them to prosecute so just, and honourable a design. But the Cessation was as fatal to us during the time of Treaty, as afterwards it was ill observed; or they knowing what agreement they would enforce us to condescend unto, did privately send one or two persons to every Castle that we had demolished, which under pretence of being by that means in their possession, they ever since detain, though it be contrary to the Articles. And which is more injurious, they have at all times since entered upon what Lands they have thought fit, and detained them also; and their devilish malice having no bounds, they ●id place guards upon the high ways to interrupt our Markets, and punished divers of their own party for coming with provisions to us, thereby to deter all from bringing any relief to our Garrisons▪ that so they might statue us out of those places, that neither their fraud, or force could get from us; which that they might the better accomplish, they murdered divers of the poor English, that presuming on the Article of free commerce, went abroad to buy victuals, which certainly would have caused them to have declined that course of seeking food, if hunger threatening them with more certain death had not forced them thereunto. And whereas we trusted that these notorious infidelities in them and infinite sufferings in us, would have been so visible to His Majesty, that nothing could have induced Him to make a peace with so perfidious a people, who through their fawning and insinuating with His Majesty, and by the counsel of some who represent, that there is no way left for the securing the remainder of English, but by a peace. We find His Majesty being deluded by the first, and believing the last to be conducing to the preservation of His Majesty's Protestant Subjects, is concluding of a Peace which will again admit those Irish Rebels to be members of Parliament; so that that Court which should afford relief for our grievances, will by their overswaying Votes be our greatest grievance.  
Moreover we are too truly informed by divers of their own party (whose names if we should publish, would be as great an ingratitude as folly; The first, in betraying those that obliged us, The last, in depriving ourselves of all future intelligence by them) that they have vowed never to submit to an English, or Protestant Government, except they have liberty to exercise their Religion in Churches; That the Forces of the Kingdom may be Trained-Bands of their men; And that likewise those of their own Religion may be admitted to places of trust in the Commonwealth, which they call modest, and moderate demands, though we hope they cannot seem so to any but themselves, and their Clergy, who, we find do not think them enough, being they may not have all the Churchlivings. For we have certain intelligence that they have made a strong Faction, as well among my Lord of Castlehavens Soldiers, as in all other parts of the Kingdom so that they are five parts of six, who will fly out into a new action, when they see a convenient time to execute, their design, which as yet they determine to forbear, until they see a peace concluded, supposing that then the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland will intermix Irish and English without distinction, to oppose the Scots, and that by that means there will be a sufficient number of their party in our garrisons to master them, which, when they find an opportunity for, they will certainly seize into their own hands; Upon notice whereof the Faction abroad will with all expedition apprehend the English in all parts, and having accomplished this part of their design, they will manifest that they are weary of the King of England's Government, and that they will trust none of his Protestant Subjects among them; For we are certainly informed that they will invite a foreign Prince to take them into his protection, Unto whom they will deliver possession of what he pleases, and will become his Subjects.  
And lest that Prince's Treasure should be exhausted by wars in other places the Clergy have with the Pope's assistance, raised amongst those of their own calling, and divers of the Gentry in Italy, one hundred thousand pounds in money, and a quantity of Arms, and Ammunition, that are now ready to be 〈◊〉 hitherto, And they have employed one Doctor Daye● to go forthwith thither for it, As also to get his holiness to settle a course for the raising of more money, to be employed for the advancement of that which they call Catholic cause.  
Therefore out of a true sense of our injuries already suffered, and unredressed, with a right apprehension of inevitable ruin, not only to our lives, and estates, but likewise to the English Nation, and Protestant Religion, we have reassumed our Arms, according to our duty to God, our King, and Country, with inviolable resolution to die, or frustrate this devilish design.  
And since those that die acting for the Gospel, are as perfect Martyers, as those that die suffering for it, We cannot but with joy embrace any effect that proceeds from so glorious a cause.  
Neither can this act be esteemed a crime in us, since his Majesty upon the Rebels first insurrection his treasure being exhausted, gave his Royal assent for the passing of an Act of Parliament, wherein he granted (to all his Subjects that would adventure money towards reducing of the rebels) Lands proportionable to the sum adventured, which would fall to the Crown when the conquest should be finished; and the better to secure the adventurers, his Majesty obliged himself to make no peace with the Rebels, but with the advice and approbation of the Parliament of England; And by that Act communicated to the Parliament that power, which before was solely in himself, So that they not condescending to this peace, Our employing of their Aids, and reassuming of those Arms put into our hands by King and Parliament jointly, cannot be esteemed contradictory to his Majesty, in regard that their joint Act is so absolutely binding, that neither of them severally can annul it, as is evident in the Laws of the Realm.  
Therefore if this war were only offensive, yet even slander itself must acknowledge us innocent, having so just a cause, so pious an intention, and so lawful an authority, much more it being defensive and the Law both of God and nature allowing every one to defend himself from violence and wrong.  
Moreover, the King must never expect any obedience from the Irish, but what proceeds either from their Interest, or fear. Through the first of these, neither His Majesty, or we can hope for assurance, for not granting them all their desires, their Interest (which is more powerful with them than their loyalty) will make them throw off their subjection and to become absolute, not scruple to destroy us: then to expect any security by their fears, were frivolous; for though we have found their hearts as ill as their cause, yet they cannot be apprehensive of two or 3000 ill armed, and unprovided men, having all things necessary, and so numerous a people at their devotion.  
And lest our Enemies should scandalise us with breach of faith, in violating the pretended Cessation, or with cruelty in expelling the Irish Papists from our Garrisons, who hitherto seemed adhering to us.  
Concerning the first, we declare, That although our necessities did induce us to submit, supposing the Cossation would have produced other effects, as is before mentioned; yet that we had no power, (without authority from King and Parliament jointly) to treat or yield to it; or if it had been in our powers, yet by the Rebels daily breaches of it, we are disengaged from it.  
Concerning the second, We declare, That our Garrison cannot be secured, whilst so powerful and perfidious Enemies are in our bosoms; Powerful, being four to one in number more than the English; Perfidious, in their constant designs to betray us, some whereof we will instance, to convince their own consciences, and satisfy the world of our just proceed.  
One Francis Matthewes, a Francisean Friar (being wonderfully discovered in an enigmatical Letter, and as justly executed) before his death confessed, that he had agreed to betray the City of Cork to the Lord of Muskery, which must necessarily infer, that the chiefest and greatest part of that City were engaged in this conspiracy, for otherwise he could not so much as hope th'accomplishment; And if this had taken effect, it had consequently ruined all the Protestants in the Province of Minister, that being our chief Magazine, and greatest Garrison; Besides upon this occasion, other Friars being examined upon Oath, confessed that in their daily Masses within that Town, and all other of our Garrisons, (where Papists did inhabit, they prayed for the advancement of the Catholic cause; which they believed the Rebels fought for.  
And lastly, We have lately discovered, that the now Major, and Corporation, had conbined with the Rebels to betray the Town to them and for that purpose an Army was drawn to all the parts adjoining to our Garrisons. In the three chiefest whereof, we are confident, the Rebels had their party; but by divine providence, before the Plot could be executed, the Major presuming on his speedy success, contemned the Lord of Inch●quins authority, by opposing the levying of the monies granted by the English, for the maintenance of the Soldiers, just about the nick of time that the treachery was to be effected.  
And he being committed upon this occasion, The Rebels apprehending their design to be discovered, with drew their Forces, And lest this should be judged as an act of the Major only, as a private person; We desire the world to take notice, that as soon as our Army, which forced their obedience, was removed into England, the Papists generally resisted what ever could be propounded for our security, and would have disenabled us to continue our Garrisons had not the poor stripped English taken all that burden upon themselves.  
Nay, they were so insolent, that they laboured to get Arms into their hands, and to cause us to disband our Soldiers, which they affirmed to be kept as an unnecessary charge upon the King, that so they might with more facility receive the Irish and ruin us.  
In a word, since they pretend the ground of this War to be for Religion, and that this is confessed by those who seemed to adhere to us; what faith can be expected from such a people, whose Religigion permits them to hold none with us?  
By this preceding Relation, it is evidently seen, that unless we reassume our Arms, we betray the trust committed to us by God, the King and Parliament, and become slaves both of bodies souls. And therefore we have resolved to perform our duty though with apparent hazard of our lives: And likewise maintain that which is a thousand times more dear unto us, our Religion, and also defend our Garrisons for the King's just use.  
These we take God to witness are our Intentions, and we beseech him to punish us as strangely as his 〈◊〉 he hath preserved us, if we decline at all from these loyal and religions resolutions; And we firmly hope that the world will by this declaration, be as fully satisfied of the justinesse of our proceed, as we ourselves are; Then though we all lose our lives in this cause, we shall give o● friends occasion to rejoice; and our Enemies to envy at so blessed an and.  
FINIS.