A SHORT MEMORIAL Humbly Offered in behalf of the Old English of Ireland.  
Praying to be governed by the Parliament of ENGLAND.  
IT has been for a hundred years past a most undeniable Maxim, by woeful experimental Knowledge( frequently) confirmed, that let what Government soever be established in England, the old English of Ireland never had better Treatment, than an Invasion of their Properties, a Confifcation of Estates, and a dissolution of their Rights; neither must the new English much longer expect to be better used; for as their Minority hitherto protected them, riper years will show them, that as one Peg drives out another, so always a newer sort of English will drive out their elder Brethren, until that Kingdom, through the general discontent of all Parties( 'tis to be feared) becomes a Prey to Foreigners.  
If the Grounds of the last Wars in Ireland be but rightly considered, it is humbly supposed that the old English and Irish, who are one People, have not been so culpable, but some room may be found to excuse their Crimes from being interpnted unpardonable, they have not broken through any ancient Law, Statute, or Record, but had all the fundamental Laws in force then, in both Kingdoms( when they received Commissions, and took up Arms, as well in their Justification, as likewise in the defence of their own Civil, and Religious Rights, then threatened by a foreign Invasion) to fortify, back, second, and guide them through that War; these things seriously weighed, and impartially considered, may give all unbiased Persons just cause to say, that it would be imparalell'd hardship, to take away the Subjects Lives, Liberties, and Estates, for acting in their own defence, and for making the Laws of their Country their Guide.  
Now admitting it was a Fault in the old English to adhere unto, and to be guided by the Laws of this Hereditary Monarchy, according to its ancient Constitution, and that the old English have been since made sensible of their Errors, and since again upon their Submissions acknowledged King William, and the late Queen Mary for their lawful King, and Queen, and that King William, and Queen Mary received them into Subjection, and Protection, and staked down their public Faith as Pledges and Securities( of the highest Sanctimony) as well for to protect, as also to preserve them in the peaceable possession and Enjoyment of their Lives, Liberties, and Properties, in as full, and in as ample a manner as they were protected, and preserved, in their Liberties, and Privileges, in the Reign of King Charles the Second. These were certainly the Terms, and Conditions, granted by King William, and Queen Mary, and upon which the People submitted, who have not from that day, to this, acted otherwise, than as became faithful Subjects( in Allegiance to King William) and if any be found among them that gave any cause of offence, let him be proceeded against by the same Law he so offended; and how far it may seem fit to the Parliament of England to keep public Faith with such People, is most humbly submitted to higher, and better Consideration.  
It seems there is a Clause in the Bill for Resumption of Irish Forfeitures, which imports, that all Persons, not proceeded against hitherto, shall be prosecuted to Outlawries, and Attainders, excepting those adjudged within Articles. This is an odd distinction, that the same public Faith given to the Protectees, for their Security, and Protection, s●all be violated; and, of the other hand, the same shall be performed to the Article-men. Now, with Submission, it should seem that the Protectees are preferable to King William, and Queen Mary's public Faith, before the Article-men,( not to have the latter excluded by any means) for the Protectees had so much confidence in the great Security, and Pledges, tendered unto, and by them accepted of, that they have immediately submitted themselves to King William, and Queen Mary, and where so many thousand Families, without force, or compulsion, have yielded, and never deviated, nor varied since from the Allegiance they contracted upon themselves, by their said Submissions, I humbly say, and offer, that Common Justice in those Cases, together with the Laws of Nations, requires public Faith to be kept, performed, and in every part maintained with such a People; and the obligation of performance is so much the greater, because they have not put King William to the Charges of their Reduction, but freely submitted themselves to the Power, and Authority then, and now established: Whereas the Article-men contracted abundance of expenses by their prolonging the War, and holding out against England; and that the same Faith broken with the former, shall be maintained to the latter, is, but in a manner, excusing the one, and condeming the other, when at the same time, they have both equal Right to public Faith. It is very observable that it was upon such a pernicious distinction, the Crown of Spain lost the Netherlands; For Alexander Farnesse, Duke of Parma, during his Government of the Low Countries, kept his Faith very inviolable with the Inhabitants, and the Subjects likewise in due obedience to the Crown. But when the imperious Duke of Alva entered that Government, he made large Protestations to the People in behalf of his Master: But when he thought himself vested of all the Power, he broken all his Promises, and would not perform a tittle, but what should be produced in Writing under his Hand and Seal But here observe, 
☜  that upon his non-performance of public Faith the People of the Netherlands all revolted, shaked off their Subjection to Spain, and since grew from a much more despicable, and ●ontemptible Subjects, than the old English, and Irish are at this juncture of their greatest Tribulation, until the former became a Free People, and are at this time well known to be the most potent republic in the Universe, and Spain but a drooping Monarchy: Whereas if Faith had been kept with them formerly, 'tis believed they would be as great Slaves to Spain, until this day, as the old English are to the Irish Parliament, at this time.  
That Clause in the Bill of Resumption, which directs the Protectees to be proceeded against, as spoken of before, carries so much destruction along with it, that 'tis as killing as the War itself was, because nothing can be termed more destructive, than to revive old Rancour, and Malice, by laying open those old Wounds healed up, after so long a time, which is refreshing, and bringing upon a public Stage the former Animosities, which would much better svit the optimacy of any Government to bury such Cruelties in oblivion, than to revive 'em de novo, and to go about to ravish from a ruined People,( who have rescued themselves, their Wives, Children, and Families, with the remainder of their broken Fortunes, out of the Ashes, and Embers of War, and Rapine) the Fruits of their eight or nine years labour, and industry, and all that time in the peaceable Protection of King William, and who thereby proposed to protract to themselves a poor contemptible Livelihood to support Nature; whereof, if the said Clause be not altered, they must be deprived, and driven to all manner of Exigencies. The Clause in the Bill spoken of, will not only exclude thousands unheard, but it will affect the little Children sleeping in the Loins of their Ancestors, and cause the little Babes( scarce a span long) crawling in their Mothers Bellies, by their Out-cries, in the inarticulate Language of Nature to wish themselves born Abborts, rather than live to succeed their Parents to be eternised to Bondage, and Slavery, which they must certainly expect, if the said Clause be neither mollified, mitigated, or totally abolished; for it involves the Lord, the Lady, the Gentleman, the Gentlewoman, the Widow, the Orphan, as well as the Lame, the Blind, the Distracted, and the Super-annuated, with the poor Labourer too, without any distinction, or exception, but all mingled together, in one calamitous Common ruin.  
And as the Offences imputed to the distressed old English and Irish proceeded from the Impulse of Self-preservation( an indelible Character wrote, and imprinted in every Man's mind by the very hand of Nature) rather than from Love to Rebellion, or Aversion to the English Government. So it is hoped therefore, that some Hero's are in both Houses of Parliament, that in so extensive a Calamity( like Original Sin cleaving through Generations) will find the way to stop the Current, by early applying of some wholesome Rem●dy, against so growing, and coming a Malady, whereby the renowned Memory of such Worthies may pass through the alembic of Common famed; and that, by their extending so generous a Sympathy towards the Relief of their Fellow-Subjects,( now under the greatest duresse, and who must inevitably be condemned to perpetual Bondage, if not early rescued from the Jaws of a living Mortality) they may acquire to themselves Glory, Honour, and Renown, by their showing of Mercy, when 'tis in their Power to destroy.  
And as a Motive to induce the Parliament of England into a moderate Compliance, and to bury all former dissensions in oblivion, and to re-unite the Divisions among us, so as we may all be upon one Basis. The old English of Ireland have most insupportably suffered by the Pressures of the Irish Parliament, and, at this time, covets nothing more( under God) than to cast off that Yoke, and, in imitation of their English Ancestors, submit to the Laws, Statutes, and Ordinances made, or to be made in England: And as both Kingdoms are governed 
It was so from the 5th of Ed. 3 to th● 10th of Hen. 7.  by one Monarch, so they may have but one Parliament; And the old English to signify their real Intentions, and that they are in earnest, for the Honour, and Interest of England, so they are all ready at home, and abroad, with hearts, and hands, to aclowledge, and submit unto the Authority of the Parliament of England, in open defiance of all the new English in Ireland, who are not one in ten at home, or abroad, to the old English, and Irish, who are both one Body, and one People, and inseparably united in one entire Interest, and equally desirous to embrace the immediate Laws and Edicts of the English Parliament, in Ireland.  
First, Let it be considered, that the old English, alone, are the premier Quality, the first Rank of Gentlemen, the greatest, and the most considerable Body, and therefore, the most to be valued in Ireland.  
Secondly, that they are the Race of those English, and British Hero's, that first conquered that Kingdom, and ever since kept it in Subjection to the Imperial Crown of England; and that in the last War when it was in their power to subject themselves to France, and nothing more desired, nor coveted then by 
Vide French Fidelity to King James all Treachery.  the French, than to have all the Forts, and strong Holds in Ireland put into their Power, having offered the old English to resettle them in all their Ancient Rights, in as ample, and full a manner, as they, or their Ancestors, were possessed of all such since the Conquest to that time. But the old English( who tho' ill, and most barbarously used at home) having the English Blood of their old Ancestors running in their Veins, choose rather to be Slaves( as they are this day) than accept of all the high Terms offered to become Subjects to France, and thereby be the Masters of their own Fortunes.  
As for the new English, they are a new People that were planted in that Kingdom by Oliver Cromwel's Usurpation, a People ever since supported by the Parliaments of England in the Possessions of the old English, and the People likewise, that contended but some months since with the English Parliament for Privileges, and Superiority, and would have no more Mercy upon the Members thereof( if in their Power) at this time, than they have upon the old English, whom they seek by all unlawful means to extirpate Root and branch. In the first place, the new English are a People of so obscure Births, that the Heralds of England know them not: Secondly, all the Estates they hold in Ireland, they enjoy by the Favour, and courtesy of the English Parliament: And, thirdly, the new English have largely transgressed, by their joining with foreign Interest, or new Grantees, composed of mercenary Foreigners, and of immoral English Favourites, against the Interest of England, as appeared by their unanimous Consent given, for to compose, print, publish, and present to King William, Mr. Mollineux's Book, a Pamphlet stuffed with Romances, and Fables, in order( as it was per●iciously intended) to establish in Ireland the English Staple, advance the Irish Rents, lower the English ones, and, in short, to make Ireland independent of England, and so ruin the English Trade: A Project never thought of, from the Conquest of that Kingdom( by the old English) to the late Revolution, which is somewhat above five hundred years: And to see a People of about Forty five years standing so imperiously attempting the Invasion of old English Rights) when the same People can call nothing their own, but what may be legally taken from them, when the English Parliament shall think fit) implies, that the longer they are protected, the more insolent they will grow, and the better they will b● enabled to execute their Designs.  
Now Quere, Whether the Peace, and tranquillity of England, doth not require to smother the Ambition of so imperious a People, and to favour, and promote the old English, and make them the Balance to weigh down the new English, and the Irish Scots, as also to curh the insulting French, whose Insolence is unsupportable, so as neither of the Three, now in Conjunction together, may be left capable to join any other Interest, considering how much they conceive themselves equally injured by the Parliament of England: And as the new English are weary of being subjugated to the English Parliament, so the old English are res●lved with all Vigour, Action, and Motion, to accept of, and embrace, all the Laws, and Statutes made, or at any time hereafter to be Enacted, in England, as mentioned before, as well for to rescue themselves, and their Posterities, from the Drudgery entailed upon them, by the new English Irish Parliament; as also, to show by their future Practices, that they are imbibed with the Principles of their old English Ancestors, who never looked but one way, which was, to promote, and propugn, the Honour, and Grandeur of England alone, and to secure to themselves their Rights, and their Liberties, upon that only Foundation: All which is most H●mbly Submitted to the Honourable the Commons of England in Parliament, unto whom the old English at home, and abroad, appeal for Equity, Compassion, Protection, and Pardon. And the Author likewise, if he has any ways transgressed in the foregoing Discourse, he most humbly submits, and begs the Commons of England Pardon, for his high Presumption.   

LONDON, Printed in the Year, 1700.