The Lives of Sundry Eminent Persons, Part 2 · Biography 2
A brief account of the Life and Death of Sir Charles Coot, who dyed, Anno Christ. 1642.
SIR Charles Coot was a man of War from his youth; For (as Fines Morison He is bred a Soldier. His Valour.in his Irish Chronicle tells us) he came into Ireland, a Captain in Queen Elizabeths Reign, Anno Christ. 1601. September the fourth: And did brave, and memorable service against the Earl of Tyr-owen, and his Adherents. And those Wars being ended, as the Lord made him instrumental to promote peace, so was he as vigilant to preserve, and continue it afterwards. Many combinations of Theevish Crews, His Prudence.and Trayterous Conspiracies, in the Province of Connaught, and in the confines of Ʋlster, he dissipated; making some of the most notorious Offenders, by exemplary punishment, His Justice.a terror to the rest: And on the other hand, delivering the poor innocent from such as were too strong for them.
He brake the jawes of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of their Teeth. The blessing of them that were ready to perish came upon him; and he caused the strangers heart to sing for joy. He put on Righteouss and it clothed him, and his Judgment was a Robe, a Diadem, Job. 29. 12, 13. 14. Many years together did he shine as an eminent and bright star in the Irish Horizon. He was nothing daunted, or discouraged with the false Aspersions of some, or with the weak, and foolish credulity of others. For he knew, that as the shadow follows the body of such as walk in the Sun; so doth envy attend worth and virtue. In Sole ambulantes necessario umbra sequitur; In honore & Dignitate viventes He is envied.Invidia comitatur, saith Maximus.
Before the eruption of the Irish Rebellion, it pleased God to visit him with sickness, His Conversionand thereby to convince him of his sins, and of his need of a Saviour. And upon his recovery he sent for some Spiritual Physicians, to whom he ingenuously opened the Estate of his Soul, and took their Counsel what he might do to procure Pardon and Reconciliation with God, and he had fully observed what they said, and as carefully put it in practice to the everlasting good of his Soul. For he was observed ever-after, to be a very constant and due resorter to the Publick Ordinances, and a large contributer towards their maintenance, having in high esteem the faithful Messengers Ministers lovedof Jesus Christ, for their work-sake, and expressing singular affections to the generation of Gods people.
He was like unto Cornelius, that famous Centurion, frequent in Prayer, and abundant in Alms-deeds. His Noble prowess rendred him terrible to his Enemies round about, and the Lord of Hosts made him very succesful in his undertakings. For as David said of Jonathan: From the Blood of the Slain, and from the fat of the Mighty his Sword returned not empty. His rare dexterity in animating and encouraging his Soldiers, his winning demeanour, affable and seasonable Speeches, and his Prudent ordering his affairs, made him great among his People, and accepted (with Mordecai, Hest. 10. 3.) of the multitude of his Brethren: For all saw that he sought the welfare of his Nation, and put his life in his hand to procure their safety.
After the breaking out of that horrid Rebellion, which began October 23. Anno Christ. 1641. presently the State at Dublin had information that the design of the Enemies was to besiege Droheda, whereupon they presently sent all the forces, which could then be possibly raised, to the strengthening of that Garrison, after whose departue, they had no considerable strength left in Dublin for the defence of that City, which was the Metropolis of the Kingdom, and which being lost, all had been lost with it, and some of those which they had, were Persons little to be confided in.
The numerous and subtile Enemies being quickly informed hereof, presently drew together all their strength, and begirt the City round. In this forlorn, and almost desperate condition, some of the Ministers pressed the Council dayly for a Publick Fast, as the only remedy left unto them: But it could not be obtained (through the aversness of some who should have been most forward in such a work) till the twelfth of November following: And it pleased God that very Evening after their General Humiliation, to give them a signal, and gracious return to their Prayers; whereby Prayer prevalent.they were experimentally taught, that their best weapons were (as Saint Ambrose speaks) preces & Lachrimae: Prayers and Tears.
For as the Spirit of God came upon Othniel, and raised him up to deliver Israel in their deep distress (Judg. 3. 9. 10.) when they cryed unto him: So did the Spirit of Magnanimity and fortitude, suddenly fall upon this Noble, and magnanimous Senator, A special Providence.and ancient, expert Soldier, who had long before that day, been aged and decrepit by reason of sickness, hardly able to set his Feet to the ground. Yet in the mighty strength of God he went in to the Council-Table, and tendred his service to go forth against the Enemy, accounting and esteeming it (as he told them) mo…e Eligible and desirable to die in the Field, than to be slain within their Houses.
This motion was no less acceptable, than it was seasonable: But some judged that it would prove abortive, saying, The good mans Spirit is willing, but his Body is too weak for such a work. Others demanded where he would have Men for the service? But the present and pressing exigences would admit of no long consultations.
The State knew his pristine valour, commended his present resolution, and promised him their ready and best assistance, at this time he only was left of all the ancient worthies who had been ingaged in the Wars of Ireland, whom time had eier worn out, or age and infirmities had disabled from such an undertaking: But the Lord renewed his strength as the Eagles. For when he heard the rueful and doleful outcries, and beheld the prodigious, and never enough to be lamented miseries of the stript and starved English, which surpasseth all expression, he was exceedingly Sympathy.moved in his Spirit, and prayed unto the Lord to endue him with strength from Heaven, that he might be able before he dyed to give three or four defeats to those bloody and barbarous Rebels, who were the Authors of such great Indignities, and of the numberless, and unconceivable sufferings of an innocent and helpless People.
This Prayer the Lord hearkened and assented to: For immediately of weak he became His Faith.strong, and to the admiration of all men, he went forth in confidence of the assistance of Almighty God, and by Faith put to flight those that rose up against him, so that all could not but see and acknowledged, that the Lord was with him. For having received the afore▪mentioned acceptance and encouragement from the State, he went forth, and with all speed took up all men which came next to hand, most of which were such as had been stripped, and half starved, and that never had been trained to the Wars. These …e led forth, to the number of seven Hundred (at the most) into the County of Wicklow, where the strength of the Enemy was then concentred, and there he charged, and fell upon them: At the first encounter his raw Soldiers were disranked, and put into some confusion; But he with admirable skill and dexterity, soon rallied them together again; fell upon the Enemy, and by Gods special assistance routed them, and returned with the loss of any one man, excepting His Victories.one only, whom himself shot as he was running over to the Rebels.
This mercy seemed to the Protestants in Dublin no less than a Resurrection from the dead, and afforded them cause and matter of joyful thankfulness to Almighty God the giver of Victories. By it also they were animated and encouraged to continue their weekly dayes of Fasting, Prayer, and Humiliation, unto which they had an exceeding great concourse of the English in their Congregation: And as Josuah and Israel prevailed, whilst Moses held up his Hand: So as long as they continued in Prayer prevalent.Publick Prayers and supplications, their Armies prevailed abroad till they became Masters of the Field, during the space of a whole year and an half.
After that first action Sir Charles Coot went out again with his party, took and burnt Claneart, a place neer to the City of Dublin, which the Enemies had filled with Rapine and Blood: He took in also the Garrisons of the Naas, and Trim: He expel'd the Rebels out of the Navan. And lastly he encountered with the whole Body of the Enemy at Kilrush, where he fought a pitch't Battel with them, and routed their vast multitudes, and would have pursued them farther if he might have had his will, with such heat and vigour: But he was commanded back: And now the number of his desired Victories being made up, with some overplus, in his last battle neer unto Trim, he was slain, being shot (as it was verily believed) by one of his own Party, into the body, having a little before, with three or four Troops of horse, His Death.chased three or four Thousands of the Enemies for the space of two Miles, and left about four hundred dead upon the place.
Thus dyed this Honourable Patriot, and Noble Champion in the Lords work, and Victorious, in the sixty fifth year of his Age, wherein (as Cato Major said of Q. Maximus,) Hic Bella gerebat ut Adolescens, cum plane grandis esset. He warred in his old age, as if he had been a young man. He was like Caleb for strength, as able Josu. 14. 11.for the War, both to go out and come in, as he was in the day when he was first sent over into Ireland, having a quarter of an hour before his Death, slain with his Sword, a Rebel of a great Stature, hand to hand.
The greatness of the Adversaries rejoycing at the fall of this great Man, shewed the greatness of the Protestants loss, in the loss of him. But nothing befel him, but what hath befallen the dearest of Gods Servant. Sampson is reckoned in the Catalogue of Believers (Heb. 11. 32.) who slew more at his Death than in all his Life: Yet he perished among the uncircumcized Philistians. By the the Sword of the Philistines gracious Jonathan afterwards fell upon Mount Gilboa, which occasioned much rejoycing to Israels unplacable Enemies. Faithful Ʋriah, was also betrayed by Joab at the Kings Command, and cut off by the Sword of the Children of Ammon. Yea, Godly Josiah, to whom there was none like, before or after him, among all the Kings of Judah, yet was he slain by the Sword of Paraoh Necho. The Sword devoureth one as well as an other: And all things fall a like to all, and no man can judge of love or hatred by all that is before him.
This Noble Champion counted it more eligible and honourable to die in the Field fighting for his Religion, and Countrymen against the Popish barbarous Irish, than to be murthered in his house by them: Wise men in all Ages have agreed upon this maxim, which was Augustus Caesars Motto, Oportet Imperatorem stantem mori. This was the Noble Knights desire, and God gave him his option: He was taken away by this eligible and honourable death; for he died on Horseback, being upheld by his Son, riding behind him, till he was brought into his own Quarters.
One thing more was very remarkable, and therefore is not to be forgotten; that whilst they in Dublin continued their weekly Fasts, and Dayes of Humiliation, the Protestant Party constantly prevailed in the Field, and became Masters of the Field, for the space of a whole year and an half, as was hinted before: But some of the City Ministers, being sore pressed with this long continued burden of keeping two weekly Sabbaths, as they called it, made their address to the Lords of the Council for mitigation, Alleadging that their Enemies were well brought under: That their Straits and Fears were removed: That now they were become their Enemies Superiors, and therefore they judged that a Monthly Fast might well suffice. And at length, their daily importunity prevailed, so that they were reduced to a Monthly Fast. But no sooner had they intermitted one of their former Fast dayes, but that the very next day came the dismal and deplorable News from the Army that Sir Charles Coot was slain.
These things were attested and declared by faithful Teat, D. D. then Lecturer in Dublin, in his Sermon Preached in Christs-Church, May the 14th. Anno Christi 1642: before the State, and chief of the Army, at the interment of the said Sir Charles Coot, Knight, and one of the Honorable Privy Council in Ireland.