Hidden Works of Darkness Brought to Public Light, Letter 155 – Letter 156
A Copy of a Letter from Bonaventura O-Conny, to Sir Phelym Roe O-Neale, from Rome.
To my Honoured friend Phelym Roe O-Neale, with my well wishes, in Ireland.
My honoured Lord,
THe great God help you, I would have often written unto you since I received St Francis his habit, and especially during these seven years I lived in Rome, had not the Lord which lately dyed, and Hugh Roe my brother charged me to keep no correspondency with you, or with any other friend there, to avoid all suspition and damage which might happen unto you thereby; now, if that which is written unto us, and which we hear from all parts, be true, to wit, That the thing which *Note▪we long desired, whereof our hope was in God and you heretofore become to passe, the time of writing and keeping correspondency with you, touching such matters as are best and most needfull unto you in the present opportunity, is now at hand: therefore I could not chuse but write above all things these few lines unto you in my mother tongue, as being most safe and lesse suspitious in these times. The holy Father and his two Nephewes, Cardinall Anthony Barbarino Protector of Ireland, Note.and Cardinall Francis Barbarino, who hath all the power here in such matters as concern the Pope, have heard of the Warre and Confederation which you make for your Religion and Liberty; And truly I cannot expresse the greatnesse of the joy (no wonder) which they receive thence, in such manner that if they had received Letters, Note.or if you had sent an Agent unto them, to expresse your will or designes, you should want no helpe for your better proceedings: Wherefore I would have you to send some able man, with a Declaration of your grievances in form of Law: my Brother Owen Roe O Conny the Priest, is in Spaine, except he begon into Ireland before this; he hath finished very well his studdy of Philosophy, Theology, and Law; and is well spoken in the Latine, Spanish, and Dutch; he is, as I know, wise, sober, discreet, learned, and bred according to the manner of severall Nations, to treate with any Prince of what matter soever. Furthermore, hee is (as you know) faithfull and naturall to the other Lords, your Confederates, which qualities are most requisite in any man to be sent hither, or to any other place upon the like Embassage. I protest unto you before God, that I commend him, not in that he is my Brother, but that I am not acquainted with any man of better ability to bee employed here in your service then he, since Hugh Roe my Brother died, through the great misery and paines he hath taken in his last travell. I am Teacher here in the Colledge of the Irish, these six yeares, employed all that time about the affaires of the late*… slaine Lord: I might doe you some service, if I had some intelligence from you, and some help of him whom you intend to send hither. There is nothing I desire more, then to returne to my Countrey, though I be setled here to my owne contentation. I pray use me, and the rest of my functions after such manner, as shall seeme best unto you, for your owne service. Father Arthur Mac Gennis is in Madrid, and so are many others, who would performe any service wherein you would be pleased to employ them. Father Francis Mac Gennis is in Germany; so likewise is Father Francis O Farrell, who loves and honours you, and is very intimate with th… Emperour, who might well help you now, since you have eased him of the troubles of the Palatinate, whom only he feared. There is also in Germany a Priest from the County of Tyrone, Edmond Mac Grava, a learned man, having late commenced Doctor. In France there is a Divinity Professour, Patrick O Connor, descended from the Connoy of Leinster, who did much service unto the late deceased Lord; he is of nature, loving, constant, of audacity, guided with discretion, as is his Cousin Leander O Connor, who I doubt not will doe any service for you. Michard O Gormeley is in the Low Countreys Guardian of Lovaine, and many more of the like sort: see your selfe what is best to be done with Owen O Neale, who is in Flanders, and with Conn Mac Carmack, who is Serjeant Major in Spaine, but more is the pity, a man of no great poli…y or wisdome. I would all the old Trained Souldiers were there. I will write to my Brother Murtagh O Conny who was ancient to the deceased Lord, and is now Captaine; and to the rest of the Nobility of Vlster, that they repaire unto you without delay: you may write to the King of Spaine, Note.among other things, to give them leave to come unto you. I know not what the Earle of Tireconnell does upon this occasion, his Regiment is disbanded, and he himselfe is gone to the Court to Madrit; I feare much that if he should goe into Ireland, he would doe more hurt then good. Noble Sir, feare God above all things in prosecuting wisely the Fortune which God offers unto you; let love and unanimity be among your selves; shew all possible kindnesse to the old Irish of Leinster, and oblige unto your selfe all men as neare as you may. Beware of the tricks of the Munster men, who at this …oure show no candid dealing towards you in Rome, as you shall soon understand, except you send your Agent to prevent it with all speed; for they ascribe unto themselves, without any ground, the praise and glory of all your Heroicall deeds, as you may learne of Levit that lives with your selfe. Be sure to have a great heart, and make some chiefe head among you; but reserve the Crowne for Con his side the Neales. Note.Remember the old slavery wherein you have lived a long time, and the destruction which will generally come upon you, except you get the upper hand. You will prevaile, if you joyne together as you ought; God send it. I would advise every chiefe Officer among you to have a Secretary along with him, to write a Diurnall of your passages and overthrows which your enemies receive, which will redound much to your glory: spoyle not the Countrey for feare of famine. I will not faile to write according as I shall heare from you:Note. we would send unto you a Bull after the forme of the Bull which Hugh Mac Baron got, if we had received your Letters: and if the Church doo well, they will turne over the election of Prelates there to the Nobility, and give them Authority in that point.
Your faithfull Servant, Bonaventura O Conny. Rome from Isiodors Colledge 4 Jan. after the Roman Account.
With what bloody cruelty, industry, animosity on the Popish Rebels part, and what encouragements,aSee Doctor Iones his book of Examinations, and the Mystery of Iniquity. pretended, if not Reall Commissions, countenance, assistance from the Court and Popish party here, this warre against the Protestants in Ireland, (to the destruction of neare two hundred thousand of them or more) hath been carried on; how the ayd, moneys, armes, assistance then sent them by the Parliament from hence, hath been retarded, and intercepted by their Court friends here: how the Estates and Goods of the Protestants there have been seised on by the Rebels, and their persons murthered, bThe Preface of the Acts of the General Assembly of the Rebels at Kil…kenny 1642.For the Exaltation of the Holy Roman Catholique Church, the Advancement of His Maiesties Service, and his defence against the Parliament: how his Majesty, since their effusion of so much Protestant blood, hath admitted them all to his Royall favour, without exception of any particular person, by cSee the Articles printed at Shrewsbury.Articles of Pacification, wherein the stiles them his GOOD SVBIECTS: how he hath by speciall Commissions (asdThe 48 week Dec. 2. 1643. p. 681. 685 Aulicus himselfe informes us) drawne over the English Forces sent from hence into Ireland against the Rebels, to fight against the very Parliament Forces; administring an Oath to every Officer and Souldier before they were transported from Ireland hither, To the utmost of his power, and hazard of his life, to fight against the Forces now under the conduct of the Earle of Essex, and against all other Forces whatsoever that shall bee raised under what pretence soever, contrary to his Majesties Command or Authority: how Captaine Iohn Read, one of the chiefe Actors in this Conspiracy, there taken Prisoner in the field and sent thence to the Tower, hath since his escape from thence been knighted by his Majesty; who granted him aeSee Romes Master-…iec…, p. 20, 21, 22, 26. The Popish Royall Favourite, p. 25. Patent for Butter and a speciall Protection heretofore, though a most desperate Papist, and Agent for the Iesuites, who had a Chappell, and kept weekly Conventicles in his house for Iesuites sundry yeares: how the very Popish Irish Rebels themselves have been in great numbers impor…ed and entertained in his Majesties Armies with much respect, yea some of the chiefest of them highly honoured and favoured at Court, to the very envy of the Protestant party there, notwithstanding all their bloody massacres in Ireland and England too; and their base Irish coyne made currant in England by speciall Proclamation; how they have gained Letters of Mart from the King, to spoyle and rob his Protestant Subjects Ships, Goods, Persons by sea; and what hopes they have that the City of Bristoll it selfe shall be shortly put into their power; notwithstanding their Generall Assemby held at Kilkenny in nature of a Parliament, where they have erected severall Courts of Iustice civill and military, created sundry Iudges, See the Act… thereof printed 1642.Officers of all sorts, imposed arbitrary Taxes, enacted Lawes, usurped to themselves both a transcendent Regall and Parliamentary Power; which yet they execute in their own names as a SVPREAM COVNCELL, hath been already so fully related in Dr. Iones his book of Examinations, The Rise and Progresse of the Irish Rebellion, The Mystery of Iniquity, The Acts of the Generall Assembly of the Rebels at Kilkenny An. 1642. with sundry other late printed Relations, and Declarations of both Houses concerning Ireland, yea in sundry Oxford Aulicusses, and are so experimentally known to most, that I shall totally pretermit them; And conclude only with the Testimony of Sir Arthur Lof…us, delivered upon oath in the Kings Bench in Mac-Mohuns triall, concerning the Popes Bull lately sent from Rome to the Irish Rebels (portending more massacres and warres both there and here) to this effect,Note. That his Holinesse did give them his fatherly Benediction, and a plenary indulgence for all their sinnes, for the extraordinary service they had done for the Catholique Cause and Church, in invading, extirpating the Hereticks in Ireland; exhorting them to proceed on in that acceptable service, till they had fully compleated that work. A true copy of which Bull sent to the Lords Justices in Ireland, he both saw and read.
How the English Papists, all privy to that Designe (as was then attested on oath at the same triall) to divert all assistance of the Irish Protestants from hence, have raised up a bloody civill warre in England, to the ruine of many thousand gallant men on either part, and almost utter desolation of our Kingdome; how (contrary to his Majesties first Orders, Proclamations) they have all had free accesse to his Court, Armies, Forts, and received very gracious entertainment, if not great commands in both; and how both English, Irish, Dutch, French, Italian, Spanish, and German Papists have combined all their Purses, Forces, Armes, Pollicies, and Power together, to assist the King (who yet adheres unto their party, Councels) against his Parliament, and Protestant Subjects, is so experimentally known to all of all sorts, especially to the Protestants in his Majesties Court, Armies, Quarters, that it would be a meere unnecessary expence of time and paper to make any particular relation of them.
Should I here insert all other papers concerning Papists and their proceedings, which have come unto my hands, I might tire both the Reader and my selfe, and make my Gate farre larger then my City; I shall therefore close up this introduction with three late Letters from beyond the Seas, discovering fully to the world, how vigorously the Popish Faction still carry on their designes of reconciling us speedily unto Rome, and are now in agitation to procure a Cardinals Cap from the New Pope for the Lord Aubeny Brother to the Duke of Lenox (one of the late Commissioners sent from Oxford to the Parliament, about the Treaty of Peace) to which our present Negotiations with the Pope for a Cardinalship for so great a Person at this nick of time, is a very sad inauspicious Prologue, …ngaging all who have any sparks of reall love to God, Religion, his Majesty, their Countrey, or Posterity, to look about them with greatest care, for feare of Circumventions.
The first Letter was written out of Flanders (by some Priest or Iesuite of the Spanish Faction) to Mr Henry Howard, relating the manner of the New Popes election; with the Queens sending Sir Kenelm Digby to Rome to him for a Cardinals Cap for the Lord Aubeny (since made an Abbot in France) and intimating that there is some designe to make the Lord Herbert a professed Papist, Governour of Bristoll ere long, and to put that City and Castle into the Papists hands; where thousands of them at this present reside, and some overtures of putting this designe in speedy execution (if our late intelligence thence deceive us not) have been lately made, and much feared by the Inhabitants. This Letter was intercepted in its passage towards Oxford, and brought to the Committee of Examinations, where the Originall remaines, out of which I copied it.
YOu heare ere this, that Cardinall Pam…ilio, a Roman borne, a great Lawyer, and a very wise man,Note. is made Pope, with the name of Innocentius Decimus; he was made by the Spanish Faction, who having excluded Cardinall Sachetti, though a gallant man, but desired above all by the French and Barbarinoes, and after that excluded also another, a Dominican, whom Barbarino desired to advance; by these exclusions, our Faction, of which the Cardinall of Florence was the Capo, constrained Barbarino to joyne with them in favour of Pamfilio, as being also a Creature of the last Pope: but the French Faction opposed all they could, though in vaine. He hath been Nuntio in Spaine eight yeares, that it is conceived he is well affected to that Crowne: but I wish he may carry himselfe indifferently, and like an Vniversall Father; and only favour that party which shall most apply it selfe to reason. He is 70 yeares old and a halfe, but of a very strong Constitution. His Nephew, being but one, is not above 18 yeares old, and so he is not sit for Businesses: hee hath therefore made choyce of three or foure Cardinalls to assist him in the Government: and Cardinall Pancirellio being one of them, is to lodge in S. Peters, as his chiefe Confident. He will certainly set instantly upon the businesse of the Generall Peace, part of his Armes is a Pigion, which is a good Augury.
Tell me whether the Archbishop of York be at Oxford; Note.he is a gallant man, and of good intentions; be acquainted with him. Where is my Lord Herbert all this while? is he Governour of Bristoll? It is writ from Paris lately, that Sir Kenelm Digby is going to Rome, sent by the Queen, and among other things, he must sollicite a Cap for the Duke of Lenox his Brother. In my conscience, betweene you and me, I think Mr Thomas Courtney deserves it infinitely better, and would make good use. Thus I end,
Yours, &c. The 22 of Octob. 1644. Burne this Letter, I pray you, and tell me you have done it. To my very good Friend Mr Hen Howard, recommend to Mr Francis Howard his Brother.