The Taking of All Forts, Apology
AN APOLOGIE MADE By an Engliſh Officer of Qualitie, for leaving the Iriſh Wars: Declaring THE DESIGNE At this time now on foot to reconcile the ENGLISH and IRISH together: And by their joynt Power having expelled the SCOTCH and IRISH Proteſtants, to bring their Popiſh Forces againſt The PARLIAMENT.
I Perceive that unleſſe a Lord Lieutenant, well affected to Religion, be ſent over, or another Lord Generall, That all the Engliſh in Ireland muſt come to ruine:
For
1. All ſuch as are well affected to Religion, and againſt the Rebells, are diſgraced with aſperſions of being Factious, and other lies deviſed againſt them, as againſt my Lord Lyſle at Roſſe Battell, That he ſhould call out and offer ten pound for a guide to Duncannon, which is well known to be a falſe blur caſt upon him for his forwardneſſe.
2. Many ſuch, and the beſt of them are removed out of their places, as Sir William Parſons from being Lord Juſtice, Colonell Monke from being Governour of Dublin City, Doctor Teate from being Governour of the Colledge.
3. They are not entruſted with Imployments of weight, but ſome Commander or other in chief muſt be ever ſent along, to ſee that too much ſervice be not done at one time.
4. Or elſe they are that by ſome Iriſh ſpirit, that ſeems to be with us, but in heart againſt us, as Sir Laurence Carye, at the Town of Swords, and Sir Charles Coote at Trym.
5. Others thruſt into Offices who are tooth and nail for the Iriſh, as the L. Lambert to be Governor of Dublin City, the Biſhop of Meath Governor of the Colledge, Sir George Wentworth, a deadly profeſt enemy to the Parliament, to be chief Martiall, Captain Barroughs, an Iriſh man, to be Provoſt-Martiall, who hanged Joh. Ste…, a luſty able Engliſh man, who being forced by meer neceſſity, took 10. d. worth of bread from two Iriſh.
6. Such Iriſh Papiſts as are known to have betrayed our Armies, as did the Earl of Ormonds Troop in the Voyage to Drohedah, and ſuch as are caught in the fact robbing our Engliſh peoples goods, are nevertheleſſe ſuffered to eſcape, and to continue Troopers ſtill.
7. Such as have been taken in open Rebellion, and committed to the Caſtle, many of them are ſuffered to go at large, and we meet them daily in the ſtreets.
8. Many of theſe that have been Indighted at the Kings-Bench for notorious Rebels, by ſet Juries of their friends, and ſome contrary to their Office and Oath, have been heard to plead for them in open Court, how honeſt and good houſe keepers they have been.
9. The chief Havens, which at firſt might have eaſily been taken, as Wexford, was leaſt thought on, where the enemies have received more Ammunition and ſupplies then we have done: At the Battell of Roſſe, when our men were entring the breach, and many fell, being ſhot out of the Town, they called for the Fire-balls to clear the way, but they were forgot, and none brought out with the Armie.
10. Before our Armies go forth the Rebells have aye warning to look to themſelves, and notice which way our Forces are to go; By whom?
11. The Iriſh Papiſts, though they have been often caught ſending Letters and Ammunition to the Rebells, and to harbour them, permitted to live amongſt us, yea ſuffered to eſcape with little or no ceſſe and preſſe, our Engliſh are intollerably burthened, and many of them forced thereby to break and depart for England.
12. Such are protected, under pretence of ſending relief to our Garriſons, as are known to murther our Engliſh when they finde opportunity.
13. After divers of our men have been ſhot and ſlain, in beſieging Caſtles, the Rebells have fled by night, not a man of them hurt, our men have ſometimes been charged under pain of death not to diſcharge at them.
14. Many priſoners have broken priſon and eſcaped, as hath been reported by ſome, but by others it hath been ſaid, They have opened the door with a ſilver key.
15. An Engliſh Serjeant about Whitſontide laſt, hearing there was a Prieſt in Bridge-ſtreet ſaying Maſſe, went according to an Order of the Board to take him, but the Prieſt having notice was gone, the Officer and his Souldiers ſeized only upon his Veſtments and trumperies left behinde; their friend, the L. Lambert, hearing thereof, impriſons the ſouldiers, & ſwore ſome of them ſhould be hangd for it.
16. Our beſt Miniſters, as D. Harding and M. Yates, are ſilenced, that we have hardly any left to keep a faſt with any life.
17. An Engliſh Papiſt (called James Room:) in S. Patricks ſtreet Dublin, being Plundered by the Souldiers, for ſuffering ſongs in his houſe made by the Iriſh women, wherein they curſed our Armies, triumphed for the loſſe of Ballanakell, and prayed for the Rebels proſperity: whereto he ſaid, Amen; and bade them to ſing it again: had his liberty and goods reſtored him, by the L. Lambert: and the Souldiers were committed.
18. Ballanckell, the very key of our Garriſons in Leinſter, wherein were 300 valiant men, who did as much as men could do, were neglected 5 whole weeks together, and no help ſent them, till they were inforced to yeeld; to the utter diſheartning of the reſt of our Garriſons.
19. Our Armies are uſually ſent forth, ſometimes on Sundayes, ſometimes on Faſt-dayes, after this ſin hath been openly Preached againſt in the hearing of the Lord Generall and other Commanders.
20. All the Pillage ſeized on by the Officers and the famiſhed Souldiers, when great preys have been taken, were not permitted to kill a beaſt to relieve their hunger.
21. The generall abounding of all open ſins without any reſtraint.
22. The L. Taffe hath been ſuffered to come and go to the Rebels with directions, which few of the Privy Counſell have been acquainted with.
23. Some of our Preachers have declaimed againſt the bloody Rebels cruelties, thereby to excite the Souldiers to reſolution in proſecution of the wars againſt them, have been declaimed againſt by others for bloody Preaching and Praying, and charged to deſiſt from ſuch extravaganeies.
24. Some have directly and profeſſedly Preached for mercy to be ſhewed to theſe mercileſſe Rebels, as Arch-Deacon Buckley, and the Biſhop of Meath, who ſaid in a Sermon before the State, That four ſorts of them ſhould be ſaved; viz. 1. Children. 2. Women. 3. Labourers. 4. All that reſiſt not: Yet women are worſe then men.
25. A faction is fomented among our ſelves to take off our Souldiers from the Rebells, and to turn their edge againſt the Parliament, and to this end tend many of the Sermons that have been Preached many a day before the State, containing nothing but moſt bitter Invectives againſt the Schiſmatiques (as they call them) and hardly a word is to be heard to proceed from any of them againſt the Rebels, except the Biſhop of Down, who glanced againſt them at the firſt, and yet in the end affirmed The Schiſmatiques to be worſe then them.
26. Likewiſe M. Yates being called before the Arch-Biſhop for a Sermon he Preached, after ſome conference, he taxing the Arch-Biſhop for taking a Lecture from him, and giving it to a common Drunkard; reply was made by the Arch-Deacon Buckley his ſon, that was there preſent, That Lecturers had more diſturb'd the peace of the Church and Common-wealth, then ever they did good: and it had been well if never none had been: The Biſhop likewiſe ſaid, That ſo long as he had power, there ſhould be none in his Juriſdiction.
27. Alſo Captain Lucas coming to Dublin, to convey ſome corn by ſea thither, having been often at the Councell, to demand relief for him and his men (it being often by them promiſed) was demanded, If whether he was able, as alſo whether he was willing to fetch in Captain Plunket: He anſwered, He was able he thought: but Captain Plunket being imployed by the Parliament, as well as he, he could by no means betray that truſt in him repoſed; and he demanded, what would be if h-e ſhould ſinke him? They anſwered. They were able to ſecure him: But he anſwered, If they were able to ſecure him here, yet they could no An England, where his wife and children and eſtate is; As alſo he was forced to diſcharge 30 of his men for want of means, and thereby unable for that ſervice.
28. Our laſt Army going forth in May, continuing forth 50 weeks, when we expected great ſervice to be done, there was done nothing. It was ſo ordered, that the Battering pieces which ſhould have gone with them, came not to them till a fortnight after. Then we expected that Ballaſhanan Caſtle, that hath cut off ſo many of our men, ſhould have been taken: but it was protected by whom not known, though Captain Armſtrong at the ſame time had like to have been ſlain by ſome of them: And likewiſe Allens Caſtle, which hath done much miſchief to our men: In it all the Rebels wealth thereabout was, when the men and pieces were drawn up to it, they ſhewed a Paper Protection by Sir Arthur Loftus, Governour of the Naas. Likewiſe, the ſame night, our men Quartering neer the ſaid Caſtle, their Horſes were ſtollen by them, and fetcht from them by violence by the Souldiers, who with the Officers alſo, were ready to run mad for anger that they might not take it.
29. The day before the Earl of Ormond went to the Treaty, being the 22 of June, the chief Proteſtants of the City were called before the Councell, to know if they would give 10000. or have a Ceſſation: They anſwered, They were utterly unabled, and were grieved to hear the Officers complain, and to ſee the Souldiers go bare-foot and bare-legg'd, and the City undone; and would be loath to ſee them that had kill'd their friends and kinsfolks, walks Dublin ſtreets, yet durſt not call them Rebels. Whereupon they were diſmiſt, and the next day they went to treat.
30. The Parliament, with all thoſe that are employed by them for the good of the Kingdom, are notoriouſly abuſed, to the great grief of all good people; as may appear by the baſe uſage of Capt. Smith, captain of the Swallow, by captain Flower, a profeſt enemy to the Parliament, giving him many opprobrious ſpeeches, calling him Traytor and Round-head, &c. urging him to draw, ſo that he was fain to withdraw himſelf, fearing further danger.
31. But a more inhumane carriage was ſhewed to the Maſter of the Swallow, a faithfull and honeſt man in his place, who coming to the Globe Tavern in Caſtle-ſtreet, Dublin, to ſee ſome of his friends, who there called for ſome Sack, and was anſwered by the maſter of the Tavern, That he had none for ſuch Rebels and Traytors, &c. as he was; and threatned, if he would not be gone, he would fetch a Guard of Muskettiers to bring him thence: Thence going to the Fleece Tavern, and there demanding a bed for his money, was anſwered as at the Globe, and a Guard of Muskettiers was ſent for by the Vintner, maſter of the houſe, with a Corporall, who by force brought him to the Guard, of which Lievtenant Congreave was captain, a deadly enemy to the Parliament, who preſently, in moſt haſe manner, reviled him: an honeſt neighbour, who being there before, having ſent for ſome Beer for the Souldiers; the ſaid Lievtenant drank a Health to the confuſion of the Parliament, whom he called Rogues and Traytors, and would have forced the Maſter to have drank it: but he anſwered, They were honeſt men, and he would rather die then drink it: whereupon the Lievtenant anſwered, He would make him confeſſe that either the Parliament, or Lords Juſtices were Rogues and Traytors, before the morning, or he would hang him: the Maſter replyed, They might do with him what they pleaſed, he being in their hands; and that they were but boyes; and he an ancient man: Whereupon they with Match drew his neck and his heels together, in ſo violent a manner, as though they would have killed him; but by the intreaty of the honeſt man there preſent, he was unbound, and cauſed to lie upon the boards all night: from whence he was the next morning by the Serjeant of the Guard releaſt: The Councell have likewiſe given order for the apprehending of the captain of the Swallow, if by any means they can come by him.
32. A Treaty of Peace, or ceſſation of Arms is in agitation, now the Rebels are driven to ſuch exigencies, as that they ſee now they cannot longer ſubſiſt otherwiſe, are likely to periſh for want, if our Souldiers might be ſuffered to pillage them, and now it is well known they want Powder. The intent of it is, ſo far as all honeſt, loyall, and religious Subjects conjecture, The ruine of all the Britiſh Nation, as appears by the relation of Miſtris Dillon, who is a good Proteſtant, and her husband a Papiſt among the Rebels both of them, ſhe heard them amongſt themſelves to ſay; That their intent is, After this Treaty, they will draw down their Forces to the Scots, and cut them off; then that being finiſhed, they would cut off the Engliſh. And alſo a moſt execrable Oath after this is concluded on to be adminiſtred to all the Proteſtants that are well affected to the Parliament; which if they refuſe to take, they ſhall be all pillaged.
The premiſes conſidered, I conceive that this may ſuffice to make mine excuſe.
The Lord look down upon his poor Church in Ireland.
FINIS.
End of the text · Robert Rich, The Taking of All Forts (1643)