5. The rent of church lands and absentees estates, besides their goods and stocks, are estimated at least to be 150,000%. per annum; the truth of this will appear by the aforesaid books given into the committee of parliament.

6. The king's standing revenue of rents, hearths, customs, excise, and casual revenue, cannot be less than 150,000l. more. Memorandum. That all the aforesaid particulars amount to 850,000% out of which deduced the 797,000l. there will remain 73,000 besides what helps may be given him by France, &c. and the addition that may be made by their coining brass and pewter money above the aforesaid contract, which brass and pewter coin being not fit to be kept, quickens returns and encreaseth their trade. By all which it appears, that the enemy cannot want current coin to support the war: but had we ships of war lying by in their harbour to prevent their exportations; and were Dublin secured, their trade and revenue would soon be lessened. But if they are suffered to export their vast quantity of goods they have now stored up in their ports, it may not only give a further increase to their revenue, but occasion a longer continuance of the war, especially having made the establishment of their army so low, and the current value of their brass coin so high. Their brass and pewter coin is of equal weight with our silver coin, which being usually bought for 12d. per pound, is of equal value with our silver, which is 3. per pound: and their establishment being a moiety short of ours, 'tis demonstrable, that six-penny worth of their brass or pewter money, shall pay double as many soldiers as 37. of our silver coin. What advantage this money gives their trade: what ease in the pay of the army, and supplying them with provision, is very demonstrable; yet 'tis as strange as true, that notwithstanding they are better paid, better disciplined than our army, yet hitherto we may set up an Ebenezar, and say, that a God hath hitherto fought for us; and that by the seeming worse discipline, worse mounted, and worse of our whole army; I mean by our Eneskillen and Londonderry forces, whose moral and religious principles you know are little better, but genrally worse than theirs, they having constantly beat their most choice and detached parties, with a confused and disordered rabble, when they were not half the number of their enemies, and have struck them with that terror, that it is believed, notwithstanding their great number, and provision for their support, the enemy intends this summer only a defensive war, and to fight only by detachments. But that which to me seems most strange, yet is true, that notwithstanding all the violence, oppression, and wrong done, by these and other of our army, on the impover ished, oppressed, and plundered Protestant inhabitants of this province, and the little encouragement and great discouragement they have had from us; yet you know, what I esteem as a

great presage of future good, they continue and remain as firm and faithful to us, as the Irish papists against us. How frequently do we hear them tell us, that though we continue to injure them, rob and destroy them, yet they must trust in us, and be true and faithful to us.

We have just now intelligence of the arrival of the French succours, and vast stores of arms and provisions. Oh, sir! where's our fleet? Did they want early notice of their approach? What lethargy attends them, and what judgment us, that the Irish have had as secure passage from Dublin to France, Scotland, and England, as if we had not one man of war to hinder them, or secure us? If the French fleet carry off as vast quantities of our native goods as they have brought in their foreign succours, Ichabod may be wrote on our future proceedings, it being believed by some, and confidently reported by others lately come from Dublin, that they were apprehending the chief Protestants in and about that city, to transport and make them prisoners and slaves of France.

Let me know the receipt of this voluminous letter, and the use you make of it. You may pardon the tediousnes of this letter, which, if an offence, is not likely to be hastily repeated. Your true friend and faithful servant, ROBERT GORGE.

No. XLVI.

AN ACT FOR THE ATTAINDER OF DIVERS REBELS, AND FOR PRESERVING THE INTEREST OF LOYAL SUBJECTS....PAGE

162.

HUMBLY beseech your majesty, the commons in this present parliament assembled, that whereas a most horrid invasion was made by your unnatural enemy the Prince of Orange, invited thereunto, and assisted by many of your majesty's rebellious and traiterous subjects of your majesty's dominions; and such their inviting and assisting, made manifest by their perfidious deserting your majesty's service, in which, by your many princely obligations, besides their natural duties, they were bounden; and having likewise to obtain their wicked ends, raised and levied open rebellion and war in several places in this kingdom, and entered into associations, and met in conventions in order to call in and set up the said Prince of Orange, as well in Ulster and Connaught, as in the other provinces of Munster and Leinster; to quell which, your sacred majesty's late deputy in this kingdom, Richard, then Earl, and now Duke

of Tyrconnel, before your majesty's happy arrival in this kingdom; and your sacred majesty since your arrival here, have been necessitated to raise an army to your majesty's great charge and expence. And though the said rebels and traitors, after their having the impudence to declare for the Prince and Princess of Orange against your sacred majesty, were with all mildness and humanity called in to their allegiance, by proclamations, and promises of pardon for their past offences, and protection for the future: and though some of the said proclamations assured pardon to all such as should submit themselves; and that no persons were excepted in the last proclamation besides very few, not exceeding ten in number, and few or none of any note came in, in obedience thereunto, and that very many of the persons who came in upon protections, and took the oath of allegiance to your majesty, were afterwards found amongst the rebels in open arms and hostility, when taken prisoners or killed, such protections being found with them; so villainous were they by adding perjury to their former crimes: That it may be enacted, and be it enacted by your most excellent majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the lords spiritual and temporal, and commons in this present parliament assembled, and by authority of the same, That all those persons, who have notoriously joined in the said rebellion and invasion, and some which are upon indictments condemned, some executed for high treason, and the rest ran away, or abscond, or are now in actual service of the Prince of Orange against your majesty, and others killed in open rebellion, or now in arms against your majesty, or otherwise and every of them shall be deemed, taken and reputed, and are hereby declared and adjudged traitors, convicted and attainted of high treason, and shall suffer such pains of death, penalties and forfeitures respectively, as in cases of high treason are accustomed. Provided, that in case it happen, that any of the persons hereby attainted, or to be at tainted, do now abide or dwell in this kingdom, and are amenable to the law, that then and in such case, if such person and persons do by the 10th day of August, one thousand six hundred and eighty-nine, without compulsion, of his own accord come in and deliver himself to the lord chief justice of your majesty's court of King's Bench in Ireland, or to any other of the judges of the said court, or of any other of your majesty's four courts in Dublin, or to any other judge of assize in their circuits to be charged with any treason, to be charged or im-puted to him or them, that then and in such case, such person and persons (if after acquitted by the laws of this land, or discharged by proclamation) shall be freed, discharged, and acquitted from all pains, punishments, and forfeitures by this act incurred, laid, or imposed; any thing in this act to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding. And whereas several other per

sons have absented themselves from this kingdom, and have gone into England, or some other places beyond the seas, since the 5th day of November last, or in short time before, and did not return, although called home by your majesty's gracious proclamation: which absenting, and not returning, cannot be construed otherwise than to a wicked and traiterous purpose, and may thereby justly forfeit all their right and pretensions to all and every the lands, tenements, and hereditaments to them belonging in this kingdom: be it therefore enacted by the authority aforesaid, that in case the said person and persons do not by the 1st day of September, one thousand six hundred eightynine, of his or their own accord, without compulsion, return into this kingdom, and tender him and themselves to the chief justice of his majesty's court of King's Bench, or to some other judge of the said court, or judge of assize in circuit, or any of the lords of your majesty's most honourable privy council to be charged with any crimes to him or them to be imputed, that then, or in such case as he or they, upon such his or their return, shall be convicted by verdict of twelve men, or by his or their own confession, upon his or their arraignment for treason, or upon his or their arraignment stand mute, such person and persons so absent, and not returning, as aforesaid, (or after his or their return, being convicted of high treason, as aforesaid) shall, from and after the 1st day of September, one thousand six hundred eighty-nine, be deemed, reputed, and taken as traitors, convict and attainted of high treason; and shall suffer such pains of death, and other forfeitures and penalties, as in cases of high treason are accustomed. But in case such person or persons so returning, be upon his or their trial acquitted or discharged by proclamation, then such person and persons respectively shall from thenceforth be freed, discharged, and acquitted from all pains, punishments, and forfeitures by this act incurred, laid, or imposed; any thing in this act to the contrary notwithstanding.

And whereas several persons have before the said 5th day of November last, absented themselves from this kingdom, and live in England, Scotland, or the Isle of Man, and there now abide; and by their not coming or returning into this kingdom upon your majesty's proclamation, to assist in defence of this realm, according to their allegiance, must be presumed to adhere to the said Prince of Orange, in case they return not within the time by this act prescribed, and thereby may justly forfeit all the lands, tenements, and hereditaments, which they or any of them are entitled unto, within this kingdom: be it therefore enacted by the authority aforesaid, that in case the said person and persons last mentioned, do not by the 1st day of October, one thousand six hundred eighty-nine, of his and their own accord, without compulsion, return into this kingdom, and tender

him and themselves to the chief justice of your majesty's court of King's Bench, or to some other judge of the said court, or judge of assize in his circuit, or any of the lords of your majesty's most honourable privy council to be charged with any crime or crimes to him or them, to be charged or imputed, that then, or in case he or they, upon such his or their return, shall convict by verdict of twelve men, or by his or their own confession, upon his or their arraingnment for treason, or upon his or their arraignment, stand mute; such person and persons so absent, and not returning as aforesaid, or after his or their return being convict of treason as aforesaid, shall, from and after the said 1st day of October, one thousand six hundred eighty-nine, be deemed, reputed and taken as traitors, convict, and attainted of high treason, and suffer such pains of death, and other forfeitures and penalties, as in cases of high treason is accustomed: but in case such person and persons so returning, upon such his or their trial, be acquitted or discharged by proclamation, then such person and persons respectively shall from thenceforth be freed, discharged, and acquitted from all pains punisment, and forfeitures by this act incurred, laid, or imposed; any thing in this act to the contrary notwithstanding. Provided always, that in case your majesty shall happen to go go into the kingdom of England or Scotland before the 1st day of October, one thousand six hundred eighty-nine, then all those whose dwelling and residence always hath been in England, shall give your majesty such testimony of their loyalty and fidelity, as that your majesty will be pleased on or before the said 1st day of October, one thousand six hundred eighty-nine, to certify under your privy signet or sign manual unto your chief governor or governors of this kingdom, that your majesty is satisfied or assured of the loyalty and fidelity of the persons last included, or of any of them; that then if such certificate shall on or before the 1st day of November, one thousand six hundred eighty-nine, be produced to your chief governor or governors of this kingdom, and enrolled in your majesty's high court of Chancery, the same shall be sufficient discharge and acquittal to such of the said persons last included, and every of them respectively, whose loyalty and fidelity your majesty will be pleased to certify in manner as aforesaid. And be it further enacted, that in the mean time, and until such return and acquittal, all the lands, tenements, and hereditaments within this kingdom, belonging to all and every absentee and absentees, or other person to be attainted as aforesaid, shall be and are hereby vested in your majesty, your heirs and successors, as from the 1st day of August last past. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid that all and every such person and persons, as by any the foregoing clauses is, are, or shall be respectively attainted, shall