remains behind, derived from Temple, Borlase, Carte, Leland, and Warner, to which we now invite the attention of the reader. XLVI. Munster continued tranquil for six weeks, although, according to the testimony of Warner, it contained but one troop of horse:* and of course, when defended by such an insignificant force, had there been any reality in the plot, the Irish could and would have totally overwhelmed their oppressors.† : "In the province of Munster, of which Sir William St. Leger was lord president, the English were very numerous, and ready to assemble in a body to preserve the peace of the country. But they were utterly destitute of arms and all the solicitations made by Sir William, which were strong and numerous, could not persuade the lords justices and council to spare him any. He was a brave old soldier, of great experience and ability; and did every thing that it was possible for a man to do with one troop of horse, which was all his guard for the whole province; a guard scarcely sufficient to repress the insolence of robbers, in a time of profound peace, much less in a time of such general spoil and disturbance. But, with the assistance of the noblemen and gentry of the province, it continued quiet for above six weeks!!! Indeed, no man of quality, or gentleman of English blood, either Papist or Protestant, had as yet joined the rebels.”361 There is a discrepancy between Temple and Borlase as to the time when the insurrection commenced in Munster; the former dating it "the beginning," and the latter "the midst," of December. This does not, however, affect the disproof of O'Conally's deposition, which, in either case, is notoriously false. "The flame having marched through Ulster and Leinster, it discovers its fury, about the beginning of December, 1641, in 361 Warner, 130. XLVII. Connaught was in the same state for six weeks, principally owing to the influence of lord Clanrickarde, a Roman Catholic.* Munster, which province till that time (by the moderation of the state) had stifled its rage, then expressing its consent with the other provinces."362 "The whole province of Munster, about the midst of this month of December, BEGAN to declare themselves in open rebellion."363 "In Munster, Sir William St. Leger, the lord president, a soldier of activity and experience, and possessed even with an inveteracy against the Irish, could not obtain arms or soldiers sufficient for a time of peace, much less for a juncture of distraction and disorder. Yet the strength of the English Protestants, and the loyalty of the Irish gentry, as yet preserved this province from any material disorder."364 *"The lord Ranelagh was president of Connaught: and all that province, except a few pillagers in the county of Sligo, had, owing in a great measure to the forward zeal and activity of lord Clanrickarde, though a Roman Catholic, till this time continued quiet."365 "The infection of the Pale having spread in the remoter parts, about the middle of December, the whole province of Connaught in a manner revolted, the county of Galway, of which lord Clanrickarde was governor, excepted."366 "The peace and security of Connaught were equally neglected by the chief governors, although the English power was inconsiderable in this province, and the Irish natives kept in continual alarm for twenty-five years, by the prospect of a general plantation, which, though suspended, had not been formally relinquished. Yet here, too, the good affections of the principal inhabitants stemmed the torrent of rebellion."367 362 Borlace, 49. 365 Warner, 157. 363 Temple, 155. 364 Leland, III. 158. 367 Leland, III. 158. XLVIII. Leinster was likewise tranquil, except some outrages of small importance, until the beginning of December; as the summons to the lords of the Pale to come to Dublin, to consult on the affairs of state, was dated the 3d of that month, at which time there was no appearance of serious disturbance; and the butchery at Santry, by the sanguinary and merciless ruffian, Sir Charles Coote,* which was obviously intended to provoke, and actually led to, the insurrection in that province, took place on the 7th. XLIX. And further, we have the testimony of Warner and Carte,† that the insurrection was for "The town being left at his [Sir Charles Coote's] mercy, to which he appears to be a stranger, he put to death several persons, without distinction of age or sex!!! in revenge of the several spoils committed on the English in those parts."368 "In revenge of their depredations, he [Sir Charles Coote] committed such unprovoked, such ruthless, and indiscriminate carnage in the town, as rivalled the utmost extravagancies of the Northerns."369 "The town being left to his [Sir Charles Coote's] mercy, he, in revenge of the spoils committed upon the English, put, without distinction of sex!!! several persons to death.”370 +"Had the lords justices and council acquitted themselves like men of probity and understanding, there was time enough given them to suppress an insurrection which for six weeks was confined almost to the province of Ulster, without any chief that was so considerable as Sir Phelim O'Neal."371 "No one nobleman of the kingdom, nor any estated gentleman of English race, engaged in the rebellion, or joined with the rebels in action, till the month of December; for as to those 369 Warner, 135. 369 Leland, III. 168. about six weeks confined almost wholly to the province of Ulster. L. That the original views of the insurgents did not comprehend a general massacre, or even single murders, we have further testimony, clear and decisive, derived from Temple, Warner, and Leland, which, independent of all other proof, would be sufficient to settle this question for ever, and utterly overwhelm O'Conally's perjured legend.* LI. Moreover, if there had been a plot for a general insurrection, and such a massacre gentlemen of the county of Louth, who submitted to them before, being unable to defend themselves or to make resistance, they had not yet appeared in action. The rebellion till then had been carried on by the mere Irish, and CONFINED TO ULSTER, to some few counties in Leinster, and that of Leitrim, in Connaught."372 *"Their first intention went no farther than to strip the English and the Protestants of their power and possessions; and, unless forced to it by opposition, not to shed any blood."373 "It was resolved" by the insurgents "not to kill any, but where of necessity they should be forced thereunto by opposition."374 "Resistance produced some bloodshed: and, in some instances, private revenge, religious hatred, and the suspicion of some valuable concealment, enraged the triumphant rebels to insolence, cruelty, and murder. So far, however, was the ORIGINAL SCHEME of the conspiracy" [mark well these words: -the original scheme of the conspiracy]" at first pursued, that few fell by the sword, except in open war and assault."375 372 Carte, I. 243. 374 Temple, 65. 373 Warner, 47. as O'Conally swore to, there would have been some evidence produced from some of the conspirators but notwithstanding the lords justices had recourse to the execrable aid of the rack, and put Mac-Mahon and others to the torture,* there is not, in the examinations of the former, a single word to corroborate the cut-throat part of O'Conally's deposition. The examinations of the rest were never published. LII. There is not to be found in Temple, nor Borlase, nor Carte, nor Warner, nor Leland, nor Clarendon, nor, as far as we have seen, in Rushworth, the examination of a single person engaged in a conspiracy which was said to extend throughout the whole kingdom, except those of Mac-Mahon and lord Macguire! That of the latter was not taken till March, 1642. "The first person PUT TO THE RACK, was Mac-Mahon; whom the reader must remember to have been taken on O'Conally's information, when the conspiracy was discovered. I copied his examination from the bishop of Clogher's MSS. in the College Library: and on that examination, he had nothing but hearsay evidence to give; which amounts only to his hav ing been told that lord Macguire, Sir P. O'Neil, and Philip O'Reilly, were the chief conspirators; that all the chief Pa- ' pists in Parliament last summer, knew and approved of the rebellion; that the committee then employed in England would procure an order from the king to proceed in their rebellious courses; that he was told, last October, that the king had given a commision to seize all the garrisons and strong holds; but he doth not say, he ever saw such a commission."376 376 Warner, 176. |