dence that militates with their early, and, of course, inveterate, prejudices; far less ever to abandon those prejudices. There are, therefore, thousands who would as soon doubt any of the demonstrations of Euclid, or the existence of the solar system, as the existence of the universality of the plot of "the execrable rebellion of 1641." To this contracted class I do not address myself: with them I have no fellowship: "Even though one were to rise from the dead," his testimony would not convince them. Let them hug the chains of their bigoted prejudices. The appeal is to that respectable description of readers, whose minds, open to conviction, are at all times ready to yield to the force of evidence, how strongly soever it may militate against opinions which have "grown with their growth." The favourable decision of one such reader, with a clear head and sound heart, would outweigh the disapprobation of a whole army of the slaves of prejudice. Extracts from Temple's History of the Irish Rebellion.* 1. "Sir William Cole, upon the very first apprehensions of something that he conceived to be hatching among the Irish, did write a letter to the lords justices and council, dated the 11th of October, 1641. 2. "Wherein he gave them notice of the great resort made to sir Phelim O'Neal, in the county of Tyrone, as also to the house of the lord Macguire, in the county of Fermanagh, and that by several suspected persons, fit instruments for mischief; 3. "As also that the said lord Macguire had of late made several journies into the Pale and other places, and had spent his time much in writing letters and sending despatches abroad. 4. "These letters were received by the lords justices and council; 5. "And they, in answer to them, required him to be very vigilant and industrious to find out what should be the occasion of these several meetings, and speedily to advertise them thereof, or of any other particular that he conceived might tend to the public service of the state."687 6. "They [the lords justices] had not any certain notice of the general conspiracy of the Irish, until the 22d of October, in the very evening before the day appointed for the surprise of the castle and city of Dublin. 7. "The conspirators being, many of them, arrived within the city, and having that day met at the Lion tavern, in Copper alley, and there turning the drawer out of the room, ordered their affairs together, drunk healths upon their knees to the happy success of the next morning's work. 8. "Owen O'Conally, a gentleman of a mere Irish family, but one that had long lived among the English, and been trained up in the *The reader will please to observe, that these extracts are taken verbatim from the original work; and, unless where otherwise distinctly marked by a dash, thus form an unbroken consecutive series. 637 Temple, 18. true Protestant religion, came unto the lord justice Parsons, ABOUT NINE O'CLOCK THAT EVENING!! 9. "And made him a broken relation of a great conspiracy for the seizing upon his majesty's castle of Dublin. 10. "He gave him the names of some of the chief conspirators! assured him that they were come up expressly to the town for the same purpose; and that next morning they would undoubtedly attempt, and surely effect it, if their design were not speedily prevented; 11. "And that he had understood all this from Hugh Mac-Mahon, one of the chief conspirators, who was then in town, and came up but the very same afternoon, for the execution of the plot; 12." And with whom indeed he had been drinking somewhat libe rally; and as the truth is, did then make such a broken relation of a matter that seemed so incredible in itself, as that his lordship gave very little belief to it at first!!! 13. "In regard it came from an obscure person, and one, as he conceived, somewhat distempered at that time. 14. "But howsoever, the lord Parsons gave him order to go again to Mac-Mahon!!! and get out of him as much certainty of the plot!!! with as many particular circumstances, as he could!!! straitly charging him to return back unto him the same evening!!! 15. And in the mean time, having by strict commands given to the constable of the castle, taken order to have the gates thereof well guarded, as also with the mayor and sheriffs of the city to have strong watches set upon all parts of the same, and to make stay of all strangers, 16. "He went privately!! about ten of the clock that night, to the lord Borlace's house without the town, and there acquainted him with what he understood from O'Conally." 17. "They sent for such of the council as they knew then to be in the town.* *Although I shall analyse this precious narrative at length, before this chapter is closed, I cannot refrain from calling the reader's attention to these two paragraphs, 16 and 17, as they alone would be sufficient with impartial men, to discredit the whole plot. Sir William Parsons, being in the city of Dublin, at nine o'clock at night, is informed of a plot to explode in thirteen hours.-Instead of at once seizing the conspirators, he sends a drunken man, whose absence must have excited suspicion, to make further discoveries-and at ten o'clock, he goes "privately" to lord Borlace's house "out of town" -and then sends for such of the council as he knew to be then "in town." Was there ever a more Munchausen tale? It is hardly calculated to impose on an idiot. How far out of town sir John's house was, cannot be ascertained-suppose only a mile. Then he walked a mile-the messenger another-and such of the council as were found, had to walk a third mile, and for what? To be so far removed from the scene of action, and from the means of applying a remedy to the impending evils, as to give every opportunity to the conspirators to insure their success! Here was a most pernicious delay, when every moment was invaluable!! Had there been any reality in the plot, sir William would have remained "in town" 18. "But there came only unto them that night sir Thomas Rotheram and sir Robert Meredith, chancellor of the exchequer: with these they fell into consultation what was fit to be done!!!! attending the return of O'Conally. 19. "And finding that he staid somewhat longer than the time prefixed, they sent out in search after him; 20. "And found him seized on by the watch, and so he had been carried away to prison, and the discovery that night disappointed, 21. "Had not one of the lord Parsons's servants, expressly sent, amongst others, to walk the streets, and attend the motion of the said O'Conally, come in, and rescued him, and brought him to the lord Borlace's house. 22. "O'Conally having somewhat recovered himself from his distemper, occasioned partly, as he said himself, by the horror of the plot revealed to him, partly by his too liberal drinking with MacMahon, that he might the more easily get away from him, (he beginning much to suspect and fear his discovery of the plot,) 23. "Confirmed what he had formerly related, and added these further particulars set down in his examination, as followeth :639 The Examination of Owen O'Conally, gentleman, taken before us, whose names ensue, October 22, 1641. "Who being duly sworn and examined, saith: 24. "That he being at Monimore, in the county of Londonderry, on Tuesday last! he received a letter from colonel Hugh Oge Mac-Mahon, desiring him to come to Conaught, in the county of Monaghan, and to be with him on Wednesday or Thursday last! 25. "Whereupon he, this examinate, came to Conaught on Wednesday night last; 26." And finding the said Hugh come to Dublin, followed him hither; 27. He came hither about six of the clock this evening! 28. "And forthwith went to the lodging of the said Hugh, to the house near the Boat, in Oxmantown; 29. "And there he found the said Hugh, and came with the said Hugh into the town, near the Pillory, to the lodging of the lord Macguire; 30,"Where they found not the lord within; and there they drank a cup of beer; 31." And then went back again to the said Hugh his lodging;* 32. "He saith, that at the lord Macguire his lodging, the said Hugh told him that there were and would be this night great numbers of noblemen and gentlemen of the Irish Papists, from all the parts of the kingdom, in this town; 66 53. Who with himself had determined to take the castle of Dub collected all of the council there at the time-sent a messenger "out of town" for sir John Borlace-and then collected the whole body at their posts, where they ought to be on such an emergency. Here again is a dodging "into town" and "out of town." 639 Temple, 19. lin, and possess themselves of all his majesty's ammunition there, to-morrow morning, being Saturday; 34. "And that they intended first to batter the chimnies of the said town: and if the city would not yield, then to batter down the houses; 35. "And so to cut off all the Protestants that would not join with them! 36. "He further saith, that the said Hugh then told him, that the Irish had prepared men in all parts of the kingdom, to destroy all the English inhabiting there, to-morrow morning by ten of the clock!! S7. And that in all the sea-ports, and other towns in the kingdom, all the protestants should be killed this night!! and that all the posts that could be, could not prevent it; 38. "And further saith, that he moved the said Hugh to forbear executing of that business, and to discover it to the state, for the saving of his own estate; 39. "Who said he could not help it; but said, that they did owe their allegiance to the king, and would pay him all his rights: but that they did this for the tyrannical goverment was over them, and to imitate Scotland, who got a privilege by that course; 40. "And he further saith, that when he was with the said Hugh, in his lodging the second time, the said Hugh swore, that he should not go out of his lodging that night; but told him that he should go with him the next morning to the castle; and said, if this matter were discovered, some body should die for it: 404. "Whereupon this examinate feigned some necessity for his easement; went down out of the chamber; and left his sword in pawn: and the said Hugh sent his man down with him; and when this examinate came down into the yard, and finding an opportunity, he, this examinate, leapt over a wall and two pales!!! and so came to the lord justice Parsons. "October 22, 1641. WILLIAM PARSONS, THOMAS ROTHERAM, ROBERT MEREDITH. 41. "How it came to pass that the other lord justice attested not the examination, (it being took in his house, he present,) hath begot some doubts, evidencing how (since) counsels swered into cabals.55641 42. "Hereupon the lords took present order to have a watch privately set upon the lodging of Mac-Mahon, as also upon the lord Macguire!!!!!* 43. "And so they sat up all that night in consultation!!! having far stronger presumptions upon this latter examination taken than any ways at first they could entertain. *The lords justices have information of a plot to explode in a few hours, whereby they are to be murdered, and as a precautionary measure, set a watch privately upon the lodgings" of the chief conspi 66 rators!! 44. "The lords justices, upon a further consideration, there being come unto them early next morning! several others of the privy council, sent before day, and seized upon Mac-Mahon, then with his servant in his own lodging. 45. "They at first made some little resistance with their drawn swords; but finding themselves over mastered, presently yielded. 46. "And so they were brought before the lords justices and coun◄ cil, still sitting at the lord Borlace's house.* 47. "Where, upon examination, he did without much difficulty confess the plot, resolutely telling them, that on that very day, all the forts and strong places in Ireland, would be taken!! 48. "That he, with the lord Macguire, Hugh Birn, captain Brian O'Neil, and several other Irish gentlemen, were come up expressly to surprise the castle of Dublin. 49. "That twenty men out of each county in the kingdom!!! were to be here to join with them.t 50. "That all the lords and gentlemen in the kingdom, that were papists, were engaged in this plot!!! 51. "That what was that day to be done in other parts of the country, was so far advanced by that time, as it was impossible for the wit of man to prevent it! 52. "And withal told them, that it was true they had him in their power, and might use him how they pleassd, but he was sure he should be revenged."642 53. Extract from "The lords chief justices' letter to the lord lieutenant, October 25th, 1641, sent by Owen O'Conally, the first discoverer.‡ "May it please your lordship, 54. "On Friday, the 22d of this month, after nine o'clock at night, this bearer, Owen O'Conally, SERVANT TO SIR JOHN CLOTWORTHY, KNIGHT, came to me, the lord justice Parsons, to my house, 55. "And in great secresie (as indeed the cause did require,) discovered unto me a most wicked and damnable conspiracy, plotted, *It appears, therefore, that the council was sitting all night "at lord Borlace's house," "out of town," so as to leave the conspirators free scope to carry their projects into execution "in town." Was ever an imposture so absurdly compacted? †There are thirty-two counties in Ireland, some of them one hundred and fifty miles from Dublin-and twenty men were to be marched from each county, to execute a plot requiring the utmost secrecy!! An admirable scheme! Thus it appears that the lords justices did not think it necessary to write, the lord lieutenant then in London, till Monday the 25th, respecting a conspiracy for the destruction of "all the Protestants in Ireland that would not join it," which was to have exploded on the 3 22d! C42 Temple, 21. |
