peers, with their desires for a speedy concurrence in

them.

These beginnings gave great hopes of the prompt relief of Ireland, and it was now generally believed, that considerable forces would be transported within a very short time out of Scotland, for the defence of the northern parts of this kingdom; especially considering with how much earnestness his majesty, in his speech made to the lords and commons in parliament, on the 14th of December in this present year, had pressed them to take to heart the business of Ireland, and offered unto them whatsoever his power, pains, or industry could contribute to the good and necessary work of reducing the Irish nation to their true and wonted obedience.

But, alas! these great expectations were soon dashed, and the forces designed for Ireland, as well out of England as Scotland, were strangely retarded, by several obstructions which daily arose in the transaction of Irish affairs.

A Letter from the Lords-Justices and Council to the Lord-Lieutenant.

"May it please your Lordship,

"By our letters of the third of December, we made known to your lordship, that Master Hawtridge was then newly arrived with the treasure sent us from thence, which came but to sixteen thousand five hundred, fourscore and ten pounds; a supply of treasure far short of that which has now become necessary to perform any considerable service here against the rebels, whose numbers are increased wonderfully, insomuch, that the forces they have about Drogheda on all sides of it, and between Drogheda and this place, reaching even within four miles of this city, are, upon very credible report, estimated to be above twenty thousand men; and besides those numbers, who are so united between this and Drogheda and thereabouts, there are many thousands of them dispersed over the whole kingdom. For the meaner sort of people generally rise first; and then those of better quality follow after; and the fire which was first kindled in Ulster, and lay awhile smothered in other parts, begins now to break out so generally, that the defection appears to be universal throughout the whole four provinces. So strangely rooted was the combination, and that strengthened under the specious shew of a war for religion; for, although (before and since the caution from your lordship,) we have, on our part, endeavoured not to give any apprehension to the Irish, that England doth intend to make it a war of religion, yet, as we formerly made known to your lordship, the rebels labour mainly to have it so understood. Nay, they now go so far that they call themselves generally the catholic army; a title which has drawn many thousands to their party; and yet, many joined with them for no other reason than because they saw our succours (expected forth of England and Scotland) deferred; they rightly judging, that, without those succours, we are not able to defend them ourselves. And, indeed, until those succours come, they must and will increase. But if our men and arms were once arrived, the very circumstance of their coming would draw many from them to us, and give some stop to their fury, with which they yet carry all before them, whithersoever they come.

"They continue their rage and malignity as against the English and protestants, who, if they leave their goods and cattle, for more safety, with any papists, those are called out by the rebels, and the papists, goods and cattle left behind; and now upon some new counsels taken by them, they have added to their former a farther degree of cruelty, even of the highest nature, which is to proclaim, That, if any Irish shall harbour, or relieve, any English, and suffer him to escape with his life, that it shall be penal, even to death, to such Irish; and so they will be sure that (though they put not those English actually to the sword,) yet they do, as certainly and with more cruelty, cut them off that way, than if they had done it by the sword; and they

profess they will never give over until they leave not any seed of an Englishman in Ireland.

"Nor is their malice towards the English expressed only so, but farther even to the beasts of the fields, and the improvements of their lands; for they destroy all cattle of English breed, and declare openly, that their reason is, because they are English. So great is their hatred, not only to the persons of the English, but also to every thing of that nation, and they destroy all improvements made by the English, and lay waste their habitations.

"We formerly signified to your lordship, that, to take away all jealousy from the papists of the English pale, we would furnish them with some arms; and the rather because we well know that, in the last great rebellion in Ireland, the English pale stood firm to the crown of England; and that the rebel Tyrone, in the height of his power and greatness, was never able to get into the pale with his forces, whilst he was in rebellion. And upon this occasion,-the noblemen and gentlemen of the pale, making deep professions of their loyalty to his majesty, in imitation of their ancestors; and with expressions seeming to abhor the contrivers of this rebellion, against whom they offered to employ their power and strength, if they were furnished with arms : and we, being well assured, that, if we could gain their concurrence with us, it would much facilitate our work; we did, at their earnest suit, issue for them arms for one thousand seven hundred men; wherewith several companies were armed by them, and some of themselves were appointed governors of the forces of the counties, and captains of their companies. But so many of those companies revolted to the rebels, and carried away their arms with them, that we have recovered back but nine hundred and fifty arms; so that those whose loyalty, we had reason to expect, would help us are now (through their disloyalty) turned against us, and are strenghthened with our own arms. And without all question if those of the English pale had done their duty as became good subjects, with the arms which they had from us, and those they might gather among themselves; they might, with our help, not only have defended the pale against the rebels, but might also have prevented the ruin and destruction wrought by their tenants and neighbours, on the poor English and protestants among them. For the noblemen and gentry sat still and looked on, while the English and protestants were ruined before their faces; and the papists in the mean time remained secure, without the loss of goods, or any thing else.

"When we saw the power and strength of the rebels still growing upon us more and more, and approaching by degrees more near to us; and the English and protestants robbed and spoiled even within two miles of this city, in disdain and defiance of this state, (which are scorns of so high a nature as we could not endure, if we had strength sufficient to suppress their insolencies :) And, when we observed the retarding of our succours of men and arms from England and Scotland, (neither of which succours being yet come, nor, as we heard, so much as in view there or in Scotland) and, when we found apparently, that, for want of those supplies, we became, in a manner, so contemptible, that we were in danger to be set upon for taking from us this city and castle before our aids should come; we bethought us of all the means we could, of gaining time; being confident that we cannot be so deserted by the state of England, but that some supplies may yet come unto us. And therefore, on the third of December, we directed our letters to divers of the nobility of the kingdom who were nearest to us, (and most of them being of the English pale,) to be with us here on the eighth day of this month, that we might confer with them concerning the present state of the kingdom; and we hoped, by their help, to arrange the matter so that we might gain a few days' time before our surprisal here; by which time, in all likelihood, our succours might arrive. Although it be boldly given out by the rebels, that we shall have no succours from thence which they assert to embolden their party, and to strike terror and discouragement into the well affected;

;

amongst whom there are many so weak, as to apprehend from thence too much fear, whereby many are fled the kingdom. On the eighth day of this month the earl of Kildare, the lord viscount Fitzwilliam, and the baron of Howth, came to us; but, the rest of the noblemen not coming, we deferred our conference; and on the eleventh day of this month we received letters from seven of them, namely, the earl of Fingal, the lord viscount Gormanstone, the lord viscount Nettleville, and the lords of Slaine, Trimblestone, Dunsany and Lowth, dated the seventh day of this month, and signed by them, pretending a fear of a massacre of those of their religion; and that therefore they are deterred from waiting on us, but do rather think it fit to stand with the loyalty they profess. When we received those letters, we did wonder whence their fears of coming to us should arise; but afterward we heard that they had been in consultation with the rebels; which also, as to most of them, was confirmed by the examination of Christopher Hampton. And indeed we know no cause of fear they have of us, unless their own guilt begot in them the fear they pretend. And they spare not, though unjustly, to charge us with a neglect of their advices whereas not one of them, to this hour, has offered to us any advice, or real assistance towards the pacification of these troubles. It became then public, (nor could we keep secret that which they had published to others,) that those noblemen so far sided with the rebels, that they now stood upon their guard. We therefore judge it fit, for vindicating the state from the aspersion which we found so publicly endeavoured to be laid upon us, to publish the enclosed proclamation, as well to satisfy the world as those noblemen, (who certainly are abundantly satisfied in their own secret thoughts,) that we never intended to massacre them, or any other persons; that being a thing which we, and all good protestants, do much abhor, whatever the practice of their religion is, and hath been found to be by woeful experience in other parts; whereof we confess we are now in great danger, if our long expected succours come not the sooner to us; and it may be gathered from that unexampled tyranny, which the rebels have already exercised towards those of our nation and religion, who fell into their hands, what we, for our parts, may expect from them. But the dishonour and shame which may reflect upon the English nation, by exposing this state and kingdom to so apparent ruin, and, with it, the extirpation of God's true religion, afflicts us more than the loss of our own lives and fortunes, when all might be saved by sending seasonably those succours. "We lately received letters from the lady Ofaly, and a letter containing most insolent menaces enclosed therein, sent her from one of the rebels, to which she sent a noble answer; one of the rebels, styling himself chaplain-major and overseer of the coasts and harbours, lately sent a summons in a proud and vaunting manner, to one Edward Leech, that was entrusted to keep the island of Lambay, requiring the delivery up of that island to the rebels: which being done, he gave Leech a pass, wherein he styles the rebels' forces the catholic army; and Leech told us, that that mighty chaplain declared openly to him, That he was the plotter of this great rebellion; that he had spent in travel and prosecution of that design beyond seas, four thousand pounds; and that all the kings in Christendom, excepting the king of England, and the king of Denmark, have hands in this business.' A castle in the town of Longford, held by the English, (who stood out awhile against the rebels,) being in the end, through want of victuals, necessitated to be rendered up to them upon promise of quarter; a popish priest, standing with his skain in his hand, watching for the coming forth of a minister then amongst the English, did, by thrusting that skain into the minister's stomach, and ripping up his belly, give that as a signal to the rebels, for falling upon the rest of the English; which they did accordingly, as soon as the minister was murdered, killing some, and hanging the rest most perfidiously.

"On the ninth of this month, we received advertisement, that great numbers of men were gathered together

in warlike manner at Swords, in the county of Dublin, within six miles of us, they having the army of the rebels behind them on this side Drogheda; whereupon we then immediately sent out our warrant, commanding them to disperse, whereupon we published a manifesto, for vindicating this state from their aspersions also. And it is observable, that those gentlemen at Swords could even on that very Tuesday night, wherein they allege they were so affrighted at their houses, assemble together twelve hundred men in that moment of time, to have in readiness against any attempt from the state; whereas, for many days before, they could sit still and look on, whilst an army of the enemy lay behind them, betwixt them and Drogheda, and whilst some of them (who were openly declared rebels,) and many of their neighbours, (who doubtless hold underhand intelligence with the rebels,) robbed and spoiled the English on all parts round about them; and yet those gentlemen could not in all that time be either so affrighted by the rebels, or so compassionate of their poor English neighbours; and certainly those gentlemen might have been as believing in this state, who have always used lenity and mildness towards them, as in the forces of the rebels, which lie so near behind them, and who, they know, have murdered many of his majesty's subjects; and, (for aught they know, if there were not a secret intelligence between them,) might have used them also in like manner.

"But the truth is, we conceive those gentlemen had a mind to join with the rebels, and do now take up pretences to cover their disloyalty, and cast a scandal on this government.

"The rebels in the pale, as in other parts, have caused masses to be said openly in the churches, ex. pelled the ministers from officiating in their churches, and forced divers persons, in order to save their lives and goods, to become papists; openly professing, that no protestant shall be suffered to live in Ireland; and, while they thus insult over all the English and protes tants, destroying them for no other reason, but for that they are protestants and English, we let fall nothing against them touching religion; and yet they feign things against us, tending that way, in order to give some colour to their cruel proceedings.

"The rebels of the county of Kildare have taken the Naas and Kildare, in the county of Kildare; the rebels of Meath have taken Trim and Ashboy in the county of Meath, and divers other places; the rebels of the county of Dublin have possessed themselves of Swords and Rathcoole, and spoiled all the English and protestants even to the gates of Dublin; and now about one thousand five hundred of the rebels of Wicklow are in and about Powerscait, and about ten miles from this city. There are also between this and the Naas, within six or seven miles of us, a thousand of the rebels, of Kildare, and the borders of Wicklow and Dublin; so that we are in this city environed by them on all sides by land. And they begin to stop access to us by sea; for the fishermen on the sea coasts, being all Irish and papist inhabitants in the pale, brake out also into rebelnon with the multitude, and have robbed, spoiled, and pillaged even within the bay of Dublin, several barks coming hither from England. And, if, to revenge this villany on the fishermen at Clantarfe and thereabouts, so near us, we send forth a party of soldiers to burn and spoil those rebels' houses and corn, the gentlemen of the pale will immediately take new offence. But that we will adventure upon; for now there is no room for dalliance with them, who so far declare themselves against the state, not caring what scorns are put upon the government; wherein is observable, that the landlord of Clantarfe, is one of those gentlemen risen in arms at Swords.

"Your lordship now sees not only the necessity of hastening with all possible speed, our succours of men and arms, both out of England and Scotland, but also of sending them in greater numbers than those at first designed; seeing the breach appears to be far greater, and the defection more general, than at first was conceived: and yet so that such of them as are ready be not forced

to stay for the rest, but that those may be so ordered as to come after for no flesh can imagine, unless they saw it as we do, the greatness of our danger, who are but a handful in comparison of the multitudes risen against us and we desire, that the 10,000 designed to come from Scotland, may be wholly sent away, (as well those intended to be left there in readiness, as the rest,) with direction to land as near Dublin as they may, and, (wheresoever they land,) to march to Dublin, if possibly they can. And to send away the ships, appointed for guarding of these coasts, is also very necessary to be hastened; and that two or three ships of good strength follow after. Doubtless these rebels expect a very great supply of arms and ammunition from foreign parts, either Spain or France.

"And although, out of the foresight we had of this extremity since these troubles began, we have endeavoured to get in some provisions of victuals and corn, yet we have not been able to provide ourselves sufficiently to stand out any long siege; nor can we now get in any more, our markets being almost taken away, and the forces of the rebels surrounding us in such a manner that we can fetch in no more provisions: wherefore we beseech your lordship, that the magazines of victuals designed to be settled on that side, may be settled with speed, if it be in distress of victuals for ourselves or them, or oats for our horses. Our want of victuals is the more in respect of the daily access of the English spoiled in the country.

"The necessity of the defence of the province of Munster, required the immediate raising of a regiment of foot, consisting of one thousand men, and two troops of horse, of threescore men in each troop; which threescore we appointed the lord president to raise. And for the payment and arming of them, we humbly advise, (seeing we cannot do it,) that money and arms, and ammunition for the stores in that province, (now much wanting there) may be sent us.

:

"And, as the rebels, which beset us and this city on all sides by land, do threaten to cut off our market at Dublin, which we begin to feel already; so they boldly declare, that they will, within a day or two, cut off the water course, which brings water to this city and castle; and, when that is done, that their multitudes will immediately burn our suburbs, and besiege our walls, which we confess we yet want strength to defend, and must want till our supplies come from England, or Scotland, or both for here we have but about three thousand men, the rest of the old companies being dispersed in several needful garrisons in the county, (excepting seven companies of them surprised, and cut off by the rebels at their first rising in Ulster, and other parts) and about two hundred horses by poll of the whole army, whereof many are Irish. So that, considering the spaciousness of this city and suburbs; and, lastly, the very great numbers of the rebels, (who are so strong as to approach this city with many thousands, and yet leave many thousands also at the siege of Drogheda,) we cannot expect to be able to defend this city, for any long time against them without the arrival of our expected succours.

The earl of Castlehaven, on the tenth of this month, presented at this board the oath, tendered unto him by the rebels to be sworn by him; which, he saith, he refused to swear: and, we hear, they send it to all parts to be tendered to the people, pressing them to take the sacrament thereupon.

"We did, lately, in hope to gain some time, until our supplies might come, listen to an offer made by some popish priests, to go to the rebels and treat with them. But we have since found that there is little hope of it; for some of the priests are returned, nothing being wrought thereby.

"However, it is fit your lordship should know what we do. We must now crave leave to declare to your lordship, that (things being risen here to this height, threatening not only the shaking of the government, but the loss of the kingdom,) as the supplies of men and arms, and more treasure, are of great necessity to be hastened away hither; so is it also needful that we enjoy your lordship's presence here, for the conduct, in your

own person, of the great and important affairs of this state, as well in the martial as in the civil government, which do necessarily require it in this time of great and imminent danger, wherein so far as we may be able to contribute any assistance with you, we shall be ready to discharge our duties therein, with that loyalty and up. rightness of heart which we owe to his majesty, and the particular respect due from us to your lordship. But we hope you will bring that strength with you, which may befit the greatness of the king, our master, to send with his lieutenant against so numerous enemies as these rebels are become, as well for the honour of his majesty, as for the terror of those rebels.

By what we have hitherto, and now, humbly reprcsent to your lordship, you may, in part, see the greatness of the public danger wherein this kingdom now stands, and particularly this city and castle, the principal piece thereof; that, if those be lost (which, we now again assure your lordship, were never in so great peril to be lost, since the first conquest in this kingdom by the crown of England) the whole kingdom must quickly follow, and that the danger which must thereupon arise to the kingdom of England, is very great in many respects. "There is no possibility to prevent those evils, with honour and safety to England, but by succours from thence, or Scotland, or both; and, if those succours come not speedily, it cannot be avoided but the kingdom must be lost. And if, notwithstanding all this so often and truly made known by us to your lordship, we shall perish for want of supplies, we shall carry this comfort with us to our graves, or any other burial we shall have, that your lordship can witness for us to his royal majesty, and to all the world, that we have discharged our duties to God, to his majesty, to that nation, and to this, in humbly representing to his majesty, by your lordship, the chief governor of the kingdom, the extremities and dangers wherein his kingdom and people stand, and the necessity of hastening supplies hither, by all possible means, for preservation of both; so that, whatever may become of our persons, our memory cannot be justly stained with so wretched a breach of faith and loyalty to the king our master, as to forbear representing thither the extremities wherein we are, whether we have credit to be believed, or not. And, that we write truth, and most needful truth,' will be found true, when perhaps we shall perish, and, (which is more considerable,) the kingdom also, for want of being relieved and succoured in time. And so we remain

"Your lordship's to be commanded,
William Parsons, Jo. Borlace,
Ormond Ossory,
R. Dillon,
Charles Lambert, Ad. Loftus,
John Temple,
Charles Coot,
Francis Willoughby,

From his majesty's castle of Dublin,

Dec. 14, 1641."

R. Meredith.

In this most miserable condition, the lords-justices and council continued shut up within the city of Dublin, struggling with all their power for a short preservation from those dismal calamities, which had generally overspread the whole kingdom. Their care, travel, and endeavours, had hitherto in some measure extended to the most remote parts; how they might assuage the swelling distempers, or yield some relief to the lamentable complaints and bitter outcries daily brought up unto them. But now the evils abroad were grown past their curc, and their own dangers so multiplied, that they were forced to spend their time almost in a perpetual consultation; never at rest, sometimes called up in the night by sudden intelligence, always in constant perplexity and trouble, desperately threatened on every side, so as, what through treachery within, or from without, they had just reason to apprehend the loss of the city and castle, wherein they had enclosed themselves, and so consequently the ruin and destruction of all the British and protestants throughout all other parts of the kingdom. And thus they continued until the most happy and welcome arrival of that truly valiant gentleman and gallant commander, Sir Simon Harcourt, who being designed governor of the city

of Dublin, was despatched, by special order of parliament, with his regiment, for the preservation of that place, and landed here on the last of December, 1641, to the great joy and comfort of all his majesty's protestant and well affected subjects, and to the terror of those rebels now in arms, who had made themselves believe that no succours would be sent out of England towards the suppressing of their notorious rebellion.

The rebels, within very few months after the first breaking out, had so ordered their affairs, as that by their sudden surprises, their sharp and bloody executions, their barbarous stripping and despoiling of all sorts that fell into their hands, they had cleared the inland counties of all the British inhabitants. And, except a few castles and other places of strength, (which they held severally besieged, and which had, most of them, suddenly after, surrendered for want of relief,) they had in a manner made themselves absolute masters in all those parts of the kingdom. And, for the maritime places, there were only some of the chief cities which held out against them, besides some few other forts and places of no great importance. As in the province of Leinster, the city of Dublin; and in the province of Munster, the cities of Cork, Youghall, and Kinsale; in Ulster, Londonderry, Coleraine, and Carrickfergus. And all these they held either besieged, and much distressed, or the inhabitants of them were otherways so over-pestered with the multitudes of poor, stripped people, (who had fled to them for safety,) that the rebels were confident they could not long hold out, but that either open force, treachery, famine, or sickness, would within a short time, inevitably put them into their hands.

ries.

Thus it pleased God to humble his own people in this land, and for their sins to give them up into the power of their cruel enemies who began now to sacrifice to their own nets, to celebrate the memory of their victoAnd upon the prosperity of their undertakings and late success, they were become so confident of prevailing, even to the total extirpation of all the British and protestants out of this kingdom, that they proceeded to set down a certain form of government, nominated the persons whom they intended to entrust with the management of their affairs, what laws they would have revoked, what statutes newly enacted. And in the mean

time they erected a council, which they styled the supreme council, which they invested with absolute power and authority, to order and govern the whole kingdom. This consisted of certain noblemen, gentlemen, three or four lawyers, and one physician, who, being elected unto this charge, had the place of their residence appointed unto them at Kilkenny, a city, in the great and weighty affairs of their state. They there erected several courts of judicature; they made a new broad seal, appointed several great officers of state, coined money, settled an excise upon all kind of commodities, and performed many other acts of regal power.

Soon after, a considerable number of horse as well as foot, sent over by the parliament of England, arrived at Dublin; and having in some petty encounters thereabouts, tried the mettle of the rebels, and found their spirit of a poor and base alloy, they began extremely to disvalue them, and would be no longer abused with the fabulous report of their great strength or numbers, which, with much advantage, they had long made use of. Therefore they now began to seek them out in all places; and wheresoever they met with them, they always prevailed, even with small numbers, very often against great multitudes of them, sparing not many times to pursue them into the midst of their great fastnesses, and made the very bogs and woods unsafe receptacles for their broken troops. And with so great success was the war prosecuted by the English, from the first landing of their forces out of England, until the treaty of that most unhappy cessation concluded in September, 1643, 83 that, in all encounters they had with the rebels during that time, they never received any scorn or defeats, but went on victoriously, beating them down in all parts of the kingdom. And so they carried on their work before them without any assistance, either from the native Irish, or the English-Irish: for I cannot myself remember any gentleman of quality throughout the whole kingdom, that was there born and bred up a papist, that put himself into that service, or desired to be listed as a member of the English army. It is true, some of the common soldiers there were, of the English-Irish, that came in and though they were not considerable for their number, yet they did good service, and still with much fury and sharpness followed on upon the execution.

Ir hath been in all ages and in all countries, a common usage of all offenders for the most part, both great and small, to make defence of their lewd and unlawful acts by untruths, and by colouring and covering their deeds (were they never so vile) with pretences of some other causes of contrary operations or effects; to the intent not only to avoid punishment or shame, but to continue, uphold, and prosecute their wicked attempts, to the full satisfaction of their disordered and malicious appetites. And though such hath been the use of all offenders, yet of none with more danger than of rebels and traitors to their lawful princes, kings, and countries. Of which sort, of late years, are especially to be noted certain persons naturally born subjects in the realm of England and Ireland, who having for some good time professed outwardly their obedience to their sovereign lady queen Elizabeth, have nevertheless afterward been stirred up and seduced by wicked spirits, first in England sundry years past, and secondly and of latter time in Ireland, to enter into open rebellion, taking arms and coming into the field against her majesty and her lieutenants, with their forces under banners displayed, inducing by notable untruths many simple people to follow and assist them in their traitorous actions. And though it is very well known, that both their intentions and manifest actions were bent to have deposed the queen's majesty from her crown, and to have traitorously set in her place some other whom they liked; whereby, if they had not been speedily resisted, they would have committed great bloodsheds and slaughters of her majesty's faithful subjects, and ruined their native country; yet, by God's power given unto her majesty, they were so speedily vanquished, as some few of them suffered by order of law according to their deserts, many and the greatest part upon confession of their faults were pardoned, the rest (but they not many) of the principal escaped into foreign countries, and there, because in none or few places rebels and traitors to their natural princes and countries, dare for their treasons challenge, at their first muster, open comfort or succour these notable traitors and rebels have falsely informed many kings, princes, and states, and especially the bishop of Rome, commonly called the pope, (from whom they all had secretly their first comfort to rebel) that the cause of their flying from their countries was for the religion of Rome, and for maintenance of the said pope's authority. Whereas divers of them, before their rebellion, lived so notoriously the most part of their lives, out of all good rule, either for honest manners, or for any sense in religion, as they might have been rather familiar with Catiline, or favourites to Sardanapalus, than accounted good subjects under any Christian princes.

As for some examples of the heads of these rebellions, out of England fled Charles Nevill, earl of Westmoreland, a person utterly wasted by looseness of life, and by God's punishment, even in the time of his rebellion, bereaved

of his children that should have succeeded him in the earldom; and how his body is now eaten with ulcers caused by his vices, all his companions do see, that no enemy he had can wish him a viler punishment. And out of Ireland ran away one Thomas Stukeley, a defamed person almost through all Christendom, fleeing first out of England for notable piracies, and out of Ireland for treacheries not pardonable: which two were the first ringleaders of the rest of the rebels; the one for England, the other for Ireland. But notwithstanding the notorious evil and wicked lives of these and others their confederates, void of all christian religion, it liked the bishop of Rome, as in favour of their treasons, not to colour their offences as themselves openly pretend to do, for avoiding of common shame of the world, but flatly to animate them to continue their former wicked purposes, that is, to take arms against their lawful queen, to invade her realm with foreign forces, to pursue all her good subjects and their native countries with fire and sword; for maintenance whereof there had some years before, at sundry times, proceeded in a thundering sort, bulls, excommunications, and other public writings, denouncing her majesty, being the lawful queen, and God's anointed servant, not to be the queen of the realm, charging, and, upon pains of excommunication, commanding all her subjects to depart from their natural allegiance, whereto by birth and by oath they were bound. Provoking also and authorising all persons of all degrees, within both the realms, to rebel, and upon this antichristian warrant, being contrary to all the laws of God and man, and nothing agreeable to a pastoral officer, not only all the rabble of the foresaid traitors that were before fled; but also all other persons that had forsaken their native countries, being of divers conditions and qualities, some not able to live at home but in beggary; some discontented for lack of preferments, which they gaped for unworthily in universities and other places; some bankrupt merchants, some in a sort learned to contentions, being not contented to learn to obey the laws of the land, have many years, running up and down from country to country, practised some in one corner, some in another, some with seeking to gather forces, and money for forces, some with instigation of princes by untruths, to make war upon their natural country; some with inward practises to murder the greatest, some with seditious writings, and very many of late with public infamous libels, full of despiteful, vile terms, and poisoned lies, altogether to uphold the aforesaid antichristian and tyrannous warrant of the pope's bull.

And yet also by some other means, to further these intentions, because they could not readily prevail by way of force, finding foreign princes of better consideration, and not readily inclined to their wicked purposes, it was devised to erect up certain schools which they called seminaries, to nourish and bring up persons disposed naturally to sedition, to continue their race and trade, and