Highness's Subjects in their Possession, Goods or Liberty: Only we defire that your Lordships will be pleafed to make remonftrance to his Majefty, for us, of all our Grievances, and just Fears, that they may be removed, and fuch a courfe fettled by the advice of the Parliament of Ireland, whereby the Liberty of our Gonfciences may be fecured unto us, and we eafed of other Burthens in Civil Government. As for the mifchiefs and inconveniences that have already happened through the diforder of the common fort of people, against the English Inhabitants, or any other; we with the Noblemen, and Gentlemen, and fuch others of the feveral Counties of this Kingdom, are most willing andready to use our and their best endeavours in cauf ing reftitution and fatisfaction to be made as in part we have already done.

An answer hereunto is most humbly defired, with fuch prefent expedition as may by your Lordjbips be thought most convenient for avoiding the inconvenience of the barbaroufness and uncivility of the Commonalty, who have committed many outrages without any order, confenting, or privity of ours. All which we leave to your Lordfbips most grave Wisdom.

And we shall humbly pray, Sc.

But this came to nothing: While these things were in agitation, the titular Bishop of Kilmore came to Cavan; his name was Swiney, he was like his name, for he often wallowed in his own vomit: He had a Brother,

whom the Bishop had converted, and had en tertained him in his Houfe, till he found out a way of fubfiftence for him. He pretended that he came only to protect the Bishop, fo he defired to be admitted to lodge in his Houfe, and affured him that he would preferve him. But the Bishop hearing of this, writ the following Letter in Latin to him; which will be found at the end of this Book, and is indeed a ftile fit for one of the moft eloquent of the Roman Authors. Here I fhall give a Translation of it in English.

4

I

Reverend Brother,

AM fenfible of your civility in offering to protect me by your prefence in the midst of this tumult; and upon the like occafion I would not be wanting to do the like charitable office to you: But there are many things that hinder me from making use of the favour you now of fer me. My Houfe is ftrait, and there is a great number of miferable people of all ranks, ages, and of both fexes, that have fled hither as to a Sanctuary; befides that fome of them are fick, among whom my own Son is one. But that which is beyond all the rest, is the difference of our way of worship: I do not fay of our Religion, for I have ever thought, and have published it in my Writings, that we have one common Chriftian Religion. Under our preJent miferies we comfort our felves with the reading of the Holy Scriptures, with daily

* See at the end, Numb. 4.

Prayers,

·

Prayers, which we offer up to God in our culgar Tongue, and with the finging of Pfalms; and fince we find fo little truth among Men, we rely on the truth of God, and on his affiftance. Thefe things would offend your company, if not your felf; nor could others be hindered, who would pretend that they came to fee you, if you were among us; and under that colour thofe murtherers would break in upon us, who after they have robbed us of all that belongs to us, would in conclufion think they didGod good fervice by our flaughter. For my own part I am refolved to trust to the Divine Protection. To a Chriftian, and a Bishop, that is now almost Seventy, no death for the caufe of Christ can be bitter: On the contrary, nothing is more defirable. And though I ask nothing for my felf alone, yet if you will require the people under an Anathema, not to do any other acts of violence to those whom they have so often bea ten, spoiled and ftript, it will be both accepta ble to God, bonourable to your felf, and happy to the people, if they obey you: But if not, con fider that God will remember all that is now done. To whom, Reverend Brother, I do hear tily commend you? ·

This Letter commends it self so much, that I need fay nothing but with my Reader to fee where he can find fuch another, writ on fuch an occafion, with fo much Spirit, as well as Piety and Discretion: It was the last he ever writ, and was indeed a conclufion well be coming fuch a Pen. It had at that time fome effect, for the Bifhop gave him no further dif turbance till about five Weeks after this, fo that from the 23d of October, which was the dismal day in which the Rebellion broke out, till the 18th of December following, he, together with all that were within his Walls, enjoyed fuch quiet, that if it was not in all points a miracle, it was not far from one; and it seemed to be an accomplishment of those Words, A thoufand fball fall on thy fide, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it fall not come nigh thee; there fhall no evil befal thee; for he shall give his Angels charge over

.

thee. But to the former Letter I fhall add the laft Paper of Spiritual Advice and Direction that ever the Bishop writ; which he did. at the defire of one Mrs. Dillan, that was a zealous and devout Proteftant, but had been fatally deluded in her widowhood by Mr. Dil lan, Son to the Earl of Rofcommon, taking him to be a Proteftant, and had married him, but enjoyed her felf very little after that; for though he used no violence to her, or her Children by her former Husband, in the point

Religion; yet he bred up his Children by in his own Superftition, and he was now ged in the Rebellion. So that she had

at

at this time a vaft addition to her former forrows upon her; and therefore defired that the Bishop, whofe Neighbour and conftant Hearer fhe had been, would fend her fuch Inftructions in this fad calamity, as might both direct and fupport her. Upon which he writ the following Paper.

σε

Y

OU defire, as I am informed, (dear Sifter in Chrift Jefus) that I would "fend you fome fhort Memorial, to put you "in mind how to carry your felf in this for"rowful time. I will do it willingly; the

more, because with one and the fame labour, "Ifhall both fatisfy you, and recollect my own "thoughts alfo to the like performance of "mine own duty, and bethinking my felf "how I might beft accomplish it, there came "to my mind that short Rule of our Life, "which the Apoftle mentions in his Epiftle "to Titus, and whereof you have been a di"ligent hearer in the School of Grace, where "he reduceth the whole Practice of Chriftia"nity unto three Heads, of living Soberly,

Justly, and Godly: This laft directing our "Carriage towards God, the middlemoft to"wards our Neighbour, and the foremost "towards our Selves. Now fince this is a "direction for our whole Life, it feems to me "that we have no more to do at any time, but "to conn this Leffon more perfectly, with "fome particular application of fuch parts "it, as are moft fuitable to the prefent occa"fions.

L3

of