6 scarcely credible, and yet we have the same lord deputy's testimony for it, that this Spanish general offered six shillings a day to every horseman among the Irish, that would join his standard. "So that," adds his lordship, "it is a wonder unto us, that from present staggering, they fall not to flat dejection." And, what increases the wonder still more is, that notwithstanding all these inducements, much the greater part of the queen's army, which then besieged him in Kinsale, consisted of the Irish. But so inconsiderable a number of the rest of these people were seduced to that defection, by these tempting offers and declarations; and so ridiculously incensed were the Spaniards against them, on that account, and thought them so little worthy to be saved in any sense, that one of their officers publicly declared," that he believed Christ did not die for them." * As for those few Irish, who joined the Spaniards on their first arrival, sir George Carew himself seems to have made their apology, by saying "that little wonder was to be made thereat, considering what power religion and gold have in the hearts of 6 Morrisson's, ib. fol. 144. 7 Pacata Hibern. fol. 213. 8 Pacata Hibernia, fol. 176. shilling of which, he else-where tells us, there was not more than two penny worth of silver) provide for themselves." Morriss. Hist. fol. 139. This proposal was approved by her majesty," and prevented Tirone of a great many men, that otherwise, says his lordship, must and would have served him for entertainment, having no other means to live."—Id. ib. fol. 153. Does it not from hence plainly appear, that these Irish swordsmen preferred the service of their protestant queen, on this critical and trying exigency, to that of her powerful catholic enemy, even with some disadvantage to themselves? * Little doubt can be made, that if the generality of the Irish assisted the Spaniards on this occasion, Kinsale would not have been taken; for the lord president himself, in a letter to Cecil says, "that Kinsale was bought at so dear a rate, as while I live, I will protest against a winter siege. I do speak within my compass, I do verily believe, that at that siege, and after the sickness there gotten, we lost above six thou sand men that died."-Pacata Hibernia, fol. 349. Sir George Carew's army when it sat down before Kinsale, consisted of three thousand men, two thousand of whom were of Irish birth. Pacata Hibernia, fol. 213.-And lord deputy Mountjoy acquainted the English coun cil, that the companies under him were full of Irish.-Id. ib. fol. 204. men, both which the Spaniards brought with them into Ire land.” Immediately before the surrender of Kinsale, which was occasioned by the entire defeat of the northern Irish, under Tirone, who came to relieve it, her majesty's army, being in pursuit of the routed enemy, continued the execution a mile and a-half, and left it there only because they were tired killing :" "And had it not been," says Morrisson," who was then on the spot, "for some impediments from the weariness of the men, and the ill condition of the horses for want of feeding, we had cut the throats of all the rebels there assembled." "The earl of Clanrickardt killed," with his own hand, above twenty Irish; and cried out to spare no rebels: for which the deputy knighted him in the field, among the dead bodies. There were some of the Irish taken prisoners, who offered great ransoms, but upon their bringing to the camp, they were all hanged."‡ Morrisson informs us of one particular, concerning the defeat of the Irish at the battle of Kinsale, which for its oddity, at least, deserves some notice. 13" On the same day," says he, “an old written book was shewn to the lord deputy, wherein was a prophecy, naming the ford and hill where this battle was given; and foretelling a great overthrow to befall the Irish in that place." Sir George Carew has given a more circumstantial 10 Id. ib. fol. 144, 235. 12 Pacata Hibernia, 11 Hist. of Irel. fol. p. 178. "All the rebels in Ireland were drawn into Munster, on that occasion. -Pacata Hibernia, fol. 231. ↑ No man (says sir George Carew) did bloody his sword more than his lordship that day, and would not suffer any man to take any of the Irish prisoners."-Pacata Hibernia, fol. 235. It appears from a letter of don Juan d'Aguila, to lord Mountjoy, that the Spanish prisoners taken on that occasion were abandoned by the Irish, and left in the utmost distress; " that there was no sustenance given them, that they suffered extreme wants both with hunger and cold, and found not any alms." The reason of which lord Mountjoy seems to assign, when he says, “that the contempt and scorn, in which the Spaniards held the Irish, (for not having joined them) and the distaste which the Irish had of them, were not to be believed by any but those who were present to see their behaviors and hear their speeches; insomuch (adds his lordship) as we may probably conjecture, that by such time as don Juan, with his forces, is arrived in Spain, it will be a difficult thing for the Irish hereafter to procure aids out-of Spain,-Morrisson, fol. 187, 189. account of this prophecy.14 "He had often heard the earl of Thomond say, that in an old book of Irish prophecies, which himself had seen, it was reported, that towards the latter days a battle should be fought between the English and the Irish, in a place which the book named, near unto Kinsale; and the earl coming out of England, and landing at Kinsale, in the time of the siege, sir George, and divers others, heard him report the prophecy, and name the place, where, according to it, the battle should be fought. The day on which the victory was obtained, he and the earl rode out to see the dead bodies of the vanquished, and asked some that were there present, by what name that ground was called; they not knowing to what end the question was asked, told the true name thereof; which was the same that the earl had before reported to him. "I beseech the reader," continues the president, " to believe me, for I deliver nothing but truth; but as one swallow makes no summer, so shall not this one true prophecy increase my credulity in old predictions of that kind." CHAP. X. The cruelty of the English army in Munster. IN December 1600, about nine months before the arrival of the Spaniards," there was not in the whole province of Munster, one castle that held out against the queen; nor was it known that there were five rebels in a company there." And afterwards, at the battle of Kinsale, almost all the insurgents of the other provinces, who were there assembled under Tirone, were totally dispersed.† Yet the unceasing cruelty of the vic 1 Id. 2 Id. ib. 14 Pacata Hibernia, fol. 235. "And now (December, 1600) there was not a castle in Munster held for the rebels, nor any company of ten rebels together, though there wanted not loose vagabonds dispersed in all corners."-Morrisson's History of Ireland, fol. 94. + We are told by a contemporary Roman catholic writer, that Tirane's defeat at the battle of Kinsale, was a judgment from God, on account “ of his soldiers, in their march thither to relieve the Spaniards, having robbed and spoiled the monasteries of Timnalage, and Kilcrea; and prophaned other churches." "For," says the writer, "the queen's army consisted, tors, which always increased in proportion to the weakness of the vanquished, proved these latter to have recourse, once more, to arms for their natural defence. After that battle, the English seemed determined to destroy, indiscriminately, all the remaining Irish, that came in their way; which they had sometimes done with such circumstances of barbarity, that the Irish, in despair, were often tempted to prevent them, by destroying themselves. Thus, at the taking of the castle of Dunboy, “the lord president3 supposing that the besieged in their extremity would leap into the sea, which was near, posted some of the officers there with boats, who had the killing of about thirty of them, that attempted it." That garrison had sent out a messenger offering to surrender the castle, if they might have as surance of their lives; but the lord president, instead of granting that assurance, turned the messenger over to the marshal, by whose direction he was executed."4 Nothing can better shew the implacable fury of these English commanders, and the despair to which that fury drove the Irish, than some particulars of this siege, which are thus related by the lord president himself. M'Geoghegan, chief commander of the castle, being mortally wounded with divers shots in his body, the garrison made choice of one Thomas Taylor to be their chief; who, having nine barrels of powder, threw himself and it into the vault, and there sate down by it, with a lighted match in his hand, vowing and protesting to set 4 Id. ib. 5 Ib. fol. 318. 3 Pacata Hibernia, fol. 320. for the most part, of Irish catholic soldiers; the English being altogether, saving a very few, consumed by cold and famine, being unable to endure the toil and labor of so unseasonable a winter campaign. Yet Tirone's army exceeding the other in multitudes of people, and ever before that time, terrible to the English, by reason of so many great overthrows given unto them, were broken, and put to flight by a few horsemen, that issued out of the English camp; being thereunto solicited, and procured by the earl of Clanrickard, an Irish (Roman catholic) earl, then in the English camp. Wherefore," adds my author, "the said earl of Tirone, returning from that overthrow, said, that it was the vengeance of the mighty hand of God, and his most just judgment, which ought to be executed upon such wicked and sacrilegious soldiers that perpetrated such outrages upon sacred places."-Theatre of Religion, p. 423. It was probably on that account, "that on the rout of his army at Kinsale, the country inhabitants, upon advantages, would not spare to take some of their heads."-Pacata Hibernia, fol. 240. it on fire, and blow up the castle, himself, and all the rest, ex cept they might have promise of life, which was by the lord president refused. But his lordship intending to bury them in the ruins, the rest of the garrison constrained Taylor to surrender simply; who, with eight and forty more, being ready to come forth, and the lord president's officers having entered to receive them, they found the above-mentioned M'Geoghegan lying there mortally wounded; but perceiving Taylor, and the rest, ready to surrender themselves, he, (M'Geoghegan) raising himself up from the ground, and snatching a lighted candle, staggered therewith to a barrel of powder, which, for that purpose, was unheaded, offering to cast it into the same; but capt. Power took him, and held him in his arms, until he was by our men instantly killed. The whole number of the ward," continues my author, "consisted of one hundred and forty-three selected men; being the best choice of all their forces, of the which no one man escaped, but were either slain, executed, or buried in the ruins; and so obstinate a defence hath not been seen within this kingdom." If any of the Irish that were in arms, intruded into the dwellings of any of their peaceable countrymen, or compelled them to pay them contribution (which they durst not refuse), these latter were always considered as harborers and abettors of rebels, and forfeited their lives and properties, for having yielded to a force, which they could not resist. Thus we find, that the lord president "having heard, that the Munster fugitives were harboured in certain parts of that province, diverted his forces thither, burnt all the houses and corn, taking great preys, and harrasing the country, killed all mankind that were found therein. From thence, he went to other parts, where he did the like; not leaving behind him man or beast, corn or cattle, except such as had been conveyed into castles." 7 "The ward of castle Listoel, eighteen in number, when besieged by sir Charles Wilmot, came forth upon their knees, and begged for mercy. The women and children (says my author) sir Charles suffered to depart; but of the weaponed men, he hanged nine; the residue he detained till he had acquainted the lord president with what he had done, who gave present orders for the execution of the rest." |