3. Illustrissimo D. Archiepiscopo Firmano et Nuncio Apostolico. ILLUSTRISSIME DOMINE, : Vix dici potest quantum passi sumus a discessu vestro continue in castris in quibusdam paucis nostris Comitatibus, quos funditus destruximus eo quod inde egredi non potuimus. Jam sumus in puncto quasi desperationis. Sollicitat nos Ormonius cum sua factione ut secum nos conjungamus. Idem facit factio Parlamentaria utramque, Deus novit, eodem odio et horrore prosequimur, sed, urgente necessitate, brevi unum aut alterum necessario nobis est faciendum nisi tempestive nobis inde succurratur. Quare humanissime rogo Vestram Ill. D. ut paterna sua sollicitudine dignetur nobis providere de pecunia et bellica ammunitione ut causam Dei et Ecclesiae defendere possimus et ne cogamur tam iniquo foedere in damnum fidei et opprobrium nationis ligari. In hac expeditione, summa festinatione opus est quia maximum est periculum in mora. Illustrissimus Cloghorensis detinebatur captivus apud D. Felicem O'Neill, sed felice omine evasit manus ejus. Multum persequuntur Provincialem Franciscanorum et fratres qui hactenus sequebantur partes Ecclesiae, et hoc authoritate Commissarii Generalis Belgarum Marchant, qui jussu Supremi Concilii et inobedientium fratrum ejusdem ordinis misit unum commissarium suae farinae ut mortificet et coerceat omnes adhaerentes partis Catholicae. Unde obnixe vestram Ill. D. obsecro dignetur in Curia efficere ut cohibeantur tam suspecti conatus supradicti patris Commissarii, ac insuper nobis tempestive mittere vel nervum belli vel salutare consilium, et paternam vestram benedictionem. His sacras vestras deosculor manus. Ex castris nostris prope Cavan, 18 Maii, 1649. V. Ill. Dominationis addictissimus servus DON EUGENIO O'NEILL. 4. Ad Decanum Firmanum, Ill. D. Dionisium Massarium. REVERENDISSIME DOMINE, Tandem ad tantas devenimus angustias et extremitates ut necessario adhaerere debeamus vel uni vel alteri parti haereticae, nempe factioni Supremi Concilii aut factioni eorum qui Dublinii degunt, quorum utrumque nobis amarius est ipsa morte. Hactenus ultra posse stetimus pro causa Dei exspectantes summa aviditate inde auxilium paterna cura Ill. D. Nuncii et vestra ibi procurandum. Fuimus semper in castris, in Comitatibus Longfordiae, Cavan et Leitrim, ubi nostros speciales amicos funditus destruximus, nisi quod inde non audebamus egredi. Rogo Vestram Rev. D. dignetur tempestive nobis adesse summe necessario succursu, ne irreparabili fidei damno et nationis gravi infamiae nota cogamur iniquo foedere nos conjungere haereticis. Illustrissimus Cloghorensis fuit captus a D. Felice O'Neill, sed felici astu evasit manus ejus. Casu quo nihil nobis procurare poteritis, dignetur, quaeso, Vestra Rev. D. nos suo salutari consilio dirigere ac benedictionem paternam impertiri. Quantum ad me, si necessario adhaerendum sit ulli parti haereticae, reliquam partem vitae meae in alienis transigam partibus. Misere mortificantur Religiosi S. Francisci qui adhaerebant Ecclesiae, insultantia et inobedientia quorumdam discolorum ejusdem ordinis qui foventur favore et authoritate Commissarii Generalis Belgarum, P. Marchant; faciat, quaeso, Vestra R. D. ut in Curia illius Commissarii cohibeantur suspecti conatus, ne ulterius in favorem haereticorum procedat. His me commendo favori vestro et vestras deosculor manus. Ex castris nostris prope Cavan, 18 Maii, 1649. addictissimus servus DON EUGENIO O'NEILL. XVI. EPITAPH OF OWEN ROE O'NEILL. (FROM THE RINUCCINI MSS.) EUGENII O'NELLI, COPIARUM ULTONIENSIUM PRAEFECTI GENERALIS, EPITAPHIUM. Hic jacet ille ingens patriae defensor O'Nellus, Qui genus et magni mensuram stemmatis implens, Celsus in immota mentis sed constitit arce, Spem contra humanam, coelum tamen adfuit ausis, Fata sed Eugenium nequeunt ita sternere, servent Sic praestant meritum, terra polusque decus. XVII. DECLARATION OF THE BISHOPS AND CLERGY ASSEMBLED AT CLONMACNOISE, 4TH DECEMBER, 1649. (FROM THE WADDING PAPERS, ROME.) By the Ecclesiastical Cong" of the Kingdom of Ireland, we the ArchB Bish & other Ordinaries & Prelates of this Kingdom of Ireland having met at Clonmacnoise proprio motu on the fourth day of December in the year of our Lord God 1649 taking into our consideration among other, the affairs then agitated & determinated for the Preservation of the Kingdom, that many of our Flock are mislead wth a vain opinion of Hopes that the Commander in Chief of the Rebel Forces commonly calld Parliamentaries, would afford them good Conditions, and that relying thereon, they suffer utter Destruction of Religion, Lives, & fortunes if not prevented. To undecève them in this their ungrounded expectation we do hereby declare as a most certain truth that the Enemy's Resolution is to extirpate the Catholic Religion out of all his Majesty's Dominions, as by their several covenants doth appear, & the Practice wherever their Power doth extend, as is manifested by Cromwell's Letter of the 19th of October 1649 to the then Governor of Ross, his words are "for that wch yu mention concerning Liberty of Religion, I meddle not wth any man's Conscience, but if by Liberty of Conscience y" mean a Liberty to exercise the Mass, I judge it best to use plain dealing & to let y" know, where the Parliament of England have Power that will not be allowed of." This Tyrannical Resolution they have put in Execution in Wexford, Drogheda, Rosse & elsewhere, & it is notoriously known that by Acts of Parl call'd the Acts of Subscription the Estates of the Inhabitants of this Kingdom are sold, so there remaineth now no more but to put the Purchasers in Possession, by the Power of Forces drawn out of England, & for the common sort of People, towards whom if they shew any more moderate usage at the present, it is to no other end but for their private advantage, & for the better support of their army, intending at the close of their Conquest (if they can effect the same, as God forbid) to root out the Commons also, & plant this Land with Colonies to be brought hither out of England, as witness the number they have already sent hence for the Tobacco Islands, and put Enemies in their Places. And in effect this Banishment or other destructions of the common People must follow the Resolution of extirpating the Catholic Religion, wch is not to be effected without the Massacring or Banishment of the Catholic Inhabitants. We cannot therefore in our Duty to God & discharge of the care we are oblig'd to have for the preservation of our Flocks but admonish them not to delude and loose themselves wth the vain expectation of conditions to be had from that merciless enemy & consequently we beseech the Gentry and Inhabitants for God's Glory and their own safety to the uttermost of their Power to contribute wth Patience to the Support of the War against that enemy in hope that by the Blessing of God they may be rescued from the threaten'd Evils & in Time be permitted to serve God in their native Country & enjoy their Estates and fruits of their Labours free from such heavy Leavies or any other such Taxes as they bear at present, admonishing also those that are enlisted of the army to prosecute constantly according to each man's charge, the trust reposed in them, the opposition of the common enemy in so just a war as is that they have undertaken for their Religion, King, and Country, as they expect the Blessing of God to fall on their actions & to avoid God's heavy judgment, and the indignation of their native country, they neither plunder nor oppress the people, nor suffer any under their charge to commit any extortion or oppression so far as shall lay in their power to prevent." XVIII. DECLARATION OF THE BISHOPS AND OTHERS ASSEMBLED AT (FROM THE WADDING PAPERS, ROME.) Whereas many of the clergy and laity did in their actions and proceedings express much discontent and divisions of mind grounding the same on the late difference of opinion which happened amongst the Prelates and the laity by which the nation was not so well united as was necessary in this time of great danger, wherein all as with one |