AN ARMY FOR IRELAND.
TAe House of Commons now assembled in Parliament having fully considered the extreame distresse, and calamity, that the protestants in Ireland are in, and moreover in what great perill, & danger the City of Dublin is daily in feare to bee taken, have forthwith presented some Bills to the house of Peeres concerning the sending of some sudden and speedy ayd, and assistance for the same This Bill was twice voted by both houses, then they generally concluded to send an Army, alotting 12. thousand Scots, and as many English to goe with all expedition. A post was incontinently sent to the Scottish Commissioners, who seemed to receive this newes joyfully without any murmur. Then Gen: Lesly proffered himselfe to couduct them thither with great courage and alacrity, and the Scots were no lesse propense to his motion, and voluntary magnanimity, there was likewise warrants sent from the house immediatly to the Lord Major of London Sheriffes and Justices of peace in each County, for the raising of some auxiliary opitulation, and munition [Page] of Arms into Ireland without any in [...]ermission of time. There were divers Letters sent from Irela [...]d, which w [...]re read in the Ho [...]se co [...]cerning the [...]b [...]llious pro [...]eedings of the p [...]pists there, [...]nd with what ba [...]barous inhumanity they do oppr [...]sse a [...]d pers [...]cut [...] the pro [...]tan [...]s there, and how often t [...]ey [...]ve besieged the city of Dublin [...] and of many Batt [...]ls [...]hat t [...]ey have had with t [...] [...]eb [...]ls, and in what e [...]tr [...]mity o [...] dang [...]r [...]hey are in: wherefo [...]e that u [...]lesse the Parliame [...]t did not s [...]pply them wi [...]h s [...]me sudden [...]orces, t [...]ey had no [...]e or very small hopes of defending their lives, and the City. For the daily bemo [...]ings of the poore oppressed Prot [...]stant [...], would almost pierce any Christians hearts to heare them. Yet the inex [...]rable tyranny, and the audacious attempts of the rebels are so insufferable, that it transcends even patience it s [...]lfe to tolerate them any longer. And hereup [...]n many within the walls of the City being in great feare of the mercilesse rage and cruelty of their enemies, have re [...]olted to the Rebels. At the reading of these Letters the Parliament was greatly moved to compassion, promising a sudden commiseration of their deplorable calamities. Then was the Vote o [...] [...]he Lower House immediatly given, and sent up [...]o the House of Peeres, where the said Bill passed, each giving both their Assent and Cons [...]nt thereunto.
After this newes was sent into Scotland, they beg [...]n very cheerefully to gather themselves together: a [...]f [...]rming that they could not undertake a jus [...]er war for the defence o [...] protest [...]nt religion, & the maintenance of the sincere purity of the Gospell. God [Page] [...]end that our English-men may be as forward to go as the Scots were: & then conioyned bo [...] in one unanimo [...] concatenatio [...] of w [...]lls a [...] cou [...]age, no [...]oubt but they will returne vvith a [...] Olive [...]r [...]ch in [...]h [...]ir hands, crovvned vvith a [...]ictorious period in [...]heir s [...]ccesse.
But it is to be feared that as we have a Serpent abroad, so we have a Snake at home: but God delivet us from the venemo [...]s poyson, and pernicious stings of both. For while we are en [...]ountring, and suppressing the Serpent; if this domesticke Snake should begin to hisse, & assault us here, we shall be in great dist [...]esse and danger too as it is to bee feared: therefore Janus-like wee ought to looke as well backward to the one, as forward to the other.
Therefore I [...]oubt no [...] but the Pa [...]liament will not omit a thing of so high a nature, and great consequence, that there may be as well a strong Guard at home, as an Army abroad: that while the sore of one wound is to be cured, it breakes not out into another.
But alas! why doe I speake of these things to the Parliament; for to admonish them of these, & the like affaires, were to bid the Sun illuminate the earth wit [...] a resplendent irradiation of Noone-day to bid the Moone retaine her monthly reparation, or the Celestiall Orbs to keepe their annuall circ [...]mference. Therefore our sole dependance relyes o [...] them, and w [...] doubt not but in their due, and sea [...]onable time, all things will be brought to a happy period.
Thus ayd is [...]oncluded to be sent into Ireland with great expedition, and a sudden Army in preparation to be sent.
Copie of a Letter sent from the Lord Moore to Sir Robert Barker in England [...]
SIr, the daily thoughts of you have induced me to transcribe unto you the present conditions of this Kingdome involved in misery at this [...]ime; for that I know mens hominum novitatis avida. The rebels proceed still in their former Tyrannicall i [...]humanitie, and they have much increased their forces: they lye in ambush daily in expectation of this city of Dublin, and withall they have assaulted it at sundry times: and had it not bin detected, and well forti [...]ied, there had not bin a man of us alive at this day: but we have alwayes answered them as yet, and we thank God we have returned victorious. As for my own part I value not my blood so much as my Countries good, and will to the uttermost of my power, and freedome of life, stand in the defence and maintenance thereof.
Yo [...] know, when as the Sun is set, many mists, and fogs will arise out of the earth, that received their influence from the Sun: but when its lustre and splendent beames shall appeare, how suddenly are they all dispersed. So when as our King (that glorious Sun of our Nation) did rest himselfe in his Chaire of Majesty, and Tranquility: these foggy Mists of Rebels have caused an ambulation, but if [...]is Majesties Army, and auxiliary forces shall but [...]nce appeare, we doubt not, but that there will be a [Page] sudden dissipation of them all. These rebellio [...]s viperr[?] like the Lernaean Hydra, doe encrease with budding pullulations: but I hope there will come a second Hercules, that shall refecate them all with a facile dilaceration.
We expect some sudden Ayd from the Parliament now assembled, and wee hope they will not frustrate us of our just expectation; for if we consider the necessity we are in, or the murders, rapes, incests which the Rebels daily commit: I doubt not hut they would speedily commiserate our present miseries, from which thing I hope they will not long desist. Thus to consummate all with my best respects unto you, I commit you, & yours to the divine providence, and res [...].