GODS PROVIDENCE to the distressed Protestants in IRELAND.

OR, The last Proceedings in the Province of MVNSTER.

Attested by two Letters sent from Robert Pickering Clerke unto Sir Symon Harcourt, Sergeant Major of all the Horse there arrived.

The one dated at Tologh, Ian. 20. the other at Youghall, Ian. 23. 1641.

Wherein is truely related in what manner Youghall was taken by the Rebels, Barry, O Donnell Swillian, and Sir Patrick Roach, and also in what distresse the Earle of Corke was in.

And how Youghall was taken againe three dayes after from the Rebels, by Rich. Viscount Dun­garvall, and the Earles of Barrimore and Kildare, and o­thers of my Lord of Corkes Tenants, to the number of 7000. my Lord of Corke, happily relieved, Sir Patricke Roach slaine, with 900. with him, Bar­ry the Rebell taken, hanged and quartered, his head set upon the Castle Gate, and quarters in other parts of the Town, By the last Post the 2. of Fe­bruary, 1641.

London, Printed for Iohn Thomas, 1641.

I Cannot hold on my wished story in that accep­table straine that may be desired, if not expected at the perclose of my last Letters, by tokens too omminous, J gave a touch that J suspected that which is now come to passe, and indeed the streame of our successe here depends upon the Fountain of the happy harmony between King and Parliament at home, if that Fountaine be either stopped or troubled, our streames must needs runne weaker and weaker, untill none at all: wee want many hands, yea, and many too as will appeare by the ensu­ing story, but if we cannot have them from England, it will be to no boote to expect them else-where, if there be any in England; that either maliciously or trayterously hinder ayd from us, our bloods be upon their owne heads, for without speedy supply, and that a very sufficient one, we cannot stand up long, the enemies encreasing, and like Hidra's heads ap­pearing every where more and more.

Munster where are more conspicuous plantations of English then of any other Province, as I am certified now shakes of the yoake likewise: Youghall a faire Towne by report, and fa­mous among those of traffick, as having a faire harbour, is now taken by Barry, Roach, and another of the Swillians, with five thousand in their company, none of the Towne making any colour of resistance against them, although walled on the Land side, and my Lord of Corke there with 600 men, which is a signe that they were welcome unto the Towne, men whatso­ver they were to the Earle, my Lord had some small notice of their comming, and therefore got in all his men into the [Page]Castle very happily, and with what provision he could get either in the Towne or about, with leave or without his Ho­nour, by credible report hath bin at great charge in fortifying of his-Castle which stands-upon a Rocke, and is very strongly leased, but it is very greatly to be feared that he will want Victualls before be can obtaine reliefe, for our parts he sent to Tallough an English plantation, where we then lay to present Sir Denis Butler, of whom we had certaine intelligence that he was comming to burne and sacke that Towne, being a pret­ty Market Towne all English, neither were wee misinfor­med, for he came with 3000. men all in manner well ap­pointed, he marched on one side the River, & we on the other, but it was our fortunes to be on the right side of Tallough, otherwise we should hardly have bin so patient, the River was but shallow and narrow, but our guides informed us that there was a Bogg between him and us, after we had passed the River, it might well be, for the Enemy seemed carelesse of us, and marched disorderly, seeming to give advantage that he might indeed take, but we being on that side the River that Tallough was of, and being certified by our guides, that if he would or ment to come to Tallough that he must come over to us except he would flye, and knowing that he came we were able to give him enough we the rather believed our guides concerning the Bogg, and let Butler alone, and reco­vered Tallough, standing 8. miles from Yoghall: From Tal­lough we sent (upon his owne entreaty or rather vrgent op­portunity) John Douglas Esquire, Lievtenant Colonell with 500. tall Scots unto the ayd of my Lord of Corke, more we could not spare, not knowing what course the Rebell Butler had steeted, how farre of he was, what force with him, what might come to him, Colonell Douglas desired that he and his Countrymen might undertake the charge of relieving the Earle, who proffered that he perfectly knew not onely the common Road-way between Tallough and Yoghall but divers not ordinary cuts and crossings whereby he not onely trusted to endammage the Enemy, but to doe the Earle good service. Sir- Symon had no reason but to hearken unto him, we being [Page]all strangers in that place; guide he would have none but his owne footman an Irish-man, whom J believe his Master had either trusted or imployed so long upon Messages, viewing, discoverings, that at length he found away to cut his Masters throat and all his Companies, within 3 miles of Yoghall, pas­sing through a Volley, the one side a Wood, the other as it ap­peared a Mountaine having marched some htlfe a mile in it: Butlers troopes shewed themselves both behind them in the Volley, charging with his horse, and likewise from the brow of the Wood fiercely playing with shot, Col. Douglas thought he had no other course to breake as well the force of his horse, as to avoyd the annoyance of his shot then to take the Mountain as he tooke it to be, but indeed a blind Bogge as they call them, which here are most commonly Mountaines, their na­ture is such (as our guides informe us) that if a man be still in going he may passe cleane over them, but if he stand still ne­ver so little in one place, he sinketh in like a ship in the quick Sands, the enemies not unlike knew well the nature of the place, making no great hast to follow them, Douglas there makes a stand, thinking to bring his men into better order, and upon a sudden were up to the belly in water which But­ler perceiving, came upon them with his horse, they being a­mazed and so incumbred were every man cut off.

IN point of Warre as securitie may endanger great successe so vigilancie and heedfullnesse many times freeth from great and eminent perills, the Earle of Corke seeing how the case stood with him, slept nor, and considering that as the case stood with him, he was not able to advantage him­selfe by strength, he thought upon some other way, he called for one of his Footemen an Irishman: that had served him [Page]long time, assured him upon his Honour, that if he would venter through the Rebels and make to Limcon, where he thought he should find his owne Sonne, Rich. Vicount Don­garvell, and from thence to Lismor, to the Earle of Barri­more, and Kildare, and procure speedy reliefe, that he would give him an hundred pounds Sterling at his returne, and an Annuall Pension of twentie Markes for his life, the Foote­man desired to be let downe the Castle wall about what time the Tyde had ebb'd three houres, or flowed one choosing to be let downe from that part of the wall that regarded the Sea, because at that height he knew that no watch would be kept by the Rebels on that side, so that he might passe through (which he belike had often done in matters of lesser weight) without being spied, or if he were, he made it a Question whether any would venter after him, except they knew the passages of the Foord as well as he, his project being well li­ked of by the Earle, and all that could judge of it, about six or seauen in the Euening the tide was Flowing as Dominick would have it, downe he went in a knotted Roape the Earle first shaking him by the hand, and Dominick onely speaking these words, I warrant you my Lord being downe he gave the Roape three shakes and away, in that still and stealing manner, that they could not heare the water once stirre, he came that Evening about nine of the clocke unto Tallough, related unto Sr. Simon the Earles estate, how he came forth and to what end, eate something with us and away to Lismore, eighteene long Jrish Miles, from thence to Limcon nine Myles, Dominicke did his businesse so well, that on Thursday, the Earles, of Kildare and Barimore, with Captayne John Paget, Captaine Herbert Nicholas a Gentleman well experienced in the warres in the Queenes time, Captayne Banister, Cap­taine Ducke, with foure thousand men, the cheifest and most being my Lords Tenants.

These marched by in good order and better resolution, vow­ing that they would either quire cleere my Lord their great Land-lord, or that Youghall should prove their grave, Sir Sy­mon▪ [Page]himselfe, accompanied with these two Earles, with 300 horse, and left order with Sir Tho: Temple to follow with 200 more if occasion should so require, whereof he would doe his best to give him notice, more force he would not joyne with them, because he was not nor could not be certified of But­lers proceedings, whether he had any attempt either by him­selfe or with some other upon Tallough, or that he was joyned with the Rebels in Youghall, which afterward we found to be so, when this resolute crew came within a mile and halfe of Youghall, the Rebels vnited came out stoutly in battalia against us in number to our deeming some 6000. having the oddes of us in number somewhat, although we had it of them in Armes and men, Sir Symon did not approue of charging them with horse at the first, because he was jealous of the ground, hearing of so miserable a chance of the Scots not 3. dayes be­fore, but Captaine Paget assured him that he knew the place perfectly, and that it was firme and sure both for horse and man, yet Sir Simon would not charge with horse but onely flanked them, and brought up the foote in maine Battalia, ve­ry stoutly commanding to give fire at such and such distance, the Enemy received the first and second Volley very manful­ly, and answered it very resolutely, but there was great oddes in Armes, at the third Volley they began manifestly to faile: whereupon grew a difference between Sir Simon Harcourt, and Captaine Paget crying now it's time for your horse, and Sir Simon commanding advance as you are horse time enough, whose command was followed, for the Vanne, winged with some 2. Hundred Horse, aside Marched up to the very beards of the Rebels, who dropped exceeding fast, not able to en­dure the fiercenesse of our Fire-men, which indeed were able men being a great many old Soldiers that had served in the beginning of King Iames his Raigne, the Rebels not longer able to endure either our Shot or order, gave up openly, and not onely retreated but plainly tooke themselves to their heeles, casting away their Callivers, and other armes, to make the more speed, then cryed Sr. Simon charge Cavaliers [Page]but not to farr for feare of Bogs, which being done, there was execution both by Horse and Foot, some halfe a Mile, for the place is held as vile for Boggs and Marishes as any whatsoever in the Kingdome, wherevpon Sr. Symon would by no meanes pursue farre with his Horse, and with the Foot it was no boot the Jrish are to hard for all the world at that, there was slaine vpon the Ground Sr. Patricke Roach, second Sonne vnto the Lord Roach, and one Macke Odonnell who was called by them the white Knight, with 900. others, Barrie being mortally wounded, was carried by us into Yogall, at whose Gates with­out confession we presently Hanged him, and some time after strooke of his Head, and pitched it vpon the Castle Gate, his Quarters likewise in divers parts of the Towne, he hath bin a notable villaine and at his execution professeth himselfe for­rie that he had tortured no more of vs, my Lord of Corke met us in the midst of the Towne, and hartily congratulated vs all for his keepers would waite no longer vpon him, seeing they were likely to lose both Fees and Prisoner, the truth is when the Rebells issued out of the Towne against vs, they left Butler with 1500. to assault the Castle, who gave my Lord 3 furious assaults, and at the third by slings of Roapes and Ladders of Roapes, and other slight Wodden Ladders they being nimble got up 15 of them to the Batlements, but were sent downe in greater hast then they came thither, But­ler seeing that he could doe no good vpon the Castle, and knowing that all was lost abroad, left my Lord without take­ing leaue, and shifted for himselfe, Thus have we gotten Yogall againe, and hope shortly to quiet Munster, whatso­ever shall become of the other Provinces.

FINIS.

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