THis City and parts adjacent, is ex­tream full of the despoiled Prote­stants from Ireland, whose Condi­tions are most Deplorable, and under very different Circumstances. The Nobility, Gentry, and Clergie, are rob­bed and plundered of their personal Estates; and Sir Patrick Trant, and the rest of the Commissioners for Sequestring their Real Estates, have been so effectually Zealous therein as not to leave them power over one Peny Rent, or Arrears of Rent, but appro­priated all to the support of their Army.

The Lord Viscount Mazarine, in Plate, Money, Household-Goods, Horses, &c. hath been plundred to the value of 20000 l.Ster­ling, or upward; and others proportionable. His Lordship, and some few more, with great difficulty, are got into Scotland. And upon a modest Computation, the Irish have already despoiled the Protestants, in Money, Plate, Stock, and Household-Good, at least Two Millions Sterling.

The Farmers and Trades-men are robbed and plundered of all their Stock and House­hold Goods, notwithstanding the several Declarations of Tyrconnel, and since of the late King, to the contrary; by which they and their Families are not only deprived of Bread, but the means to get it, and now lie at the mercy of their Robbers for their Lives and that which should support Life; whose Mercies are such, that they have basely murdered hundreds, and others have perished, and daily do, for want of Food. The rest living in the daily fear of having their Throats cut.

One Mr. Robert Burroughs, an Attorney and rich, had all his Substance taken from him, turn'd out of doors, and died in the Fields with Hunger and Cold. And as ma­ny other dismal Relations we have, as would fill a Volume.

The Protestants in the Province of Ulster, having Intelligence of the Bloudy, Inhu­mane, and Barbarous Cruelties exercised by the Irish on the Protestants in the other Pro­vinces, and dreading to fall under the like Cruelties, upon the first approach of the Irish Army, they universally deserted their Habitations, leaving their Goods, Corn, Hay, and Stock, as a Prey to their Enemies; who making their advances into their Coun­try, with a Force that they were no ways able to resist or oppose, the Women and Children in great Consternation, Wants, and Confusion, made towards Colrain and Lon­don Derry. The Men in the mean while em­bodying themselves, cut down their Bridges, and digged up the ways to make the Roads unpassable for their Bloudy Enemies; but having neither Moneys nor Provisions for their support, nor Arms or Ammunition suf­ficient for their defence, and the Irish so nu­merous as to encompass them, they were forced to a Retreat; and as they found the Enemies Force divided, they as frequently sallied forth upon them and beat them, thereby getting opportunities to set sire to their own Hay and Corn they had before deserted; and by both these ways so often distressed their Enemies, that their best Horse, which was the main strength of their Army, are so weakened and broken, as ne­ver to be able to recover or recruit the lost sustained. Though the late King was at the head of them with the flower of the Ar­my, these poor people, in a manner unarm'd, without Order, Discipline, or necessary Pro­visions, made this Resistance, in daily hopes of Succour; but numbers against them, and wants increasing, they were, with their Wives, Children, and Servants, forced and driven, like a flock of Sheep, until they came almost to the very Gates of London- Derry, in hopes of shelter; but alas! they found the Gates shut against them, and the Garrison refusing them Entrance, alledging their shortness of Provisions for support of such as were necessary to defend the place; and for that reason had advised Colonel Richards and Colonel Cunningham, with their Regiments, to go back for England; and also the same un­to the Lord Blaney, Sir Arthur Royden, Cap­tain Dawson, and some hundreds of Officers, who came to them from Colrain, viz. to speed into England, and hasten their return with the Army from England, that so they might be enabled to take the Field.

Accordingly the said two Regiments are come back, Col. Richards's being quartered in this City. Since which, a Serjeant and a Soul­dier that deserted, have been tryed; the first is sentenced to die, and the latter to run the [Page 2]Gantlet three times through two Regiments.

The Swallow Frigat was one of their Con­voys, Capt. — Commander, who brought over near 300 Passengers, amongst which were the brave Lord Blaney, Sir Arthur Royden, and many Persons of Quality, who make sad Complaints against the Captain, as more Barbarous than the Irish, for that he took from several two, three, and more Guineys for their passage, of few less than 20 s. and of those that had not Money, took their Silver­hilted Swords, Watches, &c. nay kept some who had not such things on board, until he had forced them to signe Warrants to con­fess Judgments for what sums he pleased, tel­ling them, His Ship was his only Advantage, and that time his Harvest-time. Sir Arthur Royden had a fine Horse worth 100 l. which he would have shipt to present to the King, but he denied him and others; so Sir Arthur shot him dead, saying, The Papists should never have him; and some other Gentlemen also shot their Horses: which the Captain seeing, offered to ship those left, if the Owners would give him them; which some did, demanding them again on this side, but are refused. Of all which we hope his Majesty before this hath had humbly represented to him, and cause him to be exemplarily punished for such un­heard of Oppressions.

The late K. was a few days since with the Army at Strabane, ten miles short of London-Derry, but is now gone back to Dublin, and the Army not advanced nearer, when these Gentlemen came from Derry; which it's not doubted will be able to hold out, until the Succours from England by Sea, and by way of Scotland, arrives: for that the Garrison is unanimous, and in no want of Arms, Am­munition, or Provisions; though the late King's Army have destroy'd and spent all in the North that the Protestants left, which is the reason they do not advance further.

But that which is to be lamented, is the distressed Condition of some thousands of Men, Women, and Children, kept out of Derry, who it's feared will inevitably fall a Sacrifice to the Papists Cruelty, (or die by Hunger) they being commanded and paid by French Officers, who preside in Council, Ar­my, and Garrisons: So that Ireland is now be­come a French Province; and he who was lately King of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, is now but the French King's Deputy of that Kingdom: which it is here credibly affirm'd, hath so disgusted the very Irish themselves, that Major General Maccarty, ma­ny of the Nobility and Gentry, and above 300 good Officers have thrown up their Commissions, seeing the French are put in over their heads in all great Commands and Trusts. And those of the Irish who are men of Estates and Sence, begin to wish themselves again under an English Government, though Protestant, and oft reflect on their Happiness under it; and also of an old Irish Proverb, of the Irish weeping over the English Graves.

And the most Judicious of the Irish Papists do say, That when the Parliament that the late K. James hath summon'd to assemble at Dublin, shall meet, they will be of opinion to save their Estates and Families, and advise their King to sit down with satisfaction without the Power of a King, and retire to a Monastery, espe­cially finding all his Designs frustrated in Scotland, and his Friends in Ireland leave him, the fore-door and back-door shut and bolted in both Kingdoms, and a Confederate Army, and a Naval Force, sufficient to Conquer France, ready to pour in upon them.

The Town of Colrain is in the County of Antrim, an open place, not capable of Defence, but was made use of by the Protestants as a place of Ren­dezvous and Shelter, and amongst them by the afore­mentioned Lord Blaney, the Lord Kingston, and many Persons of Quality, who with what Force and Arms they could get together, bravely suppor­ted the Protestant Interest, in expectation of a Force from England, to be enabled to take the Field, and secure that part of the Kingdom; but the Irish Ar­my advancing upon them so early, that they were constrained to leave it, and retire to the City of London-Derry; whence our last Advices here say, That their Governour, Col. Lundee, hath given them such cause to suspect his Faithfulness, that they have seized and Confined him, and made one Mr. George Walker, a Minister, Governour; and some affirm, that lately came from thence, that the said Colonel, either through Cowardize or Persidy, dis­couraged and prevented the Garrison from taking those advantages against the Enemy that were offered, and thereby prevented the securing the whole Nor­thern parts.

It's reported here, that the late King sent a very kind Letter to the Lord Blaney, insinuating the Loy­alty and Services of his Family, perswading him to lay down his Arms, and surrender Coltain, and all he had done should be buried in Oblivion, and his Lord­ship received into Favour. But his Lordship answer'd, He had now a King upon whose Word he could depend and trust; but never would to his, but with his Sword in his Hand. His Lordship hath a very great Inte­rest in the North of Ireland, and stayed with them un­til he had spent of his own Estate all he had in Mo­ney, or could raise on his Tenants; and it's thought did not bring into England 5 l. the rest being laid out for Arms, and towards the support of those that adhered to him; in whose, and the Country's Hearts, his Lord­ship hath raised a Monument of lasting Honour.

The Numbers of Gentry and others now here from Ireland, hath caused all sorts of Provisions to advance in price: for remedy of which, our wor­thy Mayor hath Proclaimed a Free Market to be held every day. We have a Report, that his Maje­sty hath displaced Col. Richards, and Col. Cunning­ham, and given their Commands to Sir George Saint George, late of Ireland, and Col. Stuart, who com­manded a Company in the late Royal Regiment of Foot-Guards, and that they are expected down this Week from London; and with all the other Forces on the West and Northern Coast, to Embarque forth­with for Dublin. Thus, Sir, I have in a tedious un­digested manner, as well as I could, answer'd your desire; and am,