Ireland under the Stuarts and During the Interregnum (Vol.1-3). Bagwell Richard

Armour’ was licensed in Dublin, May 6, 1639, by Edward Parry, afterwards Bishop of Killaloe, on behalf of the Archbishop of Dublin. It is in the form of a dialogue between Covenanter and anti-Covenanter. The dedication of six pages to Wentworth contains some strong language about the ‘fiery zealous faction’ dominant in Scotland. ‘The best of them is as a briar; the most upright is a thorn hedge; they do evil with both hands earnestly, hunting every man his brother with a net. They are gone in the way of Cain, etc.’ Corbet’s much better known Lysimachus Nicanor, dated January 1, 1640 (n.s.) was probably printed in Dublin, but has no printer’s name and no imprimatur. He is believed to have had assistance both from Bramhall and Maxwell. Baillie (Letters, i. 243) wrongly attributes it to Henry Leslie, and calls the author ‘a mad scenic railer.’ It purports to be the letter of a Jesuit, who congratulates the Scots on their approach to the views of the Society concerning resistance to kings. See the article on Corbet in Dict. of Nat. Biography. I have used the copies of the two tracts preserved in the Cashel Library with MS. notes by Foy, afterwards Bishop of Waterford.

[209] Clarendon’s History, ii. 101; Strafford Letters in July 1638, ii. 184–194, and Wentworth’s answer to Laud, dated August 7; Baillie’s Letters i. 93.

[210] Rushworth, viii, 672; Wentworth to Northumberland, July 30, 1638, to the Bishop of Down, October 4, and the Bishop’s two letters of September 22 and October 18; Reid’s Presbyterian Church, i. 294.

[211] Wentworth to Windebank, January 6, 1638–9; examination of Ensign William Willoughby, January 9, in Strafford Letters; the King to Wentworth, January 16 in Rushworth, viii. 504; Sir James Montgomery’s evidence, ib. 490. On February 27 Laud wrote to Wentworth (Works, vii. 526), ‘I showed his Majesty your other letter sent on purpose to show, and he was much taken with your project to have the Scotch there take an oath of abjuration of their abominable covenant.’ The text of the Black Oath is in Rushworth, viii. 494, in Strafford Letters, ii. 345; in Reid’s Presbyterian Church, i. 247 n.; and in Cal. of State Papers, Ireland, at September 7, 1639.

[212] Evidence at Strafford’s trial, in Rushworth, viii. 490–494. The Act of State with the petition, oath, and proclamation in Strafford Letters, ii. 343. Lord Clandeboye’s letters, August 23 and September 2, ib. Narrative of John Livingston quoted in Reid’s Presbyterian Church, i. 257. Livingston was at this time minister of Stranraer, which was naturally full of refugees from Ulster. Robert Baillie talks of the ‘Spanish Inquisition on our whole Scottish nation there.’ Letters, i. 199, 206, and see Archbishop Spottiswood’s letter (August 1638), ib. 466. Bramhall to Laud in State Papers, Ireland, January 12, 1639; Rawdon to Conway, ib. July 6. Bishop H. Leslie tells Conway the swearing began in Dean Shuckburgh’s parish (Connor), who cleverly persuaded 630 to take the oath, ib. October 7.

[213] Baillie’s Letters, i. 190, 195; sentence of the Castle-chamber, September 7, 1639, in State Papers, Ireland; comments of Lords Justices and Council, ib. July 30, 1641; Rushworth, viii. 496; Bramhall to Ussher, April 26, 1641; Reid’s Presbyterian Church, i. 257, 294. Strafford at his trial objected to the witness Salmon because he said Stewart was tried in October instead of September, but the substance of his evidence is unchallenged and confirmed by other accounts.

[214] Evidence of Salmon and Loftus, which was not shaken by rebutting witnesses, at Strafford’s trial in Rushworth, viii. 496. Strafford’s letter of October 8, 1840, from York, in Whitaker’s Life of Radcliffe, who endorsed it ‘rejected by me, and crossed.’