No. 15.

CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE MAYOR OF WATERFORD.

[Vol. xvii. p. 498.]

PRESERVED in the anonymous Fragment of a Narrative, more than once referred to, are these Letters and Replies:

LETTER 1. "To the Mayor and Aldermen of the City of Waterford. "KILBARRY, near WaterFORD, 21st Nov. 1649.

"GENTLEMEN, I have received information that you hitherto refuse a Garrison of the Enemy to be imposed upon you; as also that some Factions in the Town are very active still, notwithstanding your refusal, to persuade you to the contrary.

"Being come into these parts, not to destroy people and places, but to save them, that men may live comfortably and happily by their trade, if the fault be not in themselves; and purposing also, by God's assistance, to reduce this City of Waterford to its due obedience, as He shall dispose the matter, by Force, or by Agreement with you upon Terms wherein your own good and happiness, and that of your wives, children and families may consist, notwithstanding [what] some busyheaded persons may pretend to the contrary; [and] knowing that if after all this you shall receive a Garrison, it will probably put you out of a capacity to make any such Accord for yourselves, which was the cause of the ruin of the Town and people of Wexford, I thought fit to lay these things before you; leaving you to use your own judgment therein.

"And if any shall have so much power upon you as to persuade you that these are the counsels of an enemy, I doubt it will hardly prove, in the end, that they gave you better. You did once live flourishingly under the power (sic) and in commerce with Eugland. It shall be your own faults if you do not so again. I send these intimations timeously to you: weigh them well; it so behooves you. I rest,

REPLY 1. "For General Cromwell, General of the Parliament Forces

in Ireland.

"WATERFORD, 23d November, 1649.

"MY LORD, Your Letter of the 21st, directed to me and my Aldermen, we have, by your Trumpet, received. Your Lordship's

advice, as we do all others, we weigh with the condition of our safety; and so far shall make use thereof as it contributes to the same.

"For your intentions of reducing this City, by Force or Agreement: —as we will by all possible means endeavor our natural defence against the first, so happily will we not be averse to the latter, if we shall find it not dishonorable nor destructive. And for that purpose [we] do desire your Lordship will grant us a Cessation, for fifteen days, from all acts of hostility; and send us Safe-conducts, with blanks for the men we shall employ, to treat with your Lordship; and in the interim bring your Army no nearer this City than now it is.

"We have learned not to slight advice, if we find it wholesome, even from an enemy's hand; nor to deny him such thanks as it merits. And if your Lordship should deny us the time we look for, we doubt not, - with the men we have already in Town, though we should receive no more, to make good this Place, till the Power of the Kingdom relieves us.

"To signify which to your Lordship, the Council and Commons have laid their commands on me, my Lord,

"Your very loving friend,

"JOHN LYVETT, Mayor of Waterford.”

LETTER 2. "For the Mayor, Aldermen, or other Governor or Governors of the City of Waterford.

"GENTLEMEN,

"FROM MY CAMP BEFORE WATERFORD, 24th November, 1649.

I expected to have heard from you before this, by my Trumpet; but he not coming to me, I thought fit to send, That I might have an account given me, how you have disposed of him. And to save farther trouble, I have thought fit —

"Hereby to summon you To surrender the City and Fort into my hands, to the use of the State of England.

"I expect to receive your answer to these things; and rest,

REPLY 2. "For the Lieutenant-General Cromwell.

"WATERFORD, 24th November, 1649.

"MY LORD, Your Letter of the 24th I have received even now; in which you desire an account of your Lordship's Trumpeter, sent with a former Letter to us; and summon us to deliver your Lordship this City and Fort.

"Your Lordship's former Letter by your Trumpeter we have answered yesterday morning; and do doubt, by the Trumpeter's not coming to you, he might have suffered some mischance by going the County-of-Kilkenny way. We therefore now send you a Copy of that Answer; to which we desire your Lordship's resolution. Before we receive which, we cannot make farther answer to the rest of your Letter.

1

"We therefore desire you will despatch the Safe-conduct desired, and forbear acts of hostility during the Treaty; - and you shall be very soon attended by Commissioners from, my Lord, "Your Lordship's servant,

"JOHN LYVETT, Mayor of Waterford."

LETTER 3. "To the Mayor and Aldermen of the City of Waterford.

"[BEFORE WATERFORD,] 24th November, 1649.

"SIRS, - My first Trumpet not being yet come to me, makes me suspect that, as you say, he has suffered some mischance going by the way of the County of Kilkenny.

"If I had received your Letter sooner, I should nevertheless, by the help of God, have marched up to this place as I have done. And as for your desire of a Treaty, I am more willing to that way, for the prevention of blood and ruin, than to the other of Force; - although if necessitated thereunto, you and we are under the overruling Power of God, who will dispose of you and us as He pleaseth.

"As to a Cessation for Fifteen Days, I shall not agree thereunto; because a far shorter time may bring this Business to a conclusion as well. But for Four or Five Days I am content that there be a Cessation of all acts of hostility betwixt your City and this Army: - provided you give me assurance That, in the mean time, no soldiers not now in your City be received into it, during the Cessation, nor for twenty-four hours after.

"I expect to have your present answer hereto: because, if this be agreed to, I shall forbear any nearer approach during the said Cessation. "Your servant,

"OLIVER CROMWELL.

"I have by this Bearer returned a Safe-convoy, as you desire, for what Commissioners you think fit to send out to me. 2

1 Reply 1: already given.

Fragment of Narrative: in Ayscough MSS. no. 4769, pp. 95 et seqq.

No. 16.

EXCHANGE OF PRISONERS: RENEGADO WOGAN.

[Vol. xvii. p. 503.]

THE Narrative Fragment above cited has these words, in reference to the affair at Passage and its consequences: "At that time, there being one Captain Caufield a prisoner at Clonmel, a stranger to the General, but being a prisoner on an English account, the Army concerned themselves for him, and at a Council of War certain Votes were passed," which we shall soon read:

"For Lieutenant-General Farrell, Governor of Clonmel.

[CORK, 4th January, 1649.]

"At the Council of War held at the City of Cork, the fourth day of January, Anno Domini, 1649, whereat the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, the Lord President of Munster,1 Sir Hardress Waller knight, and divers other chief Officers of the Army were present, it was resolved as followeth:

"1. That a Letter be sent, by Lieutenant-General Farrell's Trumpet, to let him know, That for every private Foot-soldier of our party, prisoner with him, whom he shall release, he shall have so many of his private soldiers, prisoners with us, released for them; and for every Trooper of ours which he shall release, he shall have Two private Foot-soldiers released for him.

"2. That the Lord-Lieutenant is ready to release Officers of like quality for such Officers of ours as are in their power; and that he will deliver a Major of Foot for a Captain of Horse, and two Captains of Foot for a Captain of Horse; and so proportionably.

"3. Or that he will deliver Major-General Butler, the Earl of Ormond's Brother, for those Officers of ours now in their custody."

"SIR, Having lately received an advertisement, that some of the principal Officers of the Irish Army did send menacing Orders to the Governor of Clonmel, to be communicated to the Lord Broghil, That if we did put to death Colonel Wogan, they were ready to put Captain Caufield to death, - I thought fit to offer to you the equal Exchanges before mentioned; leaving you to your election. Which when you perform, there shall be just and honest performance on my part. And withal to

1 Ireton.

let you know, That if any shall think to put such conditions on me that I may not execute a Person so obnoxious as Wogan, who did not only betray his trust in England, but counterfeited the General's hand, thereby to carry his men (whom he had seduced) into a Foreign Nation,1 to invade England, under whom he had taken pay, and from whose service he was not discharged; and with the said Nation did invade England; and hath since, contrary to the said trust, taken up arins here: - That [then, I say] as I am willing to the Exchanges aforesaid; so [if] that equality be denied me, I would that all concerned should understand, That I am resolved to deal with Colonel Wogan as I shall see cause, and be satisfied in my conscience and judgment to do. And if anything thereupon shall be done to Captain Caufield as is menaced, I think fit to let you know, That I shall, as God shall enable me, put all those that are with me at mercy for life, into the same condition.

"Your servant,

"OLIVER CROMWELL." 2

No. 17.

IRELAND: ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE THERE.

[Vol. xvii. p. 504.]

"For my very worthy Friend John Sadler, Esq., one of the Masters of the Chancery in England: These.

"SIR,

"CORK, 31st December, 1649.

To put a business of weight suddenly to your consideration may perhaps beget so much prejudice as may cause you either not to think of it at all, or to incline to the worser part when you resolve. The thing I have to offer hath been thought upon by us, as you will perceive by the reasons wherewith we enforce it; and we do willingly tender it to you; desiring God, not you, may give us the answer.

"That a Divine Presence hath gone along with us in the late great transactions in this Nation, I believe most good men are sensible of, and thankful to God for; and are persuaded that He hath a farther end; and that as by this dispensation He hath manifested His severity and justice, so there will be a time wherein He will manifest grace and mercy, in 1 Scotland: to join Hamilton and his Engagement.

Fragment of Narrative: in Ayscough MSS. no. 4769, ubi suprà.