with a Regiment of Guard at Dublin, as a Life-Guard for the Lord Lieutenant, making in all about five thousand Men.
There is also a Protestant Militia, of about 24000 Men, viz. about ten thousand Horse, and the rest Foot.
The people of Ireland are all in Factions and Parties, called English and Irish, Protestants and Papists: Though indeed the real distinction is vested and devested[1] of the Land belonging to Papists, Ann. 1641. Of which the Irish that are vested by Restoration, seem rather to take part with the deve-|43|sted. And the chief Pique which the Popish-Clergy have at the Protestants is, that they have the Church Livings and Jurisdictions; for the exercise of their Function they have most freely, and had, when they[2] undertook their Project in 1641. The differences between the Old Irish, and Old English Papists is asleep now, because they have a Common Enemy.
The Old Protestants of Queen Elizabeth and King James's Plantation (till of late) did not much love the New English; who came over since 1641. or rather since 1646. & 1648. because they envied the great Shares which they had gotten of the forfeited Lands from the Late Usurpers. But now they also are well enough together, since the said Old Protestants have had good Proviso's in the Acts of Settlement and Satisfaction for their Service before June 1649. and since the Church-Revenues have been augmented by the Forfeitures; but chiefly, for that the said Old Protestants have all the Power and Preferments Civil, Military, and Ecclesiastical.
Of the New English, some are Conformists, others not: And some have fallen in with other Parties, and others not. |44|
Of the Old Protestants, there are also Parties, I cannot
- ↑ Cox, 'If ye Irish yt are vested take part with ye divested (as our Author says) then the true distinction of factions is Eng & Ir or rather Papist & Anti-papist & not Vested and divested: and indeed since there are not above 3000 freeholders in Ireland ye notions of vested & divested cannot denominate factions yt are more generall and 100 times more Numerous.'
- ↑ S omits 'they.'
