Reflections upon Ireland (Petty 1660)/3
After I had given great security for performance of my Survey, I was threatned for employing raw insufficient Artists, although never any before went out so well accomplished, so carefully examined, fitted with so exact instruments, directed by such Uniform Rules and clear instructions, and under better Checks, whose work was so impartially tryed, by such not only as I my self appointed, but such also as the State appointed, and such as the particular jealous persons concerned, did themselves appoint, the whole work lying generally above two years under manifold probation. Moreover, never was better security taken by Oaths and Bonds, nor never more prudential Cautions used in any former Survey; insomuch as nothing could be added even by (more nice than wise) Mr. Worsly himself, in the following Survey of the adventurers; nor were any Artists admitted by him to work upon that subsequent Undertaking, but such as had been formerly employed on mine.
When time, success, and manifold proofs, as aforesaid, had dissipated the first clamour; There followed another accusing me of returning unprofitable Land for profitable, although,
First, It never appeared that any such thing was ever done, One seventh part of the whole Land having been thrown in for nothing, and as unprofitable.
Secondly, I never altered any Return brought to me, nor never gave private Instructions to that purpose.
Thirdly, I hired my men, according to a way, which took off all kind of Byas, from them of falling into that Error, having done my endeavour to prevent the same kind of snare, laid to entrap my self.
Fourthly, The most disputable case relating to this whole point, viz. that of Kerrey, was after two moneths daily debate between all the concerned Officers of the Army, concluded, as returned by my Survey; and yet notwithstanding all this I have been threatned to be sued for above an hundred thousand pound as the damage sustained through my means, my adversaries never mentioning them, who have gained what the Complainants have lost: By which fright, I have been troubled to get great Bail in expectation of so vaste an action, and kept in a continual suspense as to any laudable Undertaking, not being able to dispose of my self, or Estate to any kind of advantage, by reason of these apprehensions begot in my self, and in the minds of others concerning me.
Secondly, Frequent endeavours were used to divert me of the Favour and Trusts I was in under the Lord Deputy, by whispering not only of miscarriages concerning my said Trusts, but of all others that could be conceived possible, and that according to all the lyes which could be raked up from loose and flanderous Tongues; as also by all that could be collected from my own jocular Expressions, and explorative words, and according to all the wrests and sinister Constructions that could be made either of my words or actions, by dividing and compounding them, as also by comparing a word spoken in earnest now, with another let fly in jest twelve moneths before; as also by abusing the Metaphors and allusions used by me; and in short, by using all kind of Licentiousness to deprave the true meaning of my Actions.
The small success of these projects put some upon tampering with Apostate Pretenders to my friendship, Renegado Servants, Fugitive Onessimus's, persons discarded for their own intemperance, Treachery, Laziness, Insufficiency, &c. Some of these are imployed about a false and scandalous Libel; This must be intercepted by a too forward Emulator of mine, a Frog that thought by his own swelling, he could make himself bigger then an Ox.
This Libel being intercepted, must be brought as a great Service to the Lord Deputy: He as an impartial Justiciary must communicate it to the Officers of the Army, They must admire his Excellencies publick care: He again must expose me to be winnowed like Wheat; and thus I must like a restless Foot-ball be kickt up and down by the dirty Feet of a discontented multitude, and made subject to the severities of my known adversaries. Whereupon it came to pass, That many violent persons assembled themselves under the name of the Army, propound the seizing of all my Papers, the raising Moneys to prosecute me, and such other courses as for the time wholly discredited me in England, and defeated me of an employment Advantagious, wherein I might probably have gained above 1000l.
When I was arrived in Ireland, in order to obviate the motions of the Army, and had so far proceeded to put them into a way of being satisfied; as that no fault could be found with me by the seven Gentlemen appointed to examine that business: Then were Consultations had how to impeach me in Parliament, where for want of friends and interest, the bold assertions of Enemies might suffice to do me prejudice: In pursuance whereof, Sir Hierom being a Member of Parliament, and having made it his business to give ugly Characters of me to the other members, did on the 24th of March, 165859, before above 400 persons of Honour, representing the Three Nations of England, Scotland, and Ireland, set me forth as the greatest Monster this nation had bred, a very beast of Prey, full of fraud and rapine, and one against whom nothing could be too severe, and thus got me commanded over, with allowance of but a bare moneths time, to answer a general Charge, mentioning neither the time nor place of any fact committed, nor the name of any one person injured.
The complaint made by this storming Knight, was in behalf of the State, the Army, particularly Officers and Souldiers, as also Surveyors, notwithstanding he had no Commission so to do from any of them: And for matters done, which had been throughly question'd before, but never condemn'd, either by any of the four Courts of Justice; the Lord Deputy and Councel, General and Officers, Court Martial, nor by the special Court instituted on purpose for the deciding of such Cases as I was sued upon, And this before any admonition of any kind, There never having been any kind of conference with me about the matters in Question to this day, nor any other Communication of my Charge, but what my Adversaries are necessitated to make.
And all this was done upon so little cause or knowledg which the Knight had, that He upon further consideration, and when he exhibited his latter Articles, decli- four of the chief, and most particular of his first six; as also three the most notorious of the seven Instances he gave in the House after he had been a moneth instructed in the state of his quarrel; Now the cause of this Knight's engaging herein, was verily supposed to be meer Enuy, viz. For that I was admitted to that favour with the Lord Deputy, out of which himself was (for his detected falseness, and for his abused Oathes and Imprecations made to justifie the same) Ejected; as also malice, for that I took notice of an unrighteous Order, which he upon false suggestions procured, being for his arbitrary rejecting of Three thousand Acres of Land fallen to him by Lott, and for his like arbitrary Electing of the same quantity in its stead, a thing never before heard of.
Furthermore, when Summons came to Dublin, for my appearance before the Parliament; the Lord Deputy and Councel (until I should be acquitted by the said Parliament) denyed to make me any satisfaction for my unspeakable labour in setting out of the forfeited Lands, forbearing also to give me satisfaction for 3796l. which (as I made it appear) I had been damnified for medling with that work: Nor would they so much as satisfie me for my Debentures and Reprizals (due unto me in common with other men) and all this upon accompt of abundant caution onely, they professing themselves sorry that they could not freely do for me what they believed I deserved.
Sir Hierom, after I had spoken in the house, in answer to his Articles, replies upon me in the following Speech, the which (because the Knight ever loved to be in Print, and to be heard publicly as a Preacher and Speech-maker) I here insert, with an accompt of the interruptions and interlocutions happening therein, all as neer his very words, as I my self and other friends could recollect them.
Here followes Sir Hierom Sanky's Speech.
Mr. Speaker,
You have heard here a long starcht studied Speech, I say a starcht studied Speech, M. Speaker; The Preface.There has been a great deal of Rhetorique, I say, a great deal of Rhetorique; But I will prove my Charge, I will make it good, M. Speaker, from the Front to the Rear, Front, Flanck and Rear, M. Speaker, that I will; I h'ant much Rhetoric; But I have my Papers here, I have fetcht 'em here from Dublin, here they be in my hand, I have 'em ready, M. Speaker. here be foul things, I will prove 'em, I'le warrant I'le prove them, Mr. Speaker. He opens the matter in general.He sayes, M. Speaker, he has not taken Bribes; Not Bribes? O strange, really if he h'ant taken Bribes, then he hath taken nothing. Not Bribes? Sure he has lost his Memory; I thought he would have confest that, if he had as good a Memory, as he has Confidence he would confess that, Mr. Speaker; He must have Confidence, really he wants it, for I have foul things in these Papers here; Not Bribes, M. Speaker? Why, there was Lieut. Col. Flower, Lieut. Col. Flower, M. Speaker, gave him a Bribe: Lieut. Col. And in particular. Flower came to him with an Order for Land, and the Doctor asked him what he would give him, Lieut. Col. Flower said, one hundred pounds; But the Doctor said, Pish, pish, Flower, wilt thou give me no more? Thou shalt give me 100 l. a year, Flower, that thou shalt. And so, M. Speaker, Lieut. Col. Flower gave him 100. l. per annum, for a Bribe. Here is Sir Hieroms Judgment. In my judgment now this was a Bribe; for what was it else, M. Speaker? And then, Mr. Speaker, there was a Capt. Sands, Capt. Sands came to him for a Reprizal; But, said the Doctor, Will you give me your House then? Captain Sands his House described. His house in Oxmantown, M. Speaker, next Sir Robert Merediths there: Will you give me your House Capt. Sands, said the Doctor? Now if this was not a Bribe, 'twas an inducement to a Bribe: So Capt. Sands was glad to give him his house in Oxmantown that hee bought of Adjutant Gen. Allen, and to make a Writing for it: but afterwards Capt. Sands would have had his Writing again, and the Doctor would not give it him; so they fell to struggling, and Capt. Sands was glad to tear the Writing all to pieces. I say, Mr Speaker, this was an Inducement to a Bribe, but I have fouler things in my Papers here that I brought from Dublin; I say from Dublin, Mr. Speaker:
Whilst hee went on at this rate, the House fell a talking one with another; till at length one, who had some other business to move, desired that the Gentleman might bring in his Charge in writing. But another answered, that the Gentleman had his Papers in his hand, and that all was in writing already. Another moved, hee might have time allowed him to understand his Papers. Another, fearing when Sir Hierome had done, that something of an ill nature would be moved, desired that Sir Hierome might proceed, this Motion seemed to Sir Hierome like Assuerus his holding out the Golden Scepter to Esther[1]; whereat hee suddenly rose up again, and said,
Sir Hierom proceeds.Why then Mr Speaker, there's Capt. Winkworth: Capt. Winkworth came with an Order for the Liberties of Limrick; but said the Doctor, Capt. Will you sell? Will you sell? No, said the Captain, 'tis the price of my Blood. Then said the Doctor, 't is bravely said; why then, my Noble Captain, the Liberties of Limrick are meat for your Masters, meaning the Lord Deputy. A further proof of Sir Hieroms Judgment. Now, Mr Speaker, who dishonours my Lord Deputy, the Doctor, or I? in my judgment now, the Doctor does. Then, Mr. Speaker, comes Lieut. Col. Brayfield for Land: but the Doctor asked whether hee would sell? and hee said, no. Then said the Doctor, Little man, little man, there's Land for you beyond the moon: I have more yet, Mr Speaker, there will be fouler things yet: this is but half.
Hereabouts interposes another; saying, Mr Speaker, I wonder you so much forget your self, as to hearken to private Quarrels, and neglect the publick. Another, who himself used to speak like Sir Hierome, and loved such discourse, desired the Gentleman might proceed. Sir Hierome upon that starts up again, and said,
Sir Hierom speaks again. Mr. Speaker, I must speak, for I have foul things: why there's Balleboy, the Barony of Balleboy, Mr Speaker. The Doctor has 7000. acres in the Barony of Balleboy, that hee has no right to; and then there's the odd pence, hee has taken them all to make his Debt swell; he has 18000. acres, and his Debentures come to about 5000. acres; for our Debentures, Mr Speaker, come many times to 5s 2d: hee takes the two pence to himself, and pays only 5s. Then there's another thing, Mr. Speaker; I have it here in my Papers, and that's Straffords Survey. The Doctor gives in a Duplicate of Straffords Survey, which never cost him 20 l. and receives 1100 l. for it. These be foul things.
Here another moved again, that hee might put his Charge in writing, and that the House might proceed to the business of the day; which Motion (the House being now weary in expecting some material thing) was seconded, and a weeks time allowed Sir Hierome to put his Charge in writing.
Whereupon the Knight was so moved and disordered, as also with the operation which mine and his own Speech had upon the house, that hee absented himself ever afterwards, endeavouring the dissolution thereof, upon no other visible ground (besides somewhat of his own natural giddiness) then out of fear of being convicted and punished for the Calumnies & aspersions cast upon mee: I say upon no other visible ground; forasmuch as this Knight, by his several Sermons, Protestations and Addresses (as well those drawn as those subscribed by himself) appeared forward and earnest for a Single Person, (without being averse to Kingship it self, as Major Low was very sensible of) and even for the Person of Richard late Lord Protector, whom hee preached up to have double the portion of his Fathers spirit, notwithstanding his said Father (in the Address by himself penned) be stiled the Chariot and Horsemen of Israel. And as auxiliary arguments to what is here alledged, it is to be noted, that this Knight, a little after hee turned Anabaptist, did, to the offence of his Church, appear in Scarlet like a Doctor at Dublin; was busie in the most superstitious Ceremonies (if any such be) performed at the Enstalment of a Chancellor, sticking at nothing that might make him, or at least make him seem) something; witness also his late being for & against the Protector, for & against the present Parliament, all within a small space, he being one of the first Recanters of the Apostacy from the said Long Parliament, and the very first that returned to the same again.
Moreover, when the Parliament was dissolved, April 1659. and that I (after many daies waiting to attend the Knights further Motions) returned into Ireland. The Knight used means to have me stopt under the notion of an Incendiary; and being arrived in Ireland, to have mee sent back as a Prisoner; and failing of that, to have me suspended my attending as Clerk of the Councel, and forbidden to come near the Lord Lieutenants person: In the mean time, hee and his Complices begetting upon all persons in Authority in England the most odious and prejudicial Characters they possibly could.
Furthermore, Sir Hierome sends for Worsly out of the Queens County in Ireland, furnishes him with Money to come over into England, where together they frame eleven Articles full of untruths, malicious and bitter Expressions, imputing that to me wherein I never had any hand, Accusing me of matters never done at all, Heaping the faults of all both inferiour and superiour Ministers on my self, Taxing me for perswading, but not them for acting in or consenting unto sundry supposed irregularities, pleading for persons that never complained, and putting in for Crimes committed by me, what I complained of to others, as matter of damage to my self, taxing me with contempt of those Authorities, which at the time of exhibiting his Articles, he durst not say were lawful; Nor other then usurpations: and for transgressing Lawes which himself then pretended to be lookt upon but as waste Paper; The which Articles he stole into the House without reading, and contrary to his promise made to me, with an ugly intention to deprive me of such benefit, as the Act of Indempnity might have afforded me in case I had wanted it: He gets these Articles referred into Ireland, where he had packt the Cards wherewith I was to play for my All; although the tryal of those his Articles could at that juncture, be no where so well made as in England; yet never delivers his Articles, or order of reference to the Commissioners in Ireland, but keeps me three moneths in a languishing and waiting condition to hear from them; Nevertheless when he heard I was otherwise engaged, he distracts and discomposes my affairs, with a false alarum of his own making insolently writing to me, that I must prepare for an hearing, still breaking promise with me in every Circumstance of his actings.
So as you see, Sir, that I have been often and vehemently assaulted by this Knight whom I never justly provoked, under colour of righting them who never complained nor desired his Patronage; That I have often been questioned for my Lands and Free-holds; Nay, for my Life, Limbs, and Liberties, (as by this crackling Knights Rodomontado's one would think) out of the ordinary Courts of Justice upon Articles and Libels, contrary to the known Lawes of the Land; I have been twice impeached in Parliament, without having been convicted, or so much as reproved elsewhere, or even admonished by them that accused me: Have been distracted with Articles, sometimes of one nature, sometimes of another. Sometimes I am to be tryed in Ireland, another time in England, and then in Ireland again, even where my Adversaries think they are stronghst; all Corners of Ireland have been raked for Dirt against me; all discontents fomented, casheir'd servants tampered withall, indigent persons tempted, and entered into the States pay civil or military, to support them in the work of persecuting me, False and reproachful rumours raised; All in authority prepossest, and laboured with false suggestions, just and satisfactory Expedients for peace rejected, without any cause shewn, My dearly earned wages withheld; The satisfaction of my other Debts not answered, My Employment as Physitian (wherein I was never said to have offended) taken from me, my good name universally asperst, my selfe and affaires kept in suspense, and disabled for any progress of advantage.
And thus you have now also the minutes of my Sufferings, though but a è millibus unum; which if you compare with my above-mentioned Charge and Answers, you may perhaps wonder how such fruits could grow upon such a Tree, and indeed so should I my self, did I believe they did so: which, because I do not, I shall in the insuing part of this trouble, I give you, propose some other conjectures as to the true and very cause of this my unhappiness.