The state of the Protestants of Ireland under the late King James's government in which their carriage towards him is justified, and the absolute necessity of their endeavouring to be freed from his government, and of submitting to their present Majesties is demonstrated.

(N^o 14.) Judge Keating's Letter to Sir John Temple, December 29th. 1688.

SIR,

I Had ere this acknowledged the Favour of your last, and returned you my Thanks for your kind Advice, relating to the small Concerns I had in England, which I have now disposed of here; but, to deal freely with you, the Distracti∣ons arising from the Great and Suddain Alterations in En∣gland, and the pannick (but I believe groundless) Fears which hath possessed the Minds, not only of the Weaker Sex and Sort, but even of Men who would pass for Sober and Judicious, hath render'd Matters with Us so uncertain, that I profess seriously, I know not what to write; nor dare I yet give you any Account, relating either to particular Persons or Places of the Kingdom, scarcely of what I hear from the Re∣mote

Parts of this City; since what we have at Night for certain Truth, from those who pretend to be Eye or Ear Wit∣nesses of what they relate, we find before the next Days Ex∣change is over, to be altogether False and Groundless. The fear of a Massacre hath been mutual; the Protestants remem∣bring past Times, and being alarm'd by a Letter, neither di∣rected to, nor subscribed by any Person, but drop'd at Cumber (of which, Copies were dispers'd throughout all Parts of the Kingdom) were frighted to that degree, that very many of them betook themselves to the Ards, and other Places of Se∣curity in the North: Some into Scotland; and very many Fa∣milies Embark'd from this Part for Chester, Leverpoole, Beau∣maris, and the next Adjacent Ports of England and Wales, who, you may easily conclude, carried with them all the ready Money and Plate which they were Masters of. Nor was it a difficult Matter for them so to do, the Consternation being so great and so suddain, that even the Officers of the Port, either out of Commiseration to the departing Crowd of Women and Children; or, being amaz'd at the suddainness of the Fright, neglected to do their Duty, whereby this City, and the Adjacent Parts, are almost drained dry, as to Cash and Plate; which is manifest from Guineas being sold at 12 d. per piece, over and above the usual Rate. On the other Hand, the Roman Catholicks were very many of them un∣der equal Fears; and indeed, all of them, except the Army, who by their Calling are exempt from, or at least from own∣ing it, pretend equal Dread from the Protestants, who (as they alledg'd) far exceeded them in the Northern Parts, and were extraordinarily well Arm'd and Hors'd; but, their greatest Apprehensions arise from a constant and uncontradicted Assurance, which Private Letters by every Pacquet, brought hither, that the Duke of Ormond, with a considerable Army, and many experienc'd Officers, was to Land forthwith in Munster. And in this Condition now stands this poor King∣dom; the Contending Parties being equally afraid, or at least pretending to be so of each other; which cannot but beget great Anxiety and Sorrow in the Mind of every good Man, who hath the least Concern for his King or his Country.

In the interim the Lord Deputy, intrusted by his Majesty with the Government of this Kingdom, and keeping it en∣tire in its Obedience to all his Commands, doth daily grant Commissions to raise and procure Arms and Ammunition for great Numbers of Men: In doing whereof (considering the great Trust reposed in him) no Man of Honour, or moral Honesty can truly blame him: But, at the same time, he takes all Opportunities, both Private and Publick, to declare, That whenever his Majesty shall signifie his Royal Will and Plea∣sure, for disbanding the Army that now is, or hereafter shall be raised upon the Commissions now issuing; or shall give direction for any other Alteration in the Government, he will, without one Day's hesitation, himself, and those of his Re∣lations, and other Dependents in the Army, whom you know to be very Numerous, give an exact Obedience. And if any should be so Fool-hardy, as to scruple or make the least delay of doing so, they shall in a few Days be taught and com∣pelled to do their Duty.

I must likewise tell you, That in this Conjuncture of Affairs, the Thieves and Robbers are not only become more Numerous, but likewise much more Insolent; and instead of small Thefts, do now drive away by Force whole Herds, and sometimes, when overtaken, deny to restore the Prey. This in many Places, and especially in the North-west, is done by the Cottiers and Idlers in the Country, but father'd generally on the Army; of which I have now an Instance before me from Bal∣lenglass.

All this, I know, you have had repeated to you from di∣vers Hands; however, I thought my self obliged in the Sta∣tion which I hold, to give you this summary Account of our present Condition, which God knows is very bad, and in all humane probability, if we take not up more Charity than as yet we have for each other, will receive sharp Corrosives, and bitter Potions, to bring us even to the hopes of living, though in great Penury and Want. Nor can we expect, in Case that any Resistance shall be made by the Roman Catho∣licks here, that we shall see any End thereof, until the Build∣ings, Plantations, and other Improvements of Thirty Years

Expence and Industry be utterly wasted, and the Kingdom brought to the last degree of Poverty and Confusion, and from the most improved and improving Spot of Ground in Europe, as you saw it Six Years since, become a meer Acheldama, and upon the matter totally desart. For Armies when once raised, must be maintained by the Publick, or will maintain them∣selves: Nor can Military Discipline be expected, where the Soldier hath not his Wages; and whether that can be had out of the publick Treasury here, I referr to you, who have weighed the Revenue of the Kingdom, when at the best, even to a Drachm. But after all this, I am confident and assured, That the Government of England will and must at length take place here, against all Opposition whatsoever. It hath cost England too much Blood and Treasure to be parted with; but, if it should come to a Contest of that kind, the Victors (I fear) will have little to bragg of, and will find in the Conclusion, nothing but Ruins and Rubbish, not to be re∣paired in another Age. Nor will the People thereafter reckon of any Security or Stability in this Kingdom, so as to ap∣ply themselves to the repair of them, but expecting such periodical Earthquakes here, will provide themselves of Re∣treats in England and Scotland, as many have of late, and dai∣ly do.

Your Patience is, I fear, by this at an End; when you begin to enquire with your self, To what purpose it is that I have given you all this Trouble. I must confess, your En∣quiry is not without Reason; but however to you, whose Friendship I have always found, and valued my self much on it, I do without difficulty declare what hath induced me here∣unto.

The wonderful Alterations which a Month's Time hath produced in England, in regard to the Protestant Religion, and the Universality of it; the little Blood that hath been spilt in so great a Change; the few Acts of Hostility, and little dis∣quiet which has as yet appear'd, has almost perswaded me, That this Unfortunate Kingdom may, by the Interposition of moderate Men, be restored to the same Estate of Religion and Property, that it rejoyced in Seven Years since, with an addi∣tion

of further Security for the preservation of both, if more be requisite, considering the many Acts of Parliament still in Force in this Kingdom.

It cannot be imagined (Sir) but there are very many who having either lost their Estates upon the Forfeitures of 1641. or by their Profuseness and Prodigality, spent what they were restored to, would willingly see the Kingdom once more in Confusion and Blood; designing by Licentiousness and Ra∣pine, to supply their Extravagancies. There want not on the other Hand, some who conceive, That the Court of Claims has contrary to the Settlement, taken from them their Possessions, without Reprisals; and very many, who being put by their Employments and Commands, wish for a Time to expostulate with those who are possessed of them. But all these, in my humble Opinion, ought to give way to the pub∣lick Quiet and Settlement of a whole Nation, ready to fall into Ruine.

I am verily perswaded, That with a little good Manage∣ment, the generality of the Roman Catholicks, and indeed of the whole Kingdom, would be very glad to be put into the same Condition in all respects, as they were Six Years since; and desire no more than an Assurance, it should not be made worse. And if there be Faith to be found in Man, the Lord Deputy and Roman Catholick Nobility and Gentry of the Kingdom, who are universally concerned in the present Army, and in that which is to be raised, will, upon the first signifi∣cation of his Majesty's Pleasure to that purpose, unanimously Disband, retire▪ to their several Dwellings, and apply them∣selves to advance the Quiet and Wealth of the Kingdom. Nor can I ever doubt his Majesty's Condescention and Care for the Preservation of this His Kingdom, and preventing the Effusion of Christian Blood. For most assuredly, if War should happen here, which God of his Infinite Mercy pre∣vent, His Majesty would be the only great Sufferer, in the Loss of so many Subjects Lives; wherein consists the Wealth and Strength of the greatest Monarchs.

There are very many now at London who know the State and Condition of this Kingdom much better than I pretend to; what I now write, I design not as a Secret, but if you think it worth Consideration, I leave it to you, to Communi∣cate it to such as you shall think fit: And, if there be any thing in it worthy their Thoughts, I must declare that there is nothing within the reach of my Industry, that I will not endeavour in the method of my Profession, for the main∣tenance of Religion and Property, as established by the Laws of this Kingdom; and should die with the greatest satis∣faction, and reckon it a Nobler Posterity than any Man can pride himself in, if I could be in the least Instrumental in the setling Peace and Quiet, without more hazard or Loss to this my Native Country, which I make no doubt the Almighty will in his good Time effect, by his own Means and Instru∣ments, more deserving of so great a Blessing from him than I am. If this find any Room with your self, other thinking Men, or such who have great Stakes here, let me know your Thoughts, with what convenient speed you can; it being a matter in which a moment is not to be lost; and the first Step to be made there; since it cannot be expected that the Lord Deputy will do any thing in a matter of so great Moment, without His Majesty's Directions.