P. W's reply to the person of quality's answer dedicated to His Grace, the Duke of Ormond.

To His Grace THE DƲKE of ORMOND, Lord Lieutenant General, and General Governour of IRELAND.

My Lord,

IF the valorous Champions, who contended in the Olympick Games, the Spectacle hereto∣fore of all Greece, in that proportion they selt their skin to smart, their blood to drop, their bones crack, were comforted to see, up∣on one side, the Judges of their Combates sitting to consider their Merit; and on the other, Crowns placed aloft before them, to charm their Pains with hopes of Glory: I must acknowledge it an unspeaka∣ble comfort to my self, that, being necessitated, for maintaining a very just and pious, very great and noble Cause, to enter the Lists of Reason, and a∣bide all Commers, even at all sorts of Weapons proper to the Fight, and all the sharpest Encounters of the choicest Wits, and most accurate Pens among all the Adversaries of that Quarrel, I behold the Duke of Ormond, by his Majesties most unpartial, and most approved choice, already seated the great Judge of the several Combates, and the great Prize, no less than all that is most valuable in Ireland, to be adjudged by him to the victorious and fortu∣nate side.

The consideration hereof, and that besides of my first Letter, in behalf of my Countrymen▪ the ••••¦tholicks

of Ireland, and of the first Answer to that Let∣ter, by the Man in the dark in England, and of the Reply to him again by me, all directly speaking all along to your Grace, is the reason I found my self obliged e∣ven to a formal Dedicatory, to your Grace also, of this other Reply, which is to a second Answer, but which a Person of Quality in Ireland had the good lei∣sure to give that very Letter.

For having thought it but reasonable to lay aside all ceremony, while this Gentleman laid so heavy load upon me (specially when himself chalk'd the way, by his own example, in his Answer) and speak in this my Book, as he doth in that of his, not to your Grace, but to the Reader, and thereby take the more liberty to defend my sel••: I thought never∣theless it could likewise be but answerable to the ex∣pectation of all judicious men, that, the heat of Dis∣putation being once over, the Person you bear, and the Nature of the Controversie in it self, or even as relating to my self, should make me at last remember it is your Graces judgement alone I must regard, next his Majesties, above that of any, or even of all others. And make me further acknowledge, it is but my duty to submit thereto; and acquiesce therein, and even to desire it, with no less humble Resignati∣on of my Thoughts, than reverential Dedication of my Book expressing both; although a Book certainly intended both first and last, as my very last Appeal to your Grace, for a sinal Decision, as well of the main Debate, as of all Appendages of it.

And yet I acknowledge withall, that hitherto I have not seen any sufficient Motive, to perswade me, that the Person of Quality had not a farr other design, in altering or declining, in his A••swer, the Title of my Letter, and that of the other two Piece•• after

written on the same subject, or (which is the same thing) in framing his own Answer to the popular judgement of those, whom he did know, or certainly would have to be, either too much prepossess'd, or too much interess'd, or both, against Equity, and against Justice, and against Reason, and against Truth it self. But however this be, I can boldly averr, not to your Grace only, but to all the World, that my own design in taking notice of this Gentleman's Book against me (though not so much against me, as against the whole Body, and even every Individual apart, of Irish Catholicks) is no other, than to justi∣fie (as well as I may) that which I pursued all along in my former Writings to your Grace, My most hum∣ble request of your just and merciful regard of the poor di∣stressed Catholick People of Ireland: Without intending any kind of injustice, much less rigour, or unmerci∣fulness to their Adversaries, not even to this Person of Quality himself; but remembring still to check, as much as in me lyes, and not in my self alone, but in others, all temptations to the contrary, and as well in relation to him, and his People, or Party, as to the Irish, with that most Christian advice (whereof, as being the great Apostles, I humbly minded your Grace before now, in my Irish Colours Folded) Vince in bono malum.

As for any thing else, I have not much to say here. For albeit the Title of a Dedicatory, and the Duke of Ormond's Name prefix'd, might invite a more sprightly Genius than mine, to make use of all the Flourishes of Oratory, and Embellishments of Elo∣quence, and of all its Metaphors, and other Gay∣eties, and those finer Words, and quainter Expressi∣ons, and of even all the most ravishing and suspend∣ing Digressions answerable; yet considering the Duke

of Ormond's Name is more famed already than my weak Essayes can make it, and his Merits greater than so mean a Panegyrist is able to set forth, I will not bring upon my self Imprecations, by attempt∣ing to obscure the Meridian Glory of the Sun by over-casting it.

And therefore, my Lord, I will only add what is more suitable to my own Genius, and more proper to the subject of this Book, which I most humbly present, and what I believe also will be more accep∣table to your Grace, than a speech of your own praise, though penn'd by any the most eloquent Pli∣ny or Cicero of any Age.

It is, my Lord, that I plead for a People, of whom King James's Attorney General in Ireland, nine and for∣ty years agoe, in that excellent Piece of his, entitled by himself, A Discovery of the State of Ireland, and by himself Dedicated to his Majesty, hath given this general Character, according to his own very able judgement, much knowledge in their History, and long abode in their Country; and given it in the very last Page, and very last words of that Page of his Book; after he had immediately before said, that the whole Island, from Sea to Sea, had been reduced to his Majesties peaceable possession, and under his im∣mediate protection. In which condition of Subjects (sayes he) they will gladly continue, without de∣fection, or adhering to any other Lord or King, as long as they may be protected, and justly governed, without oppression on the one side, or impunity on the other. For there is no Na∣tion of People under the Sun, that doth love equal and indif∣ferent Justice better than the Irish, or will rest better satis∣fied with the execution thereof, although it be against them∣selves, so as they may have the protection and benefit of the Law, when upon just cause they do desire it.

And it is further (my Lord) that I plead yet more particularly for a People, who are sufficiently known to have preserved, and our of their natural affection to the true English Interest, and self-preservation by that Interest, and out of a Conscience too of their obligation, by all the Laws of God and Man, to be loyal Sbjects to his most sacred Majesty, who only is the supreme and most proper Judge of that Interest, to have so preserved the Kingdom of Ireland, in the late Wars, from being alienated from the Crown of England, and from his Majesty, to a powerful Fo∣reiner, and whose Ancestors, in Tirones Rebellion a∣gainst Queen Elizabeth, and in so many preceding Revolutions, during the fatal Divisions of Lancaster and York, under Henry the 6. and in the Barons Wars, in King John's Reign, as likewise in all other oc∣casions (which have been but too frequent since the first Conquest by Henry the Second) are famous in Chronicles for having mantain'd, and commonly at their own private charges, and their own private ha∣zard alone, the very same true English Interest in that Nation. But if notwithstanding two such weighty considerations (besides those many other given your Grace, not in this Work only, but also in my two former Addresses) the Catholicks of Ireland must be eternally miserable; and if it be so decreed, that these poor People must be utterly destroyed, and at this time too, and by the very impression of King Charles's the no less Just than Merciful's Royal Hand and Seal, and by the very concurrence of the Duke of Ormond, and as well by occasion of their most loyal endea∣vours, or of having fought constantly for so many years, while any fighting was in any of the three Kingdoms, for his Majesty, as upon account of those other, which they have long since re••entantly ac∣knowledg'd

to have been illegal, in the beginning, or prosecution of the Irish War, by any of them, untill his Majesty had, by Articles of Peace, graciously own'd them all for dutiful Subjects: Or if it be so de∣creed, that the poor Catholick Party of Ireland must be the Scape-Goat of Leviticus, devoted to all the Ven∣geance both of Heaven and Earth, and that upon the unlucky head of this caytiff beast, and even by the imposition of Aarons's hands, at the door of the Ta∣bernacle, before, and in the name of the whole Con∣gregation of God's chosen People of the British Em∣pire, all their own sins, and all their own transgres∣sions, must be laid, and all the maledictions and im∣precations of punishment, which their own iniqui∣ties, or those of any of them, at any time deserved to bring upon themselves; if (I say) this devoted sin-offer∣ing must be loaden so, and with so much ceremony sent away, and by a man of opportunity led along to the Wilderness, to a Land not inhabited; and if all this appear just and fit in your eyes to be accomplish'd in his Majesties Catholick Subjects of Ireland, may the good pleasure of God, and will of the King be done! And may the rest of his People, of so many different Nations, Religions, and Interests, enjoy all the bles∣sings of a prosperous Peace, under the shadow of his Wings, and protection of his Laws and Armes!

Which, my Lord, and that your Grace may, how∣ever, determine of this great Affair, by those Rules of heavenly Knowledge which cannot err, and which God alone can sufficiently instruct you with, shall be the continual Prayer of,

My Lord,

Your Graces most humble, most obsequious, and most faithful Servant,

Notes

• Rom. 12. 21.
• The Author of the Book, stiled, A Discovery of the State of Ireland, &c. Pag. 286, and Pag. 287.
• Levit. 16.