Irelands sad lamentation

Difcovering its Prdent DAN GER, in 1
Which have happened fincic the Difcovery of the Horrid
in A Letter from a Verfon of HoiioUrWf% Friend in London,
ttyon the Diffolutibn of the LMe fiirlinment* v-W.
Y Pen is not able to reprefent to your
view the Dusky Scene, which the
Diflblution of the Parliament hath
drawn on the Hearts and Counte¬
nances of all Loyal Proteftants in
this Kingdom from this great Seffions,we hoped
Lome Commiferation would have been had of us,
confidering the great and eminent dangers we
now lie under: But thefe hopeful Joys being fru-
Urated, and expecting neither Redrefs from or by
^i-he affiftanre. of our •Rrefenj: GoyeriiQr^nor ^ny,
other part of the Government- here, we 2o, asv
Men in a General Wreck,give up our felves to the
Prote&ion of God Almighty, and the Mercy of
thofe inceflant Billows that threaten us with
Death.
We have littlehopes,it at all of being fecured
from that Popilh Cruelty which moft of us have
felt in this Age. You of England may objedt, Tour
Danger is equal to ours, that our Governor and
other Afagiliracy arc all P r ot eft ant s^the*Arms ours,
f or at leap ought to be fo') and alt other firengths.
Thisindeed, were it fo, might abate our jealou-
lies,but I fhall make a Colledtion of fome re¬
markable Paflages, fuch as at prefent will occur
to my Memory, and then I leave you to be the im¬
partial Judge.
In the year 1677. at the height’of the Plot,the
Duke of Ormond, by the intereft of the Duke of
Yorkj received his Commiffion tofuperfede the
Earl of Effex in the Government of Ireland, and
accordingly, on the 24th of uluguft, in the fame
year, made his Entrance with great Solemnity.
The next Spring (being a time when the-grand
Confults were held Jor putting an end to their In-
..fernal Defigns) he takes a Progrefs over the
Whole Kingdom, to fee in what pofture- the fame
lay, ( for what deiign I know' not O in. which
Journey he was much attended by Popilh Gentry,
freely conferring ( I will not fay to mate Profe-
lytes) the Honour of Knighthood on many uh-
deferving Perfons,as he palled through the Conn-
trey.
The Plot being difcovered in September 1678, !
there was little or no notice takeri of it here at ]
CoUrt, though it was .proved thofe of the Plot of J
England held a Correfpondency with fome in Ire- |
land, and that many Blat\ Bills, &c. were, or was j
to be fent over for the Maflacre intended, yet no j
means were ufed by the Lord Lieutenant, with af* ;
liftance of the Council,for the fecurity of theNa- j
tion, or prevention, of that HqrridDefign j but -
the vigorous Proteflant Magiftracy of this City i
whom: were drderecl to guafd every nT^S: In their |
turns, btit in the outward part of the Town?fo in- 1
tolerable was the ufage we received, they would ;
not fufFer our Companies to guard in the City, •
( which muft be the refuge in time of. extremity ) 1
alledging the King’s Guards were appointed tio j
defend the fame; fo that upon any Attempt, oucy
Volunt jer Inhabitants muft certainly have perilh^l
ed, before the King’s Soldiery, who receives Pay,
had enter’d into any dangerous Engagement. Of j
this City the Eat 1 of Arran, Son to the Duke,*
is Governor.**, *'■ \ * ’* J
Thus were we all expofed every inan to pro^l
vide for his own Safety : the firft vapor of PopilM
Venom which might give us occafion not to doubt?;
what they intended for us, was this. The Lord 1
Mayor went in perfon, with Lome of his Brethren,'
to demolifh the Mafs-Houfes of this City, by re.-
moving the Altars, and other Idols, locking up
the Doors, and committing the Keys to the|
Church-Wardens of the refpe^tiyg,. Pgrilhes
It happened that at one of thofe obnoxious*!
Houfes an Officer of the Mayors, a waggilhiFel-i
low, taking fome of their Popilh Trumpery,(and s
in derifion of that Superftitious Religion) began
to ad: thePriell y then taking their Holy-water,
and fprinking part of it on fome of his Fellow«v-
tjieireft on the Floor, like a Shopkeeper’s Sppren?-‘' !
tke to lay the Duff, he was told by one who
flood by, Ife fhould dearly repent thofe direful ,
ons. And tjbat very Night going to his own houfp,
about