1603.
13 Jan.
Estado, 840. |
732. Memorial from Friar Florence Conroy to Philip III.
F. Florence Conroy, late Confessor to Earl O'Donnell, now
deceased, submits to your Majesty that since June last, he has
followed the Court at the Escorial, first endeavouring to obtain
your Majesty's permission for Earl O'Donnell to come to Court, to
negotiate certain matters appertaining to the kingdom of Ireland ;
and, since the death of that noble Earl at Simancas, urging that
your Majesty should be pleased to send some succour to the Irish
Catholics, in order to encourage them, and prevent them giving way
to despair at the news of the Earl's death, as the Earl himself
petitioned your Majesty in his will. The Earl's holy death, your
Majesty's clemency, and Almighty God's will, caused the Council of
State to decide, a month after the Earl's death, that succour should
be sent to Ireland. We then gave hearty thanks to God, because
we thought that we had been dispatched and that the business was
settled. But for my sins, and those of Ireland and Spain, the
succour has not gone, and we are still all here ; for when the
resolution had been adopted, the ministers replied to us that another
report had to be submitted to your Majesty, and another the
following week, and still another a month after that, and a month
subsequent still one more. And so seven months have passed before
the business was finally referred to the president of finance. But
after all we are still being delayed in such a way, that we are now
less hopeful than we were on the first day. Those of us who are
pressing this business—myself and the Earl's secretary—have spent
all that your Majesty has given us, but even if we had much more
money than we have, we are so utterly tired out and desperate that
we are resolved to say no more about the business.
The Catholics are still afield, and have even gained considerable
victories, as will be confirmed from many quarters. God be praised,
they do not believe in the Earl's death, as the news only reaches
them through enemies. But they are, nevertheless, in extreme need,
and for every week that we are delayed here some of their vassals
go over to the other side out of sheer despair ; and the English set
fresh traps to catch us on the way. We therefore beseech your
Majesty by the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, to turn to those
poor Catholics who have placed themselves in their present straits
in order to serve your Majesty, and who battle against such affliction
for the profit and honour of Spain. Things became somewhat
quieter in Ireland last year, and we beseech your Majesty that, if
orders are given for our despatch speedily, or even if for our sins
this cannot be, your Majesty will please inform those poor afflicted
Catholics, so that they may be able to make the best terms they
can. Your Majesty will thus do a signal service to God, and to His
defenceless Catholic servants, so loyal to your Majesty. This will
be an act of mercy.
|
Report of the Council Of State on the above Memorial.
It was decided on the 3rd March last year that his Majesty should
send 50,000 ducats, with arms and munitions. It was afterwards, on
2nd November, ordered that the amount should be 30,000 ducats at
once and 20,000 (10,000?) ducats a month from the beginning of
this year ; and earl O'Neil was to be advised of this. His Majesty
ordered the president of finance to provide the 30,000 ducats, so
that the money might be sent with Don Martin de la Cerda, in two
vessels which were prepared in Coruña for the purpose, and great
pressure has been exerted on the president of finance to this effect.
He has not, however, yet fulfilled the order, and the consequence is
that the Irish are still detained here, and have been obliged to
spend in their stay the money that was given to them for the
voyage. The season is now so far advanced that if the expedition
be delayed any longer Don Martin de la Cerda and his succour, with
the Irishmen who accompany him, will be exposed to great peril.
In addition to this, earl O'Neil and the Catholics who follow him
will be completely ruined, as they have refused all offers of settlement,
confiding in the promises of his Majesty. In this event the
enemy will be relieved from the heavy expense of the war, and be
able the more easily to attack his Majesty, thus producing irreparable
injury. The damage done by the delay has already been great, for
the Irish conclude that his Majesty has altered his mind, and is
protracting the business with some object which they do not understand,
as they do not attribute it to lack of money. As it is agreed
that it will not be desirable for his Majesty to abandon the cause of
God and his own interests, the Council is of opinion that, the
30,000 ducats should be provided immediately from any available
source, so that they may be sent at once by Don Martin. If this
cannot be done the Council thinks that these people should be
undeceived, so that they may be enabled to make the best terms
they can, bad as the consequences might be, and such as his Majesty
should never allow.—13th January 1603. |
