THE TESTIMONY Of ſeverall eminent Commanders late of the Army, commanded by the Lord Inchequin.

IN obedience and diſcharge of our truſt to the Parliament of Eng­land, ſitting at Weſtminſter: wee give this information under our hands, to be preſented to them, which wee ſhall be ready to make good in our perſons upon oath: viz.

That the Lord Baron of Inchequin Lord Preſident of Munſter, having been abroad with ſome part of his Ar­my,2 whereof we are members: Did upon the third of this moneth upon his returne home, being at Mayallo, ſend for us, who have hereto ſubſcribed to appeare pre­ſently before him at his Quarters, which being perfor­med, and all of us aſſembled together in his preſence Chamber: His Lordſhip declared this unto us, that in order to the Nationall Covenant, and to that particular branch thereof, which concerns the re-inveſting his Majeſty in his Throne: hee had with the advice of his Officers taken a reſolution to oppoſe the preſent preten­ded Parliament in England: who were forced by an In­dependent faction, they having broken all Oaths and Covenants, which they had made both to God and Man: and to that purpoſe, was now putting himſelf in­to a poſture of defence: And that for the managing of this Deſigne, hee had correſpondency with the King, with the Scots, and generally all the Presbyterian party that were agreed with the King: who were reſolved to endeavour to their utmoſt the re-inthroning the King, and reſtoring a free Parliament, which hee fully decla­red this not to be: and for the better effecting and car­rying on this Deſigne, he was reſolved to joyn with the Lord Taff, and the whole Iriſh of the Province of Mun­ſter: who have aſſured him of their aſſiſtance, both with their perſons and eſtates, and that he had now ſent for us, who were only the ſuſpected party of the Army to report this to us, and to require of us our reſolution whether wee all would comply with him in this or no: To which we anſwered, Wee ſtood for the King and Parliament, as wee had ever done, upon which hee re­quired us not to juggle with him, but to declare whe­ther3 it was this preſent Parliament wee meant, for hee ſaid the truth was, they did not acknowledge this to be a Parliament, to which wee anſwered his Lordſhip, we could not comply with him: he ſtill uſing many aggra­vations, to make good what hee had ſaid againſt them, and farther ſaid, Hee hoped to ſee this preſent Parlia­ment laid flat on their backs by Michaelmas day, and that this was no raſh reſolution, but a premeditated a­ction, he being confident; that let it come to the worſt it could, yet in ſpight of all, hee would be able to pro­cure good terms both for himſelf and the reſt that ad­hered to him: and that which induced him chiefly to put it in practice at preſent was, that he was now aſſu­red, hee was before-hand with the Independent party, which hee never was before; yet hee had thought for ſome time longer to have forborn his declaring, but yet ſome ſuſpitions, the Vice-admirall Captaine John Crowther had of him; could not permit him to carry it private any longer, in regard the ſaid Captain Crowther had proteſted againſt him, and blockt up his Harbours, and his Lordſhip did further declare, that all which would not joyn with him in this deſign, he required thē to depart, and go for England, for that hee would not permit any neere him, or in his Army, that would not faithfully comply with him in his intention; and as a motive to induce us to joyn with him, hee informed us that he was certainly aſſured, that Collonel Jones had by order from the Parliament of England, made a Ceſ­ſation with Owen Roe Oneal, and that faction; who choſe rather to enter into League with the Parliament then the King: and in this reſpect hee would now joyne with4 the Lord Taff, and Munſter forces againſt the other, for the truth of all theſe we have here to ſubſcribed our names this ſeventh of April 1648, aboard the Bona­venture, in Kinſale Harbour.

WE under written having this preſent ſeventh of Aprill, 1648, heard read unto us the ſeverall heads made by the Lord Inchequin, to the reſpe­ctive Commanders in his Preſence Chamber, at his head Quarters at Mayallo, the third inſtant forementi­oned, doe declare, that the ſaid things were in the field upon the ſame day propounded to us, and the other Officers then in the Army, whereupon he deſired our complyance, we refuſed the ſame, as inconſiſtent with our duties to the Parliament, and thereupon diſſerted our ſeverall Charges, and Offices under his com­mand.

HE whoſe name is under written doth inform, that being under reſtraint for his affection to the Par­liament. At the inſtance of my Lord, (it making for the aforeſaid Declaration) the ſame was preſented to him by Major John Craford, with many arguments to in­duce him to comply with my Lord Inchequin promiſe­ing thereupon preferment, but he ſcorning to betray his truſt, or diſſert the Parliament of England whom he ſerved; denyed any ſuch commiſſion, upon which he was expunged from his command, with charge to depart, in teſtimony of which, he hath ſubſcribed his name the 17 of Aprill, 1648.

FRom the premiſes, the Reader may obſerve,

Firſt, The univerſality of the deſigne pretended.

Secondly, The pillars on which he would ſet or fix it. Rebels, Papiſts, Royalliſts, Presbyters.

Thirdly, Againſt whom, The preſent Parliament.

Fourthly, the ſetting up of a free Parliament, and a free and good one it's like to be, if ſet up by an Iriſh power.

Fifthly, The way intended to reſtore his Majeſty, the fall of this Parliament.

Laſtly, The ground, the Covenant, that ends old, and begins new miſeries. Which ſure ſhould awaken thoſe in power, firſt, to ſement among themſelves: ſecondly, to carry on with more vigour the Warre of Ireland, and afford them reaſonable money, which will ſufficiently draw dry this new adverſary of his power: and laſtly to ſpeed the ſetling of this Kingdom, that when ſtorms ariſe from ſo many parts, England may be unanimous in bearing up againſt them.