IRELAND]

An ordinance and declaration of the Lords and Commons to make stay of all such supplies as they shall seize upon by sea or land, going to assist the rebels in Ireland.

      - London; I. Wright October 21 1642. FIRST EDITION, 4 unnumbered ll. A4. Roman letter, t-p within typographical border, a bit shaved at foot, ornamental headpiece and woodcut initial. Light age browning, a good copy in old marbled boards, modern calf, spine gilt. First edition of an important parliamentary ordinance encouraging, authorizing and rewarding privateers for raiding Irish shipping, towns and coasts. In 1641 the Irish Catholics had rebelled against the English crown and their new Protestant landlords, with considerable success. They had just failed to seize Dublin but were masters of nearly the whole of the rest of the country. Parliament, desperate to cut off their supplies of arms, munitions and all kinds of stores, enacted the present ordinance giving private venturers powers unprecedented in home waters to raid and seize or spoil all sort of goods, money, vessels etc which either might be intended for the Irish rebels or anyone who had ever aided them and to sack and pillage at will in their possessions, the reward being all or almost all of the goods seized. The ordinance is interesting not just in Irish history but as evidence of the workings of the 'privateer' system which the state successfully employed for nearly three centuries. ESTC R19001. Wing E 1765. Thomason E123. Not in Goldsmiths. L1012