[88] N. Plunket to Ormonde, May 7, 1646, in _Confederation and War_ v. 335; Digby's Declaration, July 28, and Proclamation of Peace, July 30 and August 3, _ib._ vi. 55-60; Daniel O'Neill to Ormonde, April 18, in _Contemp. Hist._, i. 671; Rinuccini's letter, March 22, in _Embassy_, p. 153; the Newcastle letter, June 11, in Birch's _Inquiry_, p. 208.
[89] There are accounts of this siege in _Bellings_, v. 20-24; in Penn's _Memorials_, i. 165-210; and in Rinuccini's _Embassy_, pp. 182-191; and see Frost's _Hist. of Clare_, pp. 371-376.
[90] All the contemporary accounts mention O'Neill's short speech, which evidently made a great impression. None say whether it was in English or Irish. The 'British Officer' has been followed in the text, 'MacArt spoke in the front of his own men these words, as I was told, or to that effect.' The much longer speech in the _Aphorismical Discovery_ is obviously a mere grammarian's figment containing allusion to Gratian, Hannibal, Scipio, Plutarch, Polybius, the Maccabees, etc. The number of Monro's army are given from his account, but the 'British Officer' thinks the foot were near 5000. The numbers of the Irish are from O'Neill's journal, and O'Mellan says nearly the same.
[91] The battle is described by Bellings and in the _Aphorismical Discovery_. In _Contemp. Hist. of Affairs in Ireland_, i. 676-686, are printed (1) a short notice from _Carte Papers_, xvii. 25; (2) Monro's despatch to the Scotch estates; (3) a London tract dated June 15, 1646; (4) Rinuccini's account (Italian) published as a tract at Rome and Florence; (5) the 'British Officer's' account from _Hist. of the Wars in Ireland_. An eighth account is in Colonel O'Neill's journal, _ib._ iii. 204. A ninth--not the least valuable--is in Young's _Old Belfast_, being a translation from the Irish of O'Mellan the Franciscan, who was chaplain to Sir Phelim O'Neill. The Rev. W. T. Latimer, in his _Hist. of Irish Presbyterians_ (Belfast, 1893) identifies the localities from O'Mellan and from his own local knowledge. I have satisfied myself by actual inspection that he is right. A tenth account is in O'Neill's letter (Latin) to Rinuccini printed in _Confederation and War_, v.
[92] Officers of Preston's army to the Supreme Council, July 27, 1646; Ormonde to Preston, August 3, and to Bellings, August 10--all in _Confederation and War_, vi. Rinuccini's _Embassy_, pp. 173, 181, 189; _Bellings_, v. 16; O'Mellan's _Narrative_.