Februarie the Lord Deputie landed in Ireland and there receiued the sword and within few dayes by warrant out of England he granted her Maiesties letters Pattents to Sir George Carew to bee Lord President of Mounster which place liad layen void some few moneths from the death of Sir Thomas Norreys The 27 he receiued aduertisement from the Earle of Ormond Generall of the English forces till his comming ouer that Tyrone was in the West part of Mounster hauing about him not only his owne forces but those of the Rebels of that Prouince which were so great as he had not hitherto power to oppose them but now hauing gathered all the Queenes forces he could make purposed the next morning to set forwards towards him The fifth of March his Lordship receiued aduertisement from other parts that Tyrone could not escape in his returne to the North but either ouer the Riuer Shanon which passage the Earles of Thomond and Clanrickard might easily stop or by the Westward borders of the Pale where if his Lordship would draw his forces to Athboye Mullingar Ballymore and Athlone it was not possible for him to escape them That Tyrone had thus engaged himselfe presuming on the corruption of the State and little expecting his Lordships so sudden comming ouer so as if his Lordship forgaue him this fault he was not like to catch him againe in the like neither could any thing but want of intelligence make his Lordship faile in stopping the returne of Tyrone and his forces into the North. Aduising his Lordship to be wary in crediting intelligences which were commonly false and made of purpose and to expect that besides the knowne enemy and a confused warre he should finde a broken State a dangerous Counsell and false hearted subiects The eight of March the Earle of Ormond sent aduertisement that Tyrone purposed to passe the Riuer Shanon That he had written to the Earle of Thomond to draw towards him that they might oppose his passage but that his Lordship could not performe his order by reason that the Mayor of Leymricke would not afford him carriage for his victuals That Tyrone in scattered Troopes and a cowardly manner hastened his returne and that present day had marched foure and twenty miles without any stay That Sir Warham Sent Leger and Sir Henry Power ioint Commissioners for gouerning of Mounster with the forces vnder their charge had met neere Corke with Hugh Mac Gwter chiefe Lord of Fermanagh in the North and that in the incounter Sir Warham Sent Leger and the said Mac Guire were killed That his Lordship had burned all the Townes where the Traytors might find reliefe and that they vsed the same course towards her Maiesties Subiects The same day the Lord Deputy receiued further aduertisement from Mounster that Tyrone was compassed in by the Earle of Ormond on the one side and the Earle of Thomond on the other and by the Commissioners forces on the third side who ruled the Prouince after the death of Sir Thomas Norreys vntill a Lord President should be chosen for he that was newly sent ouer was yet at Dublyn that the Mayor of Lymbricke had commandement to lay ships and boates to hinder his passage by that Hauen as likewise the Mayor of Galway to interrupt his passage by sea and the Earle of Clanrickard to stop his passage by land through Connaght So as how soeuer he were fiue thousand strong in able men besides many of baser sort yet he being far from any second of Vlster men in whom the chiefe strength of the Rebellion consisted and no way able to returne thither his vtter confusion was confidently hoped But these were onely Irish oftentations of seruice which seldome vse to take effect and many times are not truly intended as the sequell will shew And lest the Lord Deputy should expect faithfull dealing of the English Irish Subiect in the other kind of seruice by supplying the Army of necessaries the nobilitie Gentrie of the very English Pale the same day exhibited a petition to his Lordship to preuent the opinion of disloialtie vpon refusal of such supplies by pretending of disabillitie vpon the great spoyles which aswell the rebels as the English souldiers had made vpon all the inhabitants The Lord Deputie had written a former letter to Master Secretarie in excuse of not reducing the Armie from foureteene thousand foote to twelue thousand according to the new Establishment aswell because the same was to begin the first of Februarie which his Lordship could not effect since he arriued not in Ireland vntill the twentie sixe of the same moneth as also because the Army was presently farre diuided the greater part thereof being with the Earle of Ormond and for that whensoeuer they returned the discharged Companies must presently bee reduced into some other or else so many men and Armes should bee meerely lost as the Lords Iustices had lately found by experience when determining to cast a Company of one hundred and fiftie being by Pole a hundred of the oldest and best souldiers with purpose next day to deliuer them to other Captaines vpon the diuulging thereof onely three of the whole Company with their Armes could be found to be so transmitted To this letter formerly written and perswading that the two thousand might still be continued in pay his Lordship receiued the following answere from her Maiestie dated the fifteenth of March. Elizabeth Regina ALthough we haue vpon your earnest request in whose affection and duty we doe repose trust and confidence yeelded to the continuance of fourteene thousand foot for some small time both because we conceiue that according to your reasons it will giue good assurance to the Plantation of Loughfoyle and the reduction of Lemster and preuent the present terror which this proud attempt of Tyrones to passe ouer all the Kingdome hath stricken into the hearts of all our Subiects and would increase if we should presently haue abated our numbers yet must welet you know that we doe expect at your hands and doe determine that assoone as the present bruites are passed you shall diminish the same by little and little hereafter according to our first determination for we haue had too good proofe of that gouernement as not to know and discerne that all the mischiefes of our seruice haue growne most by lacke of discretion and order by vaine iournies whilst better opportunities haue beene lost by vndiscreet carriages of all secret purposes by placing Captaines of small merit or experience and which is aboue all by nourishing the Irish who are snakes in our bosomes whilst we hold them and when they are out doe conuert vpon our selues the experience and strength they haue gotten by our making them to be Souldiers And therefore you shall vnderstand now that although we haue beene content to grace some such as are of noble houses and such others as haue drawne blood on the Rebels with charge of Companies yet we find it now growne
to a common opinion that it is as good to be a Rebell as a Subiect for Rebels find and feele it that they shall be hired euen with whole companies in our pay onely to forbeare doing harme and not for hauing done any such seruice as may make them irreconciliable And further we see that others that are in pay in their owne Countrey are so farre from doing seruice on their neighbours that are out as when they tarry in for a shew they are the chiefest meanes vnder hand to helpe the rebels with such powder and munition as to our no small charge we put into their hands to be vsed against them In this point therefore we command you henceforth to bee considerate and not to be induced to put such in pay as spend our treasure onely to their owne aduantage vpon this supposition or bragge of theirs that they must runne to the enemies if they be not entertained for when we consider the effects that are deriued from our charges to haue so many foote and horse of the Irish entertained onely to saue their owne Cowes and Countries we are of opinion so they went not with our Armes to the Rebels that it were better seruice for vs to saue our treasure then to pay for their bodies seeing they that liue by the warre better then they should doe in peace intend nothing lesse then our seruice And therefore we command you not onely to raise no more when these shall be decaied but to keepe them vnsupplied that are already and as they waste to Casse their bands for we can neuer allow of this entertainement of them Whilst you are forced to keep the 2000. men for our seruice you may keepe the Captaines vncassed but not giue any warrant to them to supply their Companies with any more Irish. We doe also require you that you doe seeke by all meanes possible where the Irish are entertained to vse their seruice as farre from their owne Countries as may be wherein we pray you especially to take care in the Prouince of Connaght where there are so many Irish bands together and rather to draw some of them to serue else where and send English in their stead This shall serue for the present to answere your dispatch wherein we doe write to you whom we know to loue our Commandements more directly in this point of our desire to haue our charge abated then we doe to you and the Counsell together because we would haue them apprehend seeing you thinke such an opinion would be good that our Army shall not be so soone abated as we hope you will wherein notwithstanding we doe referre things to your discretion whom we will trust with the charge of 2000. men seeing we haue committed to you our whole Kingdome c. His Lordship in a second dispatch to Master Secretary had written that Tyrone hauing passed through the Pale into Mounster with some one thousand fiue hundred horse and foote of such sort as so many of the Queenes worst men were able to encounter them was now in Mounster with an Army of 4 thousand in reputation and was there attended by the Queenes Army of three thousand foote and three hundred horse commaunded by the Earle of Ormond so as onely the dregges of the Queenes Army were now neare him out of which notwithstanding he hoped to bee able to draw one thousand fiue hundred foote and three hundred horse and therewith to make head against Tyrone at his returne but in regard the Plantation of Loughfoyle and Ballyshannon were presently commanded him whether Sir Henrie Dockura was to ship three thousand out of England and another thousand were to be shipped from Dublin these one thousand being part of the men he was to draw against Tyrone be durst not leade them farre from the Sea and so might perhaps be forced to loose good occasion of seruice whereas if these things had been left to his discretion hee would haue deferred the Plantation of Ballishannon to a time of more safety and with these one thousand men and their munition to bee sent thither would now attend Tyrone in his passage with so great aduantage as he was not likely to finde hereafter and if he escaped would presently haue put himselfe in the head of the Earle of Ormonds Troopes to prosecute him into the North and would further haue aduised Sir Henrie Dockwra in his passage from Chester to Loughfoyle to descend at Carickfergus and thence to take fiue hundred old souldiers leauing so many new in their roome To this dispatch his Lordship receiued the Queenes gratious answere by a letter dated the sixteenth of this moneth wherein allowing his beginnings and approuing his reasons the forbearing presently to plant Ballishannon and the ordering of Loughfoyle Plantation and the disposing of Garrisons aptly for the defence of such as in that case offered to returne to due obedience were all freely left to his Lordships discretion with promise to make good construction of his actions being confident that they had no other obiect but loyali seruice The Lord Deputie hauing drawne as many together as hee could about Mullingar to lye for Tyrone in his returne out of Mounster receiued aduertisement the fifteenth of this present that Tyrone hearing of his preparations to meete him had left a thousand Connaght rogues to assist Desmond and some eight hundred men with Richard Butler and hauing made Captaine Tirrell chiefe commander of all the Lemster Rebels was stolne out of Mounster with sixe hundred in his company and had passed the Enney and so escaped into the North. Whereupon the Lord Deputie the same day writ to the Earle of Ormond to send backe from Mounster the forces hee had drawne thither out of Lemster and with all sent him her Maiesties letters importing thankes for the seruice hee had done and her desire that hee would still hold the place of Lieutenant of the Armie In the acceptance whereof the Lord Deputie professed that hee should esteeme himselfe much honoured and would be ready after putting off the person which now was imposed on him with much contentment to be commaunded by his Lordship The same time the Lord Deputie aduertised Master Secretarie that his intelligence had been so bad not onely in false reports of Tyrones purposes but also in the relation of the Forces he had with him to bee farre greater then indeede they were by which intelligence of false hearted subiects to discourage the Queenes Forces the Rebels vsed to preuaile more then by fighting and now hoped to discourage him at his first comming from any present attempt against Tyrones returne as in one and the same day hee first heard together of Tyrones looking back out of Mounster comming into Leymster and passing ouer the Enney and the next day being assured of his escape hee then receiued the first intelligence the former letters of the eight of March being not till then deliuered that euer came to his hands from the Earle
owne troopes were like to spoile these Countries and our men sent to Loughfoyle should plant themselues with more case shortly be able to spoile both Tyrone and Odonnels Country For Lemster a thousand foot and a hundred horse were to draw into Ophalia to build vp the Togher to victuall the Fort of Phillipstone and to spoile the Connors Macgoghegans Omoloyes and Mac Coghlins This done it was concluded these forces should passe into Leex thereto attend direction or if that passage were difficult then to returne the way they went and by the way to send for further direction And to further the last prosecution the O Carrols were commanded at the same time to innade the Omoloyes and the Lord of Delain and Sir Francis Shane were to meet and ioyne with the Lord Dunkellin in Mac Coghlins Countrey and thereto inuade the neighbour Rebels The third of Aprill the Lord Deputy aduertised Master Secretary that the Queene had few Subiects in Ireland of any sort who had not either some kinde of intelligence with Tyrone or had not framed their hearts that way whereof the whole Pale made sufficient ouerture by a petition lately deliuered and by their contestation at the Counsell Table That the old Earle of Clanrickard at Tyrones going into Mounster had taken day with him till May next to declare himselfe on that party But that the Lord of Dunkellin his eldest soone hated by his younger brother whom the father esteemed much aboue him gaue him great confidence of his firme alleagiance who supecting his fathers disposition that way had taken occasion by repairing to Dublin and after going for England to put himselfe as a gage and bridle to his fathers proceedings Concluding that 〈◊〉 the Lord Deputy had taken order for securing the Castle of Athlone but that all his hope of keeping the Prouince of Connaght in obedience was in the Lord of Dunkellins honesty Neither was the Lord Deputy deceiued in this worthy Lord who 〈◊〉 during his fathers life so from his death happening within few moneths to the end of the warre serued the Queene as nobly valiantly and faithfully as any nobleman or gentleman in the army The Lord Deputy explaned the danger of the Irish Commanders and Companies yet for the time shewed the remedy to be more dangerous then the disease protesting that her Maiesty could not take a more unprofitable way to satisfie the Irish sutors then by giuing them Companies His Lordship further aduertised Master Secretary that vpon Tyrones retiring out of Mounster into the North in manner of a fearefull flight he the Lord Deputy had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Earle of Ormond such Companies as were not appointed for Mounster and vpon their arriuall to Athye had sent Sir Richard Moryson to take possession of the gouernement of Leau and Sir Oliuer Lambert to leade and bring backe the forces sent with victuals to relieue the Fort called Mariabourg of Queene Mary seituate in Leax otherwise called the Queenes County which fort being before in extreame 〈◊〉 now he had supplied for three moneths That he had imployed Brimingham who had about that time submitted himselfe to the Queenes mercy to put in some Cowes into the Fort of Ophaly That he purposed to prosecute the Rebels in Lemster with one thousand foote and a hundred horse and to lodge the rest in garrisons vpon the North so as on the sudden he might diuert Tyrone from resisting our present plantation at Loughfoyle That hee would presently send a thousand old souldiers from Dublyn to Loughfoyle and likewise with them such as were to lie in garrison at Ballishannon vnder the command of Sir Matthew Morgan but that for some difficulties they could not yet be setled there yet lying at Loughfoyle in the meane time might doe seruice and alwaies be ready to be sent thither That Tyrones confederates were discouraged at his fearefull retreat into the North which could not haue beene greater if he had beene broken with an Army For after an vnreasonable dayes march hearing of the Lord Deputies drawing towards him within one houre of his sitting downe he did presently rise againe at seuen a clocke in the night and being assaulted by some of our scattered bands still marched leauing to the sword as many of his men as were ingaged and leauing or leesing all his carriages so as now almost euery day the heads of some rebels or others were sent him and many seruices were of late done as therecouery of a prey by the garrison at the Naas with the killing of many Rebels and the defeat of one hundred and forty Rebels by Sir Francis Shane whereof forty fiue were killed and of them some foureteene with his owne hand And the Rebels of Lemster daily made meanes to be receiued to mercy Onely the Townes were the stores of the Rebels and stood so saucily vpon their priuiledges as a sharpe rod and strong hand were requisite to amend them For which cause his Lordship aduised that the Castle of Lymerik might be repaired to bridle that Town which seemed of more importance then any other City of that Kingdome whatsoeuer That the dispairing rebels were by Tirones cunning raised to some hopes by two ships lately come into the North out of Spaine which brought the rebels some munition and either assurance of great and present succours or Tyrone at least so vsed their comming to his purpose as the rebels beleeued such aussrance was giuen Besides many Priests came in those ships of which one termed himselfe the Popes Legat and Leger Ambassadour for the King of Spaine and Archbishop of Dublin giuing out that he was content to suffer death if he preached not in Dublyn before Michaelmas day Whereupon the Rebels beganne to auow themselues the King of Spaines subiects and onely the expectation of Loughfoyle garrison together with the doubt of these succours kept the very Pale from the boldnes to professe the same Lastly his Lordship vehemently complained that her Maiesty by absolute command disposed of charges in that Kingdome so as he could neither pleasure his owne friends nor reward her Maiesties best seruants yea that hauing already giuen the gouernement of Leax to Sir Richard Moryson a friend whom he confessed especially to loue and whom he would vndertake to beas worthy in his profession as any of his time or any the Queene had in that Kingdome now by the Lords Letters signifying her Maiesties pleasure he was forced to his friends and his owne disgrace to conferre the place on another and in conclusion besought her Maiesty in such recommendations to leaue them somewhat to his choice promising to execute them or else to yeeld great reason to the contrary The sixth of Aprill the Lord Deputy aduertised Master Secretary that the Earle of Ormond was gone from Dublyn to his Country hauing made great complements of affection to her Maiesties seruice yet it was apparant that either he was growne weaker in iudgement or worse affected to the Queenes seruice then
in that it was made cōtrary to her Maiesties aduised resolution agreed vpon by her Counsel and approued by her martial men as the only means to reduce Ireland and contrary to the Earles own proiect yea that without the aduice of the Counsel of Ireland also as appeared by a letter of theirs vnder their hands though now the Earle pretended their aduice for his owne xcuse wherupon followed the harro wing out and the weakning of the royallest Army that euer went out of England the wasting of that huge expence and the ouerthrow of the whole action The third point viz. the making of Knights was urged to haue beene contrary to her Maiesties expresse commandement a question being once made whether he should haue that authoritie or no because he had abused it before yet the same being at the last granted with this limitation giuen him in charge that he should make but few and those men of good ability whereas he made to the number of threescore and those some of his meniall seruants yea that in a most vnseasonable time when things were at the worst which should haue been done vpon victorie and triumph onely The fourth point namely his conference with the Rebell was agrauated in that it was an equall and secret conference dishonourable to her Maiestie for him that sustained her royall person to conferre in equall sort with the basest and vilest traytor that euer liued a bush Kerne and base sonne of a Black-smith suspicious also in that it was priuate and secret no man suffered to approch but especially no English man the end of the conference most shamefull that the wretched traytor should prescribe conditions to his Soueraigne abominable and odious conditions a publike tolleration of Idolatrous religion pardon for himselfe and all the traytors in Ireland and full restitution of lands and possessions to all the sort of them It was added that before this parley a messenger went secretly from the Earles Campe to the traytor viz. Captaine Thomas Leigh if not sent by the Earle at least by his conniuency at least by the conniuencie of the Marshall whom the Earle did not punish Lastly the fifth point was vrged to be intollerably presumptuous contrary to her Maiesties expresse commandement in writing vnder the seale of her priuy signet charging him vpō his dutie not to return vntil he heard further from her that this his returne was also exceeding dangerous in that he left the Army diuided vnto two diuers men the Earle of Ormond and the Lord Chauncellor men whom himselfe had excepted against as vnfit for such a trust and that he so left this Army as that if God his prouidence had not been the greater the ruine and losse of the whole Kingdome had ensued thereupon This was the summe of the accusation euery part interlaced with most sharpe and bitter rhetoricall amplifications which I touch not nor am fit to write but the conclusion was whereby a taste of the same may be had that the ingresse was proud and ambitious the progresse disobedient and contemptuous the regresse notorious and dangerous Among other things the Lady Rich her letter to the Queene was pressed with very bitter and hard termes my Lady Rich her letter he termed an insolent saucy malipert action He proposed also in the end a president for the Earles punishment saying he was faine to seeke farre for one gentle enough one William of Britten Earle of Richmond who refusing to come home out of France vpon the Kings letter was adiudged to loose all his goods lands and chattels and to indure perpetuall imprisonment Master Attorney particularly said the following words whereas the Earle in his letter exclameth O tempora O Mores for so I thinke he construed these words of his O hard destiny of mine that I cannot serue the Queene and please her too let me also say with the Orator concerning him Hae Regima intelligit hae Senatus videt hic tamen viuit In the end of his speech Now faith he nothing remaineth but that wee inquire quo animo all this was done Before my Lord went into Ireland he vaunted and boasted that hee would sight with none but the Traytor himselfe he would pull him by the cares out of his den hee would make the Earle tremble vnder him c. But when he came thither then no such matter hee goes another way it appeareth plainely he meant nothing lesse then to fight with Tyrone This was the effect of Master Attorneys part Master Solliciter his speech followed which contained the vnhappy successe which ensued in Ireland after the Earles departure whereby appeared how little good the Earle had done in that the Traitor was growne much more confident more insolent and strongerthen euer he was before as appeared principally by his declaration which he hath giuen out since the Earles departure vaunting that he is the vpholder of the Catholike faith and Religion that whereas it was giuen out by some that hee would follow the Earle of Essex into England hee would perhaps shortly appeare in England little to Englands good many things he added to that purpose After him Sir Francis Bacon concluded the accusation with a very eloquent speech First by way of Preface signifying that he hoped both the Earle himselfe and all that heard him would consider that the particular bond of duty which he then did and euer would acknowledge to owe vnto the Earle was now to be sequestred and laied aside Then did he notably extoll her Maiesties singular grace and mercy whereof he said the Earle was a singular work in that vpon his humble sute shee was content not to prosecute him in her Court of Iustice the Starre-chamber but according to his owne earnest desire to remoue that cup from him those he said were the Earles own words in his Letter and now to suffer his cause to be heard Inter priuatos partetes by way of mercy and fauour onely where no manner of disloyalty was laide to his charge for quoth he if that had beene the question this had not beene the place Afterwards passing along most eloquently through the Earles iourney into Ireland hee came to charge him with two points not spoken of before The first was a Letter written by the Earle vnto my Lord Keeper very boldly and presumptuously in derogation to her Maiesty which letter he also said was published by the Earles own friends The points of the letter which he stood vpon were these No tempest to the passionate indignation of a Prince as if her Maiesty were deuoid of reason carried away with passion the onely thing that ioineth man and beast together Her Maiesties heart is obdurate he would not say that the Earle meant to compare her absolutely to Pharaoh but in this particular onely which must needs be very odious Cannot Princes erre Cannot Subiects suffer wrong as if her Maiesty had lost her vertues of iudgement Iustice c. Farre be it from me quoth he
to attribute diuine properties to mortal Princes yet this I must truly say that by the Commō Law of England a Prince can doe no wrong The last point of that Letter was a distinction of the duty a subiect oweth to his Prince that the duty of Allegiance is the onely indossolueble duty what then quoth he is the duty of gratitude what the duty of obedience c. The second point of Master Bacons accusation was that a certaine dangerous seditious Pamphlet was of late put forth into print concerning the first yeeres of the raigne of Henry the fourth but indeed the end of Richard the second and who thought fit to be Patron of that booke but my Lord of Essex who after the booke had beene out a weeke wrote a cold formall letter to my Lord of Canterbury to call it in againe knowing belike that forbidden things are most sought after This was the effect of his speech The spetiall points of the whole accusation were afterwards proued by the Earles owne Letters by some of her Maiesties Letters and the Counsels and by the letter of the Earle of Ormond and others of the Counsell of Ireland openly red by the Clerke of the Counsell The accusation ended the Earle kneeling beganne to speake for himselfe in effect thus much That euer since it pleased her gracious Maiestie to remoue that cup from him which he acknowledged to haue beene at his humble sute and to change the course of proceeding against him which was intended in the Starre-chamber he laied aside all thought of iustifying himselfe in any of his actions and that therefore he had now resolued with himselfe neuer to make any contestation with his Soueraigne that he had made a diuorce betwixt himselfe and the World if God and his Soueraigne would giue him leaue to hold it that the inward sorrow and afflictions which he had laied vpon his soule priuately betwixt God and his conscience for the great offence against her Maiesty was more then any outward crosse or affliction that could possibly befall him That he would neuer excuse himselfe neither a toto nor a tanto from whatsoeuer crimes of errour negligence or inconsiderate rashnes which his youth folly or manifold infirmities might leade him into onely he must euer professe a loyall faithfull vnspotted heart vnfained affection and desire euer to doe her Maiesty the best seruice he could which rather then he would lose he would if Christianity and Charity did permit first teare his heart out of his breast with his owne hands But this alwaies preserued vntouched he was most willing to confesse and acknowledge whatsoeuer errours and faults it pleased her Maiesty to impute vnto him The first part of his speech drew plenty of teares from the eyes of many of the hearers for it was vttered with great passion and the words excellently ordered and it might plainely appeare that he had intended to speake no more for himselfe But being touched as it seemed with the ouersharpe speeches of his accusers he humbly craued of their Lordships that whereas he had perceiued many rhetoricall inferences and insinuations giuen out by his accusers which might argue a disloyall malicious wicked and corrupt affection in him they would giue him leaue not in any sort to excuse himself but only by way of explanation to lay downe vnto them those false guides which had deceiued him and led him into all his errours and so he entered into a kind of answering Master Atturnies speech from point to point in order alleaging for the point of his large Commission for pardoning treason against her Maiesties person that it was a thing he had learned of Master Attourney himselfe onely to meete with the rebels curiosity which had an opinion that all treason in Ireland might be interpreted treason against her Maiesties person and therefore would trust no pardon without that clause That in making the Earle of Southampton Generall of the Horse the deceiueable guide which misled him was an opinion that her Maiesty might haue beene satisfied with those reasons which moued him as also with those reasons which he had alleaged in his letters for continuance of him in the place but that after he perceiued her Maiesties mind plainely in her second letter he displaced him the next day For his iourney into Mounster hee alleaged diuers things principally that the time of the yeere would not serue for an Vlster iourney and then the aduice of the Counsel there which he protested to alleage not to excuse himselfe but rather to accuse his owne errours and the errours of the Counsellors in Ireland and whereas some of them to excuse themselues and charge him the deeper had now written the contrary to the Counsell he protested deepely that therein they had dealt most falsely and it seemeth saith he that God his iust reuenge hath ouertaken two of them already the Earle of Ormond by blindnesse and Sir Warham St Leger by violent death For his making of Knights he alleaged the necessity and straights he was driuen vnto that being the onely way he had to retaine the voluntaries the strength and pride of the Army that he made but two of his seruants and those men of speciall desert and good ability that he thought his seruice ought not to be any barre against them for the receiuing thereward of their deserts But before he had thus waded through halfe his answer my Lord Keeper interrupted him and told him that this was not the course that was like to doe him good that he beganne very well in submitting himselfe vnto her Maiesties mercy and pardon which he with the rest of the Lords were glad to heare and no doubt but her Princely and Gracious nature was by that way most like to be inclined to him that all extenuating of his oferice was but the extenuating of her Maiesties mercy in pardoning that he with all the rest of the Lords would cleere him of all suspition of disloyalty and therefore hemight doe well to spare the rest of his speech and saue time and commit himselfe to her Maiesties mercy And when the Earle replied that it might appeare by that hedge which he diligently put to all his answers that he spake nothing but only to cleere himselfe from a malicious corrupt affection My Lord Keeper told him againe that if thereby he meant the crime of disloyalty it was that which he needed not to feare he was not charged with it as the place course taken against him might warrant all that was now laied vnto him was contempt and disobedience And if he intended to perswade them that he had disobeyed indeed but not with a purpose of disobeying that were friuilous and absurd Then my Lord Treasurer beganne to speake and cleering the Earle from suspition of disloyalty did very soundly controll diuers of his other excuses After him Master Secretary making a Preface why he spake before his turne by reason of his place tooke the matter in hand
Marshall of England nor of the Master of the Ordinance and to returne to his owne house there to continue a prisoner as before till it shall please her Maiesty to release both this and all the rest After my Lord Keeper all the rest in order gaue their censures amplifying her Maiesties clemency and the Earles offences according to the manner in the Starre-chamber but all accorded to this censure for so they called it and not a sentence Master Secretary said my censure is that the Earle deserueth c. The greater part of the day was spent in the Lords censures who were many of them very long onely the noble men not Counsellors were short The Earle of Worcester cited these two verses Scilicet a Superis etiam fortuna luenda est Nec veniant laeso numine casus hahet Euen for our fortune Gods may cast vs downe Neither can chance excuse it a God frowne The Earle of Cumberland said if he thought that censure should stand he would craue longer time for it seemed vnto him somewhat hard and heauy intimating how easily a Generall Commander might incurre the like but quoth hee in confidence of her Maiesties mercy I agree with the rest The Lord Zouch would giue no other censure but that which he thought the Earle would lay vpon himselfe that was that he wonld restraine himselfe from executing his Offices c. and keepe himselfe in his house till her Maiesty shall release all They all seemed by their speeches to conceiue a sure hope of her Maiesties releasing this censure and the Earle was reasonably chearefull onely his body seemed weake and distempered with sickenesse and now and then he shewed most manifest tokens of sorrow for his offence to her Maiesty by teares in his eyes specially in the first part of his owne speech and when my Lord Keeper spake Now I returne to the Irish affaires Tyrone on the fifth of Iune wrote to the Countesse of Ormond that he had written to Owny mac Rory requesting him to take pledges for the Earle her husband and so to inlarge him conditionally that he should sweare to doe henceforward no hurt or hinderance to any in action with him And further that the young Lady his mistresse meaning the Earles daughter and heire should in no sort be taken for a pledge especially because it was giuen out that vnder that colour he sought to marry her to his eldest sonne Auowing lastly that where it was said that the Earle was treacherously surprised which could hardly haue beene so proued that Tyrone and his rebellious confederates should haue belceued it he would in that case not onely take his fauour from Owny but procure the Earles inlargement without any condition though by his release all Ireland should be destroied To the same effect Tyrone writ to the Earle of Ormond whose Letter he sauced with generall complaints against the Earle for the rigorous prosecutions he had formerly made against him and his associates but this letter being permitted to be sent to Dublyn the said point could not be thought void of that cunning wherein the writer excelled A third Letter he wrote at the same time to Owny mac Rory making Owny himselfe Iudge whether hee had treacherously taken the Earle or no aduising him to take the best pledges he could the aboue named young Lady excepted and for more security to send them to be kept in Tyrone if he concurred with him in opinion that his so doing would be more safe then if Owny himselfe should keepe them in those parts These Letters he dated forsooth from his Campe neere the Newry so gallant was the Gentleman now the Lord Deputy was returned with his forces into the Pale who otherwise neuer appeared in Campe but hid himselfe and his in boggy woods and like fortified passages The eight of Iune the Lord Deputy wrote to Master Secretary concerning the state of Connaght wherein nothing was surely the Queenes but Athlone by a prouident guard and Galloway by their owne good disposition wishing that the gouernement of that Prouince might be conferred on the Earle of Southampton to whom the Lord of Dunkellin would more willingly resigne and might doe it with greater reputation to himselfe in respect of the Earles greatnes rather then vpon Sir Arthur Sauage who notwithstanding vpon the Queenes pleasure againe signified was shortly after made Gouernour of that Prouince His Lordship protested that it was such a place as he knew the Earle would not seeke but onely himselfe desired this because he knew the Earles aptnes and willingnes to doe the Queene seruice if he might receiue such a token of her fauour iustly commending his valour and wisdome as well in generall as in the late particular seruice in the Moyry when the Rere being left naked he by a resolute charge with sixe horse vpon Tyrone in the head of 220. Horse droue him back a musket shot and so assuring the Rere saued the honour of the Queenes Army To which purpose though not so amply his Lordship also wrote to the Queene At this time the County of Dublyn on the South of the Riuer Liffr was in effect wholly ouerrunne by the Rebels the County of Kildare was likewise possessed or wasted by them The County of Meath was wasted as also the County of West Meath excepting the Barrony of Deluin and the County of Louth So that in the English Pale the Townes hauing Garrisons and the Lands from Drogheda or Tredagh to the Nauan and thence backe to Trym and so to Dublyn were onely inhabited which were also like to grow waste if they were further charged with the souldiers The fifteenth of Iune the Lord Deputy wrote to Sir Arthur Chichester Gouernour of Carickfergus that he should not spare the subiects lately submitting who protected the rebels goods that he should receiue no more but such as would simply submit and giue good pledges neither should giue pay to any except he knew their seruice would be very beneficiall to the Queene that he should continue to treat with the Ilander Scots till aduice came out of England what course should be taken with them That he should take in Shane Oneale with promise of lands and entertainement and promise that for preyes hee should take of the Rebels if the English assisted him he should haue a third part and if he tooke them without the assistance of the English he should haue three parts of foure The nineteenth of Iune the Lord Deputy aduertised Master Secretary that he was more troubled to gouerne the friends then to suppresse the enemies That finding the Army a meere Chaos he had giuen it forme That finding it without spirit he had giuen it life That in all attempts hee had preserued the whole body of it and euery part from any blow restored the reputation of it and possessed it with a disposition to vndertake a likelihood to effect great seruices That he had omitted nothing which might be performed by this
CONTAINING HIS TEN YEERES TRAVELL THROVGH THE TWELVE DOMJNIONS OF Germany Bohmerland Sweitzerland Netherland Denmarke Poland Jtaly Turky France England Scotland and Ireland Diuided into III Parts THE I. PART Containeth a Iournall through all the said twelue Dominions Shewing particularly the number of miles the soyle of the Country the situation of Cities the descriptions of them with all Monuments in each place worth the seeing as also the rates of hiring Coaches or Horses from place to place with each daies expences for diet horse-meate and the like THE II. PART Containeth the Rebellion of Hugh Earle of Tyrone and the appeasing thereof written also in forme of a Iournall THE III. PART Containeth a Discourse vpon seuerall Heads through all the said seuerall Dominions AT LONDON Printed by John Beale dwelling in Aldersgate street 1617. HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE WITH the Kings Maiesties full and sole Priuiledge to the Author Fynes Moryson Gent. his Executors Administrators Assignes and Deputies for 21 yeeres next ensuing to cause to be imprinted and to sell assigne and dispose to his or their best benefit this Booke and Bookes as well in the English as in the Latin tongue as well these three Parts finished as one or two Parts more thereof not yet finished but shortly to be perfected by him Sraitly forbidding any other during the said yeeres to imprint or cause to be imprinted to import vtter or sell or cause to be imported vttered or sold the said Booke or Bookes or any part thereof within any of his Maiesties Dominions vpon paine of his Maiesties high displeasure and to forfet three pounds lawfull English money for euery such Booke Bookes or any part thereof printed imported vttered or sold contrary to the meaning of this Priuiledge besides the forfeture of the said Book Books c. as more at large appeareth by his Maiesties Letters Patents dated the 29 of Aprill in the fifteenth yeere of his Maiesties raigne of England France and Ireland and of Scotland the fiftieth To the Right Honourable VVJLLJAM EARLE OF PEMBROKE Lord Chamberlaine of his Maiesties Houshold one of his Maiesties most Honourable Priuie Counsell and Knight of the most noble Order of the GARTER c. Right Honourable SInce I had the happinesse imputed to Salomons Seruants by the Queene of Sheba to stand sometimes before You an eye and eare witnes of your Noble conuersation with the worthy Earle of Deuonshire my deceased Lord and Master I euer admired your vertues and much honoured your Person And because it is a thing no lesse commendable gladly to receiue fauours from men of eminent worth then with like choice to tender respect and seruice to them I being now led by powerfull custome to seeke a Patron for this my Worke and knowing that the weakest frames need strongest supporters haue taken the boldnes most humbly to commend it to your Honours protection which vouchsafed it shall triumph vnder the safegard of that massy shield and my selfe shall not only acknowledge this high fauour with humblest thankefulnesse but with ioy imbrace this occasion to auow myselfe now by publike profession as I haue long been in priuate affection Your Honours most humble and faithfull seruant FYNES MORYSON To the Reader FOr the First Part of this Worke it containes only a briefe narration of daily iournies with the rates of Coaches or Horses hired the expences for horses and mans meat the soyle of the Country the situation of Townes and the descriptions thereof together with all things there worthy to be seene which Treatise in some obscure places is barren and vnpleasant espetially in the first beginning of the worke but in other places I hope you will iudge it more pleasant and in some delightfull inducing you fauorably to dispence with the barrennes of the former inserted only for the vse of vnexperienced Trauellers passing those waies Againe you may perhaps iudge the writing of my daily expences in my iournies to be needles vnprofitable in respect of the continuall change of prices and rates in all Kingdoms but they can neuer be more subiect to change then the affaies of Martiall and ciuill Policie In both which the oldest Histories serue vs at this day to good vse Thirdly and lastly touching the First Part of this VVorke when you read my expences in vnknowne Coynes you may iustly require the explaning of this obscurity by expression of the values in the English Coynes But I pray you to consider that the adding of these seuerall values in each daies iourny had been an Herculean labour for auoiding whereof I haue first set before the First Part a briefe Table expressing the value of the small Coynes most commonly spent and also haue expresly particularly for each Dominion and most part of the Prouinces set downe at large how these values answer the English Coynes in a Chapter written of purpose to satisfie the most curious in this point namely the fifth Chapter of the third Booke being the last of this First Part in which Chapter also I haue briefly discoursed of the best means to exchange monies into forraigne parts Touching the VVorke in generall I wil truly say that I wrote it swiftly and yet slowly This may seeme a strange Riddle and not to racke your wit with the interpretation my selfe will expound it I wrote it swiftly in that my pen was ready and nothing curious as may appeare by the matter and stile and I wrote it slowly in respect of the long time past since I viewed these Dominions and since I tooke this worke in hand So as the VVorke may not vnfitly bee compared to a nose-gay of flowers hastily snatched in many gardens and with much leasure vet carelesly and negligently bound together The snatching is excused by the haste necessary to Trauellers desiring to see much in short time And the negligent binding in true iudgement needs no excuse affected curiositie in poore subiects being like rich imbroidery laid vpon a frize ierken so as in this case onely the trifling away of mxch time may bee imputed to my ignorance dulnes or negligence if my iust excuse be not heard in the rendering whereof I must craue your patience During the life of the worthy Earle of Deuonshire my deceased Lord I had little or no time to bestow in this kind after his deth I lost fully three yeers labor in which I abstracted the Histories of these 12 Dominiōs thorow which I passed with purpose to ioyne them to the Discourses of the seuerall Commonwealths for illustration and ornament but when the worke was done and I found the bulke there of to swel then I chose rather to suppresse them then to make my gate bigger then my Citie And for the rest of the yeers I wrote at leasure giuing like a free and vnhired workeman much time to pleasure to necessary affaires and to diuers and long distractions If you consider this and with all remember that the worke is first written in Latine
the Lord Deputy as the Irish say did greedily seeke to get into his hands but surely he pretended the Queenes seruice as may appeare by a commission by which he first assaied to sease the same This not taking any effect he tooke a iourney himselfe into those parts with charge to the Queene and Countrey as they said and that in an vnseasonable time of the yeere after Allhallontide Where altogether failing of his purpose he brought thence with him as prisoners two of the best affected Gentlemen to the State in those parts whom he deemed to possesse the greatest part of those riches namely Sir Owen mac Tooly father in law to the Earle of Tyrone who had long enioied a yeerely pension of one hundred pound from the Queene and had kept Odonnel in a good course of opposition against Tyrlogh Lynnogh Oneale and Sir Iohn Odogherty of Vlster Lords best affected to the English Wherof the first refusing as they obiect to pay for his inlargement continued prisoner til the beginning of Sir William Russels gouernement who in pitty discharged him but the old gentlemens heart was first broken so as shortly after he died The second was released after two yeeres restraint not without paying for his liberty as the Irish say At this hard vsage of those two Vlster gentlemen all the great men of the Irish especially in those Northerne parts did much repine In the moneth of May 1590 the Earle of Tyrone came into England where he was after an easie manner restrained of his liberty because he came without the Lord Deputies Licence which fault repaired by his submission he was freed of his restraint In the moneth of Iune the Earle agreed before the Lords to enter bonds with good sureties of the Pale to keepe peace with all his Neighbours namely Sir Tirlogh Lynuogh who since the renouncing the title of Oneale and yeelding at the Queenes intercession the gouernement of those parts to the Earle was Knighted and at his returne to put in pledges to be chosen by the Lord Deputy and Counsell for more assurance hereof and of his loyalty as also the performance of certaine Articles signed by him Prouided that the pledges should not lie in the Castle but with some gentlemen in the Pale or Merchants in Dublyn and might be changed euery three moneths during her Maiesties pleasure The Articles were to this effect To continue loyall and keepe the peace To renounce the title of Oneale and all intermedling with the Neighbour Lords That Tyrone should be limited and made a shire or two with Gaoles to be built for holding of Sessions Not to foster with any neighbour Lord or any gentleman out of his Countrey not to giue aid to the Iland and Irish-Scots nor take any of them That if for his defence he needed forces he shall leuy none out of his Countrey without speciall licence of the State in which case he might haue English bands To conclude with the Lord Deputy within ten moneths about acomposition of rents and seruices to her Maiesty for all his Countrey according to the aboue mentioned composition of Connaght made in the yeere 1577. Not to impose any exactions without licence of the State on his Country aboue ordinary except it be for necessary forces for his defence and that also with licence Not to make any roades into Neighbour Countreys except they be within fiue dayes after a prey taken That none of the Countrey receiue any stelths from Neighbour-Countreys nor steale from them but he to bring forth the theeues or driue them out of Tyrone That he execute no man except it be by Commission from the Lord Deputy vnder the broad seale for martial law and that to be limitted That his Troope of 50 horse in her Maiesties pay be kept compleat for her seruice and that besides he answer arising out at euery generall hosting That he meddle not with spirituall liuings nor lay any charge on them Not to maintaine any 〈◊〉 or Friers in his Countrey Not to haue intelligence with forraine traytors That he take no blacke rent of any Neighbours To cause the wearing of English apparell and that none of his men weare glibbes or long haire That he answere for his brother Tyrlogh Mac Henry Captaine of the Fewes That in time of necessity he sell victuall to the Fort of Blacke-water These he promised to performe vpon his honour before the Lords in England and that his pledges to be put in should lie for performance of them to his power And order was giuen that all the Neighbour Lords should be drawne to like conditions that so they might not spoile Tyrone In the moneth of Iuly 1590 Con mac Shane that is the son of Shane O neale accused Hugh Earle of Tyrone of many practices to make himselfe great in the North and that after the wrecke of the aboue named Spaniards he conspired with those which fell into his hands about a league with the King of Spaine to aid him against the Queene These Articles the Earle answered before the Lords in England denying them and auowing the malice of Con to proceed of her Maiesties raising him to be Earle of Tyrone and Cons desire to vsurpe the name of Oneale as his father had done which name be laboured to extinguish He could haue spoken nothing more pleasing to this State as he well knew and therefore his answere was approued But the euent shewed his dissembling for within two or three yeeres Sir Tyrlogh Lynnogh died and then the Earle tooke this title of Oneale to himselfe which was treason by act of Parliament in Ireland still excusing himselfe subtilly that he tooke it vpon him left some other should vsurpe it promising to renounce it yet beseeching that he might not be vrged to promise it vpon oath Camden affirmes that Hugh ne-Gauelocke bastard to Shane O neale exhibited these Articles against the Earle who after got him into his hands and caused him to be hanged hardly finding any in regard of the generall reuerence borne to the blood of the Oneals who would doe the office of hangman and that the Queene pardoned the Earle for this fact I doubt not but he writes vpon good ground and I find good warrant for that I write the same to be exhibited by Con mac Shane and both may be reconciled by the exhibiting of the petition by Hugh in the name of Con. Sure I am that the Earle durst neuer enter into rebellion till he had gotten the sons of Shane Oneale to be his prisoners Two of them in this time of Sir William Fitz-williams his gouernement were now in the Castle of Dublyn and if they had beene fastly kept they being true heires of Tyrone before their fathers rebellion would haue been a strong bridle to keepe the Earle in obedience But they together with Phillip Oreighly a dangerous practiser and with the eldest sonne and heire of old Odonnel both imprisoned by Sir Iohn Perrot in his gouernement
the loue of the Irish to Spaine whence some of the are descended the extortions of Sheriffes and sub-Sheriffes buying these places the ill gouernement of the Church among our selues and the admitting Popish Priests among the Irish and many such like And this fier of rebellion now kindled shall be found hereafter to be increased to a deuouring flame by slow slender oppositions to the first erruptions before they had libertie to combine and know their owne strength by not laying hands timely on suspected persons of quality to preuent their combining with the rest especially in Mounster being as yet quiet by intertaining and arming of Irish men a point of high ouersight begun by S r Ioh. Perrot increased by S r Will. Fitz. Williams the present L. Deputy who at the first sending of forces into Formannagh gaue power to certaine Irish men to raise companies which they did of their own Country men so as this ill custome being after continued it both furnished the enemy with trained men and filled our Bands with such false hearted souldiers as some doubted whether we had not better haue them enemies then friends By a Treatie entertained at the very entrance of the Rebellion before any blow was strucken which made the Traytors proud and daunted the hearts of good subiects By ensuing cessations long cotinuing and giuing liberty to the Traytors to strengthen their combination and to arme themselues in forraine parts and at home whereupon all idle and discontented people had opportunitie to draw into Tyrone and the Traytor Earle of Tyrone had meanes to oppresse the bordering Lords of Countries adioyning whereof many feeling once his power some for feare some for loue ioyned with him Besides that the Army in the meane time was not onely an excessiue charge to the Queene but lay idle and in stead of hurting the enemy oppressed the subiect thereby daily driuing many into Rebellion Lastly for I will not more curiously search the causes being not suteable to so briefe a narration as I intend the Rebellion was nourished and increased by nothing more then frequent Protections and Pardons granted euen to those who had formerly abused this mercy so as all entred and continued to bee Rebels with assurance to be receiued to mercy at their pleasure whereof they spared not to brag and this heartened the Rebell no lesse then it discouraged the subiect This present yeere 1594 about the month of August Sir William Fitz-williams the Lord Deputy being recalled into England Sir William Russell tooke the sword About this time Vlster men in open hostility distressed her Maiesties forces and Tyrone so I will hereafter call him deseruing no addition of title hauing long absented himselfe from the State was vndoubtedly reputed a party in their rebellion when his sudden voluntary appearance before this new Lord Deputy at Dublin in the very first moneth of his gouernement made many hope better of him He most assuredly promised al humble obedience to the Queene as well before the State at Dublin in his own person as to the Lords in England by his letters and making his most humble submission to her Maresty besought to be restored to her former Grace from which he had fallen by the lying slanders of his enemies not by any his iust desert The Marshall Sir Henry Bagnoll was then ready to proue before the Lord Deputy Articles of high treason against Tyrone and to auow that he sent mac Guire with his Primate into Connaght That hee had secret intelligence with the Traytors Mac Guire and Odonnell and had communicated counsels with them and gaue them aide in the wasting of Monnaghan and the besieging of Eniskellin by his brother Cormac mac Baron and by Con his owne base son and that he by threats had drawne the Captaines of Kilulto and Kilwarny from their faith and alleageance to the Queene It was in Councell debated whether Tyrone should be staied to answere hereunto and the Lord Deputy was of opinion he should be staied but most of the Counsellers either for idle feare or inclination of loue to Tyrone thought best to dismisse him for that time and the counsell of these as more in number and best experienced in Irish affaires the Lord Deputy followed This much displeased the Queene since this Foxes treasonable practises were now so apparant and her selfe had forewarned that in case he came to the State he should be staied till he had cleered himselfe of all imputed crimes And the Lords in England by their letters thence sharpely reproued the Lord Deputy for so dismissing him which might giue the Rebels iust cause to thinke that they durst not charge him with treason for feare of his forces and their Lordships professed to doubt that Tyrones performance would not be such as might warrant this act The Lord Deputy shortly after tooke the field and leauing for martiall causes the Earle of Ormond for ciuill causes the Lord Chanceller to gouerne Lemster and those parts in his absence drew the forces into Fermannagh that he might releeue Enis-Kellin and expell mac Guire out of his Countrey This winter following it seemes there was some negotiation on both sides about peace For in the moneth of February the Lords of England wrote to the Lord Deputy of her Maiesties dislike of certaine writings sent ouer from Odonnel and Sir Arthur Oneale namely that in their petitions they included the pardon of mac Guire and Orwarke commonly called Orurke That they indented with the Lord Deputy that he should come to Dundalke within a moneth and especially that the Lord Deputy by Sir Edward More should desire a fortnight more for his comming thither Their Lordships also signified that the Queene sent ouer 2000 old souldiers which had serued vnder General Norreys in Britanny giuing order that they should be diuided into hundreds and so many Captaines besides that 1000. souldiers were leuied in England to be sent thither And because their Lordships iudged that all the practises of the Northern Lords came out of Tyrones schoole how soeuer he grossely dissembled the contrary their Lordships aduised the Lord Deputy to offer Odonnel pardon so as he would seuer himselfe from Tyrone And that the rather because he was put into rebellion by Sir Iohn Perrots imprisoning him without any cause Tyrone hearing that supplies of souldiers namely the old souldiers of Britany were comming for Ireland and that Garrisons of English were to be planted at the Castles of Ballishanon and Belike lying vpon the Lake Earn thought it no longer time to temporise Wherefore about this time of this yeere ending or the first entrance of the yeere 1595 he drew his forces together and in open hostilitie suddenly assaulted the Fort of Black-water built vpon the passage into Tyrone on the South side and taking the same raced it and broke downe the Bridge And now the Northerne Rebels with Banners displaied entred the Brennye Yet at this time Tyrone subtilly made suite for
Desmonds warre which possessed their Ancestors lands also the incouragement they receiued by the good successe of the Rebels and no lesse the hope of pardon vpon the worst euent And to speake truth Munster vndertakers aboue mentioned were in great part cause of this defection and of their owne fatall miseries For whereas they should haue built Castles and brought ouer Colonies of English and haue admitted no Irish Tenant but onely English these and like couenants were in no part performed by them Of whom the men of best qualitie neuer came ouer but made profit of the land others brought no more English then their owne Families and all entertained Irish seruants and tenants which were now the first to betray them If the couenants had been kept by them they of themselues might haue made two thousand able men whereas the Lord President could not find aboue two hundred of English birth among them when the Rebels first entred the Prouince Neither did these gentle Vndertakers make any resistance to the Rebels but left their dwellings and fled to walled Townes yea when there was such danger in flight as greater could not haue been in defending their owne whereof many of them had wofull experience being surprised with their wiues and children in flight Among the Mounster Rebels were the Vicount Mountgarret the Earle of Ormonds neere Kinsman and the Baron of Cahir a Butler and of the Earles Kindred Both these pretended their discontent and malice against the said Earle for cause of their reuolt But more dangerous causes were suspected and excepta Royall Force were quickly opposed to the Rebels bold attempts a generall reuolt was feared May you hold laughter or will you thinke that Carthage euer bred such a dissembling faedifragous wretch as Tyrone when you shall reade that euen in the middest of all these garboyles and whilest in his letters to the King of Spaine he magnified his victories beseeching him not to beleeue that he would seeke or take any conditions of Peace and vowing constantly to keepe his faith plighted to that King yet most impudently he ceased not to entertaine the Lord Lieutenant by letters and messages with offers of submission This hee did but not so submissiuely as before for now the Gentleman was growne higher in the instep as appeared by the insolent conditions he required Ireland being in this turbulent State many thought it could not bee restored but by the powerfull hand of Robert Earle of Essex This noble Lord had from his youth put himselfe into military actions of greatest moment so farre as the place he held in Court would permit and had of late yeeres wonne much honour in some seruices by Sea and Land so as he had full possession of a superintendencie ouer all martiall affaires and for his noble worth was generally loued and followed by the Nobility and Gentrie In which respects the Queene knew him fit for this seruice Hee had long been a deare fauourite to the Queene but had of late lien so open to his enemies as he had giuen them power to make his imbracing of militarie courses and his popular estimation so much suspected of his Soueraigne as his greatnesse was now indged to depend as much on her Maiesties feare of him as her loue to him And in this respect he might seeme to the Queene most vnfit for this seruice But surely the Earle was perswaded that his Houour could not stand without imbracing this Action and since he affected it no man durst be his riuall Besides that his enemies gladly put for ward this his designe that they might haue him at more aduantage by his absence from Court. Finally the vulgat gaue ominous acclamations to his enterprise but the wiser sort rather wished then hoped happy effects either to his priuate or the publike good in regard of the powerfull enemies hee left in Court whence all seconds were to come to him and of his owne distracted ends though enclined to the publike good yet perhaps in aiming at the speedy end of this warre and some other particulars not fully concurring with the same The Earle of Essex when he first purposed to intertaine the managing of the Irish warres aduised and obtained that two Regiments of old souldiers should be transported out of the Low-Countries into that Kingdome namely The first Regiment Sir Charles Pearcy Colonell 200 1050 Foote Captaine Richard Moryson Lieutenant Colonell 150 Sir Oliuer Lambart 150 Captaine Henrie Masterson 150 Captaine Randal Bret 150 Captaine William Turret 150 Captaine Turner 100 The second Regiment Sir Henry Dockwra Colonel and Conductor of all 200 950 Foote Captaine Iohn Chamberlin Lieutenant Colonel 150 Captaine Edmond Morgan 150 Captaine Edward Michelburne 150 Captaine Walter Floyd 150 Captaine Garret Haruy 150 These Regiments landed in Ireland before the Earles comming ouer and were then dispersed by the Earle into diuers Regiments of new men to season them and to replenish them with sufficient Officers The Earles Patent was granted with title of Lord Lieutenant and with more ample authoritie then many other Lord Deputies had formerly granted them for whereas others had power to pardon all Treasons Felonies and all offences except such treasons as touched her Maiesties person her heires c and the counterfeiting of money This exception was by the Earles importunitie left out which hee extorted with wise prouidence since the Lawyers held all Treasons to touch the Princes person And whereas other Lord Deputies had power to bestow all Offices excepting the chiefe reserued to the Queenes gift his Lordship had power to bestow some of the chiefest and to remoue all Officers not holding by Patent and to suspend such as held by Patent Besides his Lordship had power in many things which neuer had been formerly giuen to any as to make Martiall Lawes he being Lord Martiall of England and to punish the transgressors And to let the lands of Tyrone and other Rebels named to any persons whatsoeuer and to their heires Males reseruing due rents to her Maiestie To command the Ships already sent and to be sent into Ireland except the Lord Admirall were sent forth to Sea and commandement were giuen of ioyning the said ships to his Fleete And lastly to issue the Treasure according to the two establishments with liberty to alter that which was signed by the Lords in England with the aduise and consent of the Counsell of Ireland so as he exceeded not the summe of the Establishments He had an Army assigned him as great as himselfe required and such for number and strength as Ireland had neuer yet seene The establishment was signed by the Queene the foure and twenty of March being the last day after the English account of the yeere 1598. It contained first the pay of the chiefe Officers in the Army the Lord Lieutenant Generall ten pound a day The Lieutenant of the Army three pound a day The Generall of the Horse fortie shillings a day the Marshall of the Campe
Captaine Richard Pluncket 100. Captaine Mostian 100. Captaine Tibot ne long 100. Captaine Walter Floyd 150. Captaine Thomas Roper 150. Captaine Oliuer Burke 100. Captaine Thomas Burke 100. Captaine Dauid Bourke 100. Horse at Carickfergus Neale Mas Hugh 30. Foote at Carickfergus Sir Arthur Chichester 200. Sir Richard Percy 150. Captaine Eington 100. Captaine Norton 100. Horse at the Newry Sir Samuel Bagnol 50. Foote at the Newrie Sir Samuel Bagnoll 200. Captaine Edward Blaney 150. Captaine Freckleton 100. Captaine Iosias Bodley 150. Captaine Francis Stufford 100. Captaine Toby Cawfeild 150. Captaine Leigh 100. Foote at Dundalke Captaine Egerton 100. Captaine Bingley 150. Captaine Basset 100. Foote at Atherde Sir Garret Moore 100. Captaine Roe 100. Horse at Kells and Nauan Lord of Dunsany 50. Sir Garret Moore 25. Foote at Kells and Nauan Lord Audley 200. Lord Dunsany 150. Sir Fulk Conway 150. Sir Christopher Saint Laurence 200. Sir Henry Dockwra 200. Sir Iohn Chamberlaine 150. Captaine Iohn Sidney 100. Captaine Ralph Sydley 100. Captaine Roger Atkinson 100. Captaine Heath 150. Captaine Nelson 100. Captaine Hugh Rely 100. Horse at Trym Sir Grisson Markham 50. Foote at Trym Sir Charles Piercy 200. Captaine Roger Orme 100. Captaine Alford 100. Foote at Leax and the Barow side Sir Warham Saint Leger 150. Sir Francis Rush 150. Captaine Iohn Fitz-Piers 150. Master Hartpoole 10. Foote at Eniscorthy Sir Oliuer Lambert 200. Sir Richard Masterson 150. Horse in and about the Nasse The Earle of Kildare 50. Captaine Richard Greame 50. Captaine Thomas Gifford 2. Captaine George Greame 12. Captaine Thomas Lee 12. Foote in and about the Nasse Earle of Kildare 150. The Earle of Southampton 200. Sir Matthew Morgan 150. Sir Thomas Loftus 100. Captaine Walter Mac Edmond 100 Captaine Edward Loftus 100. Captaine Thomas Williams 150. Captaine Thomas Lee 100. Captaine William Eustace 100. Captaine Esmond 150. Captaine Iohn Masterson 100. Captaine Ellys Flood 100. Captaine R. Treuor 100. Foote at Mullingar The Lord of Deluin 150. Captaine Thomas Mynne 100. Captaine William Stafford 100. Captaine Lionel Ghest 100. Captaine William Winsor 100. Captaine Thomas Cooche 100. Captaine Garret Dillon 100. Foote in Ophaly Sir Henrie Cooly 20. Sir Henry Warren 100. Sir Edward Fitz-gerald 100. Sir George Cooly 20. Horse at Kilkenny The Earle of Ormond 50. Sir Oliuer Lambert 25. Sir Walter Butler 50. Sir Cristopher Saint Laurence 30. Captaine Garret Fleming 25. Captaine William Taffe 50. Foote at Kilkenny The Earle of Ormond 200. Sir Carew Reynel 150. Sir Henrie Follyot 150. Captaine Richard Croft 100. Captaine Henry Sheffeild 100. Captaine Nicholas Pinner 100. Foote at Ballymore and O Carrols Countrie Captaine Francis Shane 100. Captaine Edward Lister 100. Sir Charles O Carrol 100. Horse and Foote at Newcastle Sir William Warren 50 horse Sir William Warren 100 foote Foote at Athboy and Phillipstown Sir Richard Moryson 200. Sir George Bourcher 100. Foote at Dublin Sir Henrie Foulkes commanding the Lord Lieutenants Guard 200. Horse at Fingall and the Nauan Sir William Euers 100. The Earle of Southamptons troope commanded by Captaine Iohn Iephson 100. Sir Henry Dauers 100. Horse in the Countie of Dublin Sir Hen. it Harrington 25. Sir Edward Herbert 12. Sir Gerald Aylemer 13. Morrogh Mac Teig Oge 10. Foote vndisposed Sir Iohn Talbot 22. Totall of Horse one thousand two hundred thirtie one Totall of Foote fourteene thousand foure hundred twenty two The foresaid Lords Iustices being left to gouerne Ireland vpon the Lord Lieutenants sudden departure did easily rule the vnweldy Helme of this Kingdome so long as the Sea was caline by the continuance of that truce formerly mentioned to bee made betweene the Lord Lieutenant and Tyrone which was then concluded for sixe weekes and so from sixe to sixe weekes till the Calends of May except either of them should giue fourteene daies warning of their purpose to breake the same But about the beginning of December Tyrones party entring into acts of hostility the Lords Iustices sent Sir William Warren to expostulate with him the cause of this breach He answered that he had not broken the Truce hauing according to the condition thereof giuen them fourteene dayes warning And that he had so done because the Earle of Essex being imprisoned in England in whom he had placed all the confidence of his life and estate he was resolued not to relye on the Councell of that Kingdome who had formerly delt deceitfully with him therein Finally that he could not now renew the truce though hee neuer so much desired it since hee had already sent Odonnel into Connaght and diuers of his confederates into other parts to renew the warre Thus much their Lordships aduertised into England by letters full of diffidence professing that they feared the rebels would presently assault the English Pale Likewise some ill affected to the Earle of Essex aduertised that among the Rebels a common rumor was spread and that no doubt from Tyrone that England would shortly be in combustion within it selfe which increased the suspitions already conceiued of the foresaid conference had betweene the Earle and Tyrone to the great preiudice of the Earle being in durance Now her Maiestie receiuing these aduertisements and further vnderstanding that the rebels daily increased in number and courage that the meere Irish aspired to liberty and that the English Irish if perhaps well affected yet were daunted by the ill successe of the Queenes affaires whose great expences and Royall Army they had seene vanish into smoke and were besides exasperated with an old griefe to be excluded themselues from the Gouernement while English Deputies were daily sent to command them And hauing intelligence that Tyrone full of pride did euery where bost himselfe as Champion of the Iish Liberty and Romish Religion euery where receiuing to his protection and cherishing all seditious persons helping the weake with succours confirming the diffident with strong hopes and that he was growne confident to roote out the English Gouernement aswell by former successes as by the succour of the King of Spaine who already had sent him some munition and a little mony with bragging promises of greater supplies and by the faire promises and large indulgences sent from the Pope with a Crowne of Phoenix fethers perhaps in imitation of Pope Vrban the third who sent Iohn the sonne to King Henry the second then made Lord of Ireland a little Crowne wouen of Peacocks feathers Her Maiestie I say hauing these aduertisements finding thereby that it was high time to make strong opposition to this rebellious monster made choice of Charles Blonnt Lord Mountioy to be Deputy of Ireland whom her Highnesse had the last yeere purposed to imploy in that place At which time the Earle of Essex though linked in neere friendship with him yet secretly opposed this her Maiesties determination alleaging that the Lord Mountioy had small experience in martiall affaires saue that he had gained in the small time he serued in the Low-Countries adding that he was too bookish
Captaine foure shillings per diem Lieutenant two shillings sixe pence per diem Cornet two shillings per diem Fiftie horsemen at twelue pence a peece per diem Summa per annum twenty nine thousand two hundred threescore thirteene pound The pay of twelue thousand footmen diuided into 120 Bands each Band consisting of a hundred heads viz. Captaine foure s. per diem Lieutenant two shillings per diem Ensigne eighteene d. per diem two Serieants a Drum and a Surgion at twelue d. a peece per diem and fourescore fourteene Souldiers and sixe dead payes at eight d. a peece per diem Summa per annum one hundred threescore eleuen thousand one hundred fourescore and fiue pound Extraordinaries viz. for sending of letters hyring of Barkes for passage of packquets for gifts and rewards for espyes from abroad or at home carriage of treasure victuall or munition and the like c. for a whole yeere foure thousand pound Summa totale per annum two hundred eight thousand nine hundred and eleuen pound The Lord Mountioy hastened away from Court did not stay for the Lords signing of the aboue mentioned second establishment as a thing of ordinary course continued for many yeeres with little or no alteration And being now in this iourney towards Ireland the tenth of Februarie he wrote to Master Secretarie from Daintrie intreating him that whereas her Maiestie not withstanding the contrary opinion of all admitted to that consultation had reduced the Army to twelue thousand foote and that hee found by letters from the Counsell and other Commanders in Ireland a general concurring in opinion that these forces were not sufficient especially since the Plantation of Loughfoyle and Ballyshanon Garisons were presently to be made and that Tyrone was now Master of the field hauing led his forces in person as farre as Mounster he would moue her Maiestie to giue him power to retaine one or two thousand in Lyst of those English which otherwise he was to cast The aboue mentioned second Establishment or Lyst of diuers Officers and Seruitors not contained in the former Establishment which list was signed by the Lords the eleuenth of Februarie the end of the yeere 1599. THe Lord Deputies ordinarie entertainement per mensem one hundred pound per annum thirteene hundred pound To him for a Band of horsemen in his family foure pound foure shillings per diem To him for fiftie footmen in his family eight pence a man per diem The Treasurer at Warres per diem thirtie fiue shillings The Marshall at fiue shillings nine pence per diem The Master of the Ordinance per diem three and twentie shillings eight pence Note that the aboue named as also the chiefe Gouernours of Prouinces vndernamed had besides in the Army the command of a Band of foote or horse or both Diuers Ministers of the Ordinance per diem twentie fiue shillings two pence Mustermaster two shillings eight pence per diem Summa per annum fiue thousand three hundred seuen 〈◊〉 seuen shillings eleuen d. The Lord President per annum one hundred thirtie three 〈◊〉 his diet at ten pound a weeke and so per annum fiue hundred twenty pound His guard of horse and foote at thirtie shillings seuen pence halfe-penny per diem Chiefe Iustice per annum one hundred pound Second Iustice sixty sixe pound thirteene shillings foure pence Queenes Atturney thirteene pound sixe shillings eight pence Clerke of the Counsell twentie pound Prouost Marshall two hundred fiftie fiue pound ten shillings Summa per annum one thousand sixe hundred threescore seuen pound eight shillings two pence halfe penny Gouernour of Connaght per diem ten s. for increase per annum one hundred 〈◊〉 Chiefe Iustice per annum one hundred pound for his diet fortie pound Clerke of the Counsell twenty pound for his diet twenty pound Prouost Marshall one hundred two pound thirteene shillings one peny half-peny besides twelue Horse out of the Armie Summa per annum fiue hundred sixtie fiue pound three s. two pence halfe-penny Gouernor at Loughfoyle per diem foure shillings foure pence besides his entertainement as a Colonel Gouernour of Carickfergus and Dundalke no entertainement but as Colonels of the Army Summa per annum threescore pound sixteene shillings eight pence Gouernour of the Queenes Countie at sixe shillings eight pence per diem Prouost Marshall of the Army per diem foure shillings three pence Prouost Marshall of Lemster fiue shillings seuen pence per diem And to both Prouosts Horses to bee assigned out of the Army at the Lord Deputies discretion Samma per annum three hundred one pound two shillings seuen pence Warders in diuers Prouinces three thousand thirtie one pound seuen pence halfe-penny Pensioners fortie foure at foure pound nineteene shillings two pence per diem Almesmen foureteene at sixe pence Irish a peece per diem Commissaries of Musters twenty at sixe shillings eight pence a peece per diem Summa per annum three thousand one hundred twenty two pound fiue s. sixed Summa totalis per annum fourteene thousand fiftie fiue pound foure shillings eight pence halfe-penny The same day this List was signed being the eleuenth of Februarie the Lords by their letters to the Lord Deputie being yet in England but newly gone from London and in his way towards Ireland appointed that the ships of Bristol which had transported one thousand two hundred foote from thence to Dublin should there be staied to the end they might transport a thousand men which were to be sent from Dublin to meete with three thousand more sent out of England out of which the Garrison of Caricksergus was to be strengthened and a new Garrison planted at Loughfoyle The Lord Mountioy lying at Westchester for a passage into Ireland and there receiuing notice that the imprisoned Earle of Essex had signed a submission to the Queene whereupon her Maiestie began to be inclined to shew him mercy directed his letters thence the eighteenth of Februarie to Sir Robert Cecill Secretarie of State therein auowing that as his loue made him interessed in that noble Earles fortunes so hee would thankefully acknowledge from him such fauour as he should be pleased to shew that distressed Earle withall protesting that he would alwaies be a free man and slaue to no mans humour but as he in this Irish imployment expected all fauourable seconds from him according to his noble promise whereupon his hopes chiefely rerelied so he would euer be honest and thankefull towards him in all occasions And vpon these termes all exchange of good offices passed betweene this Lord Deputie and Master Secretarie till the fatall death of that noble Earle of Essex hereafter to bee mentioned and the Lord Deputies participation of that ruine made him change his stile and neuer to cease till hee had confirmed a neere frendship betweene himselfe and the Secretary at least as intire as greatnesse admits as hereafter shall bee shewed The twentie sixe of
of Ormond concerning Tyrone who in this returne had gone further in three dayes then at his setting forth in thirteene hauing in one day marched twenty seuen miles so speedily as he could not ouertake any of his troopes with the Queenes forces though he marched after him twentie miles in foure houres adding his purpose to make present head towards the North without which diuersion 〈◊〉 rebels the 〈◊〉 to be planted at Loughfoyle was like to runne a dangerous to tune And withall sending some of Tyrones Mandates by which hee summoned the 〈◊〉 of Mounster to appeare before him and to ioyne with him of which I haue thought good for the strangenesse of the forme to insert this one following O Neale commendeth him vnto you Morish Fitz Thomas O Neale requesteth you in Gods name to take part with him and fight for your conscience and right and in so doing Oncale will spend to see you righted in all your affaires and will helpe you And if you come not at Oneale betwixt this and tomorrow at twelue of the clocke and take his part Oneale is not beholding to you and will doe to the vttermost of his power to ouerthrow you if you come not to him at furthest by Satturday noone From Knocke Dumayne in Calrie the fourth of February 1599 Oneale requesteth you to come speake with him and doth giue you his word that you shall receiue no harme neither in comming nor going from him whether you be friend or not and bring with you to Oneale Gerat Fitz-gerald Subscribed O Neale The seuenth of March the Lord Deputy was aduertised that Tyrone returned to Dungannon his House the fifteenth day and brought with him out of Mounster foure pledges of Desmonds faith vnto him That the Earle of Clanrickard had sworne so soon as the Lord of Dunkellyn his eldest sonne returned out of England to take no longer day then May next to ioyne with Tyrone and enter into action so the Irish terme rebellion and that Tyrone had called the Lords of the North together to consult about the opposition to be made against the intended plancation of the English Garrisons at Loughfoyle The twentieth of March Master Secretary wrote to the Lord Deputy that the Earle of Essex hitherto restrained in the Lord Keepers House had found the Grace with her Maiesty to be sent to his owne house in London yet with a keeper for Sir Richard Bakley had the guard of him with the keyes of the water-gate and street doore and the Earle had the freedome of the whole House with a dozen seruants to attend him who might freely go in and out at pleasure and the Countesse of Essex had liberty to come thither to him And the Lord Deputy still continued frequently to solicite the Secretaries fauour to this noble Earle many times inlarging himselfe so farre as to iustifie the Earles faithfull endeauours in the maine point of the late Irish seruice about which he was most questioned Insomuch as seeing the Earles actions in Ireland to be narrowly sifted he wrote not long after to the Secretary expressely auowing That if the Earle of Essex had brought with him a farre greater Army the estate of the yeere being as then it was and he comming at that time of the yeere when he did yet during his aboade there which was from March to September there could no other consequence haue iustly beene expected in that so short time but that the Rebels moued with the countenance and terrour of the Army should generally or for the most part haue sought her Maiesties mercy and making their submission haue beene receiued vpon pledges to continue subiects or else to haue sought to haue ruined them by planting strong garrisons which in most places must haue beene done by an Army and they being in seuerall places and many circumstances besides required thereunto the effecting thereof would haue taken vp as much time as he spent here And though the terrour of the Army did not worke the first effect being in the choyce of the enemy vntill by the second course they might be constrained that the fault was in their disposition and not in the Earles endeauours or power And though the garrisons were not accordingly planted that as well the shortnes of the time as the Counsels to which the Earle was tied at that time might iustly cleere him of that default CHAP. II. Of the Lord Deputies particular proceedings in the prosecution of the Rebels in the yeere 1600. THe twenty foure of March being the last day of the former yeere the Lord Deputy signed the following List of the Army to bee a direction to the Treasurer at warres for the payment thereof from the first of Aprill in the yeere 1600 so forward Generall Officers for the Army The Earle of Orn. ond Lord Lieutenant of the Army per diem three pound Sir Oliuer Lambert Sergeant Maior per diem twentie shillings George Beuerley Controller of the victuals per diem ten shillings Fiue Commissaries of the victuals whereof one per diem eight shillings the rest sixe shillings a peece Twelue Colonels at ten shillings a peece per diem Earle of Thomond Lord Audley Lord Dunkellin Sir Henry Dockwra Sir Henry Poore Sir Charles Percy Sir Matthew Morgan Sir Christop St. Laurence Sir Charles Willmot Sir Iohn Bolles Sir Arthur Sauage Sir Richard Moryson A Prouost Marshal of Ballishannon and another of Loughfoyle each at foure shillings per diem Companies of Horse The Lord Deputie one hundred at eighteene pence a peece per diem The Earle of Ormond fiftie at twelue pence The Earle of Southampton one hundred halfe at eighteene pence and halfe at fifteene pence The Earle of Kildare fiftie at twelue pence The Earle of Clanrickard fiftie at twelue pence The Lord of Dunsany fiftie at twelue pence The Lord President of Mounster fiftie at eighteene pence Sir Garret Moore twentie fiue at twelue pence Sir Christopher Sant Laurence twentie fiue at twelue pence The Lord Dunkellin 25 Sir Henrie Harington 26 Sir William Warren 25 Sir Samuel Bagnal 50 Sir Edward Herbert 12 Sir Oliuer Lambert 25 Captaine Wayman Prouost Martiall of Connaght 12 Captaine Richard Greame 50 Captaine Thomas Gifford 25 Captaine Fleming 25 Captaine Taffe 25 all 12 pence per diem Sir Richard Wingfield Marshall 50 whereof 20 at eighteene pence and thirtie at twelue pence per diem Captaine Thomas White 50 Sir Anthony Cooke 50 at fifteene pence per diem Sir Henrie Dauers 100 at eighteene pence Sir Henrie Dockwrra 50 halfe at eighteene pence haife at twelue pence Sir Grif. Markam 100 halfe at fifteene pence halfe twelue pence Totall of Horse 1200. Companies of Foot To be sent from Dublin to Loughfoyle in Vlster Sir Henry Dockwra Gouernor of Loughfoyle and Colonel of the Army 200 Sir Matthew Morgan Colonel 150 Sir Iohn Chamberlaine 150 Captaine Errington 100 Captaine Heath 150 Captaine Badbye 150 Captaine Lister 100 To be sent out of England to the same place Sir Iohn Bolles
was appointed to doe till the carriage and horse should be passed And now the Lord Deputies Vanguard being come to the passage of the said water maintained a resolure skermish with the Rebels on the left hand and altogether secured the Earles troopes on that side Therebels thus beaten on both sides left some one hundred shot to skirmish with the Lord Deputies vanguard and all retired to the Earle of Southamptons reare and came desperatly on our men both with horse and foot But Sir Henry Follyot made a very good stand and Sir Oliuer Lambert fearing left our men should be distressed the more to incourage them tooke his colours in his owne hand and together with some 30 of the Earle of Southamptons Vangards best men sent back to the Rere hastened towards the Assaliants to second the Earle who at that time with some 6 horse did charge the assailing Rebels and beate them a musket shot back still pursuing them til they hauing spent their powder and throwne their staues darts and innumerable stones recouered the place where Tyrone stood himselfe with some 220 horse and 200 foote in sight besides a far greater number hid in the woods which neuer came vnto this fight When our men had thus gained much ground the Earle commaunded them to march towards the Army and presently Sir Richard Wingfeild the Marshal of the army of Ireland came to the with order from the L. Dep. that since the repulsed rebels were not like to giue any second charge they should continue their march following his L ps troopes directly to the Newry In this conflict 2 of our men were slaine Capt. Atherton and Mast. Cheut were shot and some few hurt with swords and such weapons On the rebels side there were in all 1200 foot thus aduantagiously lodged and 140 horse and Tirone himself confessed that ten of his men died with ouer-trauelling in this hasty march besides such as were killed whose number could not certainely be learned The 21 of May his Lp. was aduertised from Sir Arthur Chichester Gouernour of Carickfergus that the English sent to plant at Loughsoyle were safely landed with small resistance and had taken Newcastle belonging to Sir Iohn Odogherty whose country they had spoiled wasted and that some of them sent forth vpon a draught had taken good store of cowes and killed some of Odonnels people and that they were now busie in fortifying about the Derric so as many of that country Southward did passe their cowes and moueables into Scotland depending specially vpon the hopes of Spanish succours That Brian Mac Art a rebel bordering on Carickfergus had left his fastnes of Kilultagh and now lay on the borders of Lecale where he purposed to assaile him the rather because he had sent 200 men to assist Tyrone that diuers Gentlemen and others did daily flie from the rebels and resort vnto him with their goods to the number of 1200 cowes and more would come but that he doubted their faithfulnes That to free himself of the imputation to keepe Iames Mac Surley an enemy till he had reuenged on him his brothers death he had imployed Colonell Egerton to inuite that rebell to submission but receiued onely temporising answeres whereupon according to his L ps directions hee had written and sent a messenger of purpose to the Lord of Clantyer an Ilander Scot to stirre him vp against Iames Mac Surley wrongfully possessing his rightfull inheritance in those parts of Ireland offering to ioyne the Queenes forces vnder his commaund to those powers he should bring for recouerie of this his right so as he would after yeeld due tribute and obedience to her Maiesty but that vpon the King of Scots late Proclamation that al bearing Armes should be ready to attend the King on the 17 of Iuly next following in prosecution of the Ilander Scots as was giuen out refusing to pay tribute he feared that this Lord would bee diuerted from imbracing this busines howsoeuer aduantageous to him That he had receiued Con Mac Neale the son of Neale Mac Brian and his horsemen into her Maiesties pay and would shortly waste his fathers Country whence Brian Mac Art and some 400 Bonnaghtes or hired souldiers were maintained and fed Finally that he thought fit to rebuild Olderfleete and leaue some in Ward there because the Hauen was commodious to succour weather-beaten ships going to supplie the Garrison of Loughfoyle with necessaries The 26 of May the Lord Deputie receiued a letter from the Lords in England with full answere to his late dispatches For the Earle of Ormonds detension they signified her Maiesties griefe to be the greater because any attempt made for his recouerie was like to proue his ruine and that her Maiestie had written to the Countefse to send the Earles young daughter and heire into England For Sir Arthur Oneales demaunds vpon his comming in to serue her Maiesty in the first point concerning religion her Maiesty bare with it because she took it to proceede of his ignorance not of presumption only wishing the L. Dep to let him see that her Maiesty pursued none in those parts for religion and so to satisfie him but in no wise by any contract or condition Next for his andothers suits for land and for entertainements because such ouertures were like daily to be made by such as submitted themselues and protraction of sending to and fro might lose many opportunities First touching the sutes for land her Maiesties directions in particular cases following should be a rule to the Lord Deputie for his graunts of that kind And first for Sir Arthur Oneales demaunding Tyrones estate that could not be granted him by reason Tyrone vpon pretence of an old inquisition had extended the limits of his Countrie and incroched far into the South and East But her Maiesty was pleased to giue him Tyrones principall seates reseruing places for forts and lands to maintaine them and reseruing all dependancy of the Vriaghtes or neighbour Lords also reseruing lands in Tyrone to reward the seruices of such Gentlemen as should serue vnder Sir Arthur in these warres which they should onely hold of her Maiestie by letters Patents For the rest Sir Arthur Oneale to be chiefe in Tyrone as well in superioritie as in reuenue Touching Neale Garues demaunds for O Donnels estate her Maiesties pleasure was to reserue some Portes and Castles and some lands to reward the seruices of that Countries Gentlemen intending that these and more specially the Mac Swynes should depend onely vpon her Maiestie and haue right to those lands by her letters Patents Touching Mac Guires Country her Maiestie directed like reseruations of land for Fortes and rewards of seruices and generally in all grantes charged to reserue her Maiesties ancient rights Secondly touching suitors for entertainements in pay her Maiestes pleasure was signified to allow one thousand pound a moneth so long as the Lord Deputy and the Counsel there should thinke fit to be imployed that way according to the
and first notably cleering the Earle from all suspition of disloyalty which he protested he did from his conscience and afterwards often iterated the same and preserued it vnto him entire he spake singularly for the iustifying of her Maiesties speciall care and wisdome for the warres in Ireland in prouiding whatsoeuer could be demanded by the Earle for that seruice before his going out with supplying him afterwards with whatsoeuer hee could aske so it were possible to bee giuen him in prescribing that course which had it beene followed was the onely way to haue reduced that Realme and which being forsaken was the onely ruine and losse of that royall army And as for all those excuses which the Earle alleaged for himselfe hee cleerely cut them off shewing that his excuse of following the Counsell of Irelands aduice was nothing his commission being so large that he was not bound to follow them and if he had beene yet were they a Counsell at his command he might force them to say what he list his own letters which he alleaged might be prouisionary written of purpose then to excuse him now To be short he greatly iustified her Maiesties wisdome in managing that whole action as much as lay in her and laid the whole fault of the bad successe in Ireland vpon the Earles ominous iourney so he called it into Mounster And thus in the behalfe of her Maiesty he fully satisfied the Auditors Master Secretary gaue the Earle his right alwaies and shewed more curtesie then any yet saied he the Earle in all his iourney did nothing else but make as it were circles of errours which were all bound vp in the vnhappy knot of his disobedient returne Also he gaue the Earle free liberty to interrupt him at any time in his speech But the Earle being contented with the opinion of loyalty so cleerely reserued vnto him was most willing to beare the whole burthen of all the rest of the accusation and therefore neuer vsed any further reply onely by reason of a question or two that were moued by my Lord of Canterbury and my Lord Admirall some little speech there was to and fro My Lord of Canterburies question was concerning the conditions of yeelding vnto Tyrone in tolleration of religion the Earle heartily thanked him for mouing that doubt then protested that it was a thing mentioned in deed but neuer yeelded vnto by him nor yet stood vpon by the Traitor to whom the Earle had said plainely Hang thee vp thou carest for religion as much as my horse Master Secretary also cleered the Earle in that respect that he neuer yeelded to Tyrone in that foule condition though by reason of Tyrones vaunting afterwards it might haue some shew of probability By reason of my Lord Admirals question the Earle spake somewhat of his returne that he did it vpon a false ground of hope that her Maiesty might pardon him as shee did the Earle of Leicester in the like case who returned out of the Low-Countries contrary to her Maiesties expresse Letter This I thought with my selfe quoth the Earle if Leicester were pardoned whose end was onely to saue himselfe why might not Essex be pardoned whose end was to saue a Kingdome But Master Secretary replied that vpon his knowledge there neuer passed any letter from her Maiesty to forbid the Earle of Leicesters returne Iudge Walmesley his speech was more blunt then bitter Prisoners at our barres saith he are more gracelesse they will not confesse their faults Againe he compared my Lord his comming home and leauing the army there to a shepheard that left his flocke to the keeping of his dogge In conclusion the Earle protested that all he sought for was the opinion of a true and a loyall subiect which might appeare by the speech wherewith he hedged in all his answeres namely that he intended onely to shew those false guides which misled him whether they were his owne errours or the errours of his Counsellors whom he followed that he yeelded himselfe wholly to her Maiesties mercy and fauour and was ready to offer vp his poore carkasse vnto her he would not say to doe for alasse he had no faculties but to suffer whatsoeuer her Maiesty should inflict vpon him and so requested them all to make a iust honourable and fauourable report of his disordered speeches which had fallen from him in such sort as his aking head and body weakened with sickenesse would giue him leaue This done they proceeded to the censure My Lord Keeper beganne with a good powerfull and eloquent speech That by Iustice and Clemency the Throne is established as for mercy her Maiesty had reserued it to her selfe but for the satisfying of her Iustice shee had appointed them to enquire into the cause That they were to enquire onely of those faults of contempts and disobedience laid vnto the Earle and to censure him accordingly and for her mercy they had nothing to doe with it onely God was to worke it in her Princely breast In examining the Earles faults he laid these for his grounds that the two grounds and foundations of the Princes Scepter and Estate are the reputation of a diligent and carefull prouidence for the preseruation of her estate and Countries and the obedience of her Subiects and he that should take either of these from her should take from her the Crowne and Scepter For the first he notably shewed at large how her Matesty had deserued it in the whole course of the Irish warres for obedience he shewed the nature of it consisting in precisely following the streight line of the Princes commandement and vpon that straine he amplified to the vttermost all the Earles contempts and disobediences that her Maiesties great mercy might appeare the more cleerely Among the rest for he went through them all in order he answered thus to the pretence of Leicesters president for excuse of the Earles returne In good things the example is better then the imitation of another he that doth wel of his owne head doth best and he that doth well by imitation doth commendably in a lesse degree but in bad things the proportion is otherwise the example being naught the imitation is worse Therefore if my Lord of Leicester did euill in comming ouer contrary to the Queenes commandement my Lord of Essex did worse in imitating my Lord of Leicester and is so much the more to be punished for it In the end he came to the censure which was this If quoth he this cause had beene heard in the Starre-chamber my sentence must haue beene so great a sine as euer was set vpon any mans head in that Court and perpetuall imprisonment in that place which belongeth to a man of his quality that is the Tower but now that we are in another place and in a course of fauour my censure is that he is not to execute the office of a Counsellor nor to hold himselfe for a Counsellor of Estate nor to execute the office of Earle
vpward the onely meanes by which they were to liue and to keepe their Bonaghts or hired souldiers It seemed incredible that by so barbarous inhabitants the ground should be so manured the fields so orderly fenced the Townes so frequently inhabited and the high waies and paths so well beaten as the Lord Deputy here found them The reason whereof was that the Queenes forces during these warres neuer till then came among them The Lord Deputy in his returne the first day passed into another part of the Country with the foot alone for the horse not able to passe were sent about so as the rebels had the aduantage they most desire to fight with our foot without assistance of horse yet all the rebels of Lemster here gathered together and fighting vpon their naturall ground had beene so beaten as that they suffred our men to passe without a blow That night eight heads were brought to the Lord Deputy and with them one Lenagh a famous rebell taken aliue who was presently hanged on the same tree where he plotted all his villanies Sir Oliuer Lambert with some troopes marched into Donnell Spagniahs Countrey where he tooke 1000. Cowes 500. Garons great store of sheepe and killed twenty rebels at the first entry besides many killed in a fight which the rebels after maintained all the day and part of the night Sir Arthur Sauage comming out of Connaght to meet the Lord Deputy fought long with the Rebels spoiled the Countrey and tooke a great prey but could not passe to his Lordship In the Lord Deputies returne out of Leax Redmond Keating and the chiefe of the Septs of the Kellies and Lalors were receiued into her Maiesties protection vpon condition to set at liberty the Earle of Ormonds pledges in their hands By this time his Lordship had receiued out of England gracious allowance of his former Northerne iourney with her Maiesties promise to reinforce the Army with two thousand foote and two hundred horse against the next iourney into those parts requiring him not to giue any one man the commaund of both horse and foote and whereas all Companies were of two hundred or one hundred fiftie aduising to distribute some part into lesse numbers that more Gentlemen might be satisfied with commaunds with the onely increase of some chiefe officers pay and that his Lordship would be sparing to giue pasports for any to come into England to trouble her Maiestie with sutes and most of all not to suffer able men to returne out of Ireland as they daily did with their Captaines pasportes And to the end the Commaunders might not be idle her Maiestie required that all seruices done by them might be certified monethly into England About this time the Earle of Southampton leauing the warres of Ireland sayled into England This Summers seruice made it appeare that iourneys with a great Army did not so much good as Garrisons lying vpon the Rebels which vpon any sudden seruice might easily bee drawne together in competent numbers and in the meane time kept the Rebels at home from seconding one another The Lord Deputy by his letters during the foresaid iourny explained to the Lords in England that he had been most carefull not to increase her Maiesties charge in any thing the want whereof would not haue made the rest of her great expence to be vnprofitable and to the end the Commaunders might not be thought to lye idle besides the good fortune that none of them had receiued any blow hee particularly remembred many preyes taken and seruices done and for the chiefe Garrisons on the North borders aduertised that Sir Arthur Chichester had layde all the Countrie waste within twenty miles of Carickfergus that Sir Samuel Bagnol at the Newry had done the like that Sir Richard Moryson at Dundalke had banished Turlough Mac Henry out of the Fuze into Monaghan and yet the two last with most part of their Garisons had bin part of the Army in all former iournies The twentie sixe of August his Lordship returned from this iourney of Leax to Dublin and there receiued aduertisement that her Maiestie could not refuse to heare the complaints of the Pale by the Deputies formerly mentioned to bee sent ouer though she had sharpely rebuked them that they did not first complaine to the Lord Deputie which they excused by experience that like complaints in Ireland had euer been vaine The chiefe complaints were these that the forces that should lye vpon the borders neare the Rebels were lodged vpon them That the fetching of one barrell of powder was often made a sufficient reason to spoyle them by a company of horse and foote sent to conuoy it That the Clarkeship of the Counsell was sold and then executed by a Deputie who for euery small petition tooke great fees That the spirituall liuings were giuen to ignorant and idle persons being the chiefe cause of this rebellion scarce any Church standing for sixtie miles betweene Dublin and Athlone That they were spoyled as much by the Army as Rebels no souldier nor Captaine being punished nor any order giuen for remedie taking effect That priuate Captaines gaue pasportes to run awaies and her Maiestie was deceiued by false Musters so as the forces were weake to end the warre and they were spoyled as much as if the number were full requiring that some Gentlemen of the Pale might be ioyned with the Commissaries in taking the musters of adiacent Garrisons In the same letter her Maiestie commaunded the Lord Deputy to signifie to Sir Arthur O Neale that she purposed to create him Earle of Tyrone and giue him a portion of lands fit for an Earledome And for Tyrone that the Lord Deputy should proclaime him Traytor with promise of two thousand pound to any should bring him aliue and one thousand pound to him that should bring his head to any of hir Maiesties Fortes or Garrisons Lastly her Maiesty gaue letters of fauour to the Deputies of the Pale directed to the Lord Deputy to whom the complaints were wholly referred it being her Maiesties pleasure that only before him and by him they should be heard and redressed Yet because the Lord Deputie was many waies taxed in these complaints hee did expostulate in his next letters to Master Secretarie that hee should be taxed for those things for which he expected approbation and thankes The wisest Counsels said he are vncertaine and the wisest men vnperfect and what shall I looke for when out of my weakenesse though free from wilfulnesse I shall happen to commit any errour of consequence seeing I am now charged with so many matters and those nothing belonging to me His Lordship added that in his opinion nothing had made the affaires of Ireland more vnprosperous then that the State vsed to heare euery man against and before the chiefe Gouernour so as hee was driuen to let matters goe as they would so as hee might saue himselfe Another discontented letter be wrote to the same effect and to the same
Carew Lord President of Mounster departing from Kilkenny where hee had beene some daies detained by the Earle of Ormonds surprisall at a parley with the rebels came to Waterford And Thomas Fitz-Iames bastard sonne to Iames Fitzgerald late Lord of the Decies chiefe rebell in the County of Waterford fearing present prosecution made sure to be receiued to her Maiesties mercy which the Lord President granted aswell to draw from the titulary Earle of Desmond some part of his strength as to open the passage betweene Waterford and Yoghall by land formerly shut vp so as nothing could passe any way but by sea The twenty three of Aprill at Dungaruen his Lordship receiued aduertisement that Florence mac Carty after many fauours from the State being wholly hispaniolised had great power in Carbry and Desmond and according to his plot with Tyrone at his being there was entered into open action so they terme rebellion That Captaine Flower Sergeant Maior of Mounster had hereupon entered Carbry with 1200 foot and 100 horse burning and spoiling the same and killing many rebels That Florence had leuied of the Prouincials and Bonnaghs so they call waged souldiers 2000 foot yet neuer attempted the English till in their returne they came within fiue miles of Corke where in a fastnesse the midway betweene Corke and Kinsale they assailed the English and were beaten by them some 100. of the Rebels being slaine in which conflict Captaine Flower had two horses slaine vnder him The twenty foure the Lord President came to Corke where he receiued the State of the Prouince by the relation of Sir Henry Pore sole Commissioner for Mounster since the killing of his partner Sir Warham S t Leger by Mac Guire likewise killed in the fight and vnderstood the rebels to be strong and masters of the field supplied with all necessaries from the Townes through the perswasion of Priests and the couetousnesse of the Townesmen About this time Fitzgibbon called the White Knight either ill vsed by Tyrone at his being in Mounster or fearing prosecution submitted himselfe to her Maiesties mercy Likewise Florence mac Carty by perswasion of friends and vpon safe conduct came to the Lord President and protested loialty to her Maiesty but refused to giue his sonne for pledge left his waged souldiers should cast him out of his Countrey till his Lordship threatned to lay aside all other seruice sharpely to prosecute him whereupon he consented for his pledge but required to haue the County of Desmond giuen to him and his 〈◊〉 with title of Mac Carty More or Earle of Clanoar with like high demands which being reiected he desired leaue to sue for these graces in England with promise not to serue against her Maiesties forces in the meane time wherewith the Lord President was satisfied hauing no other end for the present then to make him stand neutrall while the whole forces were imploied against the titulary Earle of Desmond Iames Fitzthomas called the Suggon Earle by nickename Now one Dermod Oconnor hauing no lands yet by marriage with the daughter of the old Earle of Desmond and his great valour had the leading of 1400. Bonnaghs And because the Lord President hoped to ragine the rebels one by another at this time by the wife of the said Dermod and other Agents his Lordship plotted with him vpon promise of great rewards to kill Iames the titulary Earle of Desmond And in like fore one Iohn Nugent a rebell vpon promise of pardon and reward did within few daies vndertake to kill Iohn the said Earles brother About the beginning of May Redman Burke leading 500 Rebels lost 120. of them while he aduentured to take a prey in 〈◊〉 Countrey 〈◊〉 being nourished by the Lord President with hope to be Baron of Letrim drew his men out of 〈◊〉 into Ormond with purpose to leade them into Connaght And Tyrrell leader of the Northerne men staied not long behind him pretending discontent against Dermod Oconnor but indeed fearing some plot against his head It had beene long rumored that the Lord President would take the field the sixth of May which made the rebels draw to a head and spend their victuals so as after ten dayes they were forced to disperse themselues The twentieth of May the Lord President tooke the field and marching towards Lymbricke setled Warders in some Castles to secure the passage thither from Kilmallock At Lymricke his Lordship vnderstood that Iohn Nugent aboue named being ready as he had vndertaken to kill Iohn brother to the titulary Earle of Desmond was by accident hindered from discharging his Pistoll and being apprehended was put to death but as well Iohn as the titulary Earle his brother were so terrified herewith as they durst neuer keep together thought themselues least secure in the head of their owne men from like practises The Lord President marched into Iohn Burkes Countrey and spoyling the fame forced him to seeke her Maiesties mercy on his 〈◊〉 which at last he obtained though with difficulty His Lordship hauing gained here plenty of graine for the Army sent fiue hundred foot into Omulrians Countrey who spoiled the same and killed many rebels Then his Lordship returned to Limricke without any losse and in the beginning of Iune diuided the Army into garrisons not far distant which his Lordship did though the time were fit for seruice that he might attend the plot with Dermod Ocannor for killing the titulary Earle of Desmond which could not well be done except the rebels were dispersed who would keepe together as long as the English Army was in the field Besides his Lordship vpon their breaking tooke aduantage to settle a garrison at Asketon without any resistance Dermod Ocannor tooke the titulary Earle prisoner in the name of Oneale pretending by a forged letter that he had plotted his death with the Lord President presently sent his wife for the money promised in reward wishing the Lord President to draw his forces to Kilmalloch where he would deliuer him the prisoner which his Lordship did accordingly the sixteenth of Iune but the rebels hauing notice hereof drew together foure thousand in number stopped the passages set the titulary Earle at liberty and besieged Dermod Ocannor in a Castle till the Lord President marching thither the 29 of Iune forced forced them to leaue the siege His Lordship kept the field tooke the chiefe Castle of the Knight of the vally wherein were slaine threescore warders tooke other Castles and did many good seruices the rebels in great number lying neere him but neuer 〈◊〉 to fight by reason of the ielousies between them whereupon 2500. Connaght men were sutors to his Lordship to returne home without impediment from his 〈◊〉 At this time Ocannor Kerry yeelded his Castle to the Queene and was receiued to mercy and the Lord President at last granted a passe to the Rebels of Connaght but the Lord Burke not knowing thereof for a priuat reuenge set vpon them as they marched home 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 three
score of them besides many drowned The sixteenth of Iuly the Lord President bestowed the Army in garrisons The 23 of Iuly his Lordship 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 againe to releeue the men he had formerly sent into Kerry and marching thither took 〈◊〉 the chiefe house of the Lord Fitz Morrice and many other Castles for griefe whereof the said Lord died yet leauing a sonne then as dangerous as himselfe The Lord President returned to Cork about the eighteenth of August leauing Sir Charles Wilmot Gouernour of Kerry a valiant Gentleman a chiefe Commander vnder him and in the first ranke of those instruments he vsed in all seruices who in short time brought most of the freeholders of Kerry to due subiection and droue the titulary Desmond out of those parts All the garrisons in time of haruest gathered as much come as they could and destroied the rest which made the rebels not able to subsist the yeere following Sir George Thornton hearing that the titulary Earle of Desmond passed neere Kilmalloch sent the garrison out and Captain Greame charging them with his troope of horse killed 120. of them in which conflict the English got 300. garons laden with baggage 150 pikes and peeces with other weapons and 40. horse but the English had 16. horses killed in the fight The titulary Earle of Desmond could neuer after draw 100. men together was forced to flie into Tipperary with his brother Iohn Pierce Lacy an Archrebel the Knight of the Glin whence his brother Iohn hasted into Vlster for reliefe from Tirone And in the end of this Summer vpon the departure of the Bonnaghs of Connaght and Vlster the good successe of the English many of the Prouincials submitted themselues yet sent to Rome for dispensation of their so doing About the middest of October Iames Fitzgerald who had long been imprisoned in the Tower of London being the next true heire to the last Earle of Desmond and released by the Queene with title of Earle by letters Pattents sent to the Lord President and promise of a good proportion of land to support his dignity at the end of the warre according to his deserts in her Maiesties seruice and in the meane time to liue vpon pay in the Army landed at Yoghal and the eighteenth day came to the Lord President at Mallogh and was industrious in the Queenes seruice Desmod O Connor being in Connaght and hearing of the young Earle of Desmondi arriuall vpon promise of great seruices had the Lord Presidents protection to come vnto him but was set vpon by Tybot we long his men defeated he taken and hanged whereupon Tibet hauing then a Company in her Maiesties pay was cashered Florence mac Carty hauing all this while practised vnderhand many things against the State and putting still off his appearance by delatory excuses at last in October by the desperatenesse of his estate was forced to submit and obtained pardon vpon pledges of his loyaltie The 〈◊〉 Earle of Desmond stealing backe into Mounster liued as a Wood-kerne neuer hauing more then two or three in his Company In Nouember Sir Charles Wilmot took the last and only Castle the Lord Mac Morice had in Kerry his eldest son therin betraied by a Priest for safetie of his life and great prouisions laid vp in that Castle In these two last moneths Sir Richard Percy lying in Garrison at Kinsale twice passed into the Country and tooke preyes of fiue hundred Cowes killing many rebels In December the Lord President had notice where the titulary Earle lurked and sentmen to surprise him but he escaped in such haste as hee left his shooes behind him And now there was not a Castle in Mounster held for the rebels nor any company of ten rebels together though there wanted not loose 〈◊〉 bonds dispersed in all corners so as his Lordship had leisure to looke into the Corporate Townes being aiders abetters and procurers vnder hand of this rebellion all the Queenes treasure being spent in them by the souldiers and they vnderhand supplying the rebels with all necessaries though at excessiue rates The rebels fled outof Mounster into Tiperarie and Ormond had hitherto liued there among the Bullera being subiects without any disturbance the rather for the Earle of Ormonds mounting for the death of his most worthy and vertuous Lady but in Ianuary his Lordship sent some forces against them who killed many and forced the rest to flie where of some were drowned passing the waters then very high and some chiefe rebels were taken and hanged at kilkenny About the end of Ianuary the Lord President sent 〈◊〉 foote of the Mounster List to be disposed by the Lord Deputie as he had direction to doe His Lordship to settle the Country the better refused to renew any protection so as all were forced to sue their pardons and in two moneth a space before the end of Februarie vpon his Lordships recommendation morethen fourethousand Mounster men had their pardons granted by the Lord Deputie and passed vnder the great Seale The second Booke CHAP. I. Of the Lord Deputies particular proceedings in the prosecution of the Rebels and of the Speniards inuading Ireland in the yeere 1601. WHile the Lord Deputy lay at Drogheda namely from the the one and twentie of March till the sixteene of Aprill vpon which day he returned to Dublin his Lordship assembled the Counsellers of State to attend him there And vpon the eight and twentie of March 1601 the Lord Deputie and Counsell wrote from Drogheda vulgarly called Tredagh their ioynt letters to the Lords in England whereby they aduertised that the Lord Deputie hauing spent the greatest part of Winter in the Irish Countries of Lemster had by burning their Corne consuming their cattel and killing many of them so scattered their maine strength as certaine of the chiefe had since submitted to the Queenes mercy and the rest were seuered into small companies and vnlike to draw to any dangerous head yea Tirrel in opinion the greatest among them taken for Tyrones Lieutenant in Lemster being forced out of his greatest fastnesse now with a few base Kerne following him was driuen to wanderin Woods and Boggs seeking to escape into the North as shortly after he did notwithstanding that certaine English Companies were left to hunt him in his walkes and to stop his passage That his Lordship desirous to be at hand to watch all opportunities of seruice vpon the Northerne borders had pierced into the Fearny and that Sir Richard Moryson Gouernour of Dundalk with his Garrison had formerly wasted and now passed through the Fewes and met his Lordship there so as both these Countries being spoiled Euer Mac Cooly chiefe of the Fearny and Turlogh Mac Henry Captaine of the Fewes had both been humble suters for her Maiesties mercie and were commanded to appeare shortly and make their humble submissions which course likewise the septs of the Brenny were 〈◊〉 to take for many of them chastised by the Army and vtterly
currant The seuenth his Lordship rose to draw towards the Newry and marching to Mount Norreis encamped neere the said Fort. The eight day his Lordship dispatched the Earle of Clanrickard into Connaght to command the forces in those parts hauing sent for Sir Iohn Barkeley to come with a regiment to the Campe. Here his Lordship gaue warrant for the passing of her Maiesties pardon for land life and goods to Arthus Mac Gennis chiefe of his Sept with some 170 followers Here his Lordship receiued letters out of England from M r Secretary signifying that the Lord President had sent to her Maiesty diuers aduertisements that the Spaniards would presently land in some part of Mounster from whence the Lord Deputy for necessity had lately drawne one thousand foot and fifty horse into Connaght That her Maiesty did well allow of his Lordships care in drawing those men to that seruice and not leesing the present certainty for apprehension of the future not so assured That it was probable that the King of Spaine would doe something now at the vpshot and though it was not credible that he would send ten or twelue thousand men into Ireland yet since he had from February last begunne a foundation to prouide forces for the Low-Countries or Ireland as his affaires should require and since the Low-Country Army was reinforced by land out of Italy her Maiesty thought he might with ease transport foure or fiue thousand men for Ireland and was like to doe it and so he might for the time turne the state of Ireland would thinke them well bestowed if he should leese them all at the yeeres end That in this respect her Maiesty had resolued to leauy fiue thousand men to be in readines and to send two thousand of them presently for Mounster to arriue there by the tenth of this moneth so as if the Spaniards should land the Lord President might be enabled to keepe the Prouincials from reuolt till he the Lord Deputy might come thither and more forces might be sent out of England and if they should not inuade Ireland then his Lordship might keepe the one thousand he had drawne from Mounster to finish the worke whereof he had laide an happy foundation heartily wishing that his Lordship might be the happy Instrument to saue Ireland to whom he professed himselfe tied in most constant and honest friendship and praying his Lordship to esteeme these ready seconds besides the publike duty to proceed much out of an extraordinary respect to his Lordship That for bestowing of the Companies to be sent into Mounster as he who was gone meaning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Earle of Essex made too great a Monopoly in bestowing all such places himselfe so now there was a great confusion euery Lord importuning to preferre his friend and follower but that for his part he sought no mans preferrement herein but onely aduised that those might be first respected which came ouer with the Lord Deputies recommendations That the Lord President had earnestly moued him and in good sort challenged to haue hopes in him for the procurement of some meanes to gratifie his followers and had by other friends obtained of her Maiesty that some of those Companies might be sent ouer vndisposed and left to his disposall to which he the Secretary had giuen second rather then that the places should be bestowed in England without any thankes eather to the Lord Deputy or Lord President Protesting that how soeuen he loued the Lord President he would not scant his due respect to his Lordship wherein he thought to giue him the least discontent That he conceiued the Spaniards would not make difcent at Corcke which Towne was not guardable when they had it Noryet at Lymricke though fit by the scituation because an enemy ingaged so farre into the Kingdome could not hope for supplies when her Maiesty should take due resolution to oppose them But rather iudged Galloway a fit place for their discen giuing commodity to ioine with the Northerne rebels and seated in a Countrey all out in rebellion Or else Waterford in respect of the goodly Riuer and the peoples affection to Spaine adui 〈◊〉 the Fort of Dungannon should carefully be furnished with a Commander men and necessaries Lastly that Ostend was obstinately besieged by the Arch-Duke with thirteene thousand foote and sixty peeces of battery and howsoeuer the States had left two thousand Dutch there yet their Army being at Bercke whence it would not be raised the Town had beene carried within ten daies if Sir Francis Vere had not throwne himselfe into it with one thousand sixe hundred English to whom her Maiesty sent one thousand men and prepared to send 2000. more no succour the place because part of the Army in Italy was come downe to the Arch Duke The ninth of August his Lordship the Counsellors present in the Campe writ to the Lords in England That the Army had bin imployed in preparing her Maiesties Forts fitting them for the winter war in the present spoyling of the rebels corne the only way to ruine them hoping to keep the army in field til haruest were past so that it being impossible to cut all their corne our garrisons might haue opportunity to gather the rest and the rebels might be hindred from gathering any except it were Tyrones corne neere Dungannon wherunto the passage was so difficult as his L P for so little thought not good to hazard al especially since Sir Hen. Dockwra for want of Match as he had written could not meete his Lordship in Tyrone according to their former proiect whereof his Lordship notwithstanding professed himselfe nothing sorrie in regard that meeting would haue giuen the Arch rebell power to fling the Dice againe for recouerie of their fortune that vpon an vnequall hazard by setting his rest vpon either of them apart diuided into three bodies vnder the Lord Deputy the said Sir Henrie Dockwra and Sir Arthur Chichester euen with the whole force of his Northerne partakers though his other friends further off were kept from aiding him by the disposall of our other forces That besides the spoyling of their corne his Lordship by search had found an ensie way to pasle to Dungannon which hitherto was neuer by any Guide made knowne to vs had cut down a broad pace through a thick Wood in two dayes labour and so came to the Riuer where he purposed as soone as might be to build a Fort with a Bridge there being from thence to Dungannon lesse then foure miles all in a plaine That this would cut the Arch-traytors throat for howsoeuer the name of Oneale was so reuerenced in the North as none could bee induced to hetray him vpon the large reward set vpon his head yet when the hope of assistance from Spaine should be taken away they seeing their Corne spoyled and vpon our expected supplies seeing vs enter Tyrone could not but see their apparant confusion That howsoeuer this Summer few of their
disposed At Carickefergus Sir Arthur Chichester Gouernour 200. Sir Foalke Conway 150. Captaine Billings 150. Captaine Phillips 150. Captaine Norton 100. Captaine Egerton 100. Foot 850. Sir Arthur Chichester 25. Captaine Iohn Iephson 100. Horse 125. At Lecaile Sir Richard Moryson Gouernour 150. Captaine Toby Cawfield 150. Foot 300. These following forces when they should be drawne out for conuoy of victuals or otherwise were to be commanded in chiefe by Sir Francis Stafford and were thus disposed in seuerall garrisons At the Newry Sir Francis Stafford Gouernour 200. Captaine Iostas Bodley 150. Sir William Warren 100. Foot 450. Sir Francis Stafford 50 Horse At Mount Norreis Captaine Edward Blaney Gouernour 150. Captaine Atherton 150 Sir Samuell Bagnoll 150. Captaine Rotheram 150. Foot 600. Sir Samuell Bagnoll 50 Horse At Armagh Sir Henry Dauers Couernour 150. Sir H. Follyot 150. Capt. Guest 150. Capt. Thomas Roper 150. Captaine Francis Roe 100. Capt. Treuer 100. Foot 800. Sir Henry Dauers 100. Captaine Darcy 25. Horse 125. At Blackewater Captaine Williams Gouernour 150. Captaine Constable 100. Sir Garret Moore 100. Foot 350. The twenty foure of August his Lordship leauing the field rode backe to the Newry from whence he sent one W. an Englishman in bonds to the Lords in England for the reasons following Sir Henry Dauers after his elder brothers perishing in the late Earle of Essex his attempt was desirous by actiue prosecution of the Rebels to deserue her Maiesties good opinion And for this cause as for that hee was enabled to doe great seruices aswell by his noble vertues as by the command he formerly and now had both of horse and foot his Lordship in speciall loue to him being most willing to giue him all opportunity to attaine this his desire appointed him Gouernour of Armagh aduising him to be often stirring with the forces vnder his command and to practise what possibly he could deuise vpon the person of the Arch-traitor To him this Englishman made offer to kill Tyrone yet would not discouer his plot for greater secrecy as he pretended neither would he presse him further since he required no assistance and so in the night he was suffered to goe by the watches and passed to Tyrones Campe whence he was imploied to the Ilander Scots and comming to Sir Arthur Chithester hands was by him sent backe from Knockefergus to his Lordship at the Newry where being examined what he had done in Tyrones Campe he auowed that once he had drawne his sword to kill him though vnder pretence of bragging what he would doe for his seruice yet gaue he no good accompt of his actions or purposes but behaued himselfe in such sort as his Lordship iudged him franticke though not the lesse fit for such a purpose Now because hee had not performed that he vndertooke and gaue an ill accompt of himselfe in this action his Lordship aswell for the discharge of Sir H. Dauers who imploied him as of himselfe who consented therevnto and aduised Sir H. Dauers so to doe thought good to send him prisoner to the Lords that he might be there examined where by reason of his friends dwelling in London they might be sufficiently informed of the mans quality The fiue and twentieth his Lordship and the Counsel there present wrote from the Newry this following letter to the Lords in England IT may please your Lordships Since our last letters we haue for the most part imploied our selues in putting vp as great quantity of victuals as we could to Armagh and the Blackewater being loath to ingage our selues into any thing which wee had further purposed vntill we should see the issue of this assured expectation of the Spaniards inuasion or till we might by some meanes better strengthen this Army Of the first we haue reason to be iealous both by many arguments of assured confidence in this people of present succour and by the arriuall of a Spanish ship in which the Arch-traytors agent is returned with assurance that he left the Spanish forces ordained for his aide in a readinesse to set out For the strengthening of our Armie wee had good reason to bee prouident considering the weakenesse thereof and especially of the English and finding by experience the rebels strength now when he had none but the forces nourished in Tyrone to assist him Wherefore hearing that Sir Henrie Dockwra had planted a Garrison at Dunnagall and had left O Donnel possessed in a manner of nothing in Tirconnel and that vpon the late ariuall of his munition he intended to be actiue in those parts neere Loughfoyle and vnderstanding by Master Secretary that about the twelfth of August there were two thousand men to be supplied for Mounster we resolued to send for some of the Companies in Connaght of the Mounster Lyst and to put the rest into Galloway and thereabouts for the assurance of those parts and vpon the receiuing of that addition to our strength to haue drawne to Monaghan and spoiled the Corne of that Country being of exceeding quantitie or if we had seene reason to haue left a Garrison there and to haue inabled it to gather the most part of that Corne for their better prouision or otherwise to haue continued the prosecution in these parts vntil we should heare of the Spaniards landing or by any assurance of their not comming should be at liberty to proceede in our former purposes But receiuing answere from the Captaines of Mounster that they had direction not to stirre from Connaght vpon any other order whatsoeuer then from the President of Mounster in regard of the present expectation of Spaniards to land in those parts and we thereby being not so well able to wade any further in our determinations for the North receiuing some probable intelligence that the place designed for the Spaniards landing was Sligo wee resolued to leaue the Northerne Garrisons very strong in foote and horse and as well prouided with meanes as we can and to draw our selues with the rest of our force towards Connaght appointing the rest of the Couusel to meete vs in the way at Trym to aduise with vs of the best course to establish the heart of the Pale and to answere the present expectation of Spanish forces And although by our suddaine leauing the North we haue ommitted some things which wee conceiued to bee of great consequence to the seruice yet if it shall please your Lordships to supply the foundations we haue laid in those parts with one thousand shot according to our former sute and with store of victuals for the Garrisons in Winter we hope you shall finde no small effect of our Summers labour But seeing we are perswaded that if any Spanish forces arriue they wil land at Sligo where they haue a fit place to fortifie to be relieued by sea to vnite themselues with all the Rebels force and where they haue a faire Countrie to possesse with an casie way by the rebels assistance into Mounster or the hart of the
time collected out of the Lord Presidents letters The setling of peace in the yeere 1600. was interrupted by the allarum of a Spanish inuasion generally giuen in the beginning of this yeere 1601. And in the moneth of Aprill the Mounster Rebels which fledde the last yeere into Connaght and Vlster attempted againe to returne into Mounster hauing beene strengthened by Tyrone but the Lord President sent Captaine Flower with one thousand foote to the confines and these forces of Mounster on the one side and Sir Iohn Barkeley with the Connaght Forces on the other side so persued them as the same moneth they were forced to breake and returne into Vlster Florence mac Carty notwithstanding his protection had procured the sending of the said Rebels out of the North and besides many rebellious practices about this time laded a Barke with hides which should bring him munition from forraigne parts The Lord President ceased not to lay continuall plots to apprehend the ticulary Earle of Desmond hauing often driuen him out of his lurking dennes in which seruice the Lord Barry hauing a Company in her Maiesties pay did noble endeuours at last the Lord President vnderstanding that he lurked in the white Knights Countrey his Lordship did so exasperate him with feare of his owne danger as in the moneth of May he tooke him prisoner and brought him to Corke where hee was condemed for treason to intitle the Queene in his lands and for a time kept prisoner there In the moneth of Iune the Lord President receiued this gracious letter from the Queene written with her owne hand MY faithfull George If euer more seruice of worth were performed in shorter space then you haue done we are deceiued among many eye wituesses we haue receiued the fruit thereof and bid you faithfully credit that what so wit courage or care may do we truly find they haue all been throughly acted in all your charge And for the same beleeue that it shall neither be vnremembred nor vnrewarded and in meane while beleeue my helpe nor prayers shall neuer faile you Your Soueraigne that best regards you E. R. In the beginning of Iuly the Lord President aduertised the Lord Deputy that according to his directions hee would presently send into Connaght 1000 foot and fifty horse of the Mounster list though vpon good and fresh intelligences the arriuall of Spaniards was daily expected in that Prouince and the forces remaining with him were not sufficient to guard Kinsale Waterford Yoghall Killmalloch Lymricke and Cork the last whereof according to his Lordships directions he would haue care specially to strengthen That he had giuen the chiefe leader of the said forces Sir Fran. Barkely direction to return to him vpon his letter if her Maiesties seruice in his opinion should require it praying the Lord Deputy to allow of this direction since hee meant not to recall them but vpon sudden reuolt of the Prouincials or arriuall of Spaniards That the Prisoner vsurping the title of Earle of Desmond and many other euidences made manifest that the rebels of Vlster and especially the Spaniards did most relie vpon the helpe of the said prisoner Florence mac Carty which Florence though protected had assured them of his best aide and had preuailed in a Councell held in Vlster that the Spaniards should land at or neere Cork And that hereupon he the Lord President had apprehended Florence and sent him together with the said Earle Prisoner into England where they were safe in the Tower which being in time knowne to the Spaniards might perhaps diuert their inuasion of Ireland And no doubt the laying hand on these two Archrebels much aduanced her Maiesties seruice in the following inuasion whereby the Lord President deseruedly wonne great reputation Thus much I haue briefly noted to the time aboue mentioned when the Lord Deputy wrote to the Lord President to meet him on the confines of Mounster They meeting as I said at Laughlin rode together to Kilkenny where the twenty day of September they sate in Counsell with the Earle of Ormond and the rest of the Counsel with purpose so soone as they had resolued of the meetest course for the present seruice to returne to their seuerall places of charge But the same day newes came by post for Postes were newly established for the same purpose that a Spanish Fleet was discouered neere the old head of Kinsale whereupon they determined to stay there all the next day to haue more certain aduertisement therof The three twentith day another Post came from Sir Charles Willmot aduertising the Spanish Fleete to be come into the harbour of Kinsale and it was agreed in Counsell that the Lord President should returne to Corke and the Lord Deputy for countenancing of the seruice in Mounster should draw to Clommell and gather such forces as hee could presently to draw to Kinsale nothing doubting but that this forwardnesse howsoeuer otherwise the Army neither for numbers of men nor sufficiency of prouision was fit to vndertake such a taske would both couer their many defects from being spied by the Country and for a while at the least stop the currant of that generall defection of the Irish which was vehemently feared This was resolued in Counsell after the Lord President had giuen them comfort to find victuals and munition at Corke for at first they were not so much troubled to draw the forces thither as suddenly to bring victuals and munition thither for them But when they vnderstood that his Lordship had fed the souldiers all Summer by cesse and preserued her Maiesties store of victuals which they thought to be wasted they were exceeding ioyfull of this newes and not without iust desert highly commended the Lord Presidents prouident wisdome in the said most important seruice to the State The same day they wrote these letters to the Lords in England IT may please your Lordships The Spanish Fleete so long expected by the Rebels here is now in the harbour of Kinsale or Corke as it may appeare vnto your Lordships for a certainty by the copies of these inclosed letters from Sir Charles Wilmott and the Maior of Corke which is as much newes as we haue yet receiued so as we can not iudge whether this be the whole Fleete set out of Spaine or whether part thereof is comming after to them or bound for any other harbour onely we haue some reason to thinke the weather falling out of late exceeding stormy and tempestious that all the ships could very hardly keepe together and the report was the whole number were at least seuentie We are now to be earnest sutors to your Lordships to supply vs with all things needefull for so weighty an action and so speedily as possibly it may be The two thousand foote already as we conceiue at Chester we now desire may presently be lent to Waterford and neither to Carlingford nor Dublin as I the Deputie thought fittest in my last dispatch when I meant
shipped if it be possible at one time if not at two and that to be within the time aboue named 5 Item that if by contrary winds or by any other occasions there shall arriue at any Port of these Kingdomes of Ireland or England any ships of these in which these men goe they be intreated as friends and may ride safely in the Harbour and bee victualed for their money and haue moreouer things which they shall need to furnish them to their voiage 6 Item during the time that they shall stay for shipping victuals shall be giuen to Don Ieans people at iust and reasonable rates 7 Item that of both parts shall be cessation of Armes and security that no wrong be offered to any one 8 Item that the ships in which they shall goe for Spaine may passe safely by any other ships whatsoeuer of her Maiesties the Queene of England and so shal the ships of the said Queene her subiects by those that shall goe from hence and the said ships being arriued in Spaine shall returne so soone as they haue vnshipped their men without any impediment giuen them by his Maiesty the King of Spaine or any other person in his name but rather they shall shew them fauour and helpe them if they neede anything and for securitie of this that they shall giue into the Lord Deputies hands three Captaines such as he shall chuse 9. For the securitie of the performance of these articles Don Iean offereth that he will confirme and sweare to accomplish this agreement and likewise some of the chiefe Captaines of his charge shal sweare and confirme the same in a seuerall writing 10. Item that Don Iean in person shall abide in this Kingdome where the Lord Deputy shall appoint till the last shipping vpon his Lordships word and if it happen that his people be shipped all at once the said Don Iean shall goe in the same Fleete without any impediment giuen him but rather the Lord Deputie shall giue him a good ship in which he may goe and if his said men be sent in two shippings then he shall goe in the last 11. And in like sort the said Lord Deputy shall sweare and confirme and giue his word on the behalfe of her Maiestie the Queene and his owne to keepe and accomplish this agreement and ioyntly the Lord President the Marshall of the Campe and the other of the Counsell of State and the Earles of Thomond and Clanrickard shall sweare and confirme the same in a seuerall writing I promise and sweare to accomplish and keep these articles of agreement and promise the same likewise on the behalfe of his Maiestie the Catholique King my Master Don Iean de l' Aguila Geo. Carew Clanrickard Thomond R. Wingfeild Geo. Bourcher Ro. Gardner Ric. Leuison The Date of this writing is after the new stile Don Iean de l' Aguila Fynes Moryson This agreement being asigned by hands promised by honourable words and confirmed by solemne oathes on both parts the Lord Deputie raised the siege vpon the ninth of Ianuarie and his Lordship with Don Iean de l' Aguila and some of the chiefe Spanish Captaines in his Company rode that day to Corke whether our Army marched the same day the grosse of the Spaniards remaining at Kinsale After the Lord Deputy dispersed the Army through the Townes of Mounster to be lodged namely at Corke Waterford Youghall Rosse Callan Cashell Thomastowne Kilkenny Dungaruen and Clommell The tenth of Ianuary his Lordship gaue order to the victualer to prouide a moneths Bisquit for three thousand fiue hundred Spaniards after a pound and a halfe each day for a man and to prouide for them as much beefe and beare proportionably as could be gotten with speede His Lordship gaue order that the shipping should bee vnladen in the Ports and made ready to transport the Spaniards into Spaine The eleuenth of Ianuary his Lordship receiued letters dated the two and twentieth of Nouember from the Lords in England aduertising that the Earle of Desmond was there lately dead and therefore requiring that the Company of foote kept in his name and for his maintenance should be discharged reseruing that part of intertainement which out of the same was allotted to the Lord Bishop of Cashell and to the reliefe of the Earle of Desmonds sisters Further aduertising that eighteene hundred quarters of Oates were sent into Mounster for the horse troopes which would with the transportation cost her Maiesty fifteene shillings the quarter and were to bee issued to the troopes at the same rate The same day his Lordship receiued letters dated the foure and twentieth of December from the Lords in England as followeth AFter our right hearty commendations to your Lordship we haue now at last after long and great expectation receiued your letters by Sir Oliuer S. Iohns who arriued yesternight at the Court by whom although her Maiestie hath not receiued so much satisfaction as was hoped for vpon the former probabilities contained in your dispatches yet his relation hath made a great alteration of that anxiety in which her Maiesty remained by those reports which haue been brought to this place to which in respect of your long and vnexpected silence from those parts wee could no way giue contradiction hauing not receiued before now any particular aduertisement since the arriuall of Sir Thomas Sauage and therefore no way able to make any iudgement of your estate which was thus described First that the Irish rebels lodged close by you that your Campe was full of all misery and penury to the great slander of this Kingdome lastly that there were six thousand Spaniards landed of which last particular my Lord of Ormonds man was the relator For preuention of which vncertainty hereafter we are commanded in her Maiesties name to require you from hence forward to aduertise vs frequently from time to time of your proceedings to the intent that her Maiestie may still haue meanes to prouide for your support which you may not looke to receiue from hence in the time you shall vse them except wee may be daily informed before-hand from you of all such particular circumstances as fall out in that place To come therefore now to this present dispatch wee haue perused your Iournals both of the seruices done and of the difficulties which haue interrupted your proceedings hitherto whereunto wee meane to make no other replie then this That wee that know your iudgement and affection to her Maiesties seruice so well as we 〈◊〉 must say thus much that wee are no more doubtfull that you haue done as much as you could then you haue reason we hope by the course that is taken with you from hence not to beleeue and know that her Maiesty hath in no sort neglected you For demonstration whereof you shall first vnderstand that before the arriuall of Sir Oliuer Saint Iohns her Maiestie had giuen order for foure thousand men to be sent into Mounster with such supplies of munition
the iust reward of his foule demerits Notwithstanding we will not mislike to heare from you againe what you haue further discouered and guide our further resolution according to occasions Hereupon we haue thought good to returne this gentleman Sir Oliuer S. Iohns to you with thus much of our mind vpon your late letters and with such other matters as from our Counsell he may haue in charge to impart vnto you being one of whose good discretion and affection to our seruice we are very well perswaded to the end that vpon his arriuall by which time much will be seene of the euent of your late happy successe you may enter into some solid consideration of the forme of gouernement hereafter to be held of the proportions of our army to be continued and of all things that may be likely to settle that State in safety from forraigne attempts and in a better obedience to vs then heretofore When you haue debated and resolued what seemeth good to you there vppon all such points we can be then contented that you send backe this gentleman hether againe instructed therewith And because it will be also needfull for the furtherance of our resolutions here to haue good vnderstanding of the ciuill parts of that gouernement as well as of the martiall and that sute hath beene made vnto vs for Sir Robert Gardener our chiefe Iustice there to be licensed to come hither we shall like well that you send them both to the end that vpon their report of your conceipts there we may enter into more particular consideration of all things incident which vpon their arriuall wee shall be better able to doe Giuen vnder our Signet at our Pallace of West minster the eight day of February 1601. in the foure and fortieth yeere of our raigne The same day Sir Oliuer S. Iohns brought from the Lords in England this following letter to the Lord Deputy AFter our hearty commendations to your good Lordship we haue had in most of our late dispatches so little cause to fill our papers with any thing but with commendations of your Lordships wise proceedings and congratulations for her Maiesties happy successe vnder you as at this time if any other we intended not to mixe this acknowledgement of our extraordinary contentment for your late victory against the Spaniards with any other particular directions especially seeing the change you haue made in that Countrey by freeing the same from forraigne power howsoeuer infested still with an intestine rebellion must in all mens knowledge that are acquainted with the affaires of State haue brought so many changes as we can hardly tell what aduice or direction to offer of new vntill we may receiue from thence some further light of the present State of that Kingdome from you whose owne eye and iudgement is neerest and ablest to performe the same In which consideration seeing it hath pleased her Maiesty by her owne letters not onely to giue you notice of her royall and gracious acceptation of your so noble endeuours but to direct your Lordship also to send ouer hether Sir Robert Gardener and this gentleman Sir Oliuer S. Iohns with relation of all particulars fit for her knowledge we will in expectation hereof forbeare to enlarge our letter any further then with our best wishes to your Lordship of all perfect health and happinesse as those that will euer be found c. The same eight day Don Iean and the remaine of the Spaniards at Kinsale were all embarked ready to be gone The next morning the Lord Deputy left Corke and taking his iourney towards Dublyn arriued that night at Yoghall And because the stormy weather and contrary winds kept the Spaniards still in the Port at Kinsale his Lordship was forced to stay in that Towne some few daies from whence he wrote to Master Secretary into England vpon the twelfth of March aduertising him thereof And further giuing him notice that the other Spaniards which were at Beere-Hauen Castle-Hauen and Baltimore now were gone for Spaine That Don Iean had sent to Corke the pledges promised in the eight article of the agreement That fiue English Companies were lately arriued at Waterford And lastly praying to be excused to the rest of the Lords of her Maiesties Counsell that hee forbare to write vnto them till he came to Waterford where within few daies he hoped to meete the Earle of Ormond and some other of the Counsell and vpon conference with them to bee better able to satisfie their Lordships in some things concerning the present State of this Kingdome according to her Maiesties pleasure lately signified to him by her letters The pledges aboue mentioned were to lie for the safe returne of our ships wherein the Spaniards were embarked These pledges were principall Commanders and among them was one Captaine Moryson of whose bold seruice mention is made in the sally vpon the second of December This gentleman was inuited by the Lord Deputy to accompany him to Dublin the rest of his fellowes still remaining at Corke whether hee was to returne vnto them and they together to be shipped for Spaine vpon the safe returne of our ships In which iourney to Dublyn and during this Gentlemans aboad there I had familiar conference with him for names sake and vnderstood from him that his Family in Spaine was discended of an English Gentleman who followed the Emperour Charles the fifth in his warres and after by his bounty was seated in Spaine where at this day the chiefe of his name had good reuenues The Lord Deputy being come to Waterford did write together with the rest of the Counsell vpon the eighteenth of March this following letter to the Lords in England IT may please your Lordships The eighth hereof wee receiued by Sir Oliuer S. Iohns at Corke the dispatch which it pleased your Lordships to make by him and may not omit with all humble thankefulnesse to acknowledge the great comfort and contentment we haue taken in that it appeareth both thereby and by the relation of Sir Oliuer that her Maiesty and your Lordships haue most graciously and fauourably accepted and allowed our poore endeauours We are most carefull as you haue directed to send Sir Robert Gardener and him vnto your Lordships so soone as I the Deputy can get to Dublyn where Sir Robert Gardener now is and shall haue considered and debated with the Counsell there the businesse wherein your Lordships looke to be thorowly informed In the meane space because that will aske some time wee haue thought fit to acquaint your Lordships how things stand here since our last dispatch The Spaniards for certaine are all gone from Beere-Hauen Castle-Hauen Baltimore and that day that Sir Oliuer S. Iohns did arriue at Corke we heard that all the Spaniards at Kinsale and last of all Don Iean himselfe were shipped and in readinesse to set saile but since we heare that vntill Saturday the thirteenth hereof they could not get forth the Harbour and were
doubt of him and at the same charges VVee are at to containe him and his notwithstanding their former reduction which if VVee must account to bee at whomsoeuer or whatsoeuer VVee recouer VVee shall take small contentment in that victory wherof the ende would bee worse then the beginning And therefore mistake not this Our carnestnesse in this point as if it proceeded from any opinion that you haue demeaned your selfe otherwise then became you in the charge committed to you for VVe would haue you know for your comfort that VVe approue all the courses you haue held since you tooke the Sword in your whole Gouernement to haue been acompanied with diligence wisdome and good successes and so VVe accept the same at your hands For N. N. his proceedings with the Traitor although VVee doe not allow of his boldnesse to doe such a thing without your direction yet VVee haue so little reason by the course of his seruice to doubt of his affection as VVe do dispence with that errour in which VVe assure our selues hee meant no harme Giuen vnder Our Signet at Our Mannor of Richmond the ninth day of October 1602 in the foure and fortieth yeere of our Raigne The first of Nouember Rory O Donnell brother to O Donnell lately dead in Spaine whom in the Summer following you shall see created Earle of Terconnell hauing made humble sute to the Lord Deputy for her Maiesties mercy and finding that his Lordship made doubt of his true meaning did by his letters dated the first of Nouember earnestly protest that hee did desire from his heart and had long desired to become a subiect though for the present he had the command of all his brothers forces and had receiued promise of helpe to bee sent this next Summer from Spaine or Rome And to obtaine this mercy he pleaded that his brother went out vpon his priuate discontent against the will of his father and himselfe being enabled by strangers to force them That his Grandfather by Henrie the eighth for his good seruice to the Crowne was Knighted and had his Countrie giuen him and his heires by letters Pattents That his predecessors had long serued the Crowne against the 〈◊〉 That himselfe had often sought to become a subiect and for the same had been imprisoned by his brother with many dangers of his life Lastly that now assoone as he had made himselfe master of his brothers forces hee humbly offered to submit himselfe and of late had suffered the Gouernour of Connaght to passe by him with the Queenes forces lest by fighting with them hee should incense the State against himselfe and his people And touching Neale Garue whereas he had a grant of part of his brothers lands he offered to proue that he had since that grant agreed with his brother to ioyne with him against the English forces as soone as the Spaniards should arriue in Ireland and be able to keepe the field Hereupon the Lord Deputy sent him her Maiesties protection by Captaine Gore with direction to come vnto his Lordship so soone as hee should be in Connaght whether hee intended shortly to take his iourney About this time the Lord Deputy imployed Sir Garret Moore of English race into the Brenny where all the Rebels submitted and gladly receiued her Maiesties protection among them one of the O Relyes came with one hundred men and Mac Gaurons sonnes with fiftie men and some one thousand Cowes from Ororke being the greatest strength hee had And another of the O Relyes being refused pardon vndertooke to bring in Mac Guyres head so he might haue her Maiesties pardon which Mac Guyre had abused her Maiesties Protection into which the Gouernour of Ballishannon had formerly receiued him At the same time Tyrone sent to the Lord Deputie by Sir Garret Moore an absolute submission to the Queenes mercie and wrote to the Lord Deputy that howsoeuer the shewing of this submission might hinder him from receiuing the aides hee expected out of Spaine yet he had sent it in confidence that his Lordship would deale honourably with him This submission was in these words RIght Honourable Lord your worthy endeuours in her Maiesties seruice and processe of time haue sufficiently taught me how improuidently I haue perscuered in action wheras heretofore vpō my submission I might haue hoped her Maiesty would haue receiued me to her mercy vnto which action I was enforced for saueguard of my life only which was indirectly sought for by her Maiesties officers as is known to sundry persons of credit here her subiects that before I was proclaimed traitor I neuer sent letters into Spaine or receiued any frōthence though afterwards I was animated to continue in Action vpon hope of Spanish aide and promise of many confederates of both which being disappointed my estate is greatly decreased and though I might perhaps be able to hold out for a time yet am I weary of the course I held and do much repent me of the same most humbly and with a penitent heart desiring and wishing to bee reconciled to my Prince and to be receiued to her Maiesties mercy whom I am right sorry I haue so much offended and prouoked and yet I know that her Maiesties mercy is greater then mine offences the rather that at the first I did not wilfully oppose my selfe against her Maiesty but for safety of my life was driuen into action as aforesaid and for my continuance therein I submit my selfe to her Maiesties mercy and grace acknowledging her Maiesty alone to be my naturall Prince and my selfe her vnworthy subiect but if her Highnesse will vouchsafe of her accustomed Grace to grant not onely pardon to me my kinsemen and followers and vnto mine adherents in their owne names and vpon their seuerall submissions but also to restore me and them to our pristinate blood and possessions I will from henceforth both renounce all other Princes for her and serue her Highnesse the residue of my life humbly requesting euen of your Honour now that you haue brought mee so low to remember I am a Noble-man and to take compassion on me that the ouerthrow of my house and posterity may bee preuented by your good meanes and honourable care towards her Maiesty for mee which with all humility I desire and will accept And for the better doing hereof if your Lordship doe mislike any of the Articles which I did send vnto you I pray your Lordship to appoint either some of the priuy Counsell or some Gentlemen of worth to conferre with mee and your Lordship shall find me conformable to reforme them The twelfth of Nouember 1602. Subscribed Hugh Tyrone The thirteenth day the Lord Deputy was aduertised that Captaine Tyrrell vpon a mutiny betweene him and the Rebels of Kerry had left Mounster and hauing some sixe hundred men with him was comming back into Lenoster and it was thought that Tyrone would send him to Orowrke to assist him in the defence of his Countrey About the eighteenth
true obedience to her royall person crown prerogatiue and lawes and to be in all things as farre and as dutifully conformable thereunto as I or any other Nobleman of this Realme is bound by the duty of a subiect to his Soueraigne or by the Lawes of this Realme vtterly renouncing and abiuting the name and title of O Neale or any other authoritie or claime which hath not beene granted or confirmed vnto mee by her Maiesty and that otherwise by the Lawes of this Realme I may not pretend inst interest vnto and I doe religiously sweare to performe so much as is aboue mentioned and the rest of these Articles subscribed by my owne hand as farre as shall any way lie in my power and to deliuer such pledges for the performance thereof as shall be nominated vnto me by the Lord Deputy I doe renounce and abiure all forraigne power whatsoeuer and all kind of dependancy vpon any other Potentate but her Maiesty the Queene of England France and Ireland and doe vow to serue her faithfully against any forraigne power inuading her Kingdomes and to discouer truely any practises that I doe or shall know against her roiall person or Crownes and namely and especially I doe abiure and renounce all manner of dependancy vpon the King or Estate of Spaine or treaty with him or any of his confederates and shall be ready with the vttermost of my ability to serue her Maiesty against him or any of his forces or confederates I doe absolutely renounce all challenge or intermedling with the Vriaghts or softering with them or other neighbour Lords or Gentlemen out of my Countrey or exacting any blacke rents of any Vriaghts or bordering Lords I doe resigne all claime and title to any lands but such as shall be now granted vnto me by her Maiesties Letters Pattents Lastly as the onely being a Subiect doth include all the duties of a Subiect so will I be content to be informed and aduised by her Magistrates here and will be conformable and assisting vnto them in any thing that may tend to the aduancement of her seruice and the peaceable gouernement of this Kingdome as namely for the abolishing of all barbarous customes contrary to the lawes being the seeds of all inciuility and for the cleering of difficult passages and places which are the nurseries of rebellion wherein I will employ the labours of the people of my Countrey in such sort and in such places as I shall be directed by her Maiesty or the Lord Deputy and Counsell in her name and will endeuour for my selfe and the people of my Countrey to erect ciuill habitations and such as shall bee of greater effect to preserue vs against theeues and any force but the power of the State by the which we must rest assured to be preserued as long as we continue in our duties This submission was presented by the Earle of Tyrone kneeling on his knees before the Lord Deputy and Counsell and in the presence of a great assembly At the same time the Earle promised to write vnto the King of Spaine for the recalling of his sonne from thence into Ireland and to doe the same at such time and in such words as the Lord Deputy should direct Likewise he vowed to discouer how farré he had proceeded with the King of Spaine or any other forraigne or domesticall enemies for past or future helpes and combinations Then the Lord Deputy in the Queenes name promised to the Earle for himselfe and his followers her Maiesties gratious pardon and to himselfe the restoring of his dignity of the Earledome of Tyrone and of his bloud and likewise new letters Pattents for all his lands which in his former letters had been granted to him before his rebellion excepting onely the Country possessed by Henrie Oge Oneale and the Fues possessed by Turlogh Mac Henrie to both which at their submission the Lord Deputie had formerly promised that they should hold the same immediately from the Queene to which ende this exemption and reseruation was now made of these Countries and the disposing of them left to her Maiesties power And likewise excepting and reseruing three hundred acres of land to bee laid to the Fort of Mountioy and three hundred more to the Fort of Charlemont during her Maiesties pleasure to hold any Garrisons in the said Forts To these exemptions of Henrie Oge and Turlogh Mac Henrie their Countries and themselues from the Earles right or power he gaue his full consent as likewise to the reseruation of the lands laid to the said Forts He promised to reduce his Countrie to pay her Maiestie like composition as Connaght now did and for long time had paied and to answere rising out of souldiers and all charges for aduancing her Maiesties seruice The third of Aprill the Lord Deputy hauing the Earle of Tyrone in his companie rode to Tredagh and from thence vpon the fourth day to Dublyn The next day an English ship arriued in that Hauen in which came Sir Henrie Dauers who brought with him letters from the Lords in England aduertising the Queens death and that Iames the first was proclaimed King of England Scotland France and Ireland the coppy of which Proclamation they sent to the end it should here be published in like sort Also in the same ship came one Master Liegh kinsman to the Lord Deputy who brought his Lordship a fauourable letter from the King out of Scotland This Master Liegh his Lordship presently graced with the honour of Knighthood And concerning the gentleman formerly spoken of whose seruant brought the first newes of the Queenes death I was not deceiued in the honour I did ominate to him as I haue formerly written for after he had followed my aduice in the manner of his imparting that important newes to the Lord Deputy his Lordship conceiued so good an opinion of him for his discretion and for the particular affection hee had expressed towards him by the tender of his seruice in following his fortune this doubtfull time as his Lordship did not onely by the way from Meltfant to Dublyn extraordinarily grace him and often call him not without some admiration of the better sort of his traine to ride by his side talking familiarly with him but now vpon his arriuall to Dublyn vpon this occasion of honouring his cozen Leigh did also knight him In the meane time according to the Lord Deputies commandement the Counsellers of the State the Noblemen Knights and chiefe Commanders of the Army then being at Dublyn assembled together in the Castle to whom his Lordship made knowne the Queenes death and the Kings Proclamation which he first then all in course signed and presently taking Horse with ioyfull acclamations published the same through the chiefe streets of Dublyn I cannot omit to mention that the Earle of Tyrone vpon the first hearing the Lord Deputies relation of the Queenes death could not containe himselfe from shedding of teares in such quantity as it could not well
be concealed especially in him vpon whole face all men eyes were cast himselfe was content to insinuate that a tender sorrow for losse of his Soueraigne Mistresse caused this passion in him but euery dull vnderstanding might easily conceiue that thereby his heart might rather bee more eased of many and continuall ielousies and feares which the guilt of his offences could not but daily present him after the greatest security of pardon And there needed no Oedipus to find out the true cause of his teares for no doubt the most humble submission he made to the Queene he had so highly and proudly offended much eclipsed the vaine glory his actions might haue carried if he had hold out till her death besides that by his cōming in as it were between two raignes he lost a faire aduantage for by Englands Estate for the present vnsetled to haue subsisted longer in rebellion if he had any such end or at least an ample occasion of fastning great merit on the new King if at first and with free will he had submitted to his mercy which hee would haue pretended to doe onely of an honourable affection to his new Prince and many would in all likelihood haue beleeued so much especially they to whom his present misery and ruined estate were not at all or not fully knowne The sixth of Aprill the Earle of Tyrone made a new submission to the King in the same forme he had done to the Queene the name onely changed He also wrote this following letter to the King of Spaine IT may please your most Excellent Maiesty Hauing since the first time that euer I receiued letters from your Highnesse Father and your Maiesty or written letters vnto you performed to the vttermost of my power whatsoeuer I promised insomuch as in the expectation of your assistance since the repaire of O Donnell to your Maiesty I continued in action vntill all my neerest kinsemen and followers hauing forsaken me I was inforced as my duty is to submit my selfe to my Lord and Soueraigne the beginning of this instant moneth of Aprill in whose seruice and obedience I will continue during my life Therefore and for that growing old my selfe I would gladly see my sonne setled in my life time I haue thought good giuing your Maiesty all thankes for your Princely vsage of my sonne Henry during his being in Spaine most humbly to desire you to send him vnto mee And for the poucrtie whereunto I was driuen I haue in sundry letters both in Irish and other languages so signified the same as it were inconuenient herein to make relation thereof And so I most humbly take my leaue From Dublin c. Your Highnesse poore friend that was Hugh Tyrone Together with the same he wrote another letter to his sonne Henry to hasten his comming from Spaine into Ireland but without any effect Lastly the Lord Deputic renewed to the Earle of Tyrone his Maiesties Protection for a longer time till hee could sue out his Pardon and sent him backe into his Countrey to settle the same and to keepe his friends and former confederates in better order vpon this change of the State Sir Henry Dauers who lately brought letters to the Lord Deputy from the Lords in England returned backe with purpose to repaire presently vnto the King wherevpon the Lord Deputy commended to his relation the following instructions signed with his Lordships hand Wherein you must note that his Lordship omits the newes of the Queenes death receiued by the seruant of a Gentleman as aforesaid the same being onely a priuate inteliigence whereupon hee could not safely build his late proceedings and that his Lordship onely insists vpon letters from the State which could onely giue warrant to the same The instrustions are these You are to informe the Kings Maiesty that at your comming ouer hither the fifth hereof with the letters from the Lords in England signifying the decease of my late Scueraigne Mistresse you found with mee heere at Dublin the Earle of Tyrone newly come in vpon Protection and by that meanes the Rcalme for the present generally quiet all expecting that vpon a conclusion with him which then euery one conceiued to be likely in as much as he put himself into my hand which till that time he would neuer doe to any the Countrey would in short time be thorowly settled so that euery one thet found himselfe in danger did presse me in a manner hourely for his pardon foreseeing that he that staied out longest was sure to be made the example of the Iustice of the State where such as could soonest make their way by assuring their future loyaltie and seruice were hopefull to lay hold vpon their Soueraignes mercy Now to the end you may acquaint his Maiesty how farre forth I haue proceeded with the Earle of Tyrone and vpon what warrant you shall be heereby thus remembred He had often made great meanes to be receiued to mercy which as often I had denied him prosecuting him to the vttermost of my ability being cuer confident in opinion that vntil I had brought him very low driuen him out of his own Countrey as I did the last Summer and left Garrisons vpon him that tooke most of the Creaghts and spoiled the rest of his goods hee would not bee made fit to crauc mercy in that humble manner that was beseeming so great an offender In December last when I was at Galloway he importuned me by many messages and letters and by some that he trusted very well vowed much sincerity if hee might be hearkened vnto there and at that time hee sent me a submission framed in as humble manner as I could reasonably require To that I sent him this answer that I would recommed it to her Maiesty but vntill I had further direction from her I would still prosecute him as I did before and get his head if I could and that was all the comfort I gaue him yet ceased he not to continue a sutor with all the earnestnesse that hee could deuise hoping in the end to obtaine that hee desired In the month of March I receiued letters from her Maiesty of the sixteenth and sauenteenth of February whereby I was authorised to giue him my word for his comming and going safe and to pardon him so as he would come parsonally where I should assigne him to receine it and yeeld to some other conditions in the last of those two letters contained And withall I was specially required aboue all things to driue him to some issue presently because her Maiesty then conceiued that contrariety of successes heere or change of accidents in other parts might turn very much to her disaduantage for which she was still apt to beleeue that hee lay in wait and would spin out all things further then were requisite with delayes and shifts if I should not abridge him Shortly after the Earle renewing his former suit with very great carnestnesse and in most humble manner as may
before all the people of the Towne in continuall feare to be burned The Lord Deputy hauing quietly settled all the Townes and Cities in Mounster returned to Dublyn and because vpon the first settling of peace many petitions were exhibited against the late Rebels for restitution of goods which they had taken in time of rebellion and were not now able to restore so as the exacting thereof was like to produce new troubles rather then any satisfaction to the plaintiffes an authenticall act of obliuion for all like grieuances was published and sent to the Gouernours in all parts of the Kingdome In this late Mounster Iourney his Lordship receiued letters from the King whereby he was chosen to be one of his Maiesties Priuie Counsell in England and being made Lord Lieutenant of Ireland with two third parts of the Deputies allowance assigned to him was licensed to come ouer into England and had authoritie to leaue Sir George Carey the Kings Deputy during his Lordships absence hauing the other third part of the Deputies allowance and his owne entertainement as Treasurer at Warres for his support And Captaine Floyd lying now in the Harbour with the Kings Pinace called the Tramontana ready to transport him his Lordship with the Earle of Tyrone in his company together with his houshold seruants and some Knights and Gentlemen his followers tooke ship in the afternoone and the next morning early we discouered the desired land of England the weather being very saire but within one hower the skie being ouer cast with a thicke fog and we bearing all sayles we fell suddenly vpon the Skerryes an hideous great blacke Rocke where after so many dangers escaped in the warres it pleased God miraculously to deliuer vs from being cast away as it were in the very Hauen For certaine birds called Guls seeing our ship ready to rush vpon them and their desart habitation with full sayles rose crying and fluttering round about vs whereat the Gouernours of the Pinace being amazed looked out and beholding that terrible spectacle cried to the Steare-man aloofe for life which fearefull voice might haue danted him as it did most in the ship but he stoutly did his worke answering helme aboard which done the ship by force of the sterne and by the help of the tide comming in between it and the Rocke turned about with strange swiftnesse and swumme along by the Rocke so neere to it as the Beate hanging at the sterne dashed against it Neither were the most expert men in the ship for a long time free of this feare knowing that such great Rockes haue vsually small pinacles adioining to them the least whereof had beene as dangerous to vs as the maine Rocke but the ship by Gods mercifull prouidence passing on safely that day by noone we came into the Bay of Beaumarris and were set on shore by the boate The Earle of Tyrone rode from thence to London in the Lord Mountioy his company and howsoeuer his Lordships happy victory against this Traitor made him gracious in the eyes of the people yet no respect to him could containe many Weomen in those parts who had lost Husbands and Children in the Irish warres from flinging durt and stones at the Earle as he passed and from reuiling him with bitter words yea when the Earle had beene at Court and there obtaining his Maiesties direction for his pardon and performance of all conditions promised him by the Lord Mountioy was about September to returne hee durst not passe by those parts without direction to the Shiriffes to conuay him with troopes of Horse from place to place till hee were safely imbarked and put to the Sea for Ireland The Lord Mountioy comming to Court was honoured of all men and graciously receiued of the King being presently sworne one of his Maiesties priuy Counsell And for further reward of his seruices shortly after the King made him Master of the Ordinance gaue him two hundred pound yeerely old Rent of Assise out of the Exchequer and as much more out of the Dutchy to him and his heires for euer besides the Countrey of Lecale in Ireland together with other lands in the Pale there which after the decease of the Lady Mabell Countesse of Kildare were to fall to the Crowne for want of heires males of her body He had the full superintendency ouer all Irish affaires no dispatches passing to and from the Lord Deputy but through his hands as Lord Leiuetenant And his Maiestie likewise created him Earle of Deuonshire which dignity was to discend to the heires of his body lawfully begotten But it died with him and he enioyed the rest of this worldly happinesse but few yeeres For he was surprised with a burning Feuer whereof the first fit being very violent he called to him his most familiar friends and telling them that he had euer by experience and by presaging minde beene taught to repute a burning Feuer his fatall enemy desired them vpon instructions then giuen them to make his Will and then he said Let death looke neuer so vgly he would meet him smiling which he nobly performed for I neuer saw a braue spirit part more mildely from the old mansion then his did departing most peaceably after nine daies sickenesse vpon the third of Aprill in the beginning of the yeere 1606. This most worthy Lord cured Ireland from the most desperate estate in which it euer had beene and brought it to the most absolute subiection in which it had euer beene since the first Conquest thereof by our Nation Yet hee left this great worke vnperfect and subiect to relapse except his successours should finish the building whose foundation he had laied and should pollish the stones which he had onely rough hewed And because hee knew this relapse would be most dangerous hauing obserued euery rebellion in Ireland to bee more dangerous then the former and that none could be more dangerous then this last without the losse of the Kingdome therefore he was most carefull to preuent all future mischiefes To which end whatsoeuer effects his designes had sure I am that he did meditate these wholesome prciects First to establish Garrisons in the Cities of Mounster and in the renewing of their forfeited Charters to cut of many exorbitant priuiledges granted to their first English Progenitors from whom they were so degenerated as the very speaking of English was by them forbidden to their wiues and children Then by the exchanging of lands and by the disposing of the new grants of lands to be made to the Irish to draw them all to inhabit the inland Country and to plant the English vpon the hauens Sea-Coasts and Riuers Lastly because he knew all endeuours would be in vaine if Ciuill Magistrates should thinke by faire meanes without the sword to reduce the Irish to due obedience they hauing been conquered by the sword and that maxime being infallible that all Kingdomes must be preserued by the same meanes by which they were first gained
Lord Deputies discretion But their Lordships aduised warily to obserue and know such as offered submission because it had alwaies been the Arch-traitors practise to let slip such as he could not defend that they might saue their goods and liue vpon her Maiestie without any intent to doe her seruice Lastly whereas the Lord of Dunkellin by his letters in regard of some restrictions whereby hee was disabled to serue her Maiestie as he desired had made offer to resigne the gouernement he had in the Prouince of Connaght And forasmuch as the Queene was alwaies vnwilling to imploy any great Lord in his owne Countrie yet finding him placed in that gouernement by the Earle of Essex had still continued him there only out of her speciall fauor to him And for that of late some insolencies had bin offered to Companies of the English by the old Earle of Clanrieards soldiers in her Maiesties pay Their Lordships signified that the Queenes pleasure was to accept the Lord of Dunkellins resignation in the fairest maner and withall carefull tendering of his honour aduising the Lord Deputie to inuite him to accompany his Lordship and serue in the Army vnder him And Sir Arthur Sauage then a Colonel of the Army and lying with his Company at Athlone was appointed prouisionall Gouernour of the Prouince of Connaght except the Lord Deputie knew some sufficient cause to the contrary The Lord Deputy hauing attained his end of drawing the Army into the North by the safe landing and setling of Loughfoyle Garrison in the farthest North of Ireland on Tyrones backe His Lordship the twentie eight of May hearing that Tyrone had drawne backe his men two miles further into the fastnesse and being informed that the Pace of the Moyrye by reason of much wet lately fallen and the Rebels breaking of the causey was hard to passe returned by Carlingford pace to Dundalke and so to Dublin where he vnderstood that the Rebels had in his absence burned the Pale though he left for defence of it 2000 foot and 175 horse in Lemster but the damage was not answerable to the clamour for many priuate men haue in England sustained greater losse by casuall fire in time of peace then the whole Pale had done by the enemies burning in warre and many priuate men in England haue in one yeere lost more cattel by a rot then the Pale lost by this spoyling of the rebels of which they lamentably complained Besides that indeede this burning and spoyling of the very Pale did further the greatest end of finishing the warres no way so likely to be brought to an end as by a generall famine Giue me leaue to digresse a little to one of the fatall periods of Robert the noble Earle of Essex his tragedy and the last but one which was his death whereof the following relation was sent into Ireland The fifth of Iune there assembled at Yorke-house in London about the hearing of my Lord of Essex his cause eighteene Commissioners viz. my Lord of Canterburie Lord Keeper Lord Treasurer Lord Admi Lords of Worcester Shrewsbury Cumberland Huntington Darby Zouch Mast. Comptroller Master Secretarie Sir Ihon Fortescu Lord Popham Chiefe Iustice Lord Anderson Chiefe Iustice of the common Pleas Lord Perian Chiefe Baron of the Exchequer Iustices Gaudy and Walmesley They sate from eight of the clock in the morning till very neere nine at night all at a long table in chaires At the Earles comming in none of the Commissioners stirred cap or gaue any signe of curtesie He kneeled at the vpper end of the Table and a good while without a cushion At length my Lord of Canterbury moued my Lord Treasurer and they ioyntly my Lord Keeper and Lord Admirall that sat ouer against them then was he permitted a cushion yet still was suffered to kneele till the Queenes Sergeants speech was ended when by the consent of the Lords he was permitted to stand vp and after vpon my Lord of Canterburies motion to haue a stoole The manner of proceeding was this My Lord Keeper first deliuered the cause of the assembly and then willed the Queenes Counsaile at Law viz Sergeant Attorney Solicitor and Master Bacon to informe against him The Sergeant began and his speech was not long onely a preface as it were to the accusations The summe of it was to declare the Queenes Princely care and prouision for the warres of Ireland and also her gratious dealing with the Earle before he went in discharging ten thousand pound of his debts and giuing him almost so much more to buy him horses and prouide himself and especially in her proceedings in this cause when as after so great occasion of offence as the consumption of a royall Army fruitlesse wasting thirty hundred thousand 〈◊〉 treasure contempt and disobedience to her expresse commandement she notwithstanding was content to be so mercifull towards him as not to proceede against him in any of her Courts of Iustice but only in this priuate sort by way of mercy and fauour After him the Attorney began whose speech contained the body and substance of the accusation it was very sharp stinging for besides the man faults of contempt and disobedience where with hee charged him he did also shrewdly inferre a dangerous disposition and purpose which was by many rhetoricall amplifications agrauated to the full he diuided his speech into three parts Quomodo ingressus Quomodo progressus Quomodo regressus In the ingresse hee obserued how large a Commission he stood vpon such a one as neuer any man had the like before namely that he might haue authoritie to pardon all Traytors of himselfe yea to pardon treason committed against her Maiesties owne person and that he might mannage the warres by himself without being tied to the aduice of the Counsell of Ireland which clause hee said was granted that he might at first proceede in the Northerne iourny which the Counsell of Ireland whose lands and liuings lay in the South might perhaps hinder and labor to diuert him to the safeguard of themselues In the other two parts of his speech were contained fiue speciall crimes wherwith the Earle was charged viz. His making the Earle of Southampton Generall of the Horse 2. His going to Lemster and Mounster when he should haue gone to Vlster 3. His making so many Knights 4. His conference with Tyrone 5. His returne out of Ireland contrary to her Maiesties command These all sauing the fourth were recited by the Lords in their censures as the crimes for which he was censured by them The first was amplified for that he did it contrary to her Maiesties mind plainely signified vnto him in England that hee increased that offence by continuing him in that office stil when her Maiesty by letters had expressely commanded him to displace him and thirdly for that he wrote a very bold presumptuous letter to her Maiesty in excuse of that offence which letter was afterwards read The second point of his Southerne iourny was agrauated
Army in this estate during this time That the assurance the Irish had receiued of succours from Spaine was the onely fewell of the last blaze of this Rebellion Therefore praying that except Master Secretary had some certainety that Spaine would not at that time assist the Rebels the Army might by all meanes be strengthened which would be necessary if such assistance were sent and would make an end of the warres if none were sent And howsoeuer that befell yet for preuention of Munition and such supplies to be furnished to the Rebels from Spaine aduising that some few of the Queenes ships might lie on the West and somewhat towards the North of Ireland Adding that some little boats made both to row and to saile would barre the Ilander Scots from supplying the Rebels with any munition And that his Lordship to meet with the Earle of Ormond lately set free by Ony mac Rory who had taken him Prisoner that day tooke his iourney towards Carlogh where he hoped to sound the bottome of the conditions of his deliuery with the best course how to disintangle him and by his conference to make a shrewd guesse how the Earle stood affected in these doubtfull times His Lordship in his next Letters aduertised into England that he was not priuy nor consenting to the giuing of pledges at the Earle of Ormonds deliuery but since they were giuen in regard of her Maiesties extraordinary care for the Earles liberty he did not shew any manifest dislike thereof and now conceiued the Earle did apprehend the indignity done to him by those base traitors and therefore had such a spleene against them as hee had ioyned with him in diuers plots as well to recouer the pledges wherein the Earle protested to spare no money if they were so to be redeemed besides that he and their Fathers protested that their danger should not hinder them from doing their vttermost seruice to the Queene as also to worke his reuenge vpon the Rebels At this time Tyrone attending the garrison at Loughfoyle Odonnel starting through Connaght into Thomond and spoyling both Countries Sir Samuel Bagnoll drew out of the Newry into Monaghan where he tooke a prey and killed sixe Commanders and some sixty of the common rebels onely three of his being staine and twenty hurt The subiects of the Pale fearing belike to be complained on for the small assistance they gaue to the Queenes seruice sent ouer the Lord of Howth and Sir Patricke Barnewell to make first complaint after the Irish manner of the wrongs done them by the Army neuer acquainting the Lord Deputy and Counsell therewith And notwithstanding their former vnwillingnes to beare any charge for the Queenes seruice now they were content for these their Deputies expence in England to cesse euery plow land at three shillings From the seuenth of Iuly to the twelfth Sir Oliuer Lambert with some troopes lay encamped at the Tougher in Ophalia where he made a Causey and built a Fort and thereleft a Guard to keepe the passage alwaies open for the victualling of Phillipstowne Fort in which seruice the Earle of Southampton as a voluntary by his presence and valour much encouraged our men At this time many of the Rebels in Lemster and the Northerne borders made sute to the Lord Deputy to be receiued to mercy with offer of large summes of money to the Lord Deputy for their pardons but his Lordship refused their offer till they had first done some seruice and had drawne blood against some of their confederates Thus much his Lordship aduertised into England the sixteenth of Iuly as likewise a good seruice presently done and a great prey taken in the Fuse by Sir Richard Moryson the Gouernour of Dundalke The same twelfth of Iuly his Lordship tooke his iourney towards the borders of the North vpon hearing that Tyrone was drawne into those parts There his Lordship intended to spoyle the corne as likewise in all other parts when it should be a little riper Mac Mahowne and Patricke mac Art Moyle offered now to submit but neither could be receiued without the others head But Oconnor Roe mac Gaire for good respects of seruice was at the same time receiued to mercy His Lordship hearing that Tyrone contained himselfe in his fastnes and being requited out of England to attempt something vpon the Lemster Rebels left the Northerne borders strongly guarded against any inuasion and left order with the Counsell to hasten the generall hoasting and make ready all prouisions for a iourney into the North and leauing Dublyn the twelfth of August rode to the Nasse and so marched to the Fort of Phillipstowne in Ophaly with fiue hundred sixty foote and sixty horse besides voluntaries in his company In the way into Leax his Lordship tooke a prey of two hundred Cowes seuen hundred garrons and fiue hundred sheepe besides great store of small cattell The sixeteenth of August his Lordship burning the Countrey and spoyling the corne marched towards the passage one of the most dangerous in Ireland where Sir Oliuer Lambert with the Forces he had was to meet him Both of them fought all the way and killed diuers rebels whereof the Lord Deputy left fifteene dead in the place besides many hurt they met together at noone The seuenteenth day the army marched towards a fastnes where the rebels had stored great plenty of corne At the entry there was a Foard compassed in with woods and a bogge betweene them where the rebels let the vanguard of the horse passe but his Lordship passing with a few gentlemen and his owne seruants before the vanguard of the foote the rebels began the skirmish with him and the foote wings being slowly sent out they came close vp to him the traytor Tyrrel hauing appointed an hundred shot to wait on his Lorships person with markes to know him In this skirmish we killed thirty fiue rebels and hurt seuenty fiue on our part two onely being killed and a few slightly hurt Captaine Masterson dangerously hurt in the knee and his Lordship hauing a very good horse killed vnder him and another killed vnder Master Iohn Chidley a gentleman of his Lordships chamber But the best seruice at that time done was the killing of Owny mac Rory a bloody and bold yong man who lately had taken the Earle of Ormond prisoner and had made great stirres in Mounster He was the chiefe of the O Mores Sept. in Leax and by his death they were so discouraged that they neuer after held vp their heads Also a bold bloody rebell Callogh mac Walter was at the same time killed Besides that his Lordships staying in Leax till the twenty three of August did many other waies weaken them for during that time he fought almost euery day with them and as often did beate them Our Captaines and by their example for it was otherwise painefull the common souldiers did cut downe with their swords all the Rebels corne to the value of ten thousand pound and
and we carried hurdles and fagots to passe into the Iland but the water carrying them away and his Lordships Guard being not well seconded by the Irish wee came off with losse and Captaine Rotheram was shot Before I proceede I must digresse a little to other matters In this Iourney begun the twentie two of December his Lordship receiued commandement to pardon all such in Mounster as should require it and should be commended by the Lord President with assurance that Spaine was so intangled with the warre of Sauoy as the Irish Rebels could at this time haue small succour thence His Lordship writ to Master Secretary to procure him leaue to start ouer into England to kisse the Queenes hands and to conferre with him about the Irish seruice professing that hee reputed him his honourable friend and did much disdaine that humour in any subiect if any such were which would thinke him tyed by any respect from hauing his affection free to loue him In the beginning of Februarie the Lord President of Mounster excused himselfe to the Lord Deputy that hee had made stay of some forces his Lordship had directed to come from thence because hee had intelligence that some Northerne Rebels were sent to inuade Mounster But his Lordship knowing that he had stopped their passage and that they could not goe with any great numbers if perchance they escaped did againe require that these forces might be sent vnto him At this time there was a plot for Tyrones head the managing whereof was commended to Sir Richard Moryson Gouernour of Dundalke whether Sir William Godolphin was sent with his troope of horse to second this plot which tooke not the wished effect the vndertaker Henry Oge Oneale failing in his courage or in his faith Now I will returne to his Lordships actions while hee lay at Maghogans Castle The same two twentieth of February his Lord receiued a packetout of England by which he vnderstood that the Earle of Essex was committed to the Tower for treason which much dismaied him and his neerest friends and wrought strange alteration in him For whereas before he stood vpon termes of honour with the Secretary now he fell flat to the ground and insinuated himselfe into in ward loue and to an absolute dependancy with the Secretary so as for a time he estranged himselfe from two of his neerest friends for the open declaration they had made of dependancy on the Earle of Essex yet rather couering then extinguishing his good affection to them It is not credible that the influence of the Earles malignant star should worke vpon so poore a snake as my selfe being almost a stranger to him yet my neerenesse incloud to one of his Lordships aboue named friends made it perhaps seeme to his Lordship improper to vse my seruice in such neerenesse as his Lordship had promised and begun to doe So as the next day he tooke his most secret papers out of my hand yet giuing them to no other but keeping them in his owne cabinet and this blow I neuer fully recouered while I staied in Ireland In truth his Lordship had good cause to be wary in his words and actions since by some confessions in England himselfe was tainted with priuity to the Earles practises so that how soeuer he continued still to importune leaue to come ouer yet no doubt he meant nothing lesse but rather if he had been sent for was purposed with his said friends to saile into France they hauing prinately fitted themselues with money and necessaries thereunto For howsoeuer his Lordship were not dangerously ingaged therein yet hee was as hee priuately professed fully resolued not to put his necke vnder the fyle of the Queenes Atturnies tongue But his Lordships former seruice and the necessity of his future imployment together with his good successe so strengthened him as without great vnthankefulnesse and popular obloquy he could not haue beene questioned vpon this weake ground The same twenty two of February his Lordship in colmsell resolued to proclaime that all such as had any rebels goods should discouer them or be guiltie of Treason That none vpon paine of death should parley with the rebels that the Countrey should bring in victuals to the Campe which no man vpon paine of death should take from them without paying the price of the market And thus purposing to force the rebels out of the fortified Iland and then to plant a garrison at the Abbey neere adioyning and to charge the new submitted subiects to loyne with this garrison in the seruice as also to take order for the safe victualing of the same when he should be gone his Lordship resolued the next day to make another attempt against the Iland wherein Terril lay preparing all things to second the same and taking order to bring victualls to the Campe from all parts and especially from Athlone by boates The twenty three of February his Lordship drew forth to the Abbey where hee had lodged foure hundred souldiers there hee dined and proclaimed Terrils head at two thousand crownes and after dinner drawing to the Iland he diuided the forces sending part to put boates into the water and so to assaile the Iland and causing the rest to be led into the Woods to fetch out the rebels corne and to burne the houses and such things for their reliefe as they could not bring away The twenty foure of February being Shroue-tuesday there fell a great snow so that we were forced to lie still and the next night the Rebels did steale away leauing the Iland to his Lordship where the next day wee found much corne some Murrions and Peeces eight Cowes and some garrons The twenty six his Lordship drew the forces beyond the Iland into a pleasant valley wherein was a ruined house of Sir Edward Herberts and the ground was well plowed by the Rebels Our men burnt houses and corne and his Lordship gaue an Angell to a Souldier to swim ouer the water and burne the houses in another Iland Then we came to a riuer which diuideth West Meath and Orphaly into which countrey his Lordship sent diuers companies vnder Sir Christopher Saint Laurence to spoyle the same The twenty seuen his Lordship rode six miles to Sir Iohn Tirrels a strong Castle wee passed by the way Tirrels pace compassed with bogges and hilly woods This Knight was a subiect and here his Lordship rested the next day The first of March his Lordship rode to Klonegaue the house of Sir Terrence Odempsey in Ophalia being twelue miles in the first part whereof wee passed a dangerous part of Tirrels fastnesse Here his Lordship receiued a gracious Letter from her Maiesty whereby she made known vnto him the Earle of Essex his death to vse her own words professed that in regard of his approued fidelity and loue it was some alleuation of her griefe to eiaculate the same to him First her Maiesty required him to look wel in general vpon the dispositions of all
Carty the chiefe practiser with the Spaniards in those parts into England The second letter imported the Lord Presidents recommendation which by established course was effectuall to his Lordship for the granting of her Maiesties pardon for lands liues and goods to fiue hundred fortie two inhabitants of Muskery and other parts in the Countie of Corke for which present warrant was accordingly giuen The nine and twentieth day his Lordship came to Trym where the Counsellers comming from Dublin met him according to appointment Heere they consulted of the publike affaires more particularly how that part of the Army within Lemster might be employed to prosecute Tirrel sent by Tyrone to disturbe that Prouince and yet to be ready vpon any sudden occasion to make head against the forraigne enemie And the aduertisements being daily multiplied that the Spaniards were at Sea it was concluded that in regard these forces were not able to answer both or either the ends aforesaid great part of the Army in Vlster should be drawne downe and both forces ioyned should assayle Tirrel who came to insult ouer the subiects and to draw them to rebellion but especially the late Submitties whom by many promises and threatnings he had tempted to a relapse but preuailed not with them And his Lordship resolued by his presence to giue a sharper edge to this seruice till either hee should be called to affront the Spaniards landing or to draw backe into the North if they landed not The third of September his Lordship and the Counsell here wrote vnto the Lords in England excusing that the extraordinary expences had farre passed the limited sum of sixe thousand pound yeerely which was farre too little for the transportation of victuals carriage of munition charges and imprests to victualers rewards to messengers and for speciall seruices making of boats and things of like necessitie and the repairing of Castles Houses Bridges Forts and all buildings In which last charge they had not been able fitly to repaire Athlone Castle the Key of Connaght nor the Castles and Bridges of Carlogh and Laughlin and the Forts of Phillipstowne and Mary-burgh being of great consequence to curbe the Traytors and assure the subiects and the decay whereof would giue the rebels free passage into many Countries besides our dishonour to neglect those places which the wisedome of former times with great policie planted the great charge of repairing whereof appeared by the transmitted certificats of Commissioners appointed to view these places And for these reasons they besought her Maiesties warrant to leaue this charge to their discretion for a time without any limitation promising not to inlarge the same in any thing which might be spared without apparant preiudice to her seruice and giuing their opinion that in this time of the new coine these places might be repaired with small charge Likewise they desired to haue great store of munition and victuals sent ouer and that presently to preuent the vsuall contrarietie of winds after Michaelmas and all the Winter season Lastly they desired to haue the one thousand shot presently sent ouer for which they had formerly written the Army consisting in great part of Irish which could not be kept to liue in Garrison out of their owne Countrie And they aduertised the Lords that diuers of the horse at twelue pence per diem had quit their pay being not able to liue thereupon in those deare times This third of September likewise his Lordship receiued letters from her Maiestie giuing warrant for the pay of two thousand men sent into Mounster being aboue the Establishment The same day his Lordship receiued letters from Sir Robert Cecyll Secretarie that the Spaniards were discouered neere the Silly and as hee thought they would land at Lymrick being fortie fiue sayle whereof seuenteene were men of warre whereof sixe were Gallions the rest of one hundred or one hundred and fifty tunnes burthen and had in them sixe thousand souldiers praying his Lordship to demand such supplies as he thought needfull and vpon the Spaniards landing to name the places whether the supplies should be sent and assuring his Lordship that the two thousand men for Mounster were already imbarked The same time his Lordship receiued letters from the Lords in England importing her Maiesties acceptance of his seruice with her willingnesse and theirs to send him needefull supplies praying him to demand them timely because hee could hardly receiue them from England in sixe weekes after the demand the wind standing fauourable Likewise professing that it is the fault of the Commissioners and Commissaries for victuals if there be any want thereof since the proportions required by them were arriued in Ireland as likewise that the souldier made not some part of prouision for victuals by mony especially in parts neere the sea and like places where victuals were to be bought since by these great prouisions of victuals in England with sterling mony her Maiesty lost the third part of the profit she hoped to make by the new standard of Ireland which might be made if vittels were prouided by the souldier in Ireland hauing full pay in that mixed mony Also aduertising that her Maiestie had sent for Ireland twenty lasts of Powder with all munitions in proportion necessary halfe by land and for sparing of carriage halfe by Sea praying that care might be had in issuing thereof since they were informed that great wast thereof had been formerly made by the Irish bands conuerting the Powder to their priuate gaine and by the whole army vnder pretence of her Maiesties remittall of Powder spent in seruice which had been defalked out of the souldiers pay but was after held an hard course to punish them for their good deferts now charging vpon her Maiestie all wilfull and fraudulent consumptions of Powder Further signifying that Sir Henrie Dockwra his failing in correspondency with his Lordship this Summer for want of match was distastfull to them had he not made amends by surprizing of Donnegall which would faciliate the planting of Ballishannon That her Maiesty referred the garrison of Loughsoyle wholly to his Lordships direction and the transposing any part thereof to the inabling of Sir Arthur Chichester at Knockfergus the charge of that garrison being exceeding burthen some to her Maiesty by reason that Coast in Winter is so subiect to stormes and for that it was supplied with all prouisions out of England bought with sterling money and small quantity of the Irish mixed monies could be there issued to any such purpose in which regard her Maiesty wished that the Irish in those parts in whose seruice no profit was found should either be cast and pensions of mixed monies giuen to the chiefe Lords or at least should receiue no victuals out of the stoare but haue their full pay in that standard to prouide therewith for their Companies Touching the expected landing of the Spaniards their Lordships being of opinion that they would presently land in Mounster aduertised his Lordship that
Roman Religion with the appeasing thereof in the beginning of the yeere 1603. Together with the Lord Deputies recalling into England and the rewards there giuen him for his seruice in the beginning of the yeere 1603 with mention of his vntimely death within few yeeres after and a word of the State of Ireland some ten yeeres after THE fiue and twentieth of March in the beginning of the yeere 1603 the Lord Deputy wrote this following letter from Mellifant Sir Garret Moores house to Master Secretary in England SIR I haue receiued by Captaine Hayes her Maiesties letters of the sixth of February wherein I am directed to send for Tyrone with promise of securitie for his life onely and vpon his arriuall without further assurance to make stay of him till her pleasure should bee further knowne and at the same time I receiued another from her Maiestie of the seuenteenth of February wherein it pleased her to inlarge the authority giuen vnto me to assure him of his life liberty and pardon vpon some conditions remembred therein And withall I receiued a letter from your selfe of the eighteenth of February recommending to me your owne aduice to fulfill as far as I possibly could the meaning of her Maiesties first letter and signifying her pleasure that I should seeke by all the best meanes I can to promise him his pardon by some other name then Earle of Tyrone and rather by the name of Barron of Dungannon or if it needes must bee by the name of some other Earle Secondly to deliuer him his Country in lesse quantity and with lesse power then before he had it And lastly to force him to cleare his paces and passages made difficult by him against any entrie into his Countrie And now since it hath pleased her Maiesty by so great a trust to giue me so comfortable Arguments of her fauour I am incouraged the more freely to presume to declare my selfe in this great matter which I call great because the consequence is great and dangerous to be delt in without the warrant of her gratious interpretation And though my opinion herein should proceede from a long and aduised consideration described with large and many circumstances and confirmed with strong and iudiciall reasons yet because I thinke it fit to hasten away this messenger I will write of these things somewhat though on the sudden and commit the rest to the sufficient iudgement and relation of the Lord President now in his iourney towards you and the rather because I finde him to concurre with mee in the apprehension of this cause and of the state of all other things of this Kingdome And first for her Maiesties first letter I pray you Sir beleeue me that I haue omitted nothing both by power and policy to ruine him and vtterly to cut him off and if by either I may procure his head before I haue engaged her Royall word for his safety I doe protest I will doe it and much more be ready to possesse my selfe of his person if by only promise of life or by any other meanes wherby I shal not directly scandal the maiesty of publike faith I can procure him to put himself into my power But to speak my opinion freely I thinke that he or any man in his case would hardly aduenture his liberty to preserue onely his life which he knoweth how so well to secure by many other waies for if he flie into Spaine that is the least wherof he can be assured and most men but especially he doe make little difference betweene the value of their life and liberty and to deceiue him I thinke it will bee hard for though wiser men then hee may be ouer-reached yet he hath so many eyes of iealousie awake that it will bee vnpossible to charme them and I do vpon assured ground beleeue that it is nothing but feare of his safety that of a long time especially of late hath kept him frō conformity to the State and if any thing do keep him now from accepting the lowest conditions and from setling himself and his hart to a constant seruing of her Maiestie it will be feare of an absolute forgiuenes or the want of such an estate as may in any measure cōtent him The danger of his subsisting as he doth is either if there come no forraine forces to maintaine still a loose head of Rebellion which will be better able to offend any such as are become subiects then we can be if we were a thousand times more to defend them at all times and in all places to stirre vp and to maintaine al humors and to be a wound remaining open vnto which they may haue recourse and vpon all accidents bee readie to swell or to infect the whole bodie of this Kingdome Otherwise if there should be any inuasion to be a powerfull and politick head to draw this Countrie to their assistance If there come no forraigne Forces and that hee should bee cut off yet is it likely some other in the nature of a spoiling outlaw would arise vp in his place as ill as himselfe and if hee bee kept prisoner the like effects will arise as if hee were dead If hee bee cut off or kept prisoner and the Spaniards should arriue most of the Swordmen will flocke vnto them for aduantage of pay and the discontentment of Lords of Countries would be as great or greater then if hee were amongst them and therefore they as likely to fall then as now to the Spanish partie but if it were possible to make him a good subiect the vse her Maiestie may make of him must bee amongst these people since during his life and libertie none will aspire to that place of O Neale which doth carrie with it so great an interest in the North and what interest hee hath hee may bee led to employ to suppresse and settle the mindes of the people to gouernement and hauing once declared himselfe to bee a dutifull subiect it will be first a great discouragement for the Spaniards to come and if they doe come if hee continue honest his presence and interest will sway the North from giuing them assistance or annoying the subiects if we withdraw our Garrisons and make the rest of Ireland more aduised how they declare themselues against the State Sir to conclude because I cannot shortly expresse mine owne minde herein I thinke it best if it please her Maiestie to receiue him to her mercy so that first his submission bee made in as humble sort and as much for her Maiesties Honour as can be deuised and then that she assure him of absolute forgiuenesse and forgetting of his faults and as much honour and profit as he had before prouided that wee take from him as much as possibly wee may those lockes wherein his chiefest strength lyes Otherwise I am perswaded either the Queene shal not serue her owne turne by him if shee keepe him prisoner or he will serue his turne if he liue at
liberty and euer haue Animum reuertendi an affection to relapse How I am resolued to proceede in this businesse you shall know by the Lord President which notwithstanding many things may alter but for the substance I doe thinke we shall be able to compasse as much as by her Maiesties last letter is required and by yours written after that except that point of the taking from him the title of the Earledome of Tyrone for the which I thinke there be many reasons that it should not be much stood vpon Besides what I haue written before of giuing him contentment which may bee applied to this first you doe but giue him a title which he did shake of as a marke of his bondage and that which he falles from to accept this he did asmuch preferre before this as the estate of an absolute Prince before the condition of a subiect and it is the name of O Neale with the which hee hath done so much mischiefe that is fatall and odious and not the name of Tyrone which hee was saine to leaue before hee could haue power to become a Rebell for belieue mee out of my experience the titles of our Honours doe rather weaken then strengthen them in this Countrie and if you giue him the same degree but with another name it may be thought a condition rather by him obtained then by vs imposed especially if he enioyeth his Countrie and lastlie if you make him onely Barron of Dungannon you leaue in him a spurre to discontentment without any greater bridle from doing hurt for his power will be neuer the lesse and yet he that doth not sit easily will euer thinke of another seate and his owne title will the more runne in his minde the more he is vnsatisfied with this new Notwithstanding al my opinions of these things I will runne as neere as I can to the straightest line of her Maiesties pleasure and I presume I will so handle this matter that I will be sure her Maiesties Honour shall not be indangered I meane by the authority shee hath giuen mee which any man shall hardly take notice of till I be assured vpon what tearmes I shall find him and if his requests be not as humble as becommeth him or as by her Maiesty is required hee shall make little vse of any negotiation that shall be with him And so Sir c. Touching the receiuing of Tyrone to mercy no man shall take from me the reputation such as it is to haue beene the instrumentall cause of doing this honour to my deceased Soueraigne my Nation and of giuing this disgracefull blow to the Arch-Traitor Tyrone that he humbly submitted himselfe to Queene Elizabeth finding mercy at her royall feet whom he had proudly offended and whose sole power in despite of his domesticall associates and forraigne support had brought him on his knees and that the victory was fully atchieued by the sole Sword of the English Nation and well affected English-Irish whose blood he had spilt and that so the Arch-Traitor lost the meanes longer to subsist in rebellion by the aduantage of Englands vnsetled Estate or at least the aduantage and the vaine-glory to fasten merit on the sacred Maiesty of King Iames the said Queenes happy successour by submitting to his royall mercy and so hiding the extreme misery in which he was plunged to haue made this his action seeme altogether voluntary and euery way noble in him to which he was forced by the highest constraint and in the most base manner that can be imagined Now as no man knoweth the circumstances of this action better then my selfe so I will briefly and truely relate them Queene Elizabeth had beene sicke for more then a moneths space and of some apparant danger of her death the Lord Deputy had beene aduertised and at this time shee was dead departing the foure and twentieth of March the last day of the yeere past though it were not know ne to the Lord Deputy till the seuen and twentieth of March in the night nor publikely or to Tyrone himselfe till the fifth of Aprill after his humble submission made before the Lord Deputy to the Queene as then liuing though indeed shee were dead This businesse passed in manner following There was a gentleman among the voluntary followers of the Lord Deputy who had long been earnestly ambitious of the honour of Knighthood which by no endeuours of seruice expence of money or assistance of friends he could hitherto attaine Now a seruant of his posting from London and getting a happy passage at Sea came vpon the 27 of March late in the night to Mellifant where the Lord Deputy then lay and brought with him the first newes of the Queenes death which when he had related to his Master hee hauing been long pleased to take my aduise in his affaires aduertised me of these newes and brought his seruant to confirme the same in my hearing Whereupon I required his seruant not to speake a word thereof to any man threatning him with the Lord Deputies displeasure and seuere punishment if any such rumour were spread by him Then I was bold to giue his Master confidence of receiuing the honour he desired if hee would follow my aduise which was this that he should goe to the Lord Deputy and tell him this report of the Queenes death brought by his seruant and the strict charge he had giuen vnto him for the concealing thereof till his Lordship should think fit to make it known withall to make tender of himselfe and all his meanes to follow his Lordships fortune in this doubtfull time for such it was in expectation though most happy in euent The Gentleman did as I aduised him and for his particular it tooke the same effect which I expected as I will shew when I haue first set downe how his Lordship hereupon proceeded with Tyrone The Lord Deputy being warranted by the Queenes letters aboue written to receiue Tirone to her Maiesties mercy had vpon the fiue and twentieth of March sent Sir William Godolphin and Sir Garret Moore to treat with him for which they had a Commission in these words Mountioy VVHereas the Earle of Tyrone hath made humble suite vnto vs that vpon his penitent submission to her Maiesties mercy wee would be pleased to send some Gentlemen to whom he might make knowne his humble petitions and impart somewhat to them that doth much concerne her Maiesties seruice For the great trust wee repose in you and the good opinion wee conceiue of your discreet iudgements we haue made choice of you to be imployed herein and doe by these presents giue you both ioyntly and seuerally our absolute warrant authority vpon this occasion of her Maiesties scruice to parley and confer with him or any of his adherents or followers Prouided that of this your conference you shall with all conuenient speed giue vs knowledge in all particulars and of all his and your proceedings herein to the end you
may receiue our further directions And for so doing this shall be your sufficient warrant Giuen at Tredagh the foure and twenty of March 1602. To Our trusly and well beloued Sir William Godolphin and Sir Garret More Knights VVhen I had written this Commission his Lordship commanded me to write this following protection Mountioy WHereas vpon the humble suite and submission of Hugh Earle of Tyrone and his penitent contrition for his former offences by many messages and letters signified vnto Vs We haue thought good to receiue into her Maiesties most gracious protection his owne person and such as shall come in his Company with safety to him and them and the rest of his followers whatsoeuer dwelling in the County of Tyrone or now abiding with him aswell in their bodies as goods for and during the space of three weekes to the end hee might repaire vnto vs to let vs more fully vnderstand his humble petitions These are straightly to charge and command all and euery her Maiesties Officers Ministers and Subiects to permit and suffer him and them peaceably to enioy the benefit thereof without any restraint molestation or hostile act against him or his in their bodies or goods during the time aboue limitted So as in the meane time hec and they continue of good and dutifull behauiour towards her Maiesty and this State Giuen at Tredagh the foure and twentieth of March 1602. To all Commanders of horse and foot and to all other her Maiesties Officers and Subiects to whom it may appertaine Likewise his Lordship commanded me to write seuerall letters to the Gouernours of Garrisons requiring them to giue Tyrone and his followers full benefit of this Protection And these writings being all signed by the Lord Deputy were deliuered to Sir William Godolphin with charge that when Tyrone was in his Company and on the way to come to his Lordship then and not before hee should deliuer him the Protection and likewise the letters to bee sent to the seuerall Garrisons by his owne messengers These Commissioners on the six and twentieth of March sent one Bathe from Armagh to Tyrone to prepare the way of their meeting The seuen and twentieth both the Commissioners came to Charlemont where Sir William Godolphin staied for his troope of horse but Sir Garret Moore rode that night to Tullough-oge where he spake with Tyrone The eight and twentieth Sir Garret Moore wrote to Sir William that Tyrone was fully resolued to obey the Lord Deputies commandements and would meet him the next morning at nine of the clocke to ride forward in his company to the Lord Deputy And Henry Hagan who brought this letter gaue Sir William confident assurance of Tyrones performance The same eight twentieth day the L. Deputy being at Mellifant and there hauing the foresaid notice of the Queenes death and considering that this rumor was no good ground for a new treatie with Tyrone yet breaking out were it true or false might cause new combustions in Ireland most apt to relapse into new tumults as appeared by the ensuing mutiny of the very Citties and corporate Townes as also that if it were true then he had no power from the succeding King to receiue Tyrone to mercy yea that in case it should prooue false then such treatie with the Arch-traytor in any other then Queene Elizabeths name might proue very dangerous to him For these reasons he resolued speedily to strike vp the former treatie with Tyrone and so presently dispatched a horseman to Sir William Godolphin to aduertise him thereof and to require him to hasten Tyrones comming by remembrance to him that his former delayes in Treaties had much incensed the Queene and by threatning him that if he made the least delay of his submission his power to doe him good might be easily restrained and then he should expect nothing from him but a sharpe prosecution to his vtter ruine Sir William hauing receiued these his Lordships and Sir Garrets foresaid letters thought it no time to stand nicely vpon termes of equality which might argue his distrust of Tyrone and awaken in him his old iealousies of our meaning to him and therefore leauing order that his troope should follow him did ride from Charlemont and met Tyrone on the nine and twentieth of March at nine of the clocke in the morning at Toker a place lying fiue miles beyond Dungannon where shewing him the Lord Deputies protection he most humbly and thankfully accepted thereof and so committed himselfe to the Commissioners to ride in their company to the Lord Deputy By the way they deliuered his Protection to his owne hands and likewise the letters which he was to send to the seuerall Gouernours by his owne messengers On the thirtieth of March 1603. they came al together to Mellifant in the afternoon where Tyrone being admitted to the Lord Deputies chamber kneeled at the doore humbly on his knees for a long space making his penitent submission to her Maiesty and after being required to come neerer to the Lord Deputie performed the same ceremony in all humblenesse the space of one houre or there abouts The next day hee also made a most humble submission in writing signed with his owne hand in manner and forme following as appeares vpon record I Hugh Oneale by the Queene of England France and Ireland her most gracious fauour created Earle of Tyrone doe with all true and humble penitency prostrate my selfe at her royall feet and absolutely submit my selfe vnto her mercy most sorrowfully imploring her gracious commiseration and appealing onely to her Princely clemency without presuming to iustifie my vnloyall proceedings against her sacred Maiesty Onely most sorrowfully and carnestly desiring that it may please her Maiesty rather in some measure to mittigate her iust indignation against me in that I doe religiously vow that the first motiues of my vnnaturall rebellion were neither practise malice nor ambition but that I was induced first by feare of my life which I conceiued was sought by my Enemies practise to stand vpon my gard and after most vnhappily led to make good that fault with more hainous offences the which in themselues I doe acknowledge deserue no forgiuenesse and that it is impossible for me in respect of their greatnesse in any proportion euen with my life to make satisfaction I doe most humbly desire her Maiesty to pardon them that as I haue beene already a sufficient argument of her Royall power hauing little left but my life to preserue it selfe so that it may now please her Maiesty to make me an example of her Princely clemency the chiefest ornament of her high dignity And that I may be the better able hereafter with the vttermost seruice of my life to redeeme the foulenes of my faults I doe most humbly sue vnto her Maiesty that shee will vouchsafe to restore me to my former dignity and liuing in which estate of a subiect I doe religiously vow to continue for euer hereafter loyall in all
appeare by his letter in March sent me to Tredagh whether I was then drawne vpon speciall occasion of seuice I thought it fit to entertaine the offer of his submission and to draw on the speedier conclusion of so important a busines both for that the daily intelligence out of Spaine threatned danger vnto this Kingdom and for that I had then receiued aduertisement from the Counsell in England of her Maiesties dangerous sicknesse the least of which accidents might haue reuiued his hopes added new life vnto his languishing partisans and vtterly changed the whole frame of my proceedings To this end I signed his Protection for three weekes with seuerall warrants to the bordering Garrisons of forbearance from doing any hostile act either vpon his person and the persons of his followers or vpon their goods during the terme aforesaid appointing Sir Garret Moore a Gentleman well deseruing of the State and out of ancient acquaintance with the Earle much respected by him to repaire vnto him and to giue him knowledge that if simply and plainely according to the tennor of his humble requests he were resolued without any delay to present his petitions vnto me in his owne person where I assigned his appearance he should then receiue a protection for his safe comming and returne with assurance for his people and goods during his absence by the hands of Sir William Godolphin whom I had purposely sent into those part with a sufficient guard to attend his resolution and to bring him safely vnto me These conditions though at first seeming somewhat hard as both tasting of too great an humblenes and not vtterly free from danger of his person whose head was set to Sale by a publike act and priuate men not bound to take knowledged of the present proceedings found easier acceptance then almost any man would haue imagined the Earle peremtorily commanding that none of his vpon what pretence soeuer should presume to disswade him from obaying this summons seeing no way of mediation was left vnto him saue onely this vowing in the presence of a great many that although the Deputies heauy hand had almost brought him to the height of misery yet should no mortall power haue extorted from him a submission of this nature but that out of long and earnest obseruation of his proceedings he had found reason to hope that when his Lordship should discouer the vnfained penitency of his heart for his forepast misdeeds with a firme resolution to redeeme his offences by faithful seruing her Maiestie and wel deseruing of the State during the whole remainder of his life that he should then find from him as great commiseration of his present sufferings and as charitable a repaire against the threatned ruines of his house posterity and poore distressed Country as he had tatted bitternes in the whole course of his former prosecution Thus perswaded he left directions for setling his Country the best he might on such a sudden and with a guard of 50 horse vnder the leading of Sir William Godolphin making great marches vntill he came vnto me within three miles of Tredagh fell there downe on his knees before a great assembly confessing his vnworthines yet humbly crauing her Maiesties mercy which as aboue all earthly things he protested to desire so hee vowed with the vttermost of his power to deserue the same It were too long to set downe all that passed in this first interview he striuing to expresse in all his speeches and gestures the lowest degree of humblenes to me that was to valew and to maintaine the greatnes of her State and place whō he so highly had offended The next morning I sent for him the Treasurer at Warres being onely present with me and made him see how well I vnderstood his present condition how vnpossible it was for him to subsist euen in the poorest and most contēptible fashion of a Woodkerne if her Maiestie were but pleased to imploy the present instruments of his ruine Finally finding him most sensible both of his estate and the Queenes high fauour in remitting his crime I promised him her gratious pardon on those conditions mentioned in the memoriall sent by your hands From thence he attended me to Tredagh and so to Dublin the fourth of Aprill where the next day I receiued letters from the Nobility in England signifyng the death of our late Soueraigne Whereupon I called together the Counsell and such of the Nobilitie as were in Towne and acquainting them with the contents thereof I propounded also the present proclaiming of his Maiestie whereunto all most willingly agreed and among them the Earle of Tyrone and when they had set their hands to the Proclamation all together did accompany me the Deputy to the publishing thereof in the City Since that time I thought fit to dismisse the Earle of Tyrone into his owne Country the better to retaine his people and partisans in good order but first we tooke from him a new submission to his Maiesty signed by his hand which now I send by you Also you shall informe his Maiesty that now there is no Rebell in Ireland who hath not sued to be receiued to the Kings mercy and that I think fit to yeeld the same to most of them leauing only some few to be prosecuted to vtter ruine for an example and terror to other ill affected subiects wherin I desire to know his Maiesties pleasure Lastly you are to present my humble sute vnto his Maiesty to bee discharged of this Gouernement or if it shal please his Maiesty to employ me further herein yet that he wil vouchsafe me leaue to kisse his Royal hands which I desire not only out of my particular affection to haue the happines to see him but also out of my desire to informe him thorowly of the present estate of this Kingdome wherein I presume that I shall be able to doe his Maiesty very good seruice And if it shall not please his Maiestie to resolue for the present on some other man to vndertake this Gouernement but onely to leaue the authoritie to some fit mans hand during my absence and if hee bee resolued to make choise among those that are here present and therein shall require my opinion you shall say that although I will not presume to recommend any to his Maiestie yet I doe thinke Sir George Cary Treasurer at warres to be most fit for that place who hath already been Lord Iustice of this Kingdome and howsoeuer he be no souldier yet is well acquainted with the businesse of the warre wherein he hath been euer very industrious to aduance the seruice At the same time the Lord Deputy sent ouer Master Richard Cooke one of his Secretaries to negotiate his affaires in Court And because his Lordship desired to retaine the superintendency of this Gouernement with title of Lord Lieutenant and with two third parts of the Lord Deputies allowances in regard no man was able to support the place of Lord Deputy with
Lawes and obedience due to his Maiesty The foure twentieth day his Lordship was aduertised that the Citizens of Lymrick had with their Priests entred into all the Churches of the City and there erecting Altars had vsed the Rites of the Romish Church The 25. day his Lordship wrote this letter to the Citizens of Waterford YOur letters of the three and twentieth of this instant came this day to my hands And hauing duely considered the contents of the same I find that they returne a double excuse of the courses you haue vsed first for your delay of time to proclaime the Kings most Excellent Maiesty according to such directions as was sent vnto you from the Earle of Ormond by a Counsellor of this State And the next for such disorders as were reported to bee committed by the publike breach of his Highnesse Lawes in matters of Religion To the which We returne you this answer following First albeit We would haue wished that you had had a more carefull regard to haue performed such directions as you receiued from to Noble a Peere of this Realme by so reuerent a messenger as you might assure your selues in such a matter durst not abuse you his Highnesse sole and vndoubted right concurring also with your owne knowledge and consciences yet We will not condemne you for that omission of the time seeing afterwards you did obey our directions in that behalfe and gaue so publike a testimony of your ioyful allowance and consent to his Maiesties Right and lawfull title proclaimed amongst you But as in this part you haue giuen vnto vs a kinde of contentment so in the last point Wee cannot forbeare to let you vnderstand the Iust mislike We doe conceiue that you being Citizens of wisdome and good experience and the Lawes of the Realme continuing in force would be drawne either by your Priests or any like practises to commit any publike breach of the Lawes and the rather because out of that vnspotted duty which you professe you haue euer carried to the Crowne you would not in reason conceiue that the example of your offence in such a cause and in so great and populous a City could not but in it selfe be very dangerous in these disordered times wherein examples doe carry men astray which in discharge of Our duty to the Kings Highnesse Wee may not suffer And therefore haue resolued to make Our speedy repaire vnto those parts for none other purpose but to establish his Maiesties Lawes that no publike nor contemptious breach be made of them wherein We wish you had bin more wary contenting your selues with the long and fauourable tolleration you enioyed during the late Queens raigne rather then in this sort to haue prescribed Lawes to your selues whereby in wisdome you may perceiue how much you haue preiudiced the very obtaining of your owne desire by the courses you haue taken as we are credibly informed And yet because it may be that the reports of your behauiour haue beene made more hainous then there is cause Wee are well pleased to suspend Our giuing credit to such particular informations vntill vpon due examination the truth may appeare wherein We hope and shall be glad that you can acquit your selues so of these imputations now laid vpon you or otherwise that you conforme your selues now at last in such sort to the obedience you owe to his Maiesty and his Lawes as We be not inforced to take seuere notice of your contrary actions The same day his Lordship was aduertised from the Mayor of Galloway that howsoeuer he found no seditious inclination in the Citizens yet to preuent disorders in these mutinous times the Gouernor of the Fort had giuen him some of his souldiers to assist his authority whom he to that purpose had placed in the strongest Castles of the City The same day his Lordship receiued letters from the Mayor of Corke signifying that the thirteenth day of this moneth he had published in the City the Proclamation of the King with the greatest solemnity he could and complaining that the Souldiers in the Kings Fort offered many abuses to the Towne with offer from the Corporation to vndertake the safe keeping of that Fort for his Maiesty The 26 day his Lordship wrote to the Soueraigne of Wexford that whereas they excused their erecting of popish rites by the report they heard of his Maiesties being a Roman Catholike he could not but maruell at their simplicity to be seduced by lying Priests to such an opinion since it was apparant to the World that his Maiesty professed the true religion of the Gospell and euer with carefull sincerity maintained it in his Kingdome of Scotland charging him and those of Wexford vpon their Wexford to his Maiesty to desist from the disordered course they had taken in celebrating publikely the idolatrous Masse least hee at his comming vp into those parts should haue cause seuerely to punish their contempt shewed to his Maiesty and the lawes of his Kingdome The same day his Lordship was aduertised from the Commissioners of Mounst r that the Citizens of Corke grew daily more and more insolent defacing places of scripture written on the wals of the Church to the end they might wash and paint ouer the old Pictures and that one tearmed a Legat from the Pope with many Priests had gone in solemne procession hallowing the Church and singing Masse therein publikely the Townes-men hauing placed guards of armed men set at the Church dore and at the Porch yea burying their dead with all Papisticall Ceremonies and taking the Sacrament in like sort to spend their liues and goods in desence of the Romish Religion and thereupon taking boldnes to offer wrong to the English and to practice the getting of the Kings Fort into their hands yea refusing to sell any thing to the English for the new mixed money and not suffering the Kings victuals to be issued out of the store till they had assurance that the Souldiers should be sent out of the liberties of Corke The 27 day his Lordship wrote to the Soueraigne of Clemmell commending him and the rest of that City that they had proclaimed the King with great ioy and gladnesse but charging them vpon their vttermost perill to cease from the publike exercise of the Romish Religion which they of themselues had mutinously established The same day his Lordship wrote this following letter to the Soueraigne of Kilkenny AFter my hearty commendations I haue receiued your Letters of the 25 and 26 of this moneth and am glad to vnderstand thereby that you are somewhat conformable to my directions being willing to haue cause to interpret your actions to the best but though I meane not to search into your consciences yet I must needs take knowledge of the publike breach of his Maiesties Lawes and whereas you let me vnderstand that the Inhabitants are willing to withdraw themselues for their spirituall exercise to priuacy contented onely with the vse of the ruinous Abbey
the English and Saint Dauids Ilands right ouer against the seate of the Bishop of Saint Dauy. Next is the 10 Iland called Enhly by the Welsh Britans and Berdsey as the I le of Birds by the English wherein they report that twenty thousand Saints lie buried Next lies 11 Mona that is the shadowed or dusky Iland which after many yeeres being conquered by the English was by them called Anglesey as the Iland of the English It is a most noble Iland the old seate of the Druides Priests so called of old and so fruitfull as it is vulgarly called the Mother of Wales the cheefe Towne whereof is Beaumarish Neere that lies 12 Prestholme that is the Priests Iland whereof the Inhabitants and Neighbours make incredible reports for the multitude of Sea Fowle there breeding Next followes 13 Mona or Monoeda as the farther Mona which we call the I le of Man the Inhabitants whereof are like the Irish in language and manners but haue something of the Norway men It yeeldes abundantly Flaxe and Hempe hath pleasant Pastures and Groues and is fruitfull of Barly Wheate and especially of Oates the people feeding on Oaten bread in all parts are multitudes of Cattle but it wants wood and for fier vseth a kind of Turffe Russia which of the Castle we call Castle-Towne is the cheefe Towne and hath a Garrison of Souldiers but Duglas is the most frequented and best inhabited Towne because it hath an excellent Hauen easie to be entered In the Westerne part Bala-curi is the seate of the Bishop vnder the primacy of the Archbishop of Yorke and there is the Fort called the Pyle wherein a garrison of Souldiers is kept Vpon the Southerne Promontory lies a little Iland called the Calfe of Man which aboundeth with Sea Birds called Puffins and a kind of Duckes engendered of rotten wood which the English call Barnacles In generall the Inhabitants haue their proper Tongue and Lawes and had their proper Coyne They abhorre from stealing and from begging and are wonderfully religious generally and most readily conforming themselues at this day to the Church of England and the people in the Northerne part speake like Scots and in the Southerne part like Irish. Edwin King of Northumberland subdued the Northerne people and subiected them to the Crowne of England yet with many changes of Fortune this Iland long had their owne Kings euen since the Normans conquered England and since the time that Iohn King of England passing into Ireland by the way subdued this Iland about the yeere 1210 till the Kingdome came to the Scots in the yeere 1266. After that time Mary the daughter of Reginald the last laid claime to the Iland before the King of England as supreme Lord of Scotland and when sheecould not preuaile William Montague her Kinseman tooke the Iland of Man by force which his Heire sold for a great summe of money in the yeere 1393 to William Scroope who being beheaded for Treason the Iland fell by right to Henry the fourth King of England who assigned the same to Henry Pearcy Earle of Northumberland with prouiso that he and his Heires at the coronation of the Kings of England should carry the Sword vulgarly called Lancaster Sword before the King but the same Persey being also killed in ciuill warre the King gaue that Iland to Stanlye from whom discend the Earles of Darby who kept the same till Ferdinand Earle of Darby dying without heire male and the Earledome falling to his Brother but this Iland to his Daughters as Heires generall Queene Elizabeth thinking it vnfit that Women should bee set ouer her Souldiers there in garrison gaue the keeping thereof to Sir Thomas Gerrard But King Iames the foureteenth of August in the fifth yeere of his Raigne granted by Letters Pattents this Iland with all things thereunto appertaining to Henry Earle of Northampton and Robert Earle of Saltsbury their Heires and Assignes for euer they vpon doing homage for the same presenting his Maiesty with two Falcons and his Heires and Successours at their Coronation in like sort with two Falcons And howsoeuer no vse or intent of this grant be mentioned in these Letters Pattents yet no doubt the grant was made to the vse of those vpon whose humble petition to his Maiesty the Letters Pattents were granted as therein is expressely declared namely of William Lord Stanly Earle of Darby heire male to Iohn Lord Stanly and of Elizabeth Countesse of Huntington Anne wife to the Lord Chandois and Francis wife to Sir Iohn Egerton Knight being the Heires generall of the said Iohn Lord Stanly The famous Riuer Thames fals into the German Ocean ouer against Zeland and before it fals into the same makes the 14 Iland Canuey vpon the Coast of Essex so low as it is often ouerflowed all but some higher hils to which the sheepe retire being some foure thousand in number the flesh whereof is of delicate taste and they are milked by young men Neere that is the 15 Iland Sheppey so called of the sheepe wherein is Quinborrough a most faire Castle kept by a Constable Without the mouth of Thames lie the shelfes or sands dangerous to Sea men which of the greatest are all called Goodwin sands where they say an Iland the patrimony of the same Earle Goodwinn was deuoured by the Sea in the yeere 1097. In the Britan Sea lies the 16 I le of Wight hauing in the Sea most plentifull fishing and the Land being so fruitfull as they export Corne besides that in all parts it hath plenty of Conies Hares Partridges and Feasanes and hath also two Parkes of Fallow Deare Also the sheepe feeding there vpon the pleasant hils yeeld wool in goodnesse next to the Fleeces of Lemster and Cotswold Flockes It hath sixe and thirty Townes and Castles and the Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction thereof belongs to the Bishop of Wintchester Towards the West lie other Ilands pretented to be French but subiect to England namely 17 Gerzey whither condemned men were of old banished 18 Garnsey neither so great nor so fruitful but hauing a more commodious Hauen vpon which lies the Towne of Saint Peter both Ilands burne a weede of the Sea or Sea coales brought out of England and both speake the French Language I omit the seuen Iles called Siadae and others adioyning and will onely adde that the Ilands lie neere Cornewall which the Greekes called Hesperides the English call Silly and the Netherlanders call Sorlings being in number some 145 more or lesse whereof some yeeld Wheate all abound with Conies Cranes Swannes Hirnshawes and other Sea Birdes The greatest of them is called Saint Mary and hath a Castle wherein Souldiers lie in Garrison committed in our time to the keeping of Sir Francis Godolphin and after to his sonne Sir William Godolphin being of a noble Family in Cornewall Also many of the said Ilands haue vaines of Tynne and from hence was Leade first carried into Greece and the Roman Emperours banished condemned men hither to
two pound thirteene shillings foure pence The Surueyer of the victuals one hundred forty three pound sixe shillings eight pence The King at Armes thirty fiue pound sixe shillings eight pence The Seriant at Armes eighteene pound two shillings two pence halfe penny farthing The Pursiuant at Armes thirteene pound sixe shillings eight pence The Irish Interpreter seuen and twenty pound seuen shillings sixe pence Officers about the Custome forty pound For Creation money to Noble men the Earle of Ormond thirty pound The Earle of Kildare twenty pound The Earle of Clanrickard forty pound The Earle of Thomond twenty pound The Baron of Kaher fifteene pound Diuers annuities procurations two hundred fourescore nineteene pound nineteene shillings three pence halfe penny For Parchment Paper Inke Bagges c. In the Exchequer Kings Bench and Common Pleas two hundred fourescore two pound ten shillings eight pence For other payments by warrant two hundred sixe and twenty pound two shillings foure peece In the County of Wexford the Iustice of the liberties twenty pound The Senescall fiue twenty pound The Receiuer twenty pound The Marshall forty shillings The totall of these being paid in Irish money is foure thousand six hundred fifteene pound thirteene shillings halfe penny which reduced to sterling money makes three thousand foure hundred threescore one pound thirteen shillings nine pence Fourthly for Officers in Lemster the Lieftenant of the Queenes County one hundred twenty one pound thirteene shillings foure pence The Prouost Marshall of the Army threescore and seuenteene pound eleuen shillings three pence The Prouost Marshall of Lemster one hundred and two pound thirteene shillings one penny halfe penny These paid in sterling money amount to three hundred one pound sixteene shillings eight pence halfe penny Fifthly for Officers in Mounster the Lord President one hundred three and thirty pound sixe shillings eight pence His diet with the Counsell allowed at his table fiue hundred twenty pound His Retinue of twenty foot with the Officers and of thirty Horse eight hundred and three pound The chiefe Iustice one hundred pound The second Iustice threescore sixe pound thirteene shillings foure pence The Queenes Attourney thirteene pound sixe shillings eight pence The Clerke of the Councell twenty pound The Clerke of the Crowne twenty pound The Seriant at Armes twenty pound The Prouost Marshall two hundred fiue and fifty pound ten shillgs The totall being paid in sterling mony is one thousand nine hundred fifty one pound sixteene shillings eight pence Sixtly for Officers in Connaght the chiefe Commissioner or Gouernour one hundred poundshis diet with the Counsel at his table one hundred fourescore two pound ten shillings An allowance to himselfe forty pound The Iustice one hundred pound The Queenes Attourney twenty pound The Clarke of the Crowne twenty pound The Clarke of the Counsell twenty pound The Seriant at Armes twenty pound the Prouost Marshall two hundred threescore and foure pound twelue shillings sixe pence An increase of pay to the present chiefe Commissioner two hundred fourescore two pound ten shillings The totall being paid in sterling money is nine hundred forty nine li. twelues fixed Seuenthly certaine bands of Irish kerne fiue hundred threescore nineteene pound eight shillings nine pence Eightly for warders in seuerall Prouinces three thousand fiue hundred threescore and seuenteene pound two pence halfe penny Ninthly for Commissaries of Musters fiue hundred threescore seuenteene pound eighteene shillings foure pence Tenthly Pensioners of all sorts as well recorded in the Office of Musters as those holding by Patent and recorded with the Auditor some holding for tearme of yeers some during life some during good behauiour some during pleasure three thousand two hundred forty nine l nine d. Lastly Almes-men fourescore eight l. nineteene s. foure d. ob The totall of the aboue named charge not contained in the establishment is twenty one thousand three hundred twenty eight l. eight s. seuen d. ob Adde to this the establishment two hundred threescore seuenteene thousand seuen hundred fourescore two pound fifteene shillings The totall of the yeerely charge is two hundred fourescore and nineteene thousand one hundred eleuen pound three s. seuen d. ob To which if you adde the great charge of all sorts of Munitions with the like extraordinary expences and doe also consider that the thirteene hundred Horse and sixeteene thousand Foot by new supplies were made fully twenty thousand the heauy burthen of this yeeres warre in Ireland will appeare The Earle of Essex had in speciall charge from the Queene to bend all his forces against the chiefe Traitor Tyrone and the Vlster Rebels his confederates and withall to plant Garrisons at Loughfoyle and Balishannon to the end they might at the same time assayle him and them at the backe both which courses his Lordship had in all counsels perswaded and often taxed the omissions of them Thus with happy acclamations of the people who to so worthy a Generall in the head of so strong an Army did ominate nothing but victory and triumphes yet with a Sunne-shine thunder happening as Master Camden notes for an ominous ill token This noble Lord accompanied with the flower of the English Gentry and conducted on his way with many of the Nobility tooke his iourny from London towards Ireland in the end of the Moneth of March and the beginning of the yeere 1599 and though crossed with tempestuous weather wherein the Earle of Kildare and some gallant gentlemen accompanying him in a little barke chosen of purpose for speed were vnfortunately cast away landed within few dayes at Dublin where according to the manner of other Gouernours he receiued the Sword Vpon his Lordships demaund to bee aduertised from the Counsell of the present state of that Kingdome a Collection thereof debated and agreed vpon in Counsell and signed by the Counsellers was presented to his Lordship the seuenteenth of Aptill being to this effect First for the Prouince of Lemster in the Countie of Dublin all the Mountainers were in actuall rebellion as Phelim Mac Feagh and his brother Redmond with their Sept or name of the O'yrns and Phelim Mac Feagh with his Sept of the Otooles and Walter Mac Edmond chiefe of the Galloglasses with his Sept of Mac Donnels onely two Castles Newcastle and Wickloe Sir Henrie Harrington held for the Queene and all the rest of the Countrie continued loyall The Rebels thereof were in number foure hundred eightie Foot and twentie Horse In the County of Kildare Iames Fitzpierce a Geraldine two Geraldines base brothers to the late Earle of Kildare some of the Delahides some of the Odempsies and some of the Eustaces of which Sept was the late Vicount Baltinglasse attainted all in action of Rebellion were in num ber two hundred and twentie Foote and thirtie Horse All the rest of the Countrie being wasted by the Rebels yet held for the Queene In the County of Carlogh being little and all wasted the Castles of Carlogh and Laughline and her Maiesties
house of Fernes held by the Queenes Wardes and sixe Castles belonging to the Earle of Ormond held for the Queene but the Cauanaghs and Keytons were in Rebellion In the County of Wexford being wasted all the Castles held for the Queene and Sir Thomas Calclough Sir Richard Masterson and Sir Dudly Loftus the onely English there inhabiting held for the Queene But Donnel Spaniagh alias Cauanagh with all that Sept the Omorroghs Macony More all the Kinsellaghes Dermot Mac Morice and diuers others with their followers were all in rebellion and in those two Counties the Rebels were in number seuen hundred and fiftie Foote and fiftie Horse In the County of Leax called the Queenes Countie lately all English now vsurped by the Rebels Owny Mac Rowry Omore and all the Sept of O Mores and the chiefe of the Galloglasses in that County of the Sept of Mac Donnel the Sept of O Dempsies except Sir Terence O Dempsey the Sept of O doynes except Teig Oge O Doyne were al in rebellion and the base son of the Earle of Kildare a Geraldine lately came in vpon protection The Rebels were in number fiue hundred seuentie Foote and thirty Horse Master Hartpol Master Bowen and Master Pygot were the onely English Inhabitants by whom and some others certaine Castles were kept for the Queene besides the Fort of Mariaborough kept by the Qeenes Garrison In the Countie of Ophalye called of Phillip King of England the Kings County lately English the Fort of Phillipstowne was kept by an English Garrison Sir George Colley Sir Henrie Warren Mast. Iohn Moore and Mast. Phillips held their Castles for the Queene the rest of the Castles were kept by the sept of the Oconners then rebels and al the land was wasted the Sept of the Omollyes and Odonners were likewise in rebellion and they were all in number foure hundred sixtie and eight Foot and twelue Horse In the County of Kilkenny the Vicount of Mountgaret a Butler of the Earle of Ormonds Family and sonne in Law to Tyrone was in rebellion with his brethren and with some of his sonnes and with his followers being in number one hundred and thirty Foote and twentie Horse and held the Castles of Balliragge and Colekil the rest of the Castles and the whole County were held by the Earle of Ormond for the Queene In the County of Meath the sonne and heire of Sir William Nugent was in rebellion and the Countie lying in the heart of the Pale was greatly wasted by the Vlster Rebels and many Castles lay waste without inhabitants but no Rebels possed either Towne or Castle therein In the County of Westmeath lying for the most part waste the Omollaughlines and the Magoghegines many of the Nugents and the Geraldines were in rebellion being in number 140 Foot and twentie Horse besides Captaine Tyrel a Rebel of English race who had of Vlster men and other strangers two hundred Foote In the County of Lowthe Sir Edward Moore and Sir Francis Stafford were the only English house-keepers al the lands were wasted by the Vlster rebels but the Lord of Lowthe an English-Irish Barron and all the Townes and Castles stood firme for the Queene In the County of Lonford all the Ofarrols were in rebellion except two chiefe men of that Family and the Castle of Longford was held by an English Warde and the Rebels were in number one hundred and twenty Foot The whole number of the Rebels in this Prouince of Lemster was three thousand fortie and eight Foote and one hundred eighty two Horse Secondly for the Prouince of Vlster consisting all of Irish Septs except the Scots possessing the Rowt and Glinnes those of Lecale and the little Ardes held for the Queene but ouerawed by Tyrone were forced to giue way to him to tirannize in their Countries Dundalke the frontier Towne betweene the Pale and Vlster vnd Knockfergus or Carickfergus a frontier Towne towards Scotland were kept by English Garrisons as likewise the Newry Carlingford Greene Castle and Narrow water all neare Dundalke and the Castle of Ballinecargie in the Brenny the rest were all in Rebellion Neale Brian Fertough in the vpper Clandeboyes had in number eighty Foote and thirtie Horse Shane Mac Brian in the lower Clandeboyes had eighty foote and fiftie Horse The Whites Countrie or the Duffery had twentie Foote Mac Arten and Sleaght Mac Oneale had one hundred foote and twentie horse Mac Rorye Captaine of Kilwarlin had sixtie foote and ten horse Cormack Mac Oneale Captaine of Kilultogh had sixtie foote and ten horse Hugh Mac Murtagh bevond the Min water had fortie foote Shane Mac Brian Carogh vpon the Ban side had fiftie foote ten horse Sir Iames Mac Surleyboy and his Scots possessing the Rowt and the seuen Glynnes had foure-hundred foote and one hundred horse The Iland of Magee belonging to the Earle of Essex was altogether waste Mac Guire in Fermannagh had sixe hundred foot one hundred horse Mac Mahowne in Monaghan and Euer Mac Coolye in the Ferney and others of that name in Clankaruil had fiue hundred foote one hundred and sixtie horse The Oreylyes in the Brenny or the County of Cauan had eight hundred foot hundred horse Ocane in his Countrie had fiue hundred foote two hundred horse two Sir Art Oneale in Sleught Art had three hundred foot sixtie horse Henry Oge in his Countrie had two hundred foot and fortie horse Turlough Mac Henrie Oneale in the Fues had three hundred foote sixty horse Ohagan in his Countrie had one hundred foote thirtie horse Oquin in his Countrie eightie foote twentie horse The Donelaghes in their Countrie one hundred foote sixtie horse Mac Can in Clancan one hundred foote twelue horse Tyrone the Arch-traytor in Tyrone seuen hundred foot 200 horse Carmack Mac Baron his brother in his Countrie had three hundred foot and sixtie horse Mac Gennis in Yuogh or Mac Gennis Countrie had two hundred foot fortie horse In Tyrconnel O donnels Country Sir Iohn O dogherty for his Countrie had three hundred foot and fortie horse O donnels sonne in the Conologhs Countrie one hundred and fiftie foote and fiftie horse Mac Swine for his Countrie fiue hundred foote and thirtie horse Oboyle for his Countrie one hundred foot and twenty horse O Donnel himselfe in the County of Donnegal two hundred foote sixtie horse O Gallohore for his Countrie in which his chiefe house is Ballashannon had two hundred foote fortie horse Sleught Rorie for his Countrie one hundred foote and fiftie horse The forces of the Rebels in Vlster are in all one thousand seuen hundred and two horse and seuen thousand two hundred and twentie foote Thirdly for the Prouince of Mounster In the County of Tipperary The Lord Baron of Cahir a Butler with his brother and followers had three hundred foote twelue horse Edmond Fitzgibbon called the White Knight this nick name giuen to one for his gray heares comming as hereditarie to his posteritie in his Country foure hundred foote thirtie horse Richard
Pale or especially to Loughfoyle where we cannot without great difficulty affront them hauing no magazins of victuals or munition at Athlone or Galloway and where it is vnpossible for vs to prouide our selues or if we could most difficult to carrie them by land when we are so farre in the Countrie and haue no meanes for carriage Therefore we most humbly desire your Lordships to send good store of victuals and munition to Galloway and to Lymbrick which howsoeuer our expectation fall out will be most necessarie for the prosecution of Connaght and that prosecution as necessarie this Winter since O Donnel hath forsaken his owne Countrie and betaken himselfe to liue in that Prouince But because we doe foresee it to be no ill Counsel for the Spaniards to land at Sligo and think that Tyrone will presently vrge them to cut off our Garrison at Loughfoyle whether from thence they haue a faire way and secure from our opposition and may imagine that it will be no great difficulty for them with such royall prouisions as they wil bring to force those slender fortifications We beseech your Lordships to send a large prouision of victuals and munition to Carlingford and Knockfergus for we cannot by any other way then that relieue Loughfoyle if it be distressed Neither can her Maiestie hazard any losse in these great prouisions though we neuer vse them for all kinde of victuals may be issued in this Kingdome with great gaine and especially Corne which we chiefely desire and for munition it may be kept with prouidence as a store for all occasions Thus howsoeuer it fall out we shall be inabled to make such a prosecution this Winter in Connaght and the North as in all reason will ende these warres it the Spaniards come not and will leaue this Prouince of Vlster in farre greater subiection then euer any of her Maiesties Progenitors had it And since wee apprehend that Spaine may make in this Countrie a dangerous warre for England we conceiue that if not now yet with his first abilitie he will imbrace it which makes vs to haue the greater desire if it bee possible to preuent his footing here for euer and that by Gods help we hope to do before this next Sūmer if we may be inabled this winter to ruine Tyrone and O Donnel We haue great neede of one hundred Northerne horses for our horses here grow weak and ill and if your Lordships please to afford vs that number we will so handle the matter as it shall bee no increase of the Lyst If the Spaniards come we must haue at the least three hundred and if they be Northerne horses and Northerne Riders we assure our selues they will be much fitter for this seruice then such as are vsually sent hither who come with purpose to get licence to returne and yet are a greater charge to her Maiesty But for the one thousand foote wee desired by our former letters we find their comming to be of that necessitie as wee must bee most humble and earnest sutors to your Lordships to send them presently for our Companies are so exceeding weake and now decay so fast by the extremitie of the weather as a much greater number will not supplie vs but that the checkes will bee as great as now they are and they little be seene amongst vs which giues vs cause to wish now and humbly to moue your Lordships to be pleased to send one thousand foote more soone after The reports here are so vncertaine as vntill we meete the rest of the Counsell at Trym we know not how the Pale stands affected vpon this assured confidence of the Spaniards comming onely this we perceiue many of them are wauering yet the Lords hereabouts namely Mac Gennis Tirlogh Mac Henrie Euer Mac Cooley and O Hanlon keepe with vs notwithstanding that Tyrone hath sent them word that hereafter it will bee too late for them to make their peace with him if they doe it not now vpon this occasion and they assute vs as much as men can doe that they will not fall againe from their obedience though thereby their state bee no better then horseboyes But of this wee can giue your Lordships no assurance neither in them haue wee any extraordinarie confidence It may further please your Lordships to be aduertised that the Lord of Dunsany hauing the command of a Fort in the Brenny called Liscanon where wee had placed certaine Irish Companies as fittest to spoile and wast the Countrie thereabouts did lately draw most of them into Mac Mahowns Countrie for the taking of a prey which they lighted on as is said to the number of some sixteene hundred Cowes but in their returne being hardly laied vnto as some of them say with very great numbers yet as we haue heard by some that were present not aboue senenscore they did not only lose their prey but according to the manner of the Irish who haue no other kind of retreat fell to a flat running away to the Fort so as poore Captaine Esmond who had the command of the Reare and very valiantly with a few made good the place was sore hurt and afterwards taken prisoner and forty or fiftie of our side slaine We cannot learne that any English were among them so as we account our losse to be no more then the taking of the Captaine neither doe the Rebels bragge thereof both because they scaped not free loosing very neere as many men as wee did and for that they knew they dealt but with their Countrimen who as they doe hold it no shame to runne when they like not to fight though wee meane to call some of ours to account thereof And so we most humbly take leaue The eight and twentieth of August his Lordship receiued two letters from the Lord President of Mounster the first imported that hearing that his Lordship had sent into Connaght for part of the Companies of the Mounster Lyst to come into the North he prayed to bee excused that hee had giuen contrary directions vpon feare of the Spaniards landing the knowledge of Tirrels purpose to come with the banished Mounster men and aides of Northerne men out of Connaght presently to disturbe the Prouince of Mounster and signified that now to manifest his precise obedience to his Lordships commands hee had sent them directions to march towards his Lordship vpon sight of his letter yet praying his Lordship to send some part of them into Munster without which helpe he could neither keepe the field against Tirrel and the Prouinciall fugitiues at their first entrie nor vpon the Spaniards arriuall giue any impediment to their disposing of such Townes as were recommended to his speciall care and assuring his Lordship that the Spaniards had been seene at Sea and that in his iudgement and by vulgar report it was likely they would make discent in some part of Mounster Lastly aduertising that he had sent Iames the Suggon pretended Earle of Desmond and Florence Mac