III.

TO SECRETARY SIR FRANCIS WALSINGHAM.

From the Original. Irish Correspondence: Elizabeth, vol. lxxx. § 82 (Rolls House). Holograph.

LETTER

III.

1580-1581.
Feb. 25.
To Sir F.
Walsing-

ham.

From

Cork.

Causes of

in the seizure of

Barry's Mismanthe War in agement of Munster;

Court.

THE day after the writinge of my letter to your Honor by Levetenant BIGGES, news came that DAVY BARREY had broken and burnt all his castles and entred publikly into the action of rebellion. It plesed my Lorde Deputy,1 att my beinge at Develin (forseinge wherunto this Trator was bent) to bestow on mee the kepinge of on of his castles called Barre Court and the Iland adjoyninge therunto; which hows he gave mee in charge the delay to keap to her Majesties use, being a great strenght to the countre and a safty for all passingers betwen Corke and Youghall. Notwithstandinge, becaus my Lord Generall2 was presently to cum up and BARREY ready to go out (having before undreground broken the foundacions of the rest of his castles) I made stay to take this Barrey Court, as well for that my Lord Generall should not alledge that I crost hyme in any service or did anythinge with in his goverment without his privitey, as also because it should not be sayd that the takinge therof was the hasteninge of BARRE'S rebellion. But when my Lord came and BARREY had burnt all the rest, the Lord Generall, ether meninge to kepe it for hyme selfe-as I think all is to litle for hyme-or els unwillinge any Inglishman should have any thing, stayd 1 Arthur, Lord Grey of Wilton.

Thomas Butler, Earl of Ormond; Governor of Munster and General of the Forces.

and con

trast

offered

thereby to the govern

ment of

Sir H.

Gilbert.

LETTER

III.

1580-1581.

Feb. 25.

Complaints of the con

duct of the

War in
Munster.

the taking therof so longe, mening to put a gard of his own in it, as it is, withe the rest, defaced and spoled. I pray God Her Majesty do not finde, that-what with the defence of his own countre assalted on all sides, what with the beringe and forberinge of his kindred, as all thes traytors of this new rebellion ar his own cussengermayns, what by reason of the incomperable hatred betwen hyme and the GARAUTINES,1 who will rather dy a thowsand deathes, entre into a million of mischeifes and seek soccor of all nacions, rather than they will ever be subdued by a BUTLER—that aftre Her Majesty hathe spent a hundred thowsand pound more she shall at last be driven by to 2 dere experience to send an Inglishe Presedent to follow thes mallicious traytors with fier and sword, nether respectinge the aliance nor the nacion. Would God your Honor and Her Majesty, as well as my poore selfe, undrestoode how pitifully the service here goethe forward! Considering that this man, havinge now byn Lord General of Munstre now about too yeares, theire ar at this instant a thowsand traytors more then ther were the first day. Would God the service of Sir HUMFRY GILBERT might be rightly lokt into; who, with the third part of the garreson now in Irland, ended a rebellion not miche inferior to this, in to 3 monethes! Or would God his own behavior were suche in peace as it did not make his good service forgotten and hold hyme from the preferment he is worthy of! I take God to wittenes I speake it not for affection but to discharge my duty to Her Majesty; for I never hard nor rede of any man more fered then he is amonge the Irishe nacion. And I do assuredly know that the best about the Earle of DESMOND, ye! and all the unbridled traytors of thes partes, would cum in

1 Geraldines.

2 too.

3 two.

The

hyre, and yeld them selves to the Queen's mercy, were
it but known that he were cum amonge them.
end shall prove this to be trew.

And for myne own part God is my judge it grevethe mee to receve her Majesty's pay (although God knowes it be but a poore entreteynment) to see her so miche abused; and I will rather begg then live here to indure it. I would most willingly geve over my charge, and did offre it to the Lord Generall, God is my judge, if I could, and serve her Majesty privatly with a dussen or ten horse duringe the wares. I beseiche your Honor to take my bold writing in good part, protesting befor Hyme that knowethe the thoughtes of all hartes, that I writ nothing but moved therunto for the love I bere to her Highnes and for the furtherance of her service. And further I humblie crave at your Honors handes that you will reserve my letters to yourselfe, and if your Honor will promise mee so miche and give mee leve, I will from tyme to tyme advertise your Honor trewly of this

LETTER
III.

1580-1581. Feb. 25.

1

Requests

the charge of Barry's. Court.

Myself being on1 that your Honor shall allways one. finde most ready to ventur my life to do yow all honor and service during my life. I beseich your Honor that I may by your means injoy the keping of this Barrey Court and the Iland; or that it will please your Honor but to writ to my Lorde Deputy that he will confirm it unto mee, whom I find most willing to do mee any good, being my honerable, good Lorde. This humblie Thus. I take my leve, reposing myselfe and my estat uppon your Honors favor.

From Cork, the 25th of February.

Your Honor's most humble ever to command,

Addressed:

W. RAULEY.

To the honorable Sir FRANCIS WALSINGHAM, Knight, the Principall
Secritory to Her Highnes.

LETTER

IV.

1581. May 1.

To Arthur,
Lord Grey,
Deputy of

Ireland.
From
Cork.

IV.

TO ARTHUR, LORD GREY OF WILTON, LORD
DEPUTY OF IRELAND.

From an official and annotated Copy, sent by the Lord Deputy to Sir Francis Walsingham. Irish Correspondence: Elizabeth, vol. lxxxiii. § 16 [1] (Rolls House).

FERING that it shoulde seme strainge unto your Lordshipe the litle service don in thes partes, I presume to wryte unto your honor in myne owne excuse, lest your Lordshipe should growe in ill opinion of us that ar and have byne in the presenc of the General to be directed. The bandes of Sir GEORG BOWSER, EDWARD BARKLEY, Captayne DOWDALL, and of my self, have bine ever since the seconde weeke of Lent remayning in Corke; and both the great wood of Conoloathe, Harlo, Clenlis, -Intrigues and all the countye of Lymbricke, and the counties betwene the Dingle and Kilkeny, left without any companies ether to defend itself or anoy the enemy. Since tion of Barry's which tyme wee have made to jurneys: the one towards Court and the Island. Kilkeny to give convoye to my Lorde and attend his

State of the Army in Munster.

of the rebels.Fortifica

Further complaints of the manage.

ment of the War.

returne, and the other into Conolothe, by which jurnes (the one being in horible wether, and the other utterly botles, being don without draught or espiall, and beside inforst to walke such unreasonable marches as, wher wee dispatched a churell of the traytors, wee lamed, lost, or left behynde unserviceable, a soldier or two of our owne) the poore bands have curste the change they made in levyng to follow your Honor, as they have tould the Lord Generall many tymes. And this fyrst of May wee ar going another posting convoy towards Kilkeny. But to culler the matter, wee shall march some two dayes out of our way to seeke wee know not whome.

The store of Corke, except it be a smale quantitie of wheat and butter, is all spent within the walles, and nowe it wilbe aleged that wee cannot serve for want of vittles, or else because the bandes ar not supplied; allthough wee were nevere less than fore hundred stronge, and yet both of Sir GEORGE BOWCER'S and Captain BARKLE'S [companies]1 left at Kilmalloch and Asketon. Wee have spent thes two monethes of the spring in parles with BARREY ROWE, the Countes of DESMOND, and FINNIN MACARTEY; and wee think it willbe two moneth more er he be resolved whether thes ought to be followed or no, and yet theris no day passeth without some trayterous villanies by the BARRES committed. The Countes of DESMONDE is retourned, and brought so many followers with her hither to carrye provision with her as the Earle, for his parte, shall be the better able to keepe the feild all this sommer; and at her going away none of her trayne ether sercht or lokt over. BARREY ROWE is protected. The Lady BARREY having gathered her goodes into Corke; and fering that by the atteyndure of her husband those wilbe found for the Queene, her yonge sonne-viz. BARRIE ROE, that five dayes before fell on the garrisons of Youghall-is brought in to serve that turne to carye the goodes into O SYLLEVANSES countrey, or els wher, for the more saftie; and besides this man shall keep some store of cattell and such impotent people as cannot follow DAVEY BARREY in the feild with many other profits ether for the Queen or for the knaves. I thinke your Honor hard of the losse of the warde of Asketon.* O KENIS and his

note on this

sonn wer both slayne by JHON of DESMOND,-gentelmen Marginal of MAC DONOTH'S countrey and very good subiects. Barre's Cowrte and the Iland-which your Honor willed

1 This or some equivalent word is here plainly wanting.

2 Ormond.

passage by Deputy.

the Lord