I Have received your Letter by Mr. Por­tington, whereby I see you doe not as yet understand how the case stands with us in this poor Kingdome of Ireland, which that you may the better doe, I will re­late in briefe, beginning from the dis­covery of the plot to take the Castle and City of Dublin, which should have beene the 23. of October, 1641. upon which day the Rebels came to Master Arthur Champions house, some 60. miles from Dublin, where one of his own tenants came [...]o him very early in the morning, desiring to speake with him about some serious businesse as he pre­tended, onely to betray him; when hee had drawne him without the walls of his house, (for he had a very strong house, and well fitted for defence, had he knowne of their divellish treachery) presently there came a company with two rogues which were pinioned as theeves, for stealing of his cattell; Master Champion bid them that brought them, to carry them before the next Iustice, for he would not meddle with them; whereupon these rebels set them loose, and fell upon the good man, stabbed him with their Skeanes to death presently, before hee could give the least warning to those in his house. His brother [Page] seeing many people there, went to see what the matter was, he was served in the same manner, and a third like­wise: and then the Rebels went into his house, and killed two more: his wife, and her sister, and her brother in law, with two others that were in the house, they tooke and keepe prisoners to this day, taking possession of all they had, both within the house and without. She was downe upon her knees to beg a sheet to put her husband in for his buriall, and another Gentleman which came but over night, with some other friends, in love to visit him, and the next morning lost their lives. And this they have done to many in those parts, robbing all the English Prote­stants, stripping them starke naked, and so turning them out to the fields and mountaines, in the frost and snow, whereof many hundreds are perished to death. They spare none, Ministers nor people, of what sort soever, they are so maliciously bent against us and our profession, that they will not spare our Ministers bookes, but burne and teare them in pieces. They destroy our English breed of cattell and sheepe in detestation of us, although one of ours is better then foure of theirs; and they have vowed to root out the name of the English out of this Kingdome, and thus they goe on from the beginning almost all this Kingdome over. And if the Lord in mercy prevent them not, it is like to bee so, for wee heare daily new rising of them in other places, which at first were quiet; as the County of Wicklow, all the pale are out, not withstanding their protestation in the Parliament there last meeting, which was since this rebellion begunn [...] Kings County and Queenes County rob and spoyle all. The good Lady the Lady Offalia, and the Lord Digby's children and your brother, are besieged in the Castle of [...], having rob­bed them and all thereabouts without the Castle. These Rebels have turned all the Protestants out of Kilkeny, onely with the clothes on their backes by the Lord Mon­garat, and keepe the Countesse of Ormond prisoner. This Lord promised them a convoy to Waterford, which went [Page] with them some 8. miles out of towne, and then left them, and a company of rogues met them, and stripped them. When these poore people came to Waterford, hoping for succour, the towne would not suffer them to come in, but keepe them starving without the towne; all the favour they shewed them, they threw them some bread over the wall, so that you may see how Waterford stands affected. These Rebels have great advantage of us, for they have their spyes daily with us, that nothing is said or done but they have notice presently sent to them; but we can have none to informe us of any particulars, for they meet with our spies, and hang them up with the rest of any English they meet with; and for that purpose have set up gallows 5. miles distant one from another. At the first they spa­red the Scots, telling them their Commission was onely to root out the English, but now they rob and kill the Scots, not sparing any. One hundred and twenty they stript starke naked, and drave them upon a bridge, and for­ced them into the water, drowned those which could not swimme, and those which could swimme they knocked in the head when they came to land. Their cruell mur­dering of men before their wives to increase their griefe. Your brother writ unto me, that a Rebell in those parts tooke an infant out of the mothers armes, and cast it into the fire before her face; but the just iudgement of God fell upon him, before hee went from the same place hee brake his necke.

The last weeke a Minister which came to this City, left some goods with a supposed friend, sent for them, the goods could not be delivered, unlesse he or his wife came for them; he would not go; she went, and when she came where the goods were, they hanged her for her paines.

They rob close to this City; Beggatrath, Cullen wood, Ramynes, Phenix, Ashtowne, Newtowne, Finglese, Sauntry, Drumconran, Clantarffe, Hoth, all which border upon our City. Sir Charles Coote, our noble and brave go­vernour in this City, sallied out one night, and drave them [Page] from Clantarffe, and set it on fire. Another night to Saun­tree and another village, and set them on fire: and the Earle of Ormond and Colonel Crafford, with Sir Charles Coote, drive them from Finglese and set it on fire.

Sir Charles Coote, and Sir Simon Harcotte sallied out to Swords, six miles from Dublin, where the enemy had their Campe and [...]here had intrenched themselves. By break of day our men set upon them, drave them out of their Trenches, and put them to rout, they ran away, about 120. were slaine [...] taken prisoners, foure of their Colours, Drummes, and Armes our men brought away, who are safely come againe, blessed be God, onely we lost 4. men; whereof the chiefe was Sir Lorenzo Cary, brother to the Lord Faulkland, shot in the head, as it is thought, by one of his souldiers; he was brought to Dublin on horseback, his footeman behinde him holding him up in the saddle, which an Irishwoman on the Key seeing, said it was pitty that no more were served so, which the souldiers hea­ring, in a rage threw the woman into the river where she was drowned.

The Rebels have burned all the plantation Towns in the County of London Derry, but Derry and Coltaine stand out stoutly.

The last night they went out towards the Mountaines beyond Tallow, and burnt two or three Villages, where­by those Rebels should not have any shelter so neare us, [...] when our men came, they ranne away, and would not abide above two [...], so that till we have supply from England and Scotland no good is to be done with them, whereby we may follow them to the full; notwithstan­ding many Papists [...] the Iesuits, Priests and Fryers, and say in plaine tearmes they have beene the cause of all this, and no question to the contrary, the Lord in mercy con­vert or confound them.

We are all much bound to God for our Gracious King, the Honourable Parliament of England, the mercifull and pious City of London, and the whole Kingdomes of Eng­land [Page] and Scotland for their care and pitty upon us, al­though as yet we have but little help to this great worke, but of that which we have received we are much com­forted, and we doe not doubt of the rest, which doth not a little strike to the hearts of our enemies as we heare, by this you may see in part our calamities; but blessed bee God, our Lords Iustices and Councell have provided for this City, that under God we hope to bee as safe as you in London, and so wee hope of Drohedah where a worthy Governour Sir Henry Tichborne holds out valiantly, although the Rebells have made many as­ssaults upon the Towne. Provision is sent by sea to Dro­hedah, and we trust in God it will be safely delivered to them, but if not, they will be hard besteed, but if it please God to send us more strength, we make no question by Gods assistance but to cleer the passage by land to succour them.

These miseries are great the Lord be mercifull unto us; but this is not all, the most of our rich men and great men are fled from us into England, and have carried their e­states with them, they have not left one penny to succour the poore distressed stript people who are come hither for reliefe, whereof we have at this present neer three thousand, besides many hundreds are starved to death since they came onely with want, for we are not able to doe more then we doe, we do relieve them far beyond our abilities; for my own part, I pay much weekly for billi­ting money, besides what I give to the poore; the rich being gone, lest their houses without any helpe at all un­to us, not so much as common charges for the safety of this City, but all lyeth upon the poorer sort: The Lord in mercy forgive them this sinne, this great sinne, that the bloud of so many hundreds which have perished by want be not required at their hands: Thus with my praiers to God to blesse you I rest,

IF you think fit you may have this Relation Printed, for I have written nothing but [...] so many false Pamphlets [...] printed at London.

WEE his Majesties loyall subjects being at the present employed in his Highnesse Service for the taking of this your Castle, you are therefore to deliver unto us free possession of your said Castle, promising faithfully, that your Lady­ship, together with the rest in the said Castle restant shall have a reasonable composition; otherwise upon the not yeelding of the Castle, we doe assure you that we will burne the whole Towne, kill all the Protestants, and spare neither man, woman nor child upon taking the Castle: consider (Madam) of this our offer, and impute not the blame of your owne folly unto us, think not that here we brag, your Ladysship upon submission shall have a safe convoy to secure you from the hands of your enemies, and to lead you where you please, a speedy reply is desired with all expedition, and thus we surcease:

I Received your Letter, wherein you threaten to sack this my Castle by his Majesties authority; I am and ever have beene a loyall subject, and a good neighbour amongst you, and therefore cannot but wonder at such an assault; I thank you for your offer of a convoy, wherein I hold little safety, and there­fore my resolution is, that being free from offending his Majesty, or doing wrong to any of you, I will live and dye innocently, and will doe my best to defend my owne, leaving the issue to God; and though I have been and still am desirous to avoid the shed­ding of Christian bloud, yet being provoked your threats shall no whit dismay me.