WEe are here in dryly troubles, and housely feares; the strength and numbers of the Rebels dayly in­cresing, who are mightily encou­raged by the dissentions which is a­mongst you in England; and con­trarywise, it doth much disharten us: for your dissentions are our ruines, and your intestine b [...]oyles will be the utter losse of this State and Kingdome. No question it is for our sinnes that God doth thus afflict us, and in his good time he will also release us from this miserable calamity. We wonder we have no supplies from England, which were expected here, a great while since, but whilst we look for aide (for any thing I can see) this Kingdome will be irrecoverably lost; for we wan [...] men, money, and in some sort victu­als, which God hath hitherto provided for us; the Re­bels [Page 2]are grown so insolent now, that they dare bouldly vent the rankor of their hearts, which they have hitherto concealed: Their intents are absolutely to throw off the English Government, and do intend to Crown a King of their own (as it is commonly talked here) and they are not afraid to name him, which is Sir Philome Oneale; he is that Perkin Warbeck that must weare the Royall Diadem of this Kingdome, and King CHARLES shall bee quite rejected, and all Protestants quite expelled out of Ireland: But we hope that High and Honourable Court of Parliament are sensible of that deluge of bloud that hath beene shed, from the sides of miserable Protestants: and will hasten the aides and succours which they intend for us. I hope the King hath so many Frinds and loyall Sub­jects in England and other places, that they will not suffer so faire a Iewell to be ravished from His Regall Crown, to the King's great losse and dishonour of His other Kingdomes.

The Rebels are mightily animated and encouraged by Letters, Bulls and Messages from the Pope, and that Baa­litica Conclave of Cardinals at Rome, who doth dayly exasperate the over desperate minds of these bloudy min­ded Rebels, who do absolutly beleeve that now they shall shake off the English yoake (as they terme it) and reco­ver their long lost Freedome; but God I trust will prevent their wicked Counsels, and bring them and those wicked Ahitophels their Counsellours, to the end that Ahito­phel had for his treason, for counselling against his annoyn­ted Soveraigne.

Macharta Rhe keeps his Rendesvous at Timilage, six [Page 3]or seven miles from us, but by the care and watchful­nesse of the Lords of Kenelmeke and Droughull, hee hath often times retreated with losse of men and Mu­nition, and yet he seaseth not to sally out against us in Bandonbridge, which is all the Townes that hold firme for the English, betwixt it and Corke. Castle Ly­on, one of my Lo [...]y Barramoore's m [...]nnour houses, be­ing new built, and a stately house, about the 16 or 17 [...] this instant May, was assaulted by the Lord Roach, the Lord Musgrave, and Mac. Donah, who tooke it, and my Lord Barramoore in it, who was not able to defend it, they made pillage of all that was in the house, and then beate it down, utterly ruinating and burning all the matterials of the same, not leaving any thing that was good for ought; the Rebels swore and vowed to kill him, unlesse he would turne to them (which they do ordinarily to every one they take) but he absolutely bearing the same, these three arch-Rebels consulted what they should do, and concluded not to kill him, but taking every thing that was worth their carrying away, they left his Lordship with only one horse, on which he rod to his Father the Earle of Corke.

The 24 of this May, there was an Allarme given at the wals in the night, by Macharta Rhe, and some 10000 men, but to their shame and our comfort, we had of them a happy victory; for the Souldiers in the Town, being ready upon all occasions (as knowing the Rebels had some designe in hand) was not slow in receiving them, but issued out against them (it being [Page 4]the dawn of the day) and gave them battaile; and the courage and forwardnesse of our men, being so great, that there was no need to provoke them on (as know­ing that they had made them fly when they were a far greater number) they rowted them, and killed them a pace: and those miserable men, being most [...] them unarmed, and having bu [...] small store of powder, which is the he [...]rt of war, and being still t [...]r­rifie [...] with the last bickering th [...]y had with the En­glish, they fell to an absolute flight, which is still their use, for they will not stand a battaile: My Lord of Kenelmeke was come to Bandonbridge the day before with 500 men, and the Towne Souldiers were 2000, beside the Inhabitants, so that the enemies were al­most foure for one, yet by the helpe of God there were slaine of the Rebels 250 men, and we lost but seven men in all, one of which the Rebels (notwith­standing their flight) hurried away with them to Time-lage, where they put him to tortures, thinking to make him confes the strength of the Town, but when they could not make him confesse, they hanged him. We tooke in this bickering 140 M [...]skets, 100 Pikes, Swords, Skeen [...]s, and Pistols a great many, three Cul­lers, some provision of Victuals and Powder, but not much: besides the native Rebels here, who in great multitudes are assembled against His Majesty, and His people; they have hope dayly of aide from the Pope, or some Prince whom the Pope can persw [...]de to aide them in this Catholique Cause, for the Pope hath promised to aide them by any meanes tha [...] [...]e [Page 5]can; but we hope that God will disappoint his Coun­sels, and bring his intentions to naught, and bring them and th [...] Authors of his m [...]schiefe to confusion, to whom be praise and glory now and for ever.

You Father in Law (since my last Letter) is sick, but we hope of his sudd [...]in recovery; Your wife and children are all in good health, God be praised, Your brother in Law is gone to Dublin, and wee have not heard from him since he went, but do dayly expect to heare from him. We looke for your returne dayly, with a supply of men and money, which if it bee a while neglected, the lives of 100000 men will not recover that which their negligence will lose. So trusting that God will strike our brethrens hearts in England, with a feeling of our misery, not knowing how soon the same may be theirs, if not in time pre­ven [...]ed by the hearing of this Kingdome. I commit you to Gods protection, and rest.