THe 3d. of Iuly I came from Corke, and was faine to stay 4 or 5, dayes at Moyallo before the For­ces and Artillery were al come up, then I mar­ched directly towards Rathkele in the Coun­ty of Lymerick; and sent out 2. partyes in the night from the Mountaines foote on this side Ballyhea, the one under the command of Leiftenant Col. Cooke, with 400. Foote, and Major Frenchard with about 200. Horse; the other under the command of Leift. Colo. Knight 600. Foote, and under Major Purdon 350. Horse: unto the first I gave order to go close by Sleuelober, towards the Shanon, and drive all they could light upon to Rathkell and the other to march by the River Maige (being on the o­ther hand) towards the Shanon, and drive all they could get to the same place, where I intended the next day to mee [...] them with the rest of the body, but the way being ill, I could not get up with the Ordinance, so as I was faine to lye that night at Ballingary 3. Mile short of them; where I found abundance of Plunder and Victualls, to the value of 1000 l. at least, and had two Castles delivered up to me, one wherof was very strong, belonging to one R. Lacy, the other was a Castle belonging to my Lord of Corke. I sent word to the Rendevous where I lay, and sent 200. Horse under Ma­jor Ieffords command, to help those that had been upon the parties, who I knew would be extreame weary, having gone 20 myle before they began to drive, and then spent al­most the whole day in gathering of cattle, where they could [Page 2]spie them. But the Party that went with Knight and P [...] ­do [...] having gotten 6000. Cowes and Sheepe, which were very troublesome to drive and keep them up together, were sorced to stay 2 Mile from the Rendevous; and it seemes Purdon thought himselfe so secure, that he neither appointed Guards or Centry, but let every one do as he pleased, so as my Lord of Muskery was in the midst of them with 500. horse, before they perceived any enemy, nor did they then beleive them to be so, till he beganne to doe execution, whereupon Capt. Fenton providently tooke a course to preserve Sir Wil­liam an Heire, who with Capt. Dethick came away with all the hast they could, and brought me word, that all the party horse and foote were lost, and having told me the place, I instantly marched with all the hast possible I could, to get between the Rebells, and the passe of Abdare, which they (as I since heard) were apprehensive of, and therefore made such hast, as that they were gone 2 howers before I could get thither: then I met Major Iefford, who was also in pur­suit of them, but could not overtake them, of him I de­monded what harther accompt was to be had of the businesse, and found it to be thus. The Rebells fell into our Quarters more then [...]n hower before day, and first lighted upon the Dragoneers, who thought they had been friends, till they were better inform'd by their blows, and then the firebrands being the readyest armes, Trumble and his men tooke them up, and with them kept off the Horse, that their Riders could not them force upon our men, till they got to their Armes, then the Foot drew up and somely, and so pelted these Horse, though they charged them 4. times, they were still beaten off with loss, which made them turne from them, and fall among our Horsemen, where they tooke Capt. Cour [...]rup prisoner, and 5. more, flew 2. men, and tooke away about 40. Horse with as many Saddles and Armes, we had but 2. Horsemen and one footman killed, but about forty Horsemen much wounded, among whom was Major Choppyus Cornet, who is since dead, and so are 4. or 5. more; I was not a little joy­ed to finde the businesse no worse, perceiving also that the Rebels lost two Captaines, and two Leiutenants of Horse, and hearing by a Prisoner that they had many wounded, thus [Page 3]it pleased God to worke for us, when in [...]ll prebability every man of ours might have bin lost, and without a [...]iracle they had beene so (for the most part) if my Lord of Muskery had stayed till breake of day; that they might have seene the ad­vantage they had, which he durst not doe, lest I should get between him and Adare, for then I had, had him in a Pound, In this businesse a great part of our prey was lost, but what remained to us of both parties preyes, amounted to 1500. Cowes, and 4000. sheepe, whereof the Souldiers destroyed and imbezled all but 700. Cowes, and 800. sheep at Rathkell, we found in the three severall Castles we took, and the hou­ses in the towne, at least 3000. pounds worth of plunder, which (discernably) no man was five pounds the better for, except two or three Common Souldiers, who found in seve­rall places three Bagges of mony that amounted in all to a­bout 100 l. the Wards of these Castles, and foure more neer the Towne, gave up upon summons; one other we took by force, but the men had quarter for their lives, which with their wearing Apparell was the best quarter they had, that gave upon summons, five dayes were spent about this town, and then hearing that the Rebels Army lay within 8. myles of us, we marched towards them, lying the first night at A [...] ­dare, and the next day, as soone as we advanced towards them, they withdrew to the Wall of Lymericke, but though wee could not fotce them to fight, wee wreaked our vengeance on the Country, where wee burnt all houses Corne and Hay, insomuch as that I am confident 40000 l. will not Ballance their losse by that meanes, from A [...]dare we marched to Kilpehan, and thence to Monaster an Enagh, which your Father sold, from thence to the Broff, where my Lord Castle Connels Company of about 80. men, well arm'd and provided, were placed two dayes before, who changed their resolution of defending the place upon the first treaty betweene me and their Captaine, who took quarter for life, and wearing apparell, leaving us good store of plunder and 150. Armes in the House, which was almost as many as we had taken in all the other Castles, the same night I lay at the Broffe, I sent two Regiments to see what they could do upon a Castle of one Boxes within halfe a myle of it, where his son [Page 4]was Commander, and denyed to yeeld to me upon such quar­ter as I had given others, These two Regiments, assaulted the great ditch, which was their Banne fence, and carryed every man a burthen of the thach of houses to the Grate of the Castle, which being fired, and the wind sitting favourab­ly, they maintained the fire so, as in two houres the people were unable to stay within, and having no other way, began to come out of the Windowes, but our men killed the first that came, the rest fled to the Battlements, where they stayed till our men had made a breach with barres of Iron, and then they comming up to them, some leaped over the top of the Castle, which was very high, but they were all slaine except one, who was saved by meere accident, the next day I sent a party of Horse to Baggots Castle, who had taken over night two of our horsemen, with their Horses and Armes, suppos­ing that they would bee glad to give up my horsemen upon condition I would let him alone, which of necessity I must have done for want of Ammunition, for I had not one graine of Powder left that was serviceable, when the Horse surroun­ded and summoned him, he desired to speake with me, where­upon I came thither, whilst the army was marching towards home, in expectation to have the place presently given up, but the Monsier propounded only coming under contribtion, and said he ment not to yeeld (if we did our utmost) upon other tearms, whereat I was troubled, that I was come thither in person, and though I saw the place weak, not able to force it But I spoke big words of sending for the Ordinance instant­ly, and told him, I would make him purchase his abuse of my expectation at a dear rate, and that I would heare of no further treaty. Whereupon the Gentleman desired some time of con­sideration, and at length was perswaded to give us our pri­soners, with their Horses and Armes, and 16. Horses more, whereof 10 were the best in that Country, we got also a 100 l. in mony to be rid of us, and so came away that night into our own Quarters to Ardskiegh, and the next day hither to meet with what provision and ammunition was provided for us, which being but 2 l. of Bisquet, and 1 l. of Cheese a man; we are this day marching away to the releife of Ballagary and Castlematresse, where we left wards, who have been besieged [Page 5]these 3. dayes (that I have been out of the County of Lyme­rick) but to morrow I shall with Gods help be with them, and I must indeavour to do now, as I did last time, live all the time we are abroad upon the Country, which now I doubt will afford us only Pease and Beans, which we hope will keep us from starving, though we should get nothing else, if it do not, there is no visible means for us to avoyd it, for we have not a bit of provision, nor a penny of mony in our Garrisons, where the Towns relieve the sick men, and the well subsist by their own acquisitions. Wherefore, I beseech you Sir, either get us releife that may enable us to live here, or get me leave to come off, and let them give my Command to whom they please. I can contribute Faithfullnesse and Integrity to the preservation of their intrests, but I can work no Miracles.

Our want of Carriages is such an impediment to our do­ing considerable service, that you must not expect we shall effect those things without them, that otherwise would be fezible.

Ranall in Collokittagh is come with a Regiment of foot, of those that were in Scotland, to the assistance of this Ar­my against us here, who are 9000. Horse and Foote (as my Intelligence assures me) by the accesse of these and the Vo­lunteers of Tiperaris Thomand, and Kerry.

THese ticklish times give mee small hopes that any thing as yet can bee done in the behalfe of our Forces in Munster, where­fore I very much desire the honour to wait on you over; I believe you will take shippe either at Bristoll, or Minehead. I shall gladly wait on at either of them. Give me leave to acquaint you what a Member of your House told me; who yester­day came home from London: he bid me be confident that you intended to quit your command in Ireland, and that my Lord President is speedily to appeare at London, to answer to that Charge which my Lord Broghill, and Sir Arthur Loftus exhibited against him. I beseech you to deale ingeniously with me in this particular, for I am resolv'd to desert the service if it bee true, and so will many besides. Its a lamentable encouragement for any man to leave his native Country, spend his fortune and hazard his life, when he shall see men, who have done such eminent services thus required. But I trust God will so far manifest his Iustice, as not to suffer the mon­strous malice of these men to prevaile; pardon I pray the trouble this long peece of impertinency puts you to. I have a long time had a very high esteeme of you, but never could bee so happy to have an occasion to bee knowne by you, unto whom in all things, I shall ap­peare,