It may please your most honourable Lords. Albeit we have now joined with the rest of this council in a lettre to your Lordships sygnifying the most wofull and greevous accydent of the Marshall's death, and defeating of that army, yet fearinge greatlie least that blame might bee ymputed unto us which we have not deserved, we have made most humbly boulde in our own dischardge to troble your Lordships with these fewe lynes in private from orselves: we hope your Lordships do well remember, howe absolutelie Her most excellent Majestie hath left the managing of all the marshall affaires in this realme to th'erle of Ormond Lord Lieutennant General; and wee lymitted onelie to the administration of civile justice; not havinge to deale with so muche as the distribution of the treasure sent. Nevertheless, as by all former dispatches your Lordships might perceave wee have not fayled to bend our whole studie in assisting his Lordship from tyme to tyme, and at all tymes with our best advise in any of his affayres concerning Her Majesty's services: And touching the victualling of the forte at Blackwater, yt is well knowen to all this table, uppon consultacion had thereof, howe muche agaynst our advise and myndes the same was undertaken. We alleadged the difficulties to perform yt, the chardge and exceeding troble that yt wold bee, both to the soldiers and miserable coutry, and lastlie the great peril and imynent daunger which yt wold bringe the whole realme into (yf yt were undertaken, and tharmy defeated) as now yt hath don. Yelding our opynion that yt were more conveuyent and far more salfe, rather to quitt that forte which might have bin don with good condicions, beeing of little worthe in respect of other places, and easy to be built agayne, with good convenyency, and thre or four daies stay of tharmy whensoever they should proceed northward—and therefore to defend the Pale beeing the hart, and in a manner all that is now left of the whole body, untill Her Majestys resolution had bin understood here for a full and throughe prosecucion of these warres, which hetherto had byn so exceedinge chardgeable unto Her Higness. This we urdged with suche vehemencye as was offensive to som, howbeit all the reasons and perswasions which we cold use would not drawe his Lordship and the Marshall from their intended purpose to victualle yt, which beeing so determyned by him who had the disposing of those causes absolutelie in his own hand, and no power in us to alter yt, we then wyshed, and urdged muche that his Lordship would himselfe undertake that service, beeing of so great ymportaunce, and then alleadged two reasons which did especiall move us so to advise his Lordship. The first was that wee knew yf his Lordship wold goe himself in person he shold bee accompanyed with the moast parte of the nobilitie, and their followers, with many other gentlemen voluntarie attendaunts, whereby he shold bee a farre better and greater armie then otherwise he cold sett out with the marshall: Thother was that yf yt came to that extremytie which now (alas!) yt hath don, wee thought the great Bebbell would have had more reverence and regard to his Lordships person place and calling then (we were sure) he wolde have to the Marshall, agaynst whom he bare a deadlie hatred. Yett his Lordship beeing either unwilling or unable to endure that troblesome jorney, answered us that himselfe could not be spared from the service in Leinster, which he wolde attend. And havinge so resolved, layed that other service upon the Marshall, who spedd unfortunatelie therein, to the losse of his owne lyfe, and a great parte of that Army, except the horsemen, whereof as wee understand, none perished, the distresse of the rest, now invyroned bythe Rebell at Aedmaghe, and apparent perill of this whole state. The Lord Lieutenant returning then to Kilkenny hathe there and thereabouts remayned ever since, as yett he dothe; the Leinster rebells beeing nevertheless exceedingly encreased, and daily burning preying and spoyling the contrye, having alredy possessed themselves of all the Queenes County called Leix, some three or four castles at the most excepted, which cannot long hold out. There they possesse the lands so dearly bought by Her Majesty and her predecessors, and doe even in peaceable manner enioye the goodes, and cutt downe and gather the cornes of thauncient English gentlemen of that country; to the great discomfort of all our nacion remayning in this wretched contry, (the lyke sturre have they already begotten in Offaly, called the King's county, and the lyke ende, in all lykelyhood, will they make there; the Rabbel of them being nowe by this disaster so encurraged and encreased as they doe even what they list without controlment.) A greate parte of the county of Kildare they have alredy spoyled and burned, and daylie advertisement we have of there entraunce into the county of Dublin, and of their purpose, even this day, as we understand, to make heade even towardes this citie; to which God knoweth they may make an easie approach, yett have wee, to encounter their comynge, sett out this present mornyng the nomber of six or seaven hundred of cittizens and others to ympeache their purposed approache. This (and worse than wee have saide) is the state of Leinster. For Connaght, howe muche this blowe hathe weakened yt, and strengthened the Rebbells of that Province, your Lords may conceave: and Mounster not free from infection, very lykely to brust out, and this is now the state of this poor and most miserable lande!
Thus muche in effect have wee in divers our former private lettres foretould, and sygnified to your Lords, and this doe wee now agayne in dischardge of our most bounden duties declare to your Lords. Wee have noe meanes left in us to help ourselves, and the remnant of Her Majesty's poore subiects here, onely this wee beseche Thalmighty God soe to styrr upp the hart of or gracious Soveraigne hir most sacred Majesty as yet at leingth (and allmoste to late) she will behold or miseries with the eyes of compassion: thinke uppon a present course touching the forme of this government; and speedily undertake a Loyal and stronge prosecution agaynst these vile ungratefull Rebells, otherwise shall not wee bee hable to render any other account to Her Highness then that her Realme is lost. We have in all hast by two several messingers acquainted the Lord Lieutenant with this callamytie, desyring his speedy repayre hither, with suche forces as hee may make, and convenyentlie spare, at whose comynge wee will use all our beste meanes for the bringing off the rest of tharmy now remayning in Ulster, which wee thinke wilbe very weake: and so with our prayers we comende your Lords to God's most blessed protection
From Dublinthe xvijth of August 1598Your Lords most humbly at comandment
ADAM LOFTUS, DUBLIN. RO. GARDENERFor her Majesties Affayres
To the Honorable the Law Lords and others
of hir Majestis most Honorable Privie Councell
Haste, Haste, Haste, Haste, Haste.
Delivered to the sea: on Fryday at 10 of the clock
in the fornoone, the 18 of AugustADAM LOFTUS, DUBLIN.