Wherein23 we knowe that you and our cousin of Ormond, our Lieutenant, will find great ease in every way. It beeing neither fitt nor possible that you shold spend your bodye in all services at all tymes, and yet we must pleynely tell you that we did much mislike (seeing this late accoion were undertaken) that you did not above all other things attend yt; therebye to have directed and countenanced the same; for yt were strange to us when allmost the whole force of our kingdome were drawn to hedd, and a mayne blow like to be stroken for our honor, agaynst the cappytall rebell, that youe whose person wold have better daunted the Traytor, and would have carryed with yt another manner of reputacion, and strengthe of the nobilitie of the kingdome shold employ yourself in an accion of less importance and leave this to soe meane a commander.
Wherein24 we may not passe over this fowle error to our dishonor, when you of our counsell framed such a letter to the traytor after your defeate, as never were read the lyke either in forme or substance for baseness! beeing such as we persuade our self yf you shall peruse yt agayne when you are yourselves that you will be ashamed of your own absurdities, and gryeved that any feare or rayslmess shold ever make you auditors of an accion so much to your Soveraigns dishonor and to the increasing of the traytors insolency. For other things past wee have well observed, That all your Jyourneys and attemptes uppon the northe have had theise successes that not only our armyes have come backe with losse or doeing nothing, but in their absence other parts of our kingedome have ben left to be spoyled and wasted by the rebells; and thoughe the unyversallytie of the Rebellion may be used as a reason of the mischiefe, yet it is almost a miracle that witth the charges of an armye of eight or nine thousand men the provynciall rebells of Leinster and Wexeforde and other places should not be mastered.
POSTSCRIPT:
Synce the wryting of this lettre we have understoode that your lettre which wee heard from you was sent to the Traytor by you hath synce ben stayed by accident, whereof for our owne honor wee are very gladd, thoughe for yourselves the former purpose still deserves the same imputacion.
At Greenwich the 12th of Septembre 1598.