It may please your Lordships. In our letters of the 14th of this month we declared to your Lordships of the apprehension of Walter Cusack, brother to the late Viscount of Baltinglas, and certain of his followers; and how the instruments which were used in that service were two Irishmen, the principal whereof was Bryen oge Cavenaghe, and the other a follower of his, Owen O'Nasye; to whom, according the covenant made with them, we delivered their reward immediately upon the presenting of the prisoner. Since which time the said Bryen and Owen remained in this city, well and courteously entreated, till within these three days.
A sudden rumour was raised in this town that Owen O'Nasye should give forth in public speeches that he was an actor in the killing of Sir Peter Carewe; which rumour came to the ears of his brother George Carewe, being in this town ready to embark into England; but how proved or testified by sufficient witnesses, we cannot yet learn; upon this occasion only, as it should seem, a heinous act is here committed in the street of Dublin, upon Midsummer-eve last, where Brian oge and the said Owen beholding the assembly of the youth of this city in some show of arms, according to an ancient custom here, Mr. Carewe, accompanied with two other gentlemen, George Harvye and John Hill, and certain of his own servants, walking down by the quai where the shewes were presented, found the said Bryen and Owen sitting together; and taking Owen by the garments, and demanding of his name, immediately upon the naming of it, thrust his dagger into his bosom, and presently one of his men shot him with a pistol and two bullets, and gave him many wounds, whereof he presently died! Immediately upon the act Carewe and Harvey, with their men fled, we know not whither. But Mr. Hill remained, alleging for himself that he was utterly ignorant of the matter, and did but only accompany the others in walking, without knowledge of any such pretence; whom, notwithstanding, we have committed to the Castle here to abide Her Majesty's pleasure, or his further trial by law. By all examinations hitherto taken we do not hear of any violence used to Bryen Cavenaghe; but the execution only meant upon the other before-named; and whether purposely as seeking him, we cannot yet discover. Thus much for tire manner of the fact; which as it was very foul and heinous in itself, done also in a public place, and at a most inconvenient time, even in the view of the Mayor and the Citizens, and while some Irish be here that be not altogether clear, in their own consciences; so, for as much as these parties were such as had newly done very good service, procured to themselves thereby great enmity of the evil aflected Irish, and, that which is most to be regarded, had our protection in writing for their safety, we cannot but note that the estate is hereby dishonoured, and our credit so much impaired as hardly we shall be able to work the Irish to trust to our words or writings hereafter, much less to attempt any service against the rebels. For better manifesting of our dislike of this fact we have assembled such of the Council as were here, in the Castle of this town, where the Coroner's quest presented a verdict of wilful murder against the three gentlemen and two of Carewe's servants. We have, before the Mayor and his brethren, declared our opinion and have encouraged them to deal in it by the ordinary course of Justice, and offered our assistance every way that law may take place; which we neither did then, nor say now, to aggravate the offence in the gentlemen, knowing how much flesh and blood will work in young men to revenge the killing of their brethren and allies: but rather in equity and justice to report a truth; and complainingly in this, that Mr. Carewe had no more regard to the time and place, the occasion of the man's coming hither, his late good deserts, and finally to our protection, which is in treaty shamefully violated, and that our nacion may hereby be thought faithless; whereof may spring many inconveniences, in this broken state, where protections must be used; otherwise, for the man slain, we cannot say anything of him, but that he was base, a mean follower of the Cavanaghes, and in continual rebellion, till now that he was in action in this tragedy of Walter Eustace. For the better satisfaction of Brian oge, upon whom the other depended, we have entered with him in new treaty of further service, and have given him two months' respite to accomplish it; and in the mean season have assigned him a pay of 2shillings hire, and 12 kerne in wages, wherewith he departed very well persuaded, and not so drowned in sorrow but that we think he would be content to lose another of his followers, of the same price. We humbly desire your Lordships to write unto us your opinions, and how we are further to proceed in this cause, and so do commit you to God. At Dublin the 25th June, 1583.