Whereas Her Majestie, by her lettres of 3d of June last past, gave me in commandent to comitt the body of Florence Mac Carthy, and thereupon to certifye Her Highnes of my doings therein, as also of the meanes and manner by which the sayd Florence compassed the mariage with the Earle of Clancarties daughter; for that the circumstances thereof doe inforce a tedious recitall, I presumed not to trouble Her Highnes with the particularities, but thought them rather meet to be advertized to your Honour (who hade alsoe written to me touching ye same) to thend that by your meanes the knowledg thereof might be delivered to Her Maesty at her good pleasure.
Upon the first arrivall of the sayd Florence here, coming unto me he gave no signe of any such purpose, as sithens fell out; but to give color (as semes) to his intent, and to draw me ye further from suspicion thereof, through his seeming conceived unkyndnes against ye Earle, he then discovered unto me some ill dealing of the sayd Earle towards him, namely how, that being bownd to him in great bands for assurance of certein lands, and for performance of some other condictions, amongst which one was, that he should give him his daughter in mariage, he neverthelesse had broken with him, and therefore offered me (Yf I should so lyke) the benefitt of the forfeitures of the sayd lands : which speaches (as sithens as I have conceived) seeme to have proceded of some further matter in ye secret of his harte, those his words being so contrary to that which he eftesoones did attempt. But the very grownd thereof (as I am informed, and as by many strong circumstances may be gathered) proceded from ye Earle himselfe, however sithens he would fynd himself grieved therewith, and was compacted betwene them in England at the sayd Florence's there late being, and not without the privitie and great furtheraunce of Sir Owen MacCarthy, who by all meanes endevoureth to back, and iniuriouslie to raise up the sayd Florence against his kinsman, Donell Mac Carthy, as well in ye succession of the Captency of his countrey, as also in all other causes, that may advauntage him thereunto; wherein yt it is very certein that ye Earle alsoe hath ever greatly favored him.
Besydes yt is here by manie reported (the further proofes whereof I have not yett had tyme to syfte out) that the sayd Earle gave to Flor. at his coming, his secrete lettres to his wife, to that effect which now hath happened; to whome presently after his arrivall he repayred with the same, and soone after dispatched his hidden intent. And for more lykelyhode that yt was then wrought and concluded in England, I am certeinlie given to understand, that at ye instant of his departure from thence, Captain Jaques being then in company with him, counseled him very earnestly, whatsoever he did, to goe through with the mariage out of hand; assuring him that for obteyning Her Majesties consent thereunto, he would so work which some of his frends there, that yt should be brought to passe; and to the end to be more spedily advertized of his proceedings, he sent a servaunt of his owne our hether in company with Flor., who upon conclusion of the matter was presentlie dispatched hence back agayne. The further knowledg and intent whereof may there, I think, best be boulted out of the sayd Jaques, who thereby seemeth to have beene acquainted with the enterprize from ye beginning, and to be privie to any other purpose that may depend thereupon; for sure yt carrieth great shewe of deepe consequence, considering how strongly ye sayd Florence is allied to such as evill may be looked from. 1st. His mother was sister to James Fitz Morice, the Arch Traytour, whereby he is nephew to the Lord Roche's wife, and to the Lord of Muscries mother; and coosen german to the Seneschall of Imokhillies wife; all which persons doe hang upon one weake thred, and have their eyes sett all upon hope of forreyne helpes: but namely, the sayd Lord Roche, who sheweth himself in all his behaveor, and also in some open speaches, to be discontented with this government, repyning obstinately against all directions of the State here, and supporting himself with the vayne conceipt of his secrete hope, whereof heretofore he hath, and yett dayly doth give apparent demonstrations: so that now the sayd Florence, by this his late knott hath given great strength to that syde, and hath combined all the releques of the House of James Fitz Morice to the kindred of the Clancarties, which being the greatest name and nacion now in Mounster (all Desmond, all Carbery, all Muscry, all Dowalla, being of that line), yt inferreth great importaunce, and matter of neare respect to be prevented, or at the least well eyed; the rather for that the sayd Clancarties have heretofore, before the comming in of the Geraldines uppon them, had all this province in their subieccion, the continuall memory whereof they yett use to nourish emongst them, and to deliver to their posterities by dew succession; and now this new occasion meeting in a man of the same race, being of his quality and sorte, who by blood is so nigh allyed to forreyne practizers; by difference of Religion devoted to the contrarie parte; by his owne private disposition hath always shewed himself dearly well affected and inclined to the Spaniard; being also generally favored of all his countrey, and now in very plausible acceptaunce, the rather for the late gratious fovours which he received of Her Majestie; and that by this attempt hath discovered his ambicious desyre to make himself great.
It is greatlie to be regarded, to what ende the same may grow. Moreover, now latelie (whether for any further intent, or that it is through his heedlesse unhappinesse so fallen out), he hath by all meanes laboured to be interested in the Old Head of Kinsale, which is the Lord Courcies auncient Manor House, and a place often heretofore eyed and earnestlie motioned, for opinion of great strength to be fortifyed; the title whereof he hath (as I understand) compassed, and was, the same day that he was apprehended, mynded to ryde thether to take possession of; all which concurring so daungerously to the encrease of doubt, I would therefore wish (under reformacion of better advizement) that tho' hereafter he shall, gaps, work himselfe grace or pardon of the present dislyke, yett that very good assuraunces be taken of him before his enlargement, for avoyding of the evills which are depending uppon the circumstances of person and condition. Him now I have according to Her High, pleasure committed; as also, according to your later direccion in your Honour's lettres of the 4th of the last moneth, have caused the Countesse, Mac Finin, Teig Merrigagh, and such others as I could learne to have bene privy to the practise, to be apprehended, as I could come by them; and doe not doubt but very shortly to come by the rest likewise, of the which I understand that O'Sullevan More was the greatest forwarder, and nearest of councell; though indeed all the chief of that countrey were wrought by Florence to consent thereunto, who (as I am lett to understand), before the mariage, gott all their hands to firme that agreement, by a generall confirmacion of them; and soone after accomplished the sayd mariage in an old broken church thereby, not in such solemnity and good sort as behoved, and as order of Law and Her Majesties iniunction doe require.
Thus am I carried by large relation of particulares into a tedious length of lines, which I besech your Lordship to pardon in regard of the urgentnes of the matter, and many occasions meeting in the same. Further, I have thought good to advertize your Lordship of the present good quiett of this province, in which yt is not unlikely to continew, yf forreyne invasion doe not occasion the chaunge, &c., &c.
From Limerick,