Right honorable, and my most approved good Lord My humble and bonden dutie remembered; having delivered the Lord deputie your lordships: letters, concerning myself, and the fine of £v. hundred due of the Lord Barry, which your Lordship obtained of her Majestie for me, wherupon I found his Lordship very willing to fauor me, And fynding in the rowles of the Chauncery, the fiant of the said Lord Barry is pardon, wherein he acknowledged the sayd fyne, and also his recognizance, in the councell book for the paiment thereof I received theruppon (by order of the Lord Deputie and councell) sufficient assurance for the paiment of the sayd fyne; yett notwithstandinge the Lord Barry hath not onely broken his promess with the Lord Deputie and councell, but also forfetted what assurance he made, and is gon ouer into England, contrary to the Lord Deputie and councells pleasure and to the Vice-president of Mounsters commandement, wherefore I humblie beseech your Lordship (as I have allwayes found you my most honorable good Lord and chefest frend) that it may please your Lordship now to be a mean, that the sayd Lord Barry may not obtaine any thing that may hinder or prejudice me in my sayd suit, nor in the benefitt of the recognizance which he hath forfetted, and which is myne by an order out of the Exchequer, the rather that he hath by his going over in that sorte disobeyed her Majesties lawes and pleasure and contemned the state here, wherein yf he be borne withall, it shall be a great example and occasion of disobedience to all this realme, as the Lord Deputie and councell hath at large enformed now by their letters, he beinge also one that was with the Earle of Desmond in all the last rebellion, whereby he deserves the less fauor: besechinge your honourable Lordship therefore that you will as well consider myne imprisoment and troble these vj. yeres past by the said Barry is malicious meanes and misinformacions. Her Majestie havinge bestowed this suite uppon me to help to satisfie my creditors for my charges dureinge my sayd troble; as also what great charges I have bene at for this matter, hauinge folowed Her Majestie for it since I was discharged at Cicester in the last progress, untill your Lordship got it signed at Her Highnes last being at Windsore, and since my cominge into Ireland (I protest unto your Lordship ) it coste me aboue £200 in lawe and othewise, and was neur able to see my wife and contrey since my coming, being not able to absent myself from Dublinge by reason of this matter.
After all which charges, trobles, and loss of time I assure your Lordship (on my faythe) yf the sayd Lord Barry shold obtaine anythinge to hinder or preuice me in this matter, I haue no other meanes to live, or satisfie my creditors (hauing already in my troble morgaged and leased what living I had to Sir Thomas Norreys, Mr. George Goreing and others) but to folow Her Majestie againe untill your Lordship do obtaine som meanes of Her Highnes for me whereby I may recouer my self, for the which I wold have repaired now into Engeland, but fearing that I shold have som important occasion to serve Her Majestie here by reason of the suspicions which is conceived uppon the behauiors of the Earle of Tireowen and O'Donell, who although they have bene lately with the Councell at Dundalk yet notwithstanding som of them are holden very varyable; being also edgged forward by all the people and knaves of those parts, who are growen to be very bold, whereby yf there be anything to be don against them I do purpose to goe thyther with three or four hundred men of myne owne, for I have divers who knowes all that contrey very well, hauinge (dureing my troble) served in all those parts, and are of very great estimacion there: Also the Earle of Clancarty is bastard, having remained in action against Her Majestie since the last yere, doth still kepe in that contrey, and because his company is so few as he may not be cutt off by service, because he doth but lurk among som of his secrett frends, wherby nothing cann hurt him but friendship; by reason whereof Sir Thomas Norreys requested me to go thyther, where I am going now at this present to see what I may do in that case, and whatsoever I may do eyther in the North or in Mounster, it shall not cost Her Majestie anythinge; Her Highness hauing alreadie bene so gracious unto me, as I shall hardlie be able to deserve it whyle I live, neyther do I desire any better reward but that Her Highness and your Lordship shall fynd that ye are not deceived in the good opinion which Her Majestie and your Lordship was pleased to conceave of me, for the which I will assure your Lordship of one thinge which is that no inconvenience shall grow in Mounster but that Her Majestie and your Lordship shall understand it in time; and for that I haue bene (as I am sure your Lordship doth remember earnest with your Lordship for Dermod McOwen McCarthy the yong McDonogh, who hauing obtained letters there came hyther, but the Lord Deputie and Councell hauing referred him to the law, wherby I take him, and Sir Owen O'Sullevan to be greatly discontented and very desperat, therefore I take it very necessary that in the next letter concerninge matters of state that your Lordship and the Councell do write hyther the Lord Deputie, or Sir Thomas Norreys be willed to cause those two aforenamed to fynd sufficient securities, with they may doe very easiely, for the Lord Roche, McCarthy Reogh, the Lord Barry, and all the chefest men for the most parte in Mounster are their frends. Lett those sureties be taken of Sir Owen and his iii. eldest sonnes, for these rumores in the North wold greatlie stirr discontented and desperat men to evill. Thus craving pardon for my tediousnes, the rather that I think it necessary to acquaint your Lordship at large with these circumstances which I leaue to your Lordships honorable consideracion, and do humblie take leaue this xvj. of March 1593.
Yor Lordships most humble and bonden
FFLOR: McCARTHY. I humblie beseche your Lordship not to acquaint anie with these thinges that I wrote to be my doinges.