My very approved good Lord my humble and most bonden dutie remembered: having all ways since my coming hyther expected onely your Lordships leasure to peruse what hath bene advertised out of Ireland concerninge me, to the end that your Lordship might thereafter take such order for me as you thought mete: and perceiving now that Barry myne adversary hath sent one of his men hyther, and hath, (as he is accustomed) written sundrye lies of me, as well to your Lordship as to others, onely to delay my dispatch, whereby I might be here consumed with longe attendance, as I was already utterly undon with the long continuance of my troble, whereunto I was brought by his lieinge devices and fals informacions. In regard whereof I humblie besech your honorable Lordship to consider how farr he hath abused and misinformed your Lordship and the rest of the Councell at his beinge here, as Sir William Fitzwilliams can tell, and as apeares by such informacions as your Lordship received from Sir Thomas Norreys; for where he hath affirmed here that the best parte of his livinge was extended unto me, it is manifest (as I am sure Sir Thomas hath advertised your Lordship) that I received scarce 14 or 15 ploughlands, valued at £42 Ireish a yere, well is not the 10th parte of that livinge which he doth uniustly holde! Also he hath accused me of divers haynous matters, which he did constantly affirme here, that he wold prove in Ireland, where he could never prove none; myself having remained there untill I answered all those matters before Sir William Fitzwilliams (unto whose reporte I referr myself) and Sir Thomas Norreys at Dublinge, and afterwards sufficiently satisfied Sir Thomas in Mounster for them all, without which I coulde hardly obtaine (since Sir Thomas informed your Lordship of these matters) not onely his pasporte to com hyther, but also his letters hyther, testifieinge how earnest and carefull I was to do Her Majestie service while I was in Ireland, which he knowes I had performed yf I had not bene hyndered by these matters.
Neyther do I think yf my former life be justly considered, but that I deserve well Her Majesties gyft, and he deserved very ill to live or enjoye anythinge under her Highnes; for his father who was a man of no regarde untill he attained to Barry Roe's Countrey by murderinge the heyres thereof, and also gott Barrymore's countrey by deceit and trechery, being not of Barrymore of Buttevant's countrey nor kindred, nor having nothing to do with him, nor never recoiled anything by law, nor was never established by any prince; and being Sir John of Desmond's onely confederat to breede the last rebellion, he was therefore committed by the Lord Justice and Lord Generall to the Castell of Dublinge where he was kept untill he died, which is no good monument of his loyaltie: his son also, this Barry, having folowed the Earle of Desmond in all the last rebellion, burning and spoyleing Her Majesties subiects, and killinge and murderinge her English souldiers, both in Bantrye and other places, who being afterwards pardoned, he hath a great while after kept secretly with him one Walter Bregin, a preiste, who being still a chefe person with him and with Doctor Sanders in all the last rebellion, was a great while after sent by the sayd Barry into Spaine, about som practices of treason, where he is still resident for him at Lisbune, yf he be alive; besides also that now of late, when I was here a prisonner, the sayd Barry, with other accomplices of his, mett in a certen place, where they were swerne to a rebellious combination, and drank wine out of a chalice, uppon that condicion; and attempted in vayne one Owen M'Murty, agent, by whom Mr. Cormuk Mac Dermod is much ledd, in hope to bring Mr. Cormuk to enter therein: yee and had don worss yf Sir Thomas Norreys had not bene wise and vigilant inough to prevent his treason and vilainey, which when I understood at my being there now, I inquired of Sir Thomas Norreys whether he understood of the matter, and he told me that he heard an inklinge therof at the same time, and told me the manner of it.
And as for myself I doubt not but here are som that have served under Sir Henry Sidney in Mounster, to whose report (and to Her Majesties owne letters to my Father) I referr how faithfull and forward my father was at all times to serve Her Highnes, who having bene with the Lord Deputye aforesaid at the sige of Balimarter at Glann-Moyr, and in all other places where he had occasion to use anyforces for Her Majestie, where he brought him more me then any two in Mounster; and in Sir William Fitzwilliams is time when the Earle of Desmond escaped out of Dublinge, I am sure Sir William (who wrote to him then against the sayd Earle, and received answer to his coutentacion from him) doth very well remember his constancie and faythfullnes to Her Majestie: and not onely Sir William, but also Sir Walter Rawleigh (by the reporte of his brother Sir Humfrey Gilbert), and divers others here, who remembers what pains he hath taken, and charges he hath bene at, in Her Majesties service, both in the time of Sir Humfrey Gilbert, Sir John Perrott, and all such as gouerned there. Myself also, beinge at the beginninge of the Earle of Desmond's rebellion but of the adge of 16 or 17 yeres, hauinge a litle before (uppon the death of my father) taken charge of his folowers, and his owne lands, since which time I have ever assisted in person in almost all the jorneys that were don in Her Majesties service, both under Sir William Pelham, the Lord Gray, the Earl of Ormond, Mr. John Zouch, Sir George Bourchier, and all such as gouerned, or commaunded there; as is well knowen to Sir Walter Rawleigh, Sir Georg Bourchier, Capten Francis Bartly, and a great number of captens, officers, and Gentlemen which I do see here now dayly, who knowes when they wanted forces I brought them still readily 300 of myne owne men; and when the Earl of Desmond lived uppon the spoyl of the Earle of Clancartyes contrey, I with above 300 of myne owne men joined with Sir Edward Bartly and his companie, and kilde his receiver Morice Roe, and others, and chased him out of that countrey, into his owne waste countrey, where all his men were constrained to forsake him; and being kept and maintained a good while by Gory McSwiney, a companie of my men which I sent to serve uppon the rebells kilde the sayd Gory, wherby the Earle was kilde within a weke or ten dayes after, being not able to kepe himself without him any time. Of all which matters both Her Majestie and your Lordship was sufficiently informed at my first coininge hyther, for which Her Hignes hath rewarded me; the remembrance whereof, as well as of my fathers service and myne, as also of Her Majesties bountifull rewards and favour towards me (myne ancesters, contrey, and kinred, hauinge also remained euer good subiects, wherby none of my Contry or name was neuer stained) did at all times, and doth still, woork more in me, and is (as any man in reason may judge) esteemed more by me, then any frendship or familiarities that euer I had with so light a felow as Jaques was, whom I lieu knew to be three dayes of one mynd, and with whom I neuer had very much to do at all, being but a device of myne adversary, for want of any matter to be found against me, as appeared when the matter was heard both in Dublinge and Mounster.
Wherefore I most humbly besech your Honorable Lordship (whom I have always found my very good Lord and best frend) to consider as well my father's service and myne, and his father's wiked murders and rebellious intencions, for the which he died, together with his owne trayterous inclinacion and oppon rebellion, as also myne imprisonment and troble these five yers past, wherunto I was brought by his lieing deuices and fals informatcions, during which time I was constrained to lease, and sell, what living I had, having both wife and children here at my charges; besids also that this suite cost me in Ireland about £300, both in provinge the same due, in getting his assurance for the paiment therof, and in extending a small parcell of his land when he forfetted his assurance, and came hyther; in regard whereof, I most humblie besech your honourable Lordship (for that I am not able to live or maintain myself, here any longer) to be a mean that I may haue som spedier order wherby I may receiv the benefitt of Her Majesties gift, with consideracion for my charges aforesayd, which (I protest) I wold not desire yf it might in any sort preiudice Her Majestie or the State, as your Lordship may at large perceve, and be therm throughly satisfied by Sir William Fitzwilliams, who, with Sir Thomas Norreys, had the hearing and determineinge of the matter, and who knowes what the oppinion of Sir Thomas and the councell is, as well of this matter as of me, and the said Barry; being rather an example to encoradge both himself and the rest of Mounster and Ireland to rebellious attempts, without regarde or fear of any punishment for the same, then otherwise, yf this fine were remitted; and being also a favour which he neuer deserved, nor was neuer thought mete to be remitted in Ireland nor here; for himself beinge here about 7 yeres past to sue for a remittall thereof, he was denied; whereby Her Highnes may not remitt, nor respitt the same now, having alrady bestowed it. Thus refferring both myself and the whole state of my cause to your Lordship's honourable consideracion, praing God to preserve and kepe you in health I humblie take leue this 29th of November 1594.
Your Lordships always most humble and bonden
fflor MC CARTHY.