My humble and most bonden dutie remembered: Your Lordships honourable and continuall fauors alwayes towards me, aswell in obtaininge Her Majesties bountifull reward for my service, and Her Highnes gracious acceptacion thereof, myne enlargement out of the Towre where I was (to the loss of all my livinge which I was constrained to morgdage, and sell) brought into six yers imprisonment and troble, by such fals and malicious accusations as myne adversary Dauid Barry, whom I offended in Her Majesties service when he was a traytor with the Earle of Desmond, procured Sir Warham Salinger to preferr against me; as also your Lordships honorable oppinion lately delivered to the Councell of such malicious informacions as the sayd Barry hath deuised against me, doth move me now in myne extreme miserie and greatest distress, being otherwise hopeless of any relife or comfort, to betake myself onely unto your Lordship as my most honorable patron and best frend; and perceiving lately that myne adversary being out of hope to hurt me with his last deuices (som of those knaves for whom he accused me, being kild under Sir John Norreys in Brittaine, and another retourned from thence hom into his contrey, as his Capten Petter Cripps and Sir John Norreys is soldiers can testifie), which moved my sayd adversarys Barry and Donell Mc Carthy, alias Mac Carthy Reogh, havinge at the Lord Chefe Justice of Englands beinge in Ireland, procured his frendshipp against me, by meanes of his son in law Mr Rogers, and Mr Woorth, agent of his, who in myne absence dispossest me, and one of my men, wrongfully of 29 ploughlands, unto whom the sayd Barry and Mac Carthy, for want of other matters against me sent a Bond wherein Sir Owen Mc Carthy and I are bound not to hinder Donell Mc Carthy (who is now Mac Carthy Reough), by surrender or otherwise, of the seignorie of that countrey after Sir Owen's death. The sayd Donell himself being also bound to me and to Sir Owen's heires in like sorte, he being also the occasion of all that agrement, who when Sir Owen Mc Carthy, about 12 or 13 yeres past was determined to com hyther, the sayd Donell gott him to enter into those covenants fearing lesst that Sir Owen wolde surrender the Contrey which he possest then, and convert the same to the use of him and his heires, of which bond my Lord Chefe Justice (by their instructions and at their request) made now a great matter to Her Majesties against me, who was never the auctor thereof, wherein I know not who I have offended, Her Majesties the law, nor any body els; the sayd custome being not generally abolished by statute, nor forbidden any of my name in particuler; but a power onely geven to him that is in possession to surrender, and my father who succeded his elder brother, and Sir Owen, and this man, having enioyed the sayd contrey, all in Her Majesties raigne by that custome: But yf Her Majestie or your Lordship and the rest of the Councell will at any time think fitt to suppress that custome, and to make a division of the countrey betwine us who are lawfully interested therein, as was don with the Brenhy for the O'Reyllies, the Analy for the O'Farrells, Beare and Bantrie, and divers other countreyes, I shalbe contented to surrender my right, and putt in sufficient sureties to hold myself for ever satisfied with such a porcion as shalbe by your Lordship and the rest allotted unto me, so as myne adversary will do the like; and for that I rest here in a most extreme state having not (I protest) 3 ploughlands nor £3 rent any where. The fyne which Her Majestye bestowed uppon me having also cost me £500, whereby my wife (being great with childe) is constrained to go from place to place among my frends for want of meanes to live, wherefor I humbly besech your Honorable Lordship as I have allwayes found you my most approved good Lord and best frind, to extend your accustomed favour towards me now, in acquainting Her Majestie with the state of this matter, and the former matters wherby Her Highnes may be as well satisfied in them as your Lordship. Thus beseching God to preserve your Lordships health I humblie take leaue this 21 March, 1594.
Your Lordships most humble, bonden and thankfull
ffloR MCCARTHY.