My moste bonden dutie remembered: Although my fortune doth still continue in one hard moode, for want of meanes to recouer and defend me my countrey, and to serv Her Majestie against a sight of weake and senseles traytors, wherby I was not, since my cominge, able to doe aniething woorth the writieng unto your Honour; yet notwithstanding, because your Honour shall not think me unthankfull of your great favour towards me, nor unmindfull to do your Honour any service that lies in me, as also lest auy matter had bene inferred over against me, as is don here alreadie, I thought fit to aquaint your Honour with the state of this province, which is now comaunded for Her Majestie by Sir Warham Sent Leger and Sir Henry Power, whom I met at Cork, at my landing there; at which time James McThomas, which they call Earle of Desmond, stoode about Castellmainge with all his forces, to suffer nobody to goe in nor out; but while his Conaught Buonies were there, and his Mounster men, my wife, that defends such another Castell thereby, called Castell Logh, against her base brother; and my brother-in-law O'Sulevan that dwelles there by, could with frendshipp send in a messenger; but after the Buonies were changed, and that Desmond himself, with his cheefest, and faythfullest folowers, and with Capten Terell and his companie of four or v hundred, came about it, those poore English and Ireishmen that were in the Castell almost famished, were constrained to deliuer it a litle after my landing; which all Mounster could not have taken from Her Majestie yf I were possesst of my countrey, which comes to that castell gate on the south side. Sir Warham and Sir Henry Power were very carefull to relive it, but their forces were so weake, and the weather so foule and so reinie, that no English forces could go ouer Slieav Luochra: besids that I perceiv all the Lords and Gentlemen of these parts unwillinge to serv, and hazard them selfes and their men, the Queene's pay being given to those young felows, and Captens of small skill, and abilitie, that are preferred there, although most of those Lords and Gentlemen do beare the rebells noe affection; whereby I could wish that Her Majestie had entertained those that are able to bring good meanes to the warr, and that manifested their evill will to the Traytors by killing and spoyling them, or by being killed or spoyled by them, whereof there are a great number: for the Rebells doth nothing but kill, and spoyle, everywhere dayly, as I know of late by experience, for after Castellmaing was had, Desmond came with his forces to Drishane in Muskrey: His forces consisted of Twelf hundred foote, without anie horsmen to be spoken of. I had Sir Warham and Sir Henry Power's warrant to parle, or send to anye rebells, and was then in Dowall, within four miles of them, and sent to them for assuraunce to parle with them: they all swer to do me no hurte, and sent Capten Terell and Piers Lacie for me; where when I came, it passes how joyfull they were all of my coming; onelie they misliked that night myne Englis attire; but much more my pierecing speches in Her Majesty's behalfe, and against their foolish senceless, damned, action, to the undoing of themselfes, and all men els nere them. That night I sayd nothing; but the next morninge I entreated them that they wold not fauor myne adversarie, my base brother in law, nor help him with anye of their men, nor defend my countrey for him against me: whereuppon they sent me aside, and they, and the Bishopp Mc Cragh consulted concerning me, and they sent me woord by Piers Lacie that yf I wold promese to take their parte, and to frend them, they wold within foure dayes settle me in my countrey. I told them that my kinred to them, and alsoe my frendshipp in times past, was well know to themselfes; and craued the Bishoppes ayd in regarde of my religion; but, all wold not avayle; for they promest me no fauor; their answer being that my countrey was the bak and strengthe of all Mounster, and that yf I possest it I shold destroy them all in a moment for Her Majestie, which they wold with all their endeauour hinder me of, except I were swerne at the least to do them no hurte; which, — — I refused to do: wheruppon I departed with as litle fauour as they could afford me; but as I was with them that night, after their supper of Beefe and watter, which is all the meales they make in a day, they had not for their xij hundred men but ij bedds; thone for the Bishopp and another divine of great acompt among them, his name is Dermod; and thother for Desmond, where he wolde ueds haue me to lie alsoe; wherby one of Her Majesties, and another of Tireowens, lay together that night. Wherof, and of my being there, my Lord Barry made upp great matters everywhere here; but Sir Warham, and Sir Henry Power told him that I went by their advise and warrant; but he never thought to tell them how himselfe promest hisdoughter in mariadg to Desmond, which Sir Warham and Sir Henry doth well know. At my departing from the Rebells I took one of their best Captens with ij hundred men from them, and so went to Cork to aquaint the councell there with their intentions; wheruppon Sir Henry Power caused all the forces hereabouts to be gathered; they being gon through Muskery into my Father's countrey of Carbry, where thay spoyled the three best, and welthiest folowers that I had, hauing lodged all their forces in their vilages, and consumed all their coone and cattell. I went to them againe uppon assurance, at their coming out of Carbrie, thinking to bring them and the Queene's forces to mete; but all the witt in the world could not persuade them to be one houre out of their bogges and wodds, wherby they could not be fought withall. After their departure, I tooke Sir Warham and Sir Henrie's advise for my jorney into my countrie, to recouer it. I tolde them what forces of Conaght me I entertained, which are about v or vi hundred, and how I could not make up any number to be spoken of myne owne men for want of weapon, whereuppon, (because Her Majestie's storehouse here is not well stored of municion now, as my self hath seene), they thought fitt to write unto your Honour in my behalf, and to signifie how beneficiall the recouping of my countrie wold be unto Her Majestie, and what service I am able to do her yf I might haue meanes; wherefore I humblie beseech your Honor, as I have allwayes found you a most honourable and carefull frend, to be a mean (by acquainting Her Highnes, and the councell, with what is certified in my behalf, and by furthering it) that I maye obtaine som honourable chardge, and that I may haue weapon and municion, for iij C, all in pikes and calivers, which I will answer out of myne entertainement or otherwise, as Her Majesty's pleasure may be signified to the councell of Ireland both herein, and concerning the Title of Mc Carthy, which the Bastard hathe taken uppon him, and which is a great motiue to the foolish contrey people to follow him; for they will hardly folow such a man as I am, that will not suffer him self to be called Mc Carthy, where they may find one that is publikly so called; which matter is one of the chefest causes what detains me out of the countrey; for yf I ouercom the sayd bastard and Buonies that be with him, the people of the countrey, which are almost altogether for me, will, against my will, call me Me Carthy: which will, for fear of imprisonment yf I came in, and for feare of being reputed, and acompted a Rebell, yf I stayed out, make me leaue Her Majesty's service, and runn bak into England, or into France, or to som other place of Her Majesty's frends, being long since wearie of imprisonment, in which calamitie I spent a dozen yers already; And so humblie beseching Your Honours spedie comfort in these matteres, beseching God long to kepe and prosper yr, I humblie take leaue.
Your honor's most humble, faythfull, and thankfull to be commaunded,
Kinsale,