May yt please your Lords to be advertised. Since the last letters from us, wherein your Lordships were given to understand of Tyrones coming into this province I have heerein according to my promyse, sett down his proceadings; At hys first drawing into the country, he lodged some six dayes in ye Lord Rooche his country, doing very little harme, the common report being yt he had temporizd with him, the which as yet I beleaue, because he will not repayer hether to cleare himselfe of some obiections layde against him by certayne of the country, tending to yt purpose.
The 18th of February he passed the black water, not being able before to doo yt by reason of ye hight theereof; and marcht presently towardes Corke, about which, sometymes within 2 myles, and sometymes 3 or 4 myles of he hath lodged untill this present day; in which tyme he hath by letters and menaces, sought all the meanes he could, to draue the gentlemen which arr subiects into his faction, especially ye Lord Barry, whom finding resolutely bent to contynew his alleageatince towardes Hir Majestie, he burnt and spoyled all his country, and kild or caryed away all such cattle as he could come by, and by an unknowen passage, past men into his Iland, and burnt yt, he not knowing, but that yf a foord weere defended they could not have come in, the which I put men upon, and secured yt. Yt is thought yt some haue given their pledges to him, of whome as yet wee have no notice, and I am the rather perswaded thereunto, because he hath not used yt violent course towardes them, which he hath towardes the Lord Barry, and to Charles Mc Carty, and some other. In these troubles the Lord Barry hath caryed himselfe very honorably and shewed himselfe a very loyall subiect towardes Hir Majestie.
After he had used most extreame tyranny towardes him he marcht by this towne, and lodged at Cariggrohan, one myle distaunt from hence, wher McGuire passing with the horsemen to spoyle and burnn the country, he himselfe afterwardes past, and encampt fast by ye river syde, the country burning; with such horse as I had, I went to see what countenaunce the rebells bore, thinking to gett up some straglers, to whose second McGuire stood with a grose of 45 horse, and 16 shott, upon whom my fortunn was to happen. With me was Sir Warram St. Ledger whom hardly I drew to consent to ye charging of them; but in ye end I put towardes them, and then the resydue followed me, which McGuire perceauing prepared himselfe for the encounter; at the first, his shott did us some harme, and amongst the rest kiled one of my best horses with a bullett in ye head: they being disperst, I ioined with the horse, and after some conflict ouerthrew them: there weere 32 of his horsemen slayne, amongst whom McGuire made one, his foster father, his priest, all the commaunders of his regiment, and fine or six of Tyrones principall gentlemen dyed with him; I had one blow at his eldest soonn with my staffe, leaning the head of yt buried in him, and him for dead, but sence brought into their camp aliue, but not likely to be recouered; and the better to make the overthrow manifest, I gayned his cornet, a very faire one, and sett yt on the topp of my castle, somewhat distant from ye townn in the view of their camp. I left to persew ym any farther, the approching of ye night, and the nearenes of their camp forbidding me: of us they hurt not many; onely Sir Warram St Ledger with a blow of staffe daungerously throughe the skull, myselfe a blowe on the head with a sword, and a pushe into the arme with a staffe, but both of ym faintly giuen, and not much hurtfull. Thus this auncient Traytor to Hir Majestie ended his dayes, halting prosperously contynewed theise xvj yeares, and being the meanes of drawing ye rest into action, who ever before vaunted of his giuing blowes. This day they are passing further up into ye country. Florence McCarty ys come unto Tyrone, but by his letter assureth us of his loyalty. Yf he prove false they will endaunger Kinsale, all the town being for ye most part of his allyaunce; but he hath protested much, and as yet hath given us no cause to think him dishonest.