Household.
To the Right Honourable his very approved friend SIR GEORGE CAREWE, Knight, Lord President of Munster give these with all speed.
It may please yor Lordship, at the Erle of Tyrone's beinge here I did assuredly beleve that the best service that I could performe, and the best course that I could take for Her Majesty, was to confer with him, consideringe the present state that I stood in, first I had a warrant which I have here now extant, to conferr with any rebell and to entertayne any rebells, which, with one barrell of powder, was all the helpe and meanes that I got of those that commanded Mounster for Her Majesty, and all the charges that Her Highnes was at for the recovery of the countrey of Desmond from the rebells, well I recovered with great paynes and chardges, with the helpe of other rebells, who were more faythfull to the Erle of Tyrone then to my self, who if I had not come to Tyrone would have lefte me to my enemies, to be used at ther will, or ledd me prysoner to Tyrone, if I had not runne away to some towne wher I had no means to lyve, or repayred into England, ther to tell a foolyshe cowardly tale, which is, that I durst not for feare of the rebells that helde my country, go in sight thereof, and to put Her Majesty to more chardges to small profit, whereof I knewe her to be wearie before. Therfore I assure your Lordship that if I had not come to conferr with Tyrone, he had with his force, in persone, spoyled, preyed and burned all Carbrie, and starved and killed all the people there, and had sent Redmond Bourke, and Dermod O'Conor with all the Connaght people and bonies in Munster, and thereabouts, to dispossesse me of Desmond, and to settle Donell McCarthy there; destroyinge, prayeinge and burninge both the O'Sulyuanes, and all my frends there; all which was the cause of my goinge to conferr with Tyrone, who, as Mr. John Fitz Edmonds, and all Munster doth knowe, could presently worke all these mischeffs against me, if I had not come to conferr with him; which course, consyderinge myself to be sure of my owne faythfulnes to Her Majesty, I tooke the best for Her Highnes, and for myself; for yf I had taken banishment, and lost my country, people, and frends, I should but ether charge Her Majesty to maintayne myself, or ells lyve and dye miserably, without meanes to helpe myself; wheras by mainteyninge myself in the possession of my country, I doubt not but to do Her Majesty, and your Lordship, more service then any other in these partes of Mounster; which, besydes that I am bound to do for Her Majesty all that is in me, I protest, I am for your owne sake, and Mr. Secretary, and Sir Walter's sakes (for whose pleasures I would not, so God helpe me, refuse to do any thinge that any of them commaunded) willinge to do yor Lordship any service I maye.
In regard whereof I am moved to open unto your Lordship my present estate, humbly besechinge your Lordship to consider duely therof, and to graunt my request, which is reasonable, and benefyciall for Her Majestye's service, and my mainteyninge in the possession of my country; for at this present tyme ther are 300 of O'Neiles bonies, as they terme themselves, in Carbrie, and as many in Desmond; 200 in Muskery, and 150 in Dowalla; and now within these 4 or 5 dayes, James Mc Thomas of Desmond wrote to Dermod O'Conor for 500 or 600 to be entertayned by him; whereof Dermod brought him now the most parte, and will now presently get him the rest; all which bonies, with the saide Dermod O'Conor, will laye hands upon all my people and followers, and dispossesse me of my country of Desmond, which is a remote, stronge, inaccessable country, farr from the helpe of Her Majesties forces, and incomodious for them to serve in; and the said Dermod O'Conor, and all those bonies, will presently acknowledg Donell McCarthy, and take his parte, and they, together with the Geraldines, and Redmond Bourke, who hath as many bonies as Dermod O'Conor or more, will altogether banish me, and maintayne Donell Mc Carthy, or Dermod Mc Owen, in the possession of my country, if now upon the sodayne I had gone to your Lordship; and these bonies that are with me will straight goe to Donell, thinkinge that I have abandoned and betrayed them; whereby my state will hardly with great tyme, and charges be recovered.
My humble request therefore unto your Lordship is to accept me as a subjecte, and to respytt me for some such tyme as you shall thinke meete, wherby I may be as farr out of ther danger as I may; and they may not he able to dispossesse me so sodaynely as they may do nowe; as also that I maye wryte into England, to Mr Secretary, Sir Walter, and Sir John Stanhope, whose lettre I sent your Lordship to peruse, and which I must answere; and besechinge your Lordship to sende me his letter agayne. In which lettres I must acquaint them with the spoyles, and burninges, and kyllings of my people exercysed by Flowor, and Bostoke, against me, wherunto they were hyred by myne adversaries; And if it please your Lordship to do me this favour, I wilbe sworne to my Lord of Thomond, and to Mr. Justice Welshe, and Mr. John Fitz Edmonds, or to any of them, to come to your Lordship, and to do anythinge that they and your Lordship will command me: And so referringe unto your Lordship the consideracion of my presente estate, and inward intencion, which, God let me not lyve yf I have not without dissimulation opened to your Lordship I humbly take leave, this 3rd of May, 1600.
Your Lordship's moste humble to comaund to his power.
ffloR. Mc CARTHY.