It may please your Honor.I have of late delivered Mr. Lieutenant a letter to your Honor, wherein I did partly acquaint you with mine opinion concerning Ireland, whereof my discoursing with him brought me to remember an important piece of service that may be done for Her Majesty, which I am, and was ever, willing to perform, as appeared hitherto by my works, and now by all that I can think, or study.
Having, as soon as I was able to carry arms, served Her Majesty against the old Earl of Desmond, with three hundred men at mine own charges; with which, and with one English Company, I chased him out of the strengths of Desmond into his own waste country, where all his people were driven to forsake him; himself being kept afterwards by Gory Mc Swinye, until some of my men killed the said Gory, whereby the Earl was killed within a week after. Upon due information of which services, Her Majesty hath not only bestowed a thousand marks in money, and one hundred marks a year upon me, but also showed me ever that favour, and countenance that gave me more contentment than any reward; since which time no man can say that I have spent my time, followed or sought anywhere, but to Her Majesty and the State here; mine unwillingness to go into Ireland last, being well known to your Honor and to Sir John Stanhope; where, upon my landing, without charge or means to do service, I have, by the advice, and warrant of such as governed there then, allured from the rebels some of their best companies, which I joined with as many of my own as were furnished; none else acknowledging Her Majesty; and maintaining forces in the country abroad then, when all the English Companies, nor her greatest subjects there, durst not enter Desmond, upon all that country people and seven hundred Connaught buonies I recovered with five hundred, in spite of all the rebels, that strongest country they had, and overthrew all those forces that assisted, and joined with James and the rest upon all occasions, which wild unruly people and buonies of that country that I found in action, I contained ever since from helping, aiding, or assisting the rebels anyway.
Afterwards the Lord President, presently on his coming, having written very earnestly for me—although myself and my country was in the power of Connaught buonies, and that I knew nothing could make me more odious to them, and endanger my life, or my leading a prisoner to Tireowen, then to go to him—yet knowing it to be beneficial to Her Majesty's service, I came to him presently, because it would be thought, otherwise, that I had favoured the rebels, which would make others to stick to them, and join with them, whereas by trusting myself into the Lord President's hands upon his letter, it did assure all men there, that I was for Her Majesty, and encouraged all the rest to come in, and trust his Lordship; where having satisfied, and assured him of my best endeavours for Her Majesty, when he told me that nothing was better for Her Highness' service, then to put the Connaught men out of Munster, I cassired presently three or four hundred of them that I had; and endeavoured ever since to drive them all away, by making war upon them when he came from Limerick against James Mc Thomas and the rest; whereby they could not take entertainment of James, nor help him; and while he was in hand with James and the rest of the rebels, I wrote still to him of their weakness, assuring him that he should have no resistance, and that I would vex the Connaught men on the other side, and contain all my country people and neighbours from aiding or assisting them; caused also my nephew O'Connor of Kerry to deliver his Lordship, the use of his Castle for Her Majesty's service, which was his best means to weaken James Mc Thomas, and the lord Fitz Morice, and drive them out of their countries; and his bridge, by the which he sent a garrison into Kerry.
After the coming of which garrison, whereby I had their help to defend me, I came to him myself, and delivered him mine eldest son as he desired; and having had Her Majesty's protection renewed unto me about a month before my commitment, which I have ready to show, without any clause to hinder it by my pardon, or anything else, together with my pardon that was brought to me within four or five days after, whereby they would help me if I had offended; yet because I kept myself in the rebellion, and ever since, in such sort as no matter can be found against me, I am contented to refuse, and renounce the benefit of my said pardon and protection, if ever I have joined, by word or deed with Tireowen, James Mc Thomas, or any of the rebels, or helped, aided, or assisted, any of them; or if ever in all my life, myself or any other for me, to my knowledge, wrote anything beyond the seas, or was ever privy to any practices thither, or from thence; which I have already, in like sort, renounced before your Honor, at my commitment hither, knowing not then that the chief commanders of the Spaniards that came afterwards, and such of my country as came with them, should fall into the hands of the State there, out of whom had been wrested and informed hyther, if I had anything to do with them.
As all which services, carriage, and offer (no matter also being against me) are sufficient proofs of my loyalty, so shall your Honor find that my daily study now in this calamity, to do Her Majesty service, and mine endeavour here hence to procure more, and better service to be done—if I may have scope first to work it, and when it is to be done, some show of favour to put my friends in hope of future favour, and to encourage them to do for me—shall as well, or better, satisfy Her Majesty and your Honor for it for ever after.
And for the service whereof I wrote now last, which concerns the importantest place in Ireland, where the Spaniards could neither be besieged, nor beaten out of it, which is the city of Limerick, where father Archer was in the last rebellion, and had taught him, by some of that city, a sure and secret way to surprise the Castle of Limbrik that commands the north gate, and bridge of the inner, and strong part of that city, by the which one may bring as many as he will into the city; which way to surprise it, with all other circumstances concerning the same, I have acquainted Mr. Lieutenant withal, and delivered him a note thereof for your Honor, which I was very glad to remember, for Her Majesty's sake, because father Archer being now in Spain, it will be the first thing that he will propound, and his chiefest motive to bring them; but now I have taught your Honor to prevent that danger, which is not the chiefest service that I am minded, and most desirous to cause to be performed for Her Majesty, nor any other, but that which may be done against Tireowen's own person; who at my last being here, hath not only caused all the buonies that he sent into Munster to create a skurvie kearne, that is said to be my wife's base brother, Lord of my country, and to establish him in the possession thereof, but also, when he came into Munster himself, would presently employ all the Connaught buonies that were there with the said bastard, to dispossess me, until, with much ado, Maguyre, that was O'Donell's cousin germain, and other gentlemen of the north, for O'Donell's sake, with all the gentry of Munster that were there, got him to stay until they sent for me; and being come to parley with him, upon all the assurance that could be devised, when he saw that no persuasion, nor offers that he could make me, could procure me to deliver him my son for a pledge to be in his action, he did not only countenance the said bastard to quarrel with me, and call me still before him a 'damned counterfeited Englishman, whose only study and practise was to deceive and betray all the Irishmen in Ireland;' but also the best conditions that could be obtained for me was to leave that bastard possessed of the two best castles in my country, and to stand to the order of bishop Mc Cragh, and others with him, for the Signorie thereof; with which, nor with any thing else he would not be (have been) satisfied, until he had dispossessed me for him altogether, if he were not (had not been) driven to depart suddenly, upon advertisement that the Earls of Ormond and Thomond gathered great forces to meet him.
For the compassing of which service against his person I do not think that any hath better means and knowledge, nor men of better ability and sufficiency to perform it than myself; wherof none, nor none other of the birth of Ireland, in mine opinion, is so sufficient for the performance thereof as Morogh Nymart, who without exception is the most exercised commander, and of greatest skill, experience, and reputation, for that country's wars of any mere Irishman. He is my foster-brother, son to my foster-father, that was chief commander of my father's footmen. When I was committed hither before he fled into the north; where being followed by some four hundred soldiers, he served old O'Neyle, for whom he gave Tireowen a great overthrow at Carriglyeh; afterwards he maintained O'royrk in his country for awhile; and understanding of my enlargement served Sir Richard Byngham, who sent him, and his soldiers, pardoned, into their country; he, and a younger brother of his that keeps a hundred men about him also, are now, as I hear, joined with O'swlivan-bere. I am persuaded, if I had knowledge how things stand there, and sufficient messengers to employ about it, I might get Captain Terel and his buonies cut off, or beaten out of Munster; but because I do not think him a man of any great moment, and that it would be a hindrance to the other service of greater importance, I do not think it best for the Queen, knowing that if I procure Morogh ny-mart and such others as I think good, to go into the north this winter, and work the rest to come in, that Terel and his buonies will not stay there: for the effecting of this service that I do intend, I must presently send for messengers of those that are best learned and spoken in that language, and of special trust, credit and authority, to persuade any gentlemen; which country hath two sorts of people that are of greatest ability, and authority to persuade that country gentlemen, which of all other sorts, and sexes, doth most distaste and mislike the State, and government of England; whereof the one, which are the priests, are by no means to be trusted with my service for Her Majesty; of the other, which are the Rimers, some may be trusted only by those gentlemen whose followers they are by lineal descent, and of whom depends their living; of which sort I will employ one of special trust and sufficiency for the ejecting of this service.
I wrote in my last letter to your Honor myne opinion, that the Spaniards will come into Ireland; but I do not assure myself of their coming this harvest, because I am persuaded they will endeavour, by reason of their experience there last, to come stronger, and with more means, which will hardly be provided but with time. Also O'donell, that hears daily how things stand in Ireland, understanding that Tireowen and the rest kept themselves hitherto, will not perhaps be very earnest now to hasten them. Knowing the advantage that rebels have to help themselves in winter, when all kind of flesh there is in season; the nights long, the rivers flowing, and the weather cold and rainy; and if, as I think, they will conclude to come for the north and Connaught, I am persuaded they will endeavour to bring gallies; which, as they know, and as Odonell will tell them, will be very necessary, and available for them, both for the shallow bays about Gallway, and all the islands there about, and to beat away the garrison of Loughfeavyll, and command that arm of the sea betwixt Ireland and Scotland, whereby they may have what they will from thence; but now they can hardly bring, nor use gallies, knowing by experience how subject to storms that coast is henceforward; which may make them take the beginning of summer, both to bring and to use gallies all that season for their first, and necessariest services, and also to provide more means and forces in the mean time.
It may be also that Don John del Agila who is, perhaps, a wise man, and a skilful commander! learned much of the state of that country at his last being there, and weighed what forces came against him, and what oversight hindered him, and viewed Cork, and saw the weakness thereof; whereby he knows if he come upon the sudden thither, with any good forces, that he will hardly be kept out; as also that if he have Cork, not only Youghill and Kinsale will be his presently, but also the Lord Barry, who dwells near it upon a Neck of that haven, and his country along the haven up to the gates thereof, and Cormuk McDermod, whose country comes to the gates also, and dwells within three miles thereof, together with Mc Carthy Reogh, the Lord Roch, and Mc Donogh, whose countries are within eight or ten miles thereof, and John Fitz Edmonds that dwells upon that haven, besides many others that dwell thereby, must all, with their countries and people, be subjects to him; the knowledge whereof, by his last being there, may haply induce him to come for Cork in the beginning of winter; imagining that the weather then will be unseasonable, and discommodious for any fleets or forces to be sent here hence; that besides the discommodities of winter for such a purpose, especially in that country, the lord Deputy hath neither town, country, or any other means or succour, to besiege him, nearer than Waterford or Limerick; and that in the spring his succour will be as ready to relieve him as any other to annoy him; which is all that I can guess, or think, of their proceedings; and if I can hear anything that may help me to guess, or judge what course they are like to take, I will advertise your Honor thereof; in the meantime, wishing, as I have been heretofore the chiefest causer of cutting off the Earl of Desmond, that I may be now the chiefest procurer of cutting off this greatest traitor; beseeching God to preserve and prosper your Honor.
I rest ever,
ffloR McCARTHY.
Your Honor's most humble & bounden,[Endorsed:] To the Right Honourable his very approved friend Sir Robert Cecill, Knight, Principal Secretary to the Queen's most excellent Majesty and of her Higness' most honorable Privy Council, &.