May it please Your Lordship. In England I have eaten most of my bread, and altho' Ireland challenges my birth, were it not for feare to encur hatred of the one or be suspected of flattery by the other I could justlye say and sweare without either lying or flattery that there is no nacion under the sun I doe more truely affect than England, and English men; but to avoide the one and the other inconvenience I will onlie refer the further declaring of my integritye on that particular to God first, who knows best the secrets of all hartes, and next to my actions and service, when it shall please God that my Soveraine and the state there may be pleased to employ me. Little is it to be wondered or suspected, that I should be thus affected to England and Englishmen, for I cannot chuse but be so, without I were more than beastlie ungrateful, for that since the year 1617 at which time I entered suite for som few parcells of my birthright, which continued to my great charge pains and travell unto the year 1627, at which time, with much adoe, with the favourable furtherance of my Reverend & Honourable frends my Good Lord's Grace of Canterbury, the late Earle of Totness, the Lord Viscount Grandison, Mr. Endimion Porter, Sir Thomas Stafford and others, and with the especial grace and favour of my good and gracious Soveraine that now is, of whose blessed raign God grant long to continue over us in all happinesse: But my long suite for those parcells, having my father, brother with the rest of my kindred and frends as great persecutors of me, for my religion, as my other adversaries (whereof I had many) for my lands, which they covet, and detaine from me, caused that I became much indebted. In the first yeares of my suite I owed a pretty quantity; and sure, but that I did so, and that I was sorry that some English Gentlemen and others that lent me their money freely and lovingly should lose it, or anything by me, I should never have had the patience to see out the end of my suite, with that miserie I endured with it; but my hastie desire to see all paid their owne made me abide all extremitie, hoping that if I recovered those parcells, as at last I did, I might with them pay everybody; but deceived I was herein, for though it is now three or four years since, yet in all that time I received not above £10 of their rents: My brother whom I appointed overseer over all, hath done with all what he thought fitt: whereupon I, seeing myself altogether disappointed of the expectacion I had of making honest satisfaction, therewith made a second suite for some other parcells of my birthright, hoping if I might recover the same I should thereby be enabled (as indeed I should) to pay my debts, and present those my Reverend and Honourable frends with some small token of my gratefulness, who have so generously, voluntarily and of mere pitty furthered my former suite, as I said. For the gaining of which latter parcells I had His Majesties lettere in my behalf to the Lord Falkland then Lord Deputie of Ireland, but could recover none, to my utter undoing ever since. To renewe me suite for those parcells, but to marry the Lord Archbishop of Cashell's daughter [to] Malcolm Hamilton after his Lordship's death, for a small som of money, and hope of her best frends furtherance of my just suite, but having failed in most of these expectacions, and like to starve in London until an honest Gentleman called Mr Thraile that lives in Durham Yard, did of mere mercie take me into his house, with whom, for money he lent me, and for half a yeares diet I owe forty pounds or thereabouts, which I wish to God with all my harte he had, likewise I owe a worthy honest gentleman and frend of mine called Mr William Northcott of Haine in Devonshire, within three mile of the cittye of Exeter, about £100, and twice as much I owe to two other gentlemen and frends of myne, the one called Capten Thomas Dourich and the other Mr Thos Jay. These debts and crosses, together with other small debts I owe, whereof I doe herewith send your Honor a note, made me fly to this side the seas, but not to slum making honest satisfaction of such due debts or to deprive anie of their own, but in hope I might get some money here for that conceite wherewith I might pay all or most part of my said debts, and to that intent to return suddenlie again for England, but my expectations here also were frustrated, where I did not presume to come before I had my Passe granted me by the Lords there, neither would I ever have come if their Lordships had not granted me my passe: And now being here I am loath to return till I see whether I can get something that maie enable me to paye my debts there honestlie, and gratifye my frends. Som Irishmen here persuade me to go serve the French King because he is of alleyance and leigue with my own Soveraine Lorde, promising and assuring me not onlie that they will procure that I shall have intertainment of a Regiment, but that alsoe all Tyrone's regiment or most part of them will follow me, which before I would return back for England, or take that or anie other course I thot fitt to present to Your Honourable consideration, this being a service that to my knowledge hath bin alwaies laboured, much desired and often attempted, but never as yet effected, because no good or certen course hath been taken for the same. If His Majestie and the State will be pleased to imploy me herein, or in anie other service that shall not savour anie way of baseness, or shall not be against divine or human laws or the qualitie of a Gentleman, I will to the uttermost of my power, with the hazard of my life effect it, and especially this of drawing this regiment of Tyrone from serving the Spaniard, to serve the French King, so that I be sure that it be an acceptable service to the King and State, and that His Majestie and the State will vouchsafe to command me thereunto, and accordingly recommend me to the French King that he may grant me the command of a regiment or of soe manye as I shall bring thither. Your Lordship and the world shall see that I will performe the part of a true & loyall subject therein, though to tell Your Lordship truelye I am not all given to warr, valor or killing of men, and had rather undertake to do His Majestie and the State anie other service rather then what belongs to warres.
Neverthelesse to do my Soveraine and the State service I will (contrarie to my affection to such exercises) hazard my life: or if your Lordship hold not this materiall for His Majestie's service (though I know if the Irishmen were once brot from serving the Spaniard it would breede a jealousie for ever betweene them) howsoever for my good will I humblie beseech Your Honor so far to comiserat and tender my miserable case, thus banished for debt, and the case of my poore wyfe, from whom I am forced to absent myself, so far as to cause that my father and brother may satisfye my said debts, out hand with those lands and rents which His Majestie caused me to be so possessed of three or four yeares since, called Castellogh and 13 ploughlands, and that some other meanes may be there settled for me and my wyfe's maintenance, either of my own birthright or yearlie allowance from His Majestie, that I may returne home again to London, from whence I think my absence to long; If it were God's will your Lordship should think fitt to employ me in that occasion of France great care is requisit to be had that the Spanish Ambassador there, or anie Irish or English Spanishlie affected, hear not of the intention or any thing thereof. My integritie and earnest desire and ambition to follow the steps of my ancestors in their services to the crowne of England, whose actions and loyaltie I will not onlie defend against all calumnies of adversaries that should tax them with the least act of Treacherie or Treason since the first submission of Ireland tothat crowne: witness the records of Tower and Chancery of London, witness more particularly the Patent granted by King Henry 7th to one of them in the 12th yeare of his raine extant now in that chancery: Alsoe my zeal to outr church, and to the observance of God's holy lau, and commandment, wherebye he wills all men to be true loyall and faithful to their natural princes, and therefore not by anie Christian tobe violated: and who ever doeth is, and shall be accursed in my opinion; Lastly the odious conceipt and abominable estimation I have of that name of Traitor. All which I humblie leave to your goode Lordship's most honble and grave consideracion. Humblie taking my leave I am ever your Honor's truelye devoted in all observance humblie to serve.
Post Scripta.—One thing more I must refer or present to your Lordship's consideracion is that if I be in France employed I shall be able still to certifye the state truely still of what shall be intended by the Irish or Spaniards against the King and State in Brussels Rome and Maderid, so that, as I said your Lordship will keep secret from the knowledge of the Spanish ambassador, and all such as are of English or Irish either Spanishlie or Popishlie affected, be they of the Council or otherwise, be they suspected or known.