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The occasion that moued mee, to make this Narration, was giuen by my lord Chichester, (the lord Deputie of Ireland that now is) who being in England some two or three monethes of this last Sommer, neere the time of his departure, when I came to take my leaue of him, pleased to enter into some speach with mee touching my Retyred Life, which hee imputed to proceed from my owne disposition, averring he often heard my Lord of Deuonshire say, that nothing would Content mee except I had all, & such a Commaund as might not stand with the convenience of the King's seruice; I made noe large replie vnto his Lordship then, because the time serued not for it; But somewhat I saide to excuse myselfe from that imputation & withall it came round at that instant into my Remembraunce that I had (not long before) heard myselfe in like manner taxed for selling away of my place: soe as I found the two mayne Points the world misconceiued mee in, were these: ffirst that I voluntarily gaue ouer my Place, & then that I made a Benifitt thereof, by selling it away to an other, & if either of these were true, whatsoeuer ensued upon it, afterwards to my greife & discontentment, I cannot but acknowledge, I may iustlie be Convinced, the faulte was my owne, I haue noe Cause to Complaine: But for Refutation of those fewe objections, as I said then to his Lordship in priuate, soe now I may safelie proclaime it to the world, I neede not appeale to any other Testimonye but that of his owne knowledge. Then coming home and falling into a sadd meditation with my Selfe, it came into my thoughts shall I for euer by silence betray
The Army consisting in List of 4000 foote & 200 horse, whereof 3000 of the foote, & all the horse were levied in England, the other
The Provisions wee carried with vs at first were a quantetie of deale Boards & Sparrs of ffirr timber, a 100 flock bedds, with other necessaries to furnish an Hospitall withall one Peece of Demy Cannon of Brass, two Culverins of Iron, a master Gunner, two master Masons, & two master Carpenters, allowed in pay with a greate number of Tooles & other vtensiles, & with all victuell & munition requisite.
Soe with those men from England, and with these Provisions afore saide, on the xxv day of Aprill wee sett saile, and on the 28th in the Euening put in att Knockfergus, where wee staide the space of 8 dayes before the Companyes from Dublin came all vnto vs.
The last of them coming in by the 6th of May, on the 7th wee sett saile againe, & the windes often fayling, & sometimes full against vs, it was the 14th before wee could putt in to the mouth of the Bay at Loughfoyle, & noe sooner were wee entred, but wee fell on ground, & soe stucke till the next day, then at a full tide, wee waighed our Anchors, sayled a little way and rune on ground againe.
On the 16th in the morning wee gott loose, & about 10 of the Clocke (100 men lying on shoare, & giuing vs a volie of shott, & soe retyring,) wee landed att Culmore, & with the first of our horse & foote that wee could vnshipp, made vp towards a troupe of horse and foote, that wee sawe standing before vs on the topp of a hill, but by ignorance of the wayes our horses were presentlie boggt, & soe at that day wee made none other vse, but onlie to land our men. The next day, the place seaming to my Judgement fitt to build, wee beganne about the Butt end of the old broken Castle, to cast vp a fforte, such as might be capable to lodge 200 men in.
Sixe days wee spent in labour about it, in which meane space, makeing vpp into the Countrie with some troupes (onely with intent to discover,) wee came to Ellogh a castle of O'Doghartey's, which he had newlie abandoned & begunne to pull downe, Butt seeing it yett
On the 22nd of May wee put the Army in order to marche, & leaning Captain Lancellott Atford at Culmore with 600 men, to make vp the workes, wee went to the Derry 4 myles of vpon the River side, a place in manner of an Iland Comprehending within it 40 acres of Ground, wherein were the Ruines of a old Abbay, of a Bishopp's house, of two Churches, & at one of the ends of it of an old Castle, the River called Loughfoyle encompassing it all on one side, & a bogg most comonlie wett, & not easilie passable except in two or three places dividing it from the maine land.
This peece of Ground we possest our selves of without Resistaunce, & Judging it a fitt place to make our maine plantation in, being somewhat hie, & therefore dry, & healthie to dwell vpon, att that end where the old Castle stood, being Close to the water side, I presentlie resolued to raise a fforte to keep our stoore of Munition & victuells in, & in the other a litle aboue, where the walls of an old Cathedrall church were yet standing, to evert annother for our future safetie & retreate vnto upon all occasions.
Soe then I vnloaded & discharged the Shipping that brought vs, all but those reserued for Sr. Math: Morgan & two Men of Warre, vnder comaund of Captaine George Thornton, & Captaine Thomas Fleminge, which were purposlie assigned to attend vs all that Sommer; & the first bussines I setled myselff vnto was, to lay out the forme of the said two intended ffortes, & to assigne to every Companye his severall taske how & where to worke.
I know there were some that presentlie beganne to censure mee, for not sturring abroade, & makeing iourneyes vp into the Countrye, alleadging wee were stronge enough & able to doe it; I deny not but wee were; but that was not the scope & drift of our coming, wee were to sitt it out all winter, Prayes would not be sett without many hazards, & a greate Consumption of our men, the Countrie was yet unknowne vnto vs, & those wee had to deale with were, as I was sure, would Chuse or Refuse to feight with vs as they sawe theire owne advantage. These Considerations moued mee to resolue to hould an other Course, & before I attempted any thinge els, to setle & make sure the footing wee had gayned.
The two shipps of warre, therefore, (the Countrie all about vs being wast & burned,) I sent with souldiers in them to coast all alonge the shoare, for the space of 20 or 30 myles, & willed wheresoeuer they found any howses, they should bring a way the Timber & other materialls to build with all, such as they could; and O'Cane hauing a woode, lying right over against vs, (on the other side of the River,) wherein was plentie of old growne Birch, I daylie sent workemen with a Guard of souldiers to cutt it downe; & there was not a sticke of it brought home, but was first well fought for; A Quarrie of stone & slatt wee found hard at hand, Cockle shells to make a Lyme, wee discouered infinite plentie of, in a litle Iland in the mouth of the Harbour as wee came in, and with those helpes, togeather with the Provisions wee brought, & the stones and rubbidge of the old Buildings wee found, wee sett ourselues wholie, & with all the dilligence wee could possible to fortefying & framing, & setting vpp of howses, such as wee might be able to liue in, & defend ourselves when winter should Come, & our men be decayed as it was apparant it would be: And whether this was the right Course to take or noe, let them that sawe the after Events be the Judges of.
My lord Deputie, att the time wee should land, (to make our discent the more easie,) was drawne downe to the Blackwater, & gaue out that hee would enter the Countrey that way, whereupon Tyrone & O'Donell had assembled theire cheifest strength to oppose against him: But his lordship now knowing wee were safe on shore, & possest of the ground wee ment to inhabite, with drewe his Campe & retourned to Dublin, & then being deliuered of that feare, those forces they had brought togeather for that purpose, being now encreased by the addition of more, & estimated (by Comon fame) to be about 5000 in all, they came downe with vpon vs, & placing themselues in the night within litle more then a mile from where wee lay, earelie in the morning at the Breaking vpp of the watch, gaue on vpon our Corps de Gaurd of horse, chased them home to our foote Sentynells, & made a countennaunce as if they came to make but that one daye's worke of it but the Alarume taken, & our men in Armes, they contented themselves to attempe noe further, but seeking to drawe vs forth into the Countrey where they hoped to take vs at some advantages, & finding wee
And now did Sr Mathew Morgan demaund his Regiament of 1000 foote, and 50 horse, which at first (as I saide before) were designed him for a plantation att Ballyshannon; but vpon consultation held how hee should proceed, & with what Probabilitie he might be able to effect that intended bussines, there appeared soe many wants & difficulties vnthought on, or vnprouided; for before that it was euident those forces should be exposed to manifest ruine, if at that time, & in the state as thinges then stoode, hee should goe forward, the truth whereof being Certified both by himselfe & mee to the lords of the Councell in England, as alsoe to the lord Deputie & Councell of Ireland; wee receiued present directions from them both to suspend the proceeding in that action till annother time; & soe I discharged the Rest of the shipping reserued for that iourney; & not long after the Companys' growing weake, & the list of the foote reduced to the number of 3000, that Regiament was wholie dissolued & made as a parte onelie of our army.
On the first of June, Sr Arthur O'Neale, sonne to old Tirlogh Lenogh that had beene O'Neale, came in vnto mee with some 30 horse & foot, a Man I had directions from the state, to labour to drawe to our side, & to promise to be made Earle of Tyroane, if the other that mainteyned the Rebellion could be dispossessed of the Country; By his aduice within fewe dayes after I sent Sr John Chamberlaine with 700 men into O'Cane's Countrie, to enter into it by boate, from O'Dohertye's side, because at the hither end lying right over against vs, was a Continuall watch kepte, soe as we could not stirre but wee were sure to be presentlie discouered; These men marching all night put ouer at Greene-castle, & by breake of day, on the 10th of June, fell in the middest of theire Creagtes vnexpected, Ceazed a greate pray, & brought it to the Waterside; but for want of meanes to bring it all away, they hackt & mangled as many as they could, & with Some 100 Cowes, which they put abord theire Boats, besids what the Souldiers brought away kild, they retourned.
On the 28th of June, came some men of O'Dohertye, lay in
On the second of July I put 800 men into Boates & landed them att Dunalong. Tyrone (as wee were tould) lying in Campe within two myles of the Place, where I presentlie fell to raiseing a Forte, his men came downe & skirmisht with vs all that day, but perceiuing the next, wee were tilted & out of hope to be able to remoue vs, they rise vp & left vs quietlie to doe what we would, where after I had made it reasonablie defensible, I left Sr John Bowles in Garrison with 6 Companyes of Foote, & afterwards sent him 50 horse.
On the 14th of July came O'Donnell with a troupe of 60 horse, & earely in the Morninge as our watch was ready to be discharged,
On the 29th of July he came againe with 600 Foote, & 60 Horse, & lay close in ambush in a valley within a quarter of a myle of our outmost horse sentinells, & Moyle Morrogh Mac Swyndoe (a man purposelie sent with mee by the state, & soe well esteemed of, as the queene had giuen a Pention of vi. s. a day vnto during his life, & the present Comaund of 100 English souldiers,) hauing intelligence with him, caused some of his men to goe a litle before Breake of Day, & driue forth our horses, (that were vsually euery night brought into the Iland to Graze) directlie towards him, In soe much as vpon the sodaine before any thinge could be done to preuent it, he gott to the number of 60 [160?] into his power, & presentlie made hast to be gone. By the alarum, I rise vp from my Bedd, tooke some 20 horses, & such foote as were readie, Bidd the rest follow, & soe made after them. At fower myles end wee ouertooke them, theire owne horses kept in the reare flanked with foote, marching by the edge of a Bogge, & those horse they had gott from vs, sent away before with the foremost of theire foote; when they sawe vs cominge, they turned heade & made readie to receiue vs, wee charged them, & at the first encounter I was stricken with a horseman's stafe in the Foreheade, in soe much as I fell for deade, & was a goode while deprived of my sences: Butt the Captaines & Gentlemen that were about mee, whereof the cheife that I Remember were Captaine Anthony Elrington, Captaine John Sidney, Captaine John Kingsmyll, & Mathew Wroth, a Corporall of my horse Companie) gaue beyond my Bodie, & enforced them to giue ground a good way by meanes whereof I recouered myselfe, was sett vp on my horse & soe safelie brought of, & Conducted home, & sufferred with the prey they had gott to departe without further pursuite.
I kepte my Bedd of this wound by the space of a fortneth, my chamber a weeke after, & then I came abroade, & the first thinge I did, I tooke a viewe & particuler muster of all the Companyes. Howe weake I found them euen beyonnd expectation (though I had
Then did I alsoe manifestlie discouer the Trechery of the said Moyle Morrogh Mac Swynedo, [Mael-muire Mac Suibhne na d-Tuath], hauing intercepted the Messanger that he imployed to O'Donnell in all his Bussines, out of whose mouth I gott a full Confession of all his Practices, & especiallie that it was hee, that caused his men of purpose to driue forth our horses, which he was so manifestlie convinced of as hee had not the face to denie it, wherevpon I deliuered him to Captaine Flemminge, who was then going to Dublin, to carry to my lord Deputie, there to receiue his tryall, who putting him vnder hatches in his shipp, & himselfe coming to shoore with his Boate, the hatch being opened to sett Beere, he stept vp vpon the Decke, & threwe himselfe into the Riuer, and soe Swamme away to O'Cane's side, which was hard by; they in the shipp amazed with the soddaynenesse of the fact, & doing nothing that tooke effect to prevent it.
On the 24th of August came Roory brother to O'Cane, (hauing before made his agreement with mee, to serue vnder Sr Arthur O'Neale) & brought with him 12 horse, 30 foote, & 60 fatt Beeues, a Present welcome at that time, for besides that fresh meate was then rare to be had, our provisions in stoore were very neere spent; I gaue him therefore a Recompence for them in money, & allowed him a small parte of souldiers to goe forth againe, whoe returned the next day & brought 40 more. Annother small Pray hee sett againe within fewe dayes after, & then thinking hee had gayned himselfe Credite enough, hee came & demaunded 800 men to doe an enterprise withall, that should be (as he tould a very faire & probable tale for,) of farr greater importance & seruice to the Queene; I had onlie the persuation of Sr Arthur O'Neile (who I verylie thinke was a faithful & honnest Man,) granted him some men, though not halfe the Number he askt, because in truth I had them not. But before the time came they should sett forth, Sr Arthur had changed his opinion, & bad mee bewarre of him; I stayed my hand therefore, & refused him the men. He apprehended I did it out of distrust, & with many oathes & Protestations indeuored to perswade mee of his truth & fidelitie. But
And now the winter beganne to be feirce vpon vs, our men wasted with continuall laboures, the Iland scattered with Cabbins full of sicke men, our Biskitt all spent, our other prouisions of nothing but Meale, Butter, & a litle Wine, & that by Computation to hould out but 6 dayes longer. Tyrone and O'Donell, to weaken vs the more, Proclaming free passage & releife through theire Countrie to send them away to as many as would leaue vs and departe for England, our two fortes, notwithstanding all the dilligence wee had beene able to vse, farre from the state of being defensible, O'Donell well obseruing the opportunitie of this time, if his skill and Resolution had beene as good to prosecute it to the full, on the 16th of September came with 2000 Men about Midnight vndiscouered to the very edge of the Bogge, that divides the Iland from the mayne Lande, (for our horses were soe weake & soe fewe, that we were not able to hould watch any further
The very next day came in a supplie of victuells, very shortlie after 50 newe horse, & shortelie after that againe 600 foote, & withall because the lords had beene aduertized, the stoore-howses wee erected at first of Deale boardes onelie were many wayes insufficient & vnable to preserue the munitions & victuells in, they sent vs about this time two frames of Timber for howses, with most thinges necessarie to make them vp withall, which they ordayned to supplie that defect with & now alsoe where before the souldiers were enioyned to worke, without other allowance then theire ordinarie pays. Theire lordships vpon advertisment of the inconueniencie thereof (which in truth was such, as doe what wee could the workes went but exceedingly slowlie forward, & with very much difficulty), I then receiued order to give them an addition to theire wages (when they wrought vpon the fortifications) of 4 ds. a day, & soe wee were then in all thinges fullie & sufficientlie releeued.
On the third of October came in Neale Garvie O'Donell with 40 horse & 60 Foote, a man I was also directed by the state to winne to the Queene's seruice, & one of equall estimation in Tyrconnell that Sir Arthur O'Neale was of in Tyrone. The secreet messages that had past betweene him & mee, hee found were discouered to O'Donnell, & therefore somewhat sooner then otherwise he intended, & with less assuraunce & hope of many Conditions that hee stood vpon; yet it is true, I promised him in the behalfe of the Queene, the whole Countrey
The next day after hee came, wee drewe forth our forces, & made a iourney to the Isle of Inche, where, by his information, wee had learned there was a good Prey of Cattell to be gott; But the tides falling out extraordinarie high, wee were not able to pass them to gett in, so as wee were forced to turne our Course, & goe downe into O'Doghertie's Countrie, though to litle purpose; for knowing of our coming, hee draue away all before vs, onelie some stacks of Corne wee found, which wee sett on fire.
The 8th of October I assigned vnto the said Neale Garvie 500 foote & 30 horse, vnder the leading of Sr John Bowles, to goe to take the Liffer, where 30 of O'Donnell's men lay in Garrison in a Forte in one of the Corneres of the towne, & most of them being abroad when they came, were surpriced & slaine, & the place taken, yet soe as one of them had first putt fire into the Forte, which consumed all the Buildings in it, but the rest of the Howses scattered abroade in the towne (which were about 20) were preserued & stood vs afterwards in singuler good steade.
O'Donell having heard of the takeing of this Place, came on the xith of October with 700 foote & 100 horse, & encamped himselfe about 3 myles off at Castle Fyn. The next day he came & shewed himselfe before the Towne; our Garrison made out, had a skrimish with him of an houre longe, wherein Neale Garuie behaved himselfe Brauelie. Capten Augusten Heath tooke a light hurte in his hand, & some ten or twelve Men on ech side were slaine.
On the 24th he came againe & laide himselfe in ambush a myle from the towne, watching to intercept our men Fetching in of turfe, which before our Coming the Irish had made for theire owne provision. The Alarme taken, the Garrison made forth againe, & Neale Garvie behaued himselfe brauelie as before, charged home vpon them, killed one, hurt one or two more with his owne hande, & had his horse slaine vnder him. Captaine Heath tooke a shott in the thigh, whereof he & some twenty more there were hurte & slaine.
On the 28th of October dyed Sr Arthur O'Neale of a fevour, in whose place came presentlie after one Cormocke, a brother of his, that clamed to succeed him as the next of his kinne, & had in that name good entertainments from the Queene. But shortelie after came his owne sonne, Tirlogh, that was indeed his true & imediate heire, whome the state accepted of & admitted to inherite all the fortune & hopes of his father. Hee had not attained to the full age of a man, & therefore the seruice he was able to doe was not greate, but some vse wee had of him, & I think his disposition was faithfull and honnest.
All this while after Liffer had beene taken, O'Donell kept vp & downe in those parts, watching still to take our men vpon some advantage, but finding none, & hearing two Spanish shipps that were come into Calebegg [Killybegs] with Munition, Arms, Money, on the 10th of November he departed towards them, & betweene Tirone & him they made a Dividend of it.
After hee was gone, the Garrison both heere & at Dunalong sett diuers Preys of Catle, & did many other seruices all the winter longe, which I stand not vpon to make particuler mention of, & I must confess a truth, all by the help & advise of Neale Garvie & his Followers, & the other Irish that came in with Sr Arthur O'Neale, without whose intelligence & guidance litle or nothing could haue beene done of our selues, although it is true withall they had theire owne ends in it, which were always for priuate Revenge, & we ours to make vse of them for the furtherance of the Publique seruice.
And nowe came a practice of O'Donell's to open a discouverie, which had long beene mannaged in secret, & as he thought, Carried Close within the Compass of his owne & his associats' knowledge; Captaine Alford, that had the keeping of Culmore, fell into priuate familiaritie with Hugh Boy and Phelim Reogh (of the Septs of Mac Dauids), two Principall men about O'Doghertie, & of as good Credite & estimation with O'Donell. These men requested to haue leaue to buy Aquavitae, Cloath, and such other Comodities as that place afforded, which the Captaine and I, hailing our ends in it as well as they theires, gaue them free libertie to doe, & with more free access then any other, They measuring theire hopes by theire good entertainement, of all presentlie aboard him to knowe if hee would sell the Foarte,
But therevpon begune Neale Garvie's discontentment, for presentlie he directed some men of his to be cessed vpon this Countrey; O'Doghertie & Hugh Boy with greate indignation refused to accept them. Complainte came before mee; I asked him wherevpon it was that hee challenged this power ouer annother man's land; he tould mee the land was his owne, for the Queene had giuen him all Tyrconnell, & this was part of it; I aunswered it was true, I know well the whole Countrey of Tyrconnell was promised him in as large & ample manner as the O'Donnells had beene accustomed to hould it: But I tooke it there were many others in that Countrey, that had lands of their owne as well as they, whose intrest I neuer conceiued was intended to be giuen to him; Hee replied not onelie the Countrey of Tyrconnell, but into Tyrone, Farmanaght, yea & Connaught, wheresoeuer any of the O'Donnells had at that time extended theire Power, hee made Accompt all was his; hee acknowledged noe other kinde of right or intrest in any man else, yea the very persons of the People he challenged to be his, & said he had wronge, if any one foote of all that land, or any one of the Persons of the People were exempted from him. I saide againe these Demaunds were in my Judgement very vnreasonable, but hee should receive noe wronge by Mee; Let him haue Patience till wee might heare from my lord Deputie, & whatsoeuer his Judgement was I must & would obay; wounderfull impatient he was of any delay; but necessitie enforceing him, & the case sent to my lord, he returned this aunswere with the aduise of the Councell,that the vttermost
But the Springe coming now on, & having the helpe of this Countrey for Carriages, towards the latter end of March I drewe Forth & made a iourney vpon Mac Swyne Fanaght, whose Countrie lyes diuided from O'Doghertye's by a Bay of the sea, I came vpon him vnawarrs, & surprised & gott into my possesion about 1000 of his Cowes before hee had Leasure to driue them away. Himselfe came vnto Mee vpon it, & desired his submission to the Queene might be accepted of, & vsed the mediation ofO'Doghertye & Hugh Boy, that I would restore him the Prey, much entreatie & importunitie I was prest withall, & thinking with myselfe it might be a goode Example to such others as I should afterwards haue occasion to deale with, that I Sought not theire goods soe much as theire obedience (reserving a parte onelie for reward of the souldiers' labour,) I was contented & gaue him backe the rest, taking his oath, for his future fidelitie, & six pledges such as I was aduised to choose, & was borne in hand were very sufficient to binde him, & whereof his owne sonne was one; & to have a tye on him besids, I left Captaine Ralph Bingley, with his Company of 150 Men in Garrison in his Countrey, att the Abbay of Ramullan; It is true for all that, not long after, without Compulsion, he made his Reconciliation with O'Donnell vnder hand promised to betray the Garrison that lay vpon him, & secreetlie wrought to gett his Pledges out of my hand: But fayling in both, & yet, resolued to goe on his Course, he draue away all his Catle goods, & openlie declared himselfe an Enymy against vs; In revenge whereof I presentlie hunge vpp his Pledges, & in September following made annother iourney vpon him, burnt & destroyed his houses and Corne, wherevpon
In the beginning of Aprill I made another iourney vpon them of Sleught-Art, a People that inhabited a Countrey in Tyrone of 16 myles longe, most parte Bogg & wood, & bordering not farr of from the Liffer, where onelie I had by Neale Garuie's meanes Castle-Derg deliuered into my hands, which I left Captaine Dutton in garrison in with his Companie of 100 Men.
And then wee rested at home in expectation of a Supplie of Men from England against Sommer, for nowe were those wee had exceedinglie Wasted & decayed.
In the mean while O'Donell meditating a Revenge vpon Hugh Boy & O'Doughertie, & rightlie consideringe the advantage of the time, & the glorie & profitt he might gett to himselfe, & the dishonnor & loss he should bring vpon vs, if yet he could shew himselfe master of this Countrey, & be able to Prey it in dispite of our Protection, determined to make all the preparation hee could for that purpose, and had gathered togeather a faire & sufficient Armye (as he thought) to execute his designe withall; My care was as greate to Prevent him; I haue scene a Mapp of that Countrey, made by hand, by which it would appeare plaine to any man's viewe how this bussines was Carried. But for that which is ancient & Comon, it giues noe light at all, for it is vtterlie false, & hath not soe much as the Resemblance of the true situation of those partes; But pre-supposinge a sight of the better; in that place where the two Bayes of the sea that encompass it for the most parte, come to meete some what neere togeather, the distance of the land betweene them is about 6 myles broade, in a manner all Bogge, with a riuer passinge through from one side to the other, & not passable for horse nor any Numbers of foote, excepte in 5 or 6 Places, where there are certaine narrow foards of water to goe through. At one of the ends of this Necke of Land, stands an old broken Castle called Coelmackatren, at the other an old fforte, called Cargan; into this, with a litle newe dressing, I put Captaine Thomas Badby, with his Companie; in the other Captaine Edmond Leigh; Vpon euery of
The very same day they past away by Coelmackatren, the shipps were discouered to the mouth of Loughfoile that brought vs a new supplie of 800 men.
Then on the 24th of May I drewe two Iron peeces to Newtowne, a Castle in Tyrone, 6 myles distant from the Liffer in the way to Dongannon; this I beate vpon all one day, & the next morning had it deliuered vp; It is a Pile of stone strong & well built, with an Iron Gate & Chaine att the doore, it hath before it a large Bawne compast with a good high Stone wall, & in the middest of it a fairie Irish thacht house, able to hould 50 or 60 men in it. Heere I left Captaine Roger Atkinson in Garrison with his Companie of 100 men, & because one of the cheifest vses wee intended these Garrisons for was to make suddaine Inroades vpon the Countrey, to Spoyle & pray them of theire Catle, & that impossible to be done without intelligence & Guidance of some of the Natiues, I left to assist him in that kinde one Tirlogh Magnylson, a man that came in with Sr Arthur O'Neale, that had often guided our men before in like seruices, & had gayned himselfe a great deale of loue & reputation amongst vs, & had now the Comaund of 100 Irish by my lord Deputies allowance; I gaue speciall charge, he should be lodged cleane without the Bawne, & notwithstanding all his Credite a warry & circumspect Eye should be Carried vpon him.
About the 20th of June, I brought the Demy Cannon I had, to Ainogh, a Castle of O'Caine's, standing in a lough, not much aboue a myle from the Derrey, but the riuer betweene, with which I beate vpon it, the first day a good distaunce of, & did litle good, but at night wee drewe the Battery within 80 pase, & the next morninge wee founde the ward was runne out of it. Heere I receiued lettres from my lord Deputy, propounding to my choise, by way of discourse, two mayne seruices to spend this sommer vpon, the one the takeing of Ballyshannon, the other the meeting him at Blackwater, for Ballyshannon I had many reasons to refuse it, for the other imagyning noe impediment but the want of powder, perhappes, because I knewe in the takeing of these Castles a greate deale had beene spente, I called the Clarke of the munition to Mee, & asked him howe he was stoored of Powder, hee tould
The 19th of July at the Derrey, I receiued two lettres togeather, one dated the 9th, the other the 14th of the same Moneth, by the first I was willed to prepaire myselfe to this iourney, by the second to make hast a waye, because his lordship was there & expected Mee; I presentlie gaue order the Companies should drawe to Liffer, come furnished with Munition; word was brought mee they could gett noe Match; I called for the Clarke, & asked him the Reason, hee tould mee hee had it not; noe, said I, did yow not tell Mee the other day, yow had 60 Barrells? I tould yow, saide hee, that I had 60 Barrells of Powder & soe I had, but of Match yow asked mee nothing; I demaunded if a Barrell of Match were not alwayes sent as a due Proportion to a Barrell of Powder, hee Confest it was, & ought to be soe, but much of that came hee saide, was rotten, & much had beene wasted, soe as nowe hee had it not; I asked him why hee tould mee not soe much, when I spake of it the other day, hee said because my question, was of powder onelie & nothing of Match. Captaine Humphrey Covert was then going for England, I examined him in his presence, & desired he would be a witness, to what hee sawe & heard, badd him send to all the Garrisons for that hee had, & bring it togeather to the Liffer, when he had soe done, there was but 6 Barrells of it in all, & they short to, of that they ought to Containe, I then propounded to the ancientest of the Captaines, what they would advise mee to doe, to faile my lord I sawe myselfe iustlie ly open to a greate deale of Reprochfull Censure, to ingage the Army with soe greate a want, how might I aunswere it. They gaue theire oppinions, subscribed with theire handes, the proportion was a greate deale to litle to gett forth withall, for they knewe O'Donnell, & all the Countrey thereabouts were alreadie assembled to attend vs, & by all likeliehood would prouoke vs to skrimish by the way, & it was better to incurre any Censure of the world whatsoeuer, then to expose soe many Men to be a Butt onelie for theire Enymyes to shoot att. Therevpon I sent Leiuetenant Goordon to my lord with lettres, declaring the accident, desireing suspension of Judgement till truth might be fullie examined, & offerring vpon perill of my life to come yett to
Now had O'Donnell, O'Caine, Cormocke Mac Baron, & all the Cheifes of the Countrie thereabout made all the forces they were able, to attend the issue of this intended Meeting of my lord and Mee, and had drawne themselues togeather about Cormocke Barron's country, where they might be readie to fall vpon either of vs, as they should see theire best advantage; & conferring with Neale Garuie, I then found by O'Donnell's absence, the countrie behinde him was left without gaurd, the Abbay of Dunnagall was kepte onelie by a fewe fryers, the situation of it close to the Sea, & very Convenient for many seruices, especiallie for a stepp to take Ballyshannon with, which was a worke, the manifould attempts & chargeable Preparations the Queene had been att to accomplish, & my lord himselfe had soe latelie aymed att, & valued equall to this other of meeting him at Blackwater, did argue would be of speciall importance & good acceptation; I concluded therefore, & sent him away (the said Neale Garvie) with 500 English souldiers to put themselves into this place, which they did on the 2nd of August.
On the 6th of August I receiued a supplie of 200 Bundells of Match from Sir Arthur Chichester from Knockfergus, & my lord hauing shortlie after performed at Blackwater what his intentions were, according to the opportunitie of that time, withdrewe his Army; And then O'Donnell with those forces he had, returned & laide seige to these men which Continewed at least a moneth, & in the meane time on the 19th of September, the Abbay tooke fire, by accident or of purpose, I could neuer learne, but burnt it was, all saue one Corner, into which our men made Retreate, & through the middest of the fire were forced to remoue their Provisions of victuell & the very barrells of
Togeather with the Newes of this accident, came annother that Newtowne was betrayed by Tirlogh Magnylson; This man hauing the Night before guyded our Men to the fetching of a Prey, came the next day & dyned with the Captane, inticed him to walke forth vpon the greene before the howse, lead him purposlie as farre as he could, & on the suddaine, with the helpe of 3 or 4 of his men, that followed him, Ceized him theire Prisoner, att the same instant two others had gott in vpon the Centynell at the Castle-doore, & the rest att the Bawne-gate suddenlie brake in, fell vpon the Souldiers, lying in the Irish thatched house & put them euery man to the Sword.
And in like manner and vpon the same day was Captaine Dutton alsoe Betrayed at Castle Derreg, saue that the souldiers lives weere onelie saued.
Ffor these losses there was noe reamidy for the present, for Dunnagall I had before sent them provisions by sea which came to them in due time, & in a reasonable manner supplied most of theire wants, for the rest I could doe nothing but encourage them to hould it, & assured them to come to theire aide soe soone as they should stande in neede it.
But now came the newes of the Spanyards arrivall at Kinsaile, whereupon O'Donnell brake upp the seige, to march towards them. Tyrone made hast the same way, and soe alsoe did my lord Deputie, and it is true, the Countrey was nowe left voide and noe powerfull Enymy to encounter withall more then the Rivers, and the difficulties of the passage of the waves.
And then, finding a fitt opportunitie for it, I fraim'd a iourney vpon O'Caine, soe as I entred vpon him two wayes at once Captaine Roger Orme with 2000 Men past ouer at Greene-Castle in O'Doghertye's Countrie by boate, & I with the rest of the forces drewe vp to the Cannon, a wood that streacheth all a long the front of his Countrey as yow pass into it from the Derrey thowrough which was a pase guarded at that time by Rorie O'Caine with 300 Men, (of whose trecherie mention is made before). This man comes with 40 horse, & brand it a quarter of a myle before his strength Edmond Groome, a brother to Hugh Boy & Phelim Reagh, steppes out to encounter him. Roory slipps of from his horse, & beganne to runne away on foote, the other alights and pursues him, catches him by the Collor, & in veiwe of vs all bringes him backe, & delivers him to mee. I badd the Souldiers presentlie kill him, & soe without any greate resistaunce wee entred into the Countrey, which wee found large & full of howses & Corne; we diuided our selfes, one halfe toward the Band, one other half went forthright, & Captaine Orme tooke all alonge the sea shoore & sett a Compass about soe as at night wee mett altogeather and encamped in the middest of the Countrey, ech severall troupe hauing fired the houses & Corne they mett withall, which I neuer sawe in any place in more aboundance. The next day wee diuided our selues againe, wasted what wee found more, tooke some Cowes, but very many sheepe & other small Catle, & with much Pillage, which the Souldiers loaded themselues withall. Discerning nowe that the weather inclyning to a thawe, (for at first it was a hard frost,) [wee] made homeward, & with much adoe could attaiue to repass those Riuers, which wee found dry in a manner when wee first came in.
And now being earnestlie called vpon for a supplie of victuells by them at Dunnagall, (the second shipping I had sent about for that purpose, being kept backe with foule weather,) I tooke vp Garrons in
And now had I a good while before entertayned a partie, that vndertooke to deliuer mee Tirlogh Magnylson (that betrayed the Castle of Newtowne) togeather with as many of his men as were Guiltie of that bloodie treason, either deade or aliue. They protracted time as I thought, yet it was not full 4 moneths, after they had vndertooke it, before they had kild many of his People as they trauelled single vp & downe in the Countrey, & noe man knewe who did it, some of them alsoe came into my hands aliue, whome I caused the Souldiers to hewe in peeces with theire swordes; & nowe at last hee himselfe alsoe was lighted vpon; His custome was alwayes (for feare of betraying) to goe forthe alone in the Eueninge, & in some old house or other in the wood, kindle a fire, & make as though he ment to lye there, after a while remoue & doe as much in annother, & soe from house to house 3 or 4 times, or more perhapps as his minde gaue him.
Tirlogh, alsoe, the sonne of Sir Arthur O'Neale, procured mee the Castle againe, onelie desiring whensoeuer the Garrison, I would put in it, should be withedrawne, it might not be deliuered into any Man's handes but his, as being a parcell of his owne peculier & Patrimonall landes, which I faithfullie promised him it should not.
Ffor them of Sleught Art alsoe that betrayed Captaine Dutton, I brought them to come in & profess theire obedience by oath, & deliuery of Pledges, which nothwithstandinge they afterwardes brake, & I sett them in againe, with the most profound execrations vpon themselues, if they continewed not true, that the tongue of Man was able to express, & yet for all that they flewe out againe, & all the reamidie I could haue, was to wast & spoile theire Countrey, & destroy theire people, which I did with all the extremitie I could, & yet the two cheife of them which were the Ringleaders of the rest, doe what I could escaped with theire liues & kepte vp and downe in the woods euen till Tyrone was taken to Mercie, & they particulerlie pardoned with him, by my lord Deputye's express Comaund.
On the 20th of Aprill, I made an agreement with Caue Ballogh [Cumhaighe Ballach] mac Rickard a Cheife Gentleman in O'Caine's countrie who deliuered mee the Castle of Dongevin, situate neere vpon the Glinnes, & about 18 myles wide from the Derrey; the warres ended I gaue my word that it should be restored againe.
In May, I receiued diuers lettres from my lord Deputie, all in discourse about his intent of coming that sommer to Blacke water againe, where hee willed I should prepare myselfe to meete him; And the lords from England had now sent vs annother supplie of 800 men, that landed att Derrey about the latter ende of this Moneth.
And soe on the 16th day of June, from Liffer I sett forth to meete him. But when wee had Marched two dayes, & lay in Campe att Terwin Mac Guirck, I vnderstoode hee would not be readie till 6 dayes after, thereupon I returned backe, & hauing discouered by myne Eye as I past by it the day before, that Omy was a place easie to be fortefied, & stood convenient for many vses, to leaue a Garrison in, I made it Defensible with fower dayes' labour, & left Captaine Edmond Leigh solye in it, on the 26th I sett forward againe, & encamped 4 Myles shorte from Dongannon, & going forth with some horse to discouer, I mett with my lord's skowts that Conducted mee that night to his Campe.
The next day Sir Arthur Chichester came over at Lough Sidney, [Lough Neagh] & landed 1000 Men at that place, where he presentlie erected a fforte, which had afterwards the name giuen it of Mountioy, & my lord hauing gayned his passage before and erected annother at Blackwater, which he called by the name of Charle Mounte, the axe was nowe at the roote of the tree, & I may well say, the Necke of the Rebellion as good as vtterlie broken, for all that Tyrone was afterwardes able to doe, was but to saue himselfe in places of difficult access vnto.
Ten dayes (as I remember,) I stayed with his lordship in these partes, assisting him to spoyle & wast the Countrey, which he indeuored by all the meanes hee could possible to doe, & then my prouision of victuell spent hee gaue mee leaue to retourne, with order to be in a readines againe to meete him about a Moneth after.
I was noe sooner come home to the Derrey. But O'Caine sent Mee an offer of his submission, I acquainted my lord withall, hee bad mee dispatch & make shorte with him, that wee might be the readier for a Mayne Prosecution vpon Tyrone: soe on the 27th of July, wee came to a full agreement, the substaunce whereof was this (Countersigned with ech of our handes, that soe much of his Countrey as ley betweene the Riuers of Foghan, Bangibbon, & Loughfoyle, should be to her
On the 10th of August I came thither, & Hugh Boy, coming after mee the next day, was sett vpon & slaine by a partie of loose fellowes that fell vpon him by chaunce; A man whome I found faithfull & honnest, let Enuie & Ignoraunce say what they will to the Contrarye. Hee left three brothers behinde him, Phelime Reaugh, Edmonde Groome, & Shaine Cron; they were all men of very good parts, & deserued a better Countenance at least from the state then my Creditt was able to procure them, which if they had had, & those Courses forborne that Phelime Reaugh was vext withall, by particuler Persons, vpon no sufficient ground of reason, that I ame wittnes to, theire liues had perhappes beene preserued to this day, & a better oppinion concerned of vs in gennerall then is, by the rest of that Nation. Let noe man Censure mee a misse for this kinde of saying; for I hould it a sinne to Conceale a truth where I ame interested & haue occasion to speake it.
Being heere, & knowing my lord was not yet readie to take the feild, I was tould by Irish Guides of a prey that in theire opinion was easilie to be sett out of Cormocke mac Baron's Countrey, & I liked theire reasons soe well, that I resolued to giue an attempte for it. Soe I tooke out 400 foote & 50 horse, & sett forth in the eueninge & Marcht all Night; by breake of the day wee found it was gone further then they made accompte of, & loath to retourne Emptie, wee followed it till wee were at least 3 myle from home, Captaine Edmond Leigh that Comaunded the vaunt Guard, with a fewe light horse & foote in the ende ouertooke it gaurded by Cormocke himselfe, whome he presentlie charged & beate away then went in & gathered about
Shortely after my lord wrote vnto Mee, he was almost readie for the feilde againe, & had a purpose to plante a Garrison at Clogher or Aghar, both standing on this Cormocke's landes, willed mee, if I could, to bringe a peece of Artillery with mee, & as much victuell as I was able, & soe be in a readines against the next time I should heare from him. Artillery I was not able to bring, but about 10 dayes after I came to him, about 8 myles wide from Dungannon, & as I remember, founde Sir Arthur Chichester with him, but sure I ame, wee mett all three about that time, & marched togeather about 6 or 7 dayes, in which time the Castle of Aghar standing in a lough 12 myles wide from Omy was yealded to him, & he placed Captaine Richard Hansard in Garrison in it, with 20 dayes victuell, & lefte mee in charge to supplie him when that time came out, which I did to the very day Tyrone was taken in, & order giuen for restitution of it into his handes; & afterwardes when wee parted, hee sent Sir Hen: Follyatt with Mee to Comaund att Ballyshannon, first with directions to be vnder Mee, but not long after to be absolute Gouernor of himselfe.
As I came home, finding avoydance by a ward in a Castle of Harry Hovodin's, 3 myles from the Newtowne, & standing in a loughe, seeing a peece of grounde that Comaunded iust vpon the gate, I drewe a trench, & lodged Musketeers, that did nothing but beate vpon it, & left Captaine Nicholas Pynner with two Companys to plye them, whoe did it soe well, that within 14 dayes the place was giuen vp, & because I would not trouble myselfe with the care of Victuelling it, I pulled it downe & raised it to the ground.
And shortelie after this, was Roory O'Donnell, brother to O'Donnell that was fledd into Spaine (and himselfe banished his Countrey & living in Connaught,) taken in by my lord Deputie, a profest enymy to Neale Garvy, who apprehended such Jealousies vpon it, as made him runne Courses that were afterwards his vndoing. It gaue an occasion to make it be thought, Tyrone alsoe should be taken to Mercye, & therupon O'Caine came vnto Mee, & requested I would write vnto my lord, that in case hee were, his lordship would please to Remember, he had promised him to be exempted from him, & that hee desired hee would bee as good as his word; I thought it needless, but yet at his importunitie I did soe, & receiued this answere, that his
On the 18th of November I receiued an advertisment from Sir Arthur Chichester, that Tyrone had betaken himselfe to the Glynnes, & that his opinion was, if hee were well sett vpon by both of vs togeather, his heade might perhappes be gott, or at least he might be driuen & forced out of that place; wee discoursed vpon it by lettres, & agreed to giue the attempte, & on the 18th of December, with all the forces I was able to make, which was 50 horse, 450 English foote, 200 of O'Caine's, & 100 of O'Doghertye's Kearne, Neale Garvie beinge then & longe before estraunged from Mee, I came to Dongannon, which is 5 Myles shorte from the entrie of the Glinnes. The first day I lay still, & gaue aduertisinent onelie to Sir Arthur Chichester of my coming, whoe was (as I imagined) newe come to the other side. The next day I went vp to a Mountaine 4 Myle off, where I viewed them with myne Eye, & it seamed (as wee were tould before) they were ten Myle broade, & 20 Myle longe, all Couered with thicke wood, and questioning with my guides about the course I should hould to make my Entry into them, I founde nothing but varietie & contradiction of opinions, & therefore the next day after, at night, I appointed Captaine Ralph Bingley with 100 light English, & most of O'Caine's & O'Doghertye's Kearne, to goe in as farre as they could, & bring Mee certaine word how the wayes were. They had not gone aboue a Myle, but the Irish mutyned, & for noe perswation would goe any further, & O'Caine's men plainelie brake off & went home to theire howses; O'Doughertie's returned to the Campe, but firmelie maintayned the wayes were not passable. Upon the 23rd I held a Consultation with the Captaines, & conferred with our Guides in theire presence, & thus by concurrance of voyces wee gathered from them of the most certaintie, but there was noe way possible to come neere to Tyrone, but wee must first for one day e's journey abandon all Carriadge but what wee had on our backes, & incampe one night in the woodes; that att our first entrance wee must pass a brooke, which if rayne fell, wee could not repass againe till it ceased; That Tyrone
Neale Garvie (as I said before) had a longe time carryed himselfe discontented, estrainged himselfe from mee, & liued altogeather in those partes about Ballyshannon, & it is true, those seruices he had done, alwayes dulie acknowledged, I had very often & very bitterlie Complayned of him to my lord, & my Reasons were these: Hee did openly & contynuallie contest with Mee to haue the people sworne to him and not to the Queene; To haue noe officer whatsoeuer but himselfe in his Countrey; Hee would not suffer his men to sell vs theire owne goodes, nor worke with vs for Money, nor till or sowe the ground any where neere vs, nor yeald vs any Carriages for the Army, as O'Doghertye, and all other that were vnder the Queene did: yea he hath taken Cowes from his People vnder noe other Colour but because they haue come to Mee when I haue sent to speake with them; Diuers stealthes haue beene made vpon vs, whereof it hath beene proued he had his shaire, & nothing more Conion with him, then to receiue & Conceale Messengers from Tyrone, & O'Donell, & when he hath first denyed it, & afterwards had it proued to his face, his onelie excuse was he refused theire offers. Hee would not endure that any Man of his Countrey should be punished for any Cryme, though neuer soe haynous, & manifestlie proued; but take it as the highest iniurie could be done vnto him. His Entertainements were about 12£ a day, for himselfe & the Men hee had in pay, & yett would muster but when hee list, and sometimes absolutelie not at all; Many Misdemeanors there were in him of this kinde, & many friendlie perswations haue I vsed to reforme them, that done, his greatnes in the qualitie of a subiect, I neither did nor had reason to Envie. Now it fell out that my lord wrote for Rorie O'Donnell to come to him to Dublin; Hee being in Connaught, desires first to putt ouer his Catle into Tirconnel, which would otherwise be in danger in his absence to be preyd by those of that prouince that yett stood out in Rebellion; my lord giues him leaue, & writes to Neale Garvie that hee shall not molest nor trouble them, & soe Roory takes his Journey. Hee was noe sooner gone, & the Catell put ouer, But Neale Garvie, notwithstanding my
Therefore I sent first to Captaine Ralph Bingley that lay at Ramullan, fitt in the way to Cross his passage, that hee should speedilie make out to stoppe him till I came, which should be so soone as I could, & then to the Garrison att Liffer that they should follow him to whome Roory O'Donnell (being there at that time) readily wyned himselfe as glad of soe faire an opportunitie to advaunce his owne endes by. I was not deceiued in my Coniecture, & soe by that time I had writt these lettres, made ready the Souldiers to goe with Mee, was past ouer Lough Swilley by boate, & had marched some 7 or 8 Mile, I mett with the Newes that our Men had ouertaken & beate him, gott possession of the Cowes, which he fought for & defended with force of Armes as
But first by the way, let the reader, if hee please, now enter into Consideration, & lay togeather; before him, the some of all that which is written before, Imagining withall, he nowe sees A towne at the Derrey (for soe there was) built with litle or noe Charge to the Queene, able, besids the houses, for stowage of Munition & victuell sent by the state, to lodge convenientlie (in those erected by our owne labour & industrie onelie) a 1000 Men with theire officers; Hee shall see besids where wee landed on the 16th of May 1600, & found not soe much as a drie sticke to succor our selues, with or vnder, the rest of the Countrey
I could speake of a greate many more workes that we did, whereof the Countrey can not but afford a Memory to this day: But my intent was from the begininge to touch onely the principall thinges, & noe more.
And soe to retourne where I left, my intent of going to Dublin being publiquely knowne, diuers came to Mee with seuerall Requests & Remembrances; and first O'Caine, who tould Mee the Earle of Tyrone had sent some Men of his to be Cessed vpon him, which did intimate as if hee were made Lord of his Countrey, woundred at it, because if it were soe it was directlie against my lord's Promise, & therefore desired mee to make his excuse that he receiued them not.
Then O'Doughertie, that he heard my lord went to giue away the
Younge Tirlough, sonne to Sir Arthur O' Neale, that my lord had alreadie giuen order for the deliuery of Newtowne into my lord of Tyrone's hand, challenged Mee of my Promise, & further desired his father's lands might be assigned him. My Guides & spyes, such as I had made many vses of, that the warres nowe ended, they might be restored to the landes they had formerlie dwelt vpon, & be serued [saved] from the Mallice of my lord of Tyrone & others that bare them a deadly hatred, onelie for the seruice they had done vnto vs.
The sonne of one of them alsoe Complayned, that presentlie soe soone as the peace was published, his father going into Tyrone, to vissitt & make merrey with some of his old acquaintaunce, was taken vp & hanged by my lord of Tyrone's express Comaundement, & telling mee whoe they were that first laid handes on him, I sente and apprehended them, tooke theire Examinations & kepte them in Prison.
Somewhat I had to say for myselfe, & a greate deale about Neale Garvie, & with theire Memorialls to speake of when I came there, I sett forward my intended iourney, & when I came to my lord's presence, I found him (as I thought) exceeding fauorable, & well affected towards Mee, for which after I had made profession of due & humble thankes, soe soone as the time serued fitly for it, wee entred into speach.
Ffirst, of Neale Garvie, whoe was there present Busyly framing Complaints against Mee, whome my lord reiected, & would not vouchsafe to say any more vnto but onelie this: Neale Garuye, yow are greatlie indebted vnto the state, for the entertainements yow haue had & done litle for, I haue often heard yow Complayned of for many ill Conditions, & now by my owne Experience, I finde it hath not beene without iust cause, & therefore yow shall not expect any further fauour from mee, but be assured of seueritie according to your deserts. Hee beganne to replye, but my lord would not giue him the hearing. Then his lordship & I fell to in talke of him betweene our selues, and first he protested touching Roory O'Donell, that hee tooke him in vpon a free and absolute submission, & letting him first knowe hee had promised the Conntrey of Tyrconell to another, soe that it lay not in his
Then touching O'Caine I tould him [Lord Mountjoy] how the Earle of Tyrone had sent men to be cessed vpon him, & how hee refused them; Sr Henry Docwra sayeth hee; My lord of Tyrone is taken in with promise to be restored, as well to all his lands, as his honnor of Dignitie, & O'Caine's Countrey is his, & must be obedient to his Comaund. My lord, said I, this is strange & beyond all expectation, for I ame sure your lordship cannot be vnmindfull, first of the agreement I made with him, wherein he was promised to be free & to hould his lands from the Crowne, & then your lordship ratified & approued the same vnto him vnder your hand, haue iterated it againe diuers & diuers times both by word of Mouth & writing, how shall I looke this man in the face when I shall knowe myselfe guilty directlie to haue falsified my word with him; Hee is but a drunken ffellowe saith hee, and soe base, that I doe not thinke but in the secreete of his hearte, it will better Content him to be soe then otherwise, besides hee is able neither to doe good nor hurte, & wee must haue a Care to the Publique good, & giue Contentment to my lord of Tyrone, vpon which depends the Peace & securitie of the whole kingdome. My Lord, said I, for his drunkenness & disabillitie to doe good or hurte, they are not heere to come into Consideration, & for his inward affections, what they are I know not, But sure I ame hee makes outward shewe, that this will be very displeasing vnto him, and the manifest, & manifould benifitts hee shall receiue more by the one then the other, are to my vnderstanding sufficient arguments to make mee thinke hee doth
Then touching O'Doughertie I tould him hee had hard his lordship had a purpose to giue away the Ile of Inche from him, which hee had shewed Me was expreslie contayned in his father's Graunte, & therefore would importe a breach of Promise both of myne & his owne. Hee acknowledged he had beene moued in such a matter, but thanked mee for telling him thus much & bad mee be assured it should not be done, wherewith I rested fullie satisfied & tould O'Doughertie as much, whoe was at that time in towne in my Compaine.
Then I came to younge Tirlough & tould him I had receiued a generall Warraunt from his lordship to restore all the Castles & houlders that I had in Tyrone, into my lord's hands. That there were two videlicet the Castle of Newtowne & Dongevin, that were deliuered to Mee vpon Condition, that the Kinge hauing noe longer vse of them, they should haue them againe from whome I receiued them, & besids that of Newtowne was parte of the peculier lands belonging to Sir Arthur O'Neale, whose sonnes there were very many reasons for, should be fauored & respected by the state. Hee tould Mee it was with him as it was with O'Caine all that Countrey was my lord of Tyrone's & what hee might be intreated to giue him, he might haue. But otherwise he could challeng noe right nor intrest in anythinge, & therefore for the Castles badd mee againe deliuer them, & for younge Tirlough, hee would speake to my lord [of Tyrone] to deale well with him.
Ffor my Guids & Spyes I then saw my aunswere before hand, & that it was booteless to Motion for any landes for them, yet I tould him what seruices many of them had done, what promises I had made them how vtterlie destitute of meanes they were to liue vpon, & how much I thought the state was ingaged both in honnor and Pollicie to prouide for & protect them. Hee said he would speake to my lord of Tyrone in theire behalfe, & badd mee giue them what I thought good in victuells out of the kings stoore, & it should be allowed of. I was somewhat importunate for a Certaintie & Countynuance of meanes for them to liue vpon & that by aucthoritie of the state, they might be allowed to retourne to theire owne landes. But he would not indure to heare of it; yet hee spake to my lord of Tyrone in my presence, and he promised freelie to forgiue all that was past, & to deale with them as kindlie as with the rest of his Tenants; howbeit afterwardes I could giue particuler instance wherein) he changed his Note and Sunge annother tune.
I then tould him of my Guide that my lord of Tyrone had hanged, he aunswered, he thought it was not without some iust cause, I desired that cause might be knowne, & the matter come to open tryall. Hee seemed to be extreamelie offended to be troubled with Complaints of that kinde, & my lorde of Tyrone said for his excuse, my lord had giuen him aucthoritie to execute Martiall lawe, & this was a knaue taken robbinge a Priest, & therefore worthyly put to Death. I was able to proue the Contrary, & offerred to doe it vpon perill of my life, by the Confessions of those Men I had at that time Prisoners in my hand. But seeing the Bussines soe displeasing to my lord I gaue it ouer, & afterwards one of them that was cheife in the action breaking Prison, I sett the rest at libertie.
Then came I lastlie to my selfe, & tould him I receiued order from him to suffer the Earle of Tyrone's men to fish the Riuer of Loughfoyle, I hoped his lordship had not forgott, that hitherto hee had giuen Mee the proffitts of it & promised mee the inheritaunce & that it was not his meaning to take it from Mee againe. Hee said Sr Henry Docwra, yow haue deserued well of the kinge, & your seruice, there is greate Reason should be Recompenced, but it must be by some other meanes then this. Yow see what promise I haue made to my lord of Tyrone, & it is not my Priuate affection to any man
As he was readie to take shipping, O'Doghertie came & tould Mee, that notwithstanding all the assurance I had giuen him of the Contrary, the Ile of Inch was past away. I could not possiblie belieue it at first, but hee showed mee manifest proofes that a lease was graunted for XXI years; I then badd him goe speake for himselfe, for I had done as much as I was able, wherevpon hee followed him into England and had such reamidie as shall presently be declared.
In the meane time being gone, my lord Hugh (the Earle of Tyrone's eldest sonne) & I went home togeather, & when wee came to to the Derrey, I sent for O'Caine, & tould him what my lords pleasure was touchinge him; Hee beganne presentlie to be moued, & both by Speach & gesture, declared as earnestlie as was possible, to be highlie offended at it, argued the matter with Mee vpon many pointes protested his fidelitie to the state since hee had made profession of it; asked noe fauour if any man could charge him with the Contrarie, said he had alwayes buylt vpon my promise & my lord Deputie's, that he was nowe vndone, & in worse case then before hee knewe vs, shewed many reasons for it, & asked, if wee would Claime him hereafter, if hee followed my lord of Tyrone's Councell though it were against the kinge, seeing hee was in this manner forced to be vnder him. In the end seeing noe remidie, hee shaked handes with my lord Hugh, bad the Devill take all English Men & as many as put theire trust in them, & soe in the shewe of a good reconciled frenshipp they went away togeather.
I was then to write vnto my lord of many other thinges, & thought this no impertinent matter to lett him knowe of, yet with a Protestation, neuer to open my mouth in it more. Captaine Heart who is yet liuing carried that dispatch, & tould Mee when hee came backe againe hee thought I had offended him in somewhat in those lettres, for he gathered as much from his Countenance, when hee read them, & besides he found him nothinge fauorable to anythinge he had occasion to speake vnto him of in my behalfe. But my hearte was soe Cleere & soe Confident of him at that time, that I could not possiblie beleeue it.
Within a while after came Roory O'Donnell to Dublin, with his Maiestie's lettres to be made Earle of Tirconnell, & haue all the Countrey to him & his heires (except Ballyshannon with 1000 acres of ground & the fishing that lyes vnder it) & such landes as Neale Garvie had held, living in amitie with the former O'Donell, the said Neale iudiciallie convicted of noe Crime which I thought was strange, But whither it were with his right or wronge with Conveniencie or inconveniencie to the state, was then noe more to be disputed of. Hee brought a warraunt alsoe to haue Owen Oge's Castle deliuered vnto him, which because of my Promise I opposed against as much as I could but with lost labour.
Presentlie after him came O'Doghertie alsoe with a lettre from my lord to Mee, to pray mee to deliuer him the possession of the Ile of Inch againe, which hee himselfe had past away before, first by lease for XXI yeares, & afterwardes in ffee simple for euer, both vnder the greate seale; I tould him this warraunt was too weake to doe what it imported, & shew'd him reasons for it, which either he could not, or would not, apprehend, or beleeue. But plainely made shew to conceiue a suspition as though I were corrupted vnder hand to runne a dissembleing course with him. To giue him Contentment if I could, being then to goe for England, & to Dublin by the way, I spoke to Sr. George Carey that was then lord Deputie, tould him how the case stoode, & what discontentment I sawe it draue him into. Hee tould Mee it was past the Seales (gaue mee a further reason too) & vtterlie refused to make or medle with it. Herevpon hee tooke it more to hearte, sente Agentes to deale for him in England, they preuayled not till my lord was deade, & then with impatience lead away with Lewd
In the meane time I went forward my Journey, & Coming to my lord to the Courte, propounded in my owne private bussines, to haue a booke of 100 towne land in Ireland as others had gotten both before & after Mee, it was allowed of & vndertaken at first. But within fewe dayes after I was told it could not be obtayned. Then desired I might haue the Gouernement of Loughfoyle, with the Entertaynement of 20s. a daye established to mee during life which I had alreadie by the king's lettres pattents but during pleasure & the towne I had built at the Derrey, if it might be thought fitt (not for any gayne of myne) to be incorporate & haue such Priuiliges as might be thought reasonable & convenient for it.
This without difficultie I was promised should be done; But coming to Sr.Thomas Wyndebancke to whome I was referred for my dispatch, I found order for my entertainement, with my aucthoritie & gouernement restrayned onely to the towne; This I disliked of & went to my lord nothing doubting but to haue it redressed: But hee tould mee it was the king's pleasure noe man should haue to doe in my lord of Tyrone's Countrey, and before I could make replie, turned away, & would not vouchsafe Mee any further Speach. There was nothing could fall vnto Mee so farre beyond expectation, as this strange & soddaine alienation of his Countenance from Mee. I Sought first by myselfe to knowe the reason of it, & none would be giuen, I vsed the intercession of freindes, a pretence was intimated, & I cleered my selfe of it with his owne acknowledgement to be fullie satisfied. Then hee gaue mee the testimoney to be a worthie & honnest Gentleman, & well deseruing for my seruice. But his priuate affections must in this case giue way to the publique good, & beside, that soe it must be, was his Maiestie's pleasure, I replyed againe how Ignomynious it would be vnto Mee, & what an vnprofitable Journey I should make to retourne in worse case then I came forth, some reasonable good wordes I had in the end to encourage Mee to haue a hope of better Conditions hereafter, but for the present I must be contented, there was noe possible remedie, soe after Six Monethes attendance, his Maiestie's lettres I had
But takeing my leaue at Courte, & departing with this dispatch for Ireland, the windes as I went put mee in at Knockfergus & my lord Deputie that nowe is, being then Gouernor of that place, & established in it by Pattent during his life, was the first that asked mee, if I were not discharged of my Gouernement, I tould him noe; hee presentlie shewed mee the Coppie of a lettre that my lord of Tyrone had sent vnto him, the orriginall whereof he had receiued from my lord Leiuetenant, declaring & giuing notice vnto him, that it was his Maiestie's Pleasure I should haue noe more to doe in his Countrey. wherevpon I tould him the whole truth, which hee seemed to wounder att & euen then to conceiue to be an Iniurie done vnto Mee. And passing by land from thence to the Derrey, I found the same Copies in euery man's hands all alonge as I went, & soe both my Comission (& estimation withall) publiquely decryed, for from that day forward the people amongst whome I had before as much loue as I thinke, as much respect I ame sure, as any man of my rancke in the Kingdome, beganne to Contemne mee with as many Skornes & affronntes, as the witt & malice of any that hated Mee could desire, or listed to putt into theire heades to doe Mee.
Not long after himselfe coming to receiue the Sword, & foreseeing the bussines, that would arise from those partes could not but necessarilie require some man of aucthoritie to be resident amongst them, &
And to giue me a further testimonye of what I might hope for at his handes, Ballyshannon being taken by mee in manner as before is mentioned, hee made Sr Henry Ffollyott Gouernour of it by pattent during his life, laid 1000 acres of land to the Castle, & gaue him the inheritaunce of the fyshinge, noe Consideration of offending the Irish, & by Consequence of inconvenience to the Publique, which were euer
All this & much more (though very irksome it was) I indured & sitt out withall a yeare & better; In the end tyred with the exercise of Pacience, & not without iust cause (as I can make it plainelie appeare to any man that desires to be satisfied in that pointe) dispareing of my safetie to liue any longer in place, I came away for England, & adressed myselfe both to him & others, that I thought might & would haue giuen or procured mee better Conditions; But they tould Mee the kinge had put all into his handes, & hee, the old songe, it was for the good of the Publique. And then seeing noe meanes I could make able to preuaile (after at least 4 Monethes tryall) I came & tould him to this effect. There was noe death could be soe bitter to Mee as the life was I had ledd, since I receiued these arguments of his disfauour, I was neither willing nor able to contest against him, & had therefore resolued though with a greate deale of greife of minde, & apparent loss of all my former laboures, to quitt myselfe of Ireland, & retourne noe more vnto it, was minded to sell away my house, & some lands I purchased there, & besought him to giue mee leaue to doe away my Companyes (that I yet held in the King's pay) togeather with them. Hee demaunded whoe it was I ment them vnto, I tould him Mr George Pawlett a Gentleman of Hampshire, hee saide hee knewe the man well, there was noe longer vse for a Man of warre in that place, & with a good will I should haue his Consente vnto it. I had not in truth at that time, past any such absolute promise to Mr Pawlett, But perceiuing by this his willingnes to be ridd of Mee, & vrged vpon it shortelie after by some that were powerfull in fauour about him, to dispatch & goe forward with myne offer, takeing that as a Manifest argument aboue
And now because O'Caine, from the breach of my promise with him, deriues, aswell, as he may, the cause of all his Miseries, & therevpon (as hee sayeth) hath often made suite to haue a day of hearing at the Councell table, & diuers times importuned Mee to be present at it, & my aunswere hath alwayes beene, lett mee be called & asked, I would not spare to speake the full of the truth according to my knowledg; But for soe doing, neither hee nor I haue hitherto had any such opportunitie; To satisfie my Conscience in that pointe, by makeing it knowne (as much as lyeth in my Power what the true state of his case is, I doe now averre, all that I haue said alreadie concerning him is
And because in the begining of this discourse, I sett downe the list of the Army, to be first 4000 foote, & 200 horse, then by the Casting of Sr.Mathew Morgan's Regiament, that the foote were brought to
And thus haue I nowe gone thorough (with as much breuitie as I cann) to declare to the veiwe of those, that shall please to see it, the true state of the Bussines betweene my lord & Mee. It is not enough perhappes to some that will yet thinke all this insufficient to excuse Mee for quitting myselfe from the king's Seruice, & may obiecte, further, why did I not address myselfe vnto him: hee was gratious, & wise, & whatsoeuer I had found his pleasure to bee, was both a sufficient lawe to binde Mee, & a reason to giue me Contentment. It is true euen wisemen some times comitt Errours, & none but arrogant fooles presume to iustifie them when they are done; as I ame not the one, soe I would not be the other, & therefore I do herein willinglie & Sincerelie acknowledge my faults, & yet with truth haue thus much to say in my Excuse, without mediation of freindes it could not be done, & they on whose fauours I had (as I thought) some Reason to Relye (because of my anciente Dependaunce vpon them) refused mee, & to seeke it by newe acquaintaunce, I had Considerations (not vnworthie to enter into an honnest Man's thoughts) that discouraged Mee; Besids I must freelie confess the contemplation of his power & height in fauour dazled myne Eyes, & greife & indignation did litle less then putt them Cleene out; yea & further I should wronge myselfe if I did denye, but that some Meditations I had in hand to take a Course Safe, & Justifiable in all Respects, If not to haue righted my selfe by, yet at least to have manifested both my wronges & myne inocency to Publique knowledge, which whatsoeuer it was, his suddaine & vnexpected Death preuented, & by occasion thereof, I haue since had leasure too much to bethinke my Selfe of my follie, & meanes too litle to putt my Selfe into any way to redress it. The onelie Reamidie I desire, is to be admitted againe to his Maiestie's Service, & therein to Spende my dayes, is the height of