SIr in my last of y^e 19. of December I wrote to you at large of the arriuall of the newe supplie of Spaniards at Castel-hauē, Bal­temore, and Beerha­uen, and of their in­tents and beginnings to fortifie, in all those thrée important pla­ces. Likewise that Sir Richard Leuison towing out of Kinsale Hauen a­gainst winde & weather, fought with them within Ca­stle Hauen most valiantly, and of their ships being sixe, sunke and made vnseruiceable fiue: the men being most landed before hee could come to them, by reason of the weather, and beating vpon him very dangerously from the land with their ordinance. That they were said to be 2000. in number, with great store of ordinance and mu­nition, & that as they reported, some thousande moe were comming after. That a great part of the Irishry of Mū ­ster becommen Rebels of new, were reuolted to them, and receiued into y^e King of Spaines pay. That Odonell with good Forces of horse and foote out of the North, by [Page 2] the benefit of the then extreame & sudden frost, gat pas­sage almost vnlooked for by himselfe, and slipping by the Lord President of Munster (who was sent to impeach him) with such forces as could be spared from the Army) was ioyned with them. That Tyrone, with O Rourck, Redman Bourck, Mac Guyre, Mac Mahone, Randal Mac Surley, Oconor, Slygoes brother, Tyrrel, the Ba­ron of Lixenho, and the rest of the old fugitiue Rebels of Munster, with the greatest and choisest force that was euer amassed in Ireland, were drawne nere our Camp. And that these all, together with sixe Ensignes of those newly arriued Spaniards, in all to the number of 6000. foote, and 500 horse, by Powle, were on foote ready to march towardes Kynsale and our Campe, with intent and most assured confident hope with helpe of them in the Town, which should haue salyed out on the Campe, vpon the attempt of Tyrone and Odonell, and were aboue 2000. Spaniards, almost all old souldiers, aswell to reléeue and rescue the Towne, as to remoue our siege, and vtterly to breake, dishonour, and defeate vs. And truely Sir, when I did then consider, on the one side this great strength, the newly ioyned men and horses to bée all fresh, vigorous, and strong, hauing all the Countrey opē to them, abounding with victuals, forrages, armies, munition, and all furnitures: those in the Towne, the most of them experienced souldiers, well armed, and in no such want as was supposed: On the other side, our men in numbers scant equall to them, all almost tyred and wearied out with the miserie of a long Winters siege, our horses decayed, leane and very weake, our best meanes of victuals and forrage likely to be cut from vs, with many other impediments whereof I speake not; When I say, I well wayed and pondred with my selfe these poynts, and layde together withall, this one of great importance, that when we should be forced (as it [Page 3] was likely) to answere two forces at once, one from the Towne, another without, a great part of our men were like enough to shrink, or at least not to stick firmely to vs (which by good coniectures I could make probable to you) Blame me not, if vpon these consideratiōs I wrote to you then somewhat distrustfully of our estate, as ta­king indéed our liues and honors, this seruice, and by consequence this whole Countrey likely to be put to an vnequall iumpe. And so may I well say they were, al­though by the goodnesse of GOD especially, and by the most vigilant circumspection and valiant prowes of our worthy Generall, things out of these difficulties haue now sorted to so happy successe, as by that which follow­eth you shall sufficiently perceiue. To continue therefore my accustomed Relation to you, and to begin from that said day of the 19. of December, It may please you to knowe, that on Sunday the 20. wée still plying our at­tempts to the Towne, with face and shew as though we nothing cared for Tyrone and his companie, at night certaine intelligence was brought vs, that he would bée the next night within a myle and a halfe of vs, with all the aboue recyted Forces. And accordingly vpon Mun­day the 21. towardes night, hée shewed himselfe with most part of his horse and foote, on a hill betwéene our Campe and Corke, a myle off vs. At which time séeing two Regiments of our foote, and some horse drawne out of our Campe, and making a resolute march to­wardes him, hée fell backe to the other side of the hill, where hée encamped that night, strengthened with a fastnesse of wood and water. Whereby though his re­tyre might bée imputed to some touch of credite, yet had hee this aduantage, that hée might kéepe from our Ar­mie all passages and meanes for forrage: The other side ouer the Riuer of Ownibuoye béeing wholly at his disposition, by reason of the generall reuolt of those parts.

[Page 4]On Tuesday the 22. some of Tyrones horse and foote made shewe againe in the place where they had done the day before, and that night were some of their horse, and 500. foote discouered, searching if they might finde fit way to the Towne.

On Wednesday the 23. aswell by intelligence other­wise, as by letters of Don Iohn d'l Aquila, Generall of the Spaniards, and Captaine of the Towne newly intercepted, we found that he had importuned Tyrone and his company very much, to giue an attempt vpon our Campe; inumating vnto them his owne necessitie, and likelyhood to bee shortly forced within the Towne, their faithfull promises to succour him, the facilitie & vn­doubted successe of the enterprise, he assuring them, that our numbers could not be but much lessened, and those that were remaining, greatly decayed and weakened with the long winter siege, so that it was not possible we should be able to maintaine so much ground as we had taken whē our strength was full, if they on the one side, and he on the other put vs well too it: which he for his part promised them assuredly to doo very soundly from the Towne, whensoeuer they should thinke fit to doo the like from their Campe. And it séemeth that vpon this ad­uise they tooke their determinate resolutiō for this course, and to put it in execution with all speed, either that night or the next at the furthest. Those of the Towne in the meane time gaue vs alarums, made Sallies, and did by all meanes what they could to kéepe our men in continu­all trauell, that they might be the lesse able for resistance when this attempt should come to be performed. The Lord Deputie till now applied himselfe in show wholly towards the Towne, but indéed not meaning any force­able effectuall attempt vpon it, till he sawe what would become of Tyrone and his Forces.

[Page 5]and therefore hadde an especiall eye, by continuall es­piall, vpon his meanings, and lest suddaine hurt should be taken from him, or the Towne, if both he without, and they within should inuade at once, he made Fortes and Barracadoes, heightned the ditches, déepened the Trenches, stopped and strengthened all the Auenues to the Towne, hadde the whole Army in a readinesse vppon euery suddaine warning, and kept strong and watchfull guardes alwayes in all places. And now late in the night of this Wednesday, the thrée and twentieth day, being assuredly enfourmed of their intent of attempt vpon his Campe that night, or the morrow after, his Lo. gaue order to strengthen the ordi­nary guards, and to put the rest of his Army in readi­nes, but not as yet into Armes: commaunding that the Regiment volant, which was a squadron of viii. Com­panies of foote, selected out of al the old Bands, conducted by Sir Hen. Poore, and appointed to be alwayes in a readines to answere all Alarames, and therefore exemp­ted from all other duties, should draw out beyond the west parte of the Campe, and there stand in Armes, not farre from the maine guard of horse.

A litle before the breake of day Sir Ric. Greame, who had the guard of horse that night, sent the Lo. Deputie word, that the skowts had discouered the rebels matches in great numbers, whervpon his Lo. caused the Armie presently to arme, and 300. choise men to be drawne out of the quarter, where the Earle of Thomond and 3. other Regiments lay, to make stand betweene that quarter, and the Fort vppon the west hill, himselfe with Sir George Carow, Lo. President of Munster, Sir Ri­chard Wingfield, marshall of Ireland, aduanced forward towards the skowt, and hauing giuen order to Sir Hen. Dauers Liuetennant generall of the horse, for the orde­ring of those troopes, sent the Marshall, to take view of [Page 6] the Enemy, who sent word he was aduanced horse and foote néere the toppe of the hill, where the Erle of Tho­mond first quartered, within lesse then 2. musket shotte of the towne. Whervpon the Lo: deputie calling to him sir Oliuer Lambert Gouernor of Connaught, who bée­ing there without Charge, was commaunded to attend his Lo. that day, made choise of a péece of ground bée­twéene that and the towne, of good aduauntage, both to embattel, and fight, as hauing on the backe a Trench drawne from the Earle of Thomonds quarter, and so secured from the Towne: And on the front, a boggish glyn passable with horse only at one foord: The ground wheron the Enemy must haue drawn in grosse to force the passage flanckfered from the Earles quarter by the canon, and situate in the midst of allour Forces, and re­turned word to the Marshall, that in that place hée was resolued to giue the Enemy battel, if hée came forward: commaunding further, the Regiment of Sir H. Folya [...] and thrée old Companies of the Regiment of Sir Oli­uer Saint-Iohn to bée brought thither, the rest of the Army being al ready in Armes, together with fiue hun­dred Sea-men, brought by Sir Richard Leueson to at­tend, when, and what, he should command.

But Tirone, whose meaning ouer night, was, to haue béene with vs before daie, and as wee since learned, to haue put al the Spaniards into the Towne, with viii. hundred of the best Irish vnder Tirrell séeing it now faire day light, and discouering the Marshall and Sir Hen: Dauers to bée aduaunced with all the horse, and Sir Hen: Poer with his Regiment, stopt at the foote of the hill, and anon, thinking it to bée no day for him, reti­red the Troopes he had aduanced againe, to the bodie of his Armie beyond the Foord. Presently the Marshall sent the Lord Deputie word, that the Enemy retired [Page 7] in some disorder, wherevpon his Lo: commanding the forenamed troops to folow him with al spéed, aduanced himselfe into the head of al, to see with his owne eie, the maner of the enemy, & in what sort thereupon he might determine to procéede. But before he could, either well view, or direct, a violent storme, during some quarter of an hower, gaue the enemy oportunitie, not yet perfectly disconered, to drawe off ouer a plaine in three great bo­dies of foote, all their horse in the Rere, and the wings with all their other loose men fallen vp into the head. Which the L. Deputie, the day now clearing, percei­uing and dicsouering, by this their disorderly March, that they were in feare, being certified also, that there was not before them any place of so good aduantage to make head on, as those they had passed and quited, re­solued to follow, and to sée what profit might be made of an enemy thus troubledly retiring. Whereupon dispat­ching presently Sir Geo. Carew, Lo. President of Mun­ster with thrée cornets of horse backe to the Campe, to attend there against the Towne, and whatsoeuer other attempt, because he was to be the fittest Commaunder in his Lo. absence, and because there had otherwise no horses bene left in the Campe, himselfe hauing with him, in al, betwéene thrée and foure hundred horse, and vnder 1200. foot, made after the Enimy. And aduancing some mile further on, pressed him so hard, that he was forced to stand firme in thrée bodies vpon a foorde of a bogge (which bogge to assaile them, we must of necessity passe) and in all apparance, with a Resolution there to abide vs and fight. They maintained a good skirmish on our side the Bogge, with their loose wings, newly drawne out of their bodies, and hurt some of our men and horses, till with our wings they were at length bea­ten backe.

[Page 8]The Marshall being somewhat aduaūnced, espied a Foord, a musket shot off on the left hand, neglected by their foote, and onely guarded by their horse: whereof aduertising the Lord Deputy, with desire of leaue to force them that way: the Lord Deputy approouing it, and commaunding to drawe vp drawe vp the foote with all expe­dition, the first wings of foote once arriued, seconded with sir Henry Poers regiment, the Marshall, with the earle of Clanricard, who neuer ceased vrging to fight, taking with them sir Richard Greame, and other com­panies of horse: with them, and those foote, forcing the enemies horse that kept the passage, passed ouer, and with that aduantage, finding themselues side by side with the enemies battell, and further on then their rere, charged their battell in flanke, but finding them to stand firme, whéeled about. At which the enemies ta­king corage, drew on their horse, with a cry to a charge, who came on brauely within fiftie or sixtie paces of our horse, and there after their country fashion stopped, sha­king their staues, and railingly vaunting, but durst charge no further. Which the Lord Deputy séeing, sent presently ouer the Foorde to them his owne cornet of horse, vnder sir William Godolphin, and the Lord Pre­sidents cornet vnder Captaine Minshow, (which twoo cornets he had appoynted before, to kéepe stil a grosse in the Rere, to answer all accidents) together with twoo af our thrée bodies of foote vnder sir Iohn Barkeley Ser­iant maior of the Campe. Wherevpon the Marshall and Earle of Clanrickard seeing a second at hand, v­niting themselues with Sir Henrie Dauers, hauing with him Captaine Taffe, Captaine Flemming, and other companies of horse, charged againe the Enemies horse, who not abiding the shocke, fledde. At the sight whereof, the battell dismaying, our menne thought [Page 9] it better to charge againe vpon them, then to follow the horse, and so coragiously doing, vtterly brake them. The rereward of the Enemie, in which was Tyrrell, and all the Spaniards, stoode firme vpon the bogge on the right hand, vnto whom, within caliuer shot, the Lorde Deputie had drawne vp our Rere, which was Sir Oli­uer Saint Iohns 3. companies, commanded by Captaine Roe, in absence of sir Oliuer, (dispatched few dayes be­fore by the Lord Deputie, and Counsaile, for speciall af­faires to her Maiesty) charging him first, not to stir, till he receiued direction from him. But séeing Tirrell, and the Spaniards drawing betwéene our horse, béeing on the execution, and the bodies of our foote, his Lo. hauing hitherto, by direction, set al other mēs swords on work, himselfe now in the head of our said Rere, where he had before resolued to fight, charged the Enemy in flancke, and put them to a disorderly retreite after their fellows to the toppe of the next hill, where they made stand a lit­tle while. But the Irish quiting the Spaniards, the Spaniardes in short time were broken by the Lord De­puties horse, commaunded by sir William Godolphin, and most of them slaine. The vantgarde of the Enemy, with all the loose wings, which were many, séeing what happened, threw away their armes (and all our men being otherwise busie) escaped. The chiefe Commaun­der of the Spaniards, Don Alonso d'Ocampo was ta­ken prisoner, with three Captaines, sixe Alferrez, and fortie souldiers. Tirone, and Odonell, with the rest of the Irish Lords, ran apace, and saued themselues. Those of the battell were almost all slaine, and there were (of the Irish Rebelles onely) found dead in the place, a­bout twelue hundred bodies, and about eight hundred were hurt, whereof many dyed that night: and the chace continuing almost two miles, was left off, our men [Page 10] being tyred with killing. The Enemy lost two thousand Armes brought to reckning, besides great numbers im­bezeled, al their powder and drummes, and ix. ensigns, whereof 6. Spanish. Those of the Irish that were taken prisoners, being brought to the Campe, though they of­fered ransome, were all hanged. On our side, onely one man was slaine, the Cornet of sir Richard Greame. Sir Henry Dauers was hurt with a sword slightly: sir Wil­liam Godolphin a little raced on the thigh with a hol­bert, Captaine Crofts the Skowt-master with a shot in the back, & not aboue sixe moe common souldiers hurt. Many of our horses were killed, and moe hurt. And thus were they vtterly ouerthrowne, who but the very night before, were so braue and confident of their owne good successe, as that they reckoned vs already theirs, and as wée since haue vnderstoode, were in contention whose prisoner the Lord Deputy should be, whose the the Lorde President, and so of the rest. The Earle of Clanrickard carried himselfe this day very valiantly, and after the retreite sounded, was Knighted by the Lorde Deputy, in the field amongst the dead bodies. So did all the rest of the Captaines, Officers, and Souldiers, named and vnnamed, and especially the Lo. Deputy himselfe, who brake, in person, vpon the floure of the army the Spaniards, and omitted no duety of a wise diligent Conductor and valiant souldier. Vpon the fight ended, he presently called together the Army, and with prayers, gaue God thankes for the victorie. A victorie indéede giuen by the God of Hostes, and mar­uellous in our eyes, if all circumstances be duely consi­dered, and of such consequence for the preseruation and assuraunce to her Maiestie, of this déepely endangered kingdome, as I leaue to wiser consideration, content­ing my selfe with this, that I sée the God of power and [Page 11] might, disposed to protect the iust cause of his seruaunt, our gratious Quéene Elizabeth, against the pride, ma­lice, and powerful disdain of the greatest potentates, hir enemies. To him be the glorie.

After this glorious victorie thus valiantly atchieued, the Lord Deputy the same day hasted to his campe, lest any thing (in his absence) might happely haue béene at­tempted there. But, not finding the Ennemy to haue made any sally, which indéede had béene but vaine for him, considering the small fruit he reaped by them here­tofore, euery one that he made hitherto redounding stil to his owne detriment and losse, and euery place of our Camp, at this time, being so wel and sufficiently streng­thened and prouided for against him as is sayd before.

The next day his Lordship commaunded Captayne Bodlegh Trench-maister generall of the Campe, who as well in the fight, as in the workes, had deserued speci­all commendation, to sée the formerly begunne Forte and platforms, to be vndertaken againe, and néerer ap­proches to be cast out towardes the towne. But after fiue or sixe dayes labour Don Iohn d' lAquila, captaine of the Towne and Forces within, offered a parlée, send­ing the Drumme maior of the Towne with a sealed let­ter to the Lord Deputy, by which he required, that some gentleman of speciall trust and sufficiencie might be sent into the towne from his Lordship, to conferre with him, whom he would acquaint with such conditions, as hée then stoode vpon. His Request being assented vnto by his Lordship, sir William Godolphin was imployed in the negotiation, which was carried in this forte, word for word, as it is taken out of the originalls here, viz.

Don Iohn tolde sir William, that hauing found the Lord Deputy (whome he termed the Viceroy) although a sharpe and powerfull, yet an honorable Enemy, and [Page 12] the Irish, not onely weake and barbarous, but (as hée feared) perfidious friendes, he was so farre in his affe­ctions reconciled to the one, and distasted with the other, as did inuite him to make an ouerture of such a compo­sition as might be safe and profitable for the State of England, with least preiudice to the Crowne of Spaine, by deliuering into the Viceroy his power, the Towne of Kynsale, with all other places in Ireland, held by the Spanish, so as they might depart on honorable termes, fitting such men of warre, as are not (by necessity) infor­ced to receiue conditions, but willingly induced, for iust respects to dis-ingage themselues, and to relinquish a people, by whom their King and Master had bene so no­toriously abused, (if not betrayed.) That if the Viceroy liked to entertaine further parley touching this point, he would first be pleased to vnderstand them rightly, & to make his propositions such as might be sutable, to men thorowly resolued, rather to bury themselues a­liue, and to endure a thousand deaths, then to giue way to one Article of accord, that shuld taste of basenes or dis­honour, being so confident of their present strength, and the royall Second of Spaine, that they should make no doubt of yéelding good accompt of themselues and their Interest in this Kingdome, but that a iust disdaine, and spléene conceiued against the nation, disswaded them from being further engaged for it, then of force they must, Sir Wil. Godolphin being commaunded by the L. Deputie onely, to receiue Don Iohns propositions and demamaunds. Hauing made his L. and Counsel this Relation, was by them returned with the answere following. That howbeit the Lord Deputie hauing lately defeated their succours, didde so well vnder­stand his owne strength and their weakenesse as made him nothing doubt of forcing them within a short time, [Page 13] whom he did know to be pressed with vnresistable difficulties, how much soeuer they laboured to co­uer and conceale the same, yet knowing that her sacred Maiestie out of her gracious and mercifull disposition would esteeme the glory of her victory to be blemished by a voluntary effusion, and an ob­stinate expence of Christian bloud, was content to entertaine this offer of agréement, so as it might be concluded, vnder such honorable articles for her highnes as the aduauntage she had against them gaue reason to demaund: being the same which are sette downe in the Articles of agréement follow­ing, signed by the Lord Deputie, and Don Iohn & others: sauing that there was in them besides, the leauing of his treasure, munition, artillery, and the Quéenes naturall Subiects to her disposicion, all which points hée did peremptorely refuse, with cō ­stant asseueracion that both he and all his would rather indure the last of misery then be found guil­ty of so foule a Treason against the honour of his Prince and the reputaciō of his profession, though hée should find himselfe vnable to subsiste, much more now, when hée might not onely hope to su­staine the burden of the warre for a time, but with patience and constancie in the end to ouercome it. That he tooke it so ill, to bée misunderstood in ha­uing Articles of that nature propounded vnto him, as were they but once againe remembred in the Capitulacion, the Viceroy should from thence­foorth vse the aduantage of his sword and not the benefite of his former offers: adding, that the Vice­roy might rather thinke to haue made a good and profitable purchase for the Crowne of England, [Page 14] if with the expence of 200000 Duckats hée had procured Don Iohn to quite his interest and footing but in Baltymore alone, to say nothing of Kyn­sale, Castell-hauen, and Beerehauen: for (said he) suppose that all we with the rest of our places here had perished, yet would that Pen Insula (beyng strong in it owne nature, bettered by our arte and industrie, prouided as it is of victuals, muniti­on, and good store of Artillerie) preserue vnto the King of Spaine a safe and commodious port for the arriuall of his Fléete, and be able to mayntaine it selfe against á land Armie of ten thousand, vntill Spaine (being so déepely engaged) did in honour reléeue thē: which would drawe on a more power­full inuasion then the first, being vndertaken vpon false groundes, at the instance of a base and barba­rous people, who in discouering their weakenes and want of power, haue armed the King my Ma­ster to relie vpon his owne strength, beyng tied in honour to reléeue his people that are engaged, and to cancell the memory of our former disaster. But this was spoken (said he) in case the Viceroy were able to force this town, as I assure my selfe he can­not, hauing vpon mine Honour within these wals at this instant, aboue two thousand fighting men, that are strong and able, besides those, which ha­uing béen sicke and hurt, recouer dayly: the grea­test part of these, composed of old Souldiers, which fall not but by the sword, and those that were new, beyng now both trayned to their Armes & growne acquainted with the Climate, are more able to en­dure then at the firste: our meanes as good as they haue béene any times these two monethes, such as [Page 15] the Spaniardes can well away withall, and ther­of to suffize vs for thrée moneths more. We lodge in good warme houses, haue store of munition, and (which is best of all) stand well assured that our succours wil bée shortly here. To bée playne, wée preserue our men, and reserue our strength the best wée may, hoping to front you in a breach, which if our harts fayle vs not, we haue hands and breasts enough to stop against treble your forces: though I will giue the Viceroy this right, That his men are passing good, but spent and tyred out with the misery of a Winter siege, which he hath obstinatly maintayned beyond my expectacion, but with such caution, and vpon so good guard, as hauing nicely watched all aduauntages, I could neuer fasten a Sallie yet vpon him, but with losse to my selfe: wherein I muste acknowledge my hopes decea­ued, that grounding on some errour in his appro­ches, promised my self the defeate of at least a thou­sand men at one blowe. But when wée méete on the breach, I am confident on good reason, to lay fiue hundred of your best men on the earth, and rest hopeful that the losse of those will make a great hole in an Armie that hath already suffred so much extremitie.

But to cōclude our businesse, the king my Master sent me to assist the Condées, Oneale & Odonnell, presuming on their promise, that I should haue ioi­ned with them within few daies of the arriuall of his forces. I expected long in vaine, sustained the Viceroyes Armie, saw them drawne to the grea­test head they could possibly make, lodged within two myles of Kynsale, reenforced with certaine [Page 16] companies of Spanyards, euery houre promising to releeue vs, and beeing ioyned together to force your campes, sawe them at last broken with a handfull of men, blowne asunder into diuers parts of the world, O Donnell into Spaine, Oneale to the furthest of the North, so as now I finde no such Condées in rerum natura (for those were the very wordes hee vsed) as I came to ioyne with­all, and therefore haue moued this accord, the ra­ther to disingage the King my Maister from assi­sting a people so vnable in themselues, that the whole burden of the warre must lie vpon him, and so perfidious, as perhaps might bee induced in ac­quitall of his fauour, at last to betray him. Vpon relation made by Sir VVilliam Godolphin to the Lord Deputie and Councell, of these offers of Don Iohn, which at seuerall conferences had beene brought to such heads, as are spoken of before: it was thought good, for diuerse important reasons, to procéed roundly to the agréement. For whereas in the propositions by him made; there was not any thing that admitted exceptions on our part, but onely, that he required to carrie with him his ordinance, munition, and treasure, that beeing no way preiudiciall to the maine scope or drift of our Treatie, which chéefely respected the com­mon good and safetie of the kingdome, deserued not almost to be thought vpon. Besides that, the Treasure béeing at the first but a hundred thousand Duckats, with foure monethes payment of so many men, and other necessarie deductions, could not but bee very néere wasted; and that little re­maynder, more fit for a prey to the poore souldiour, [Page 17] after his tedious trauell, than for a clause in the composition. Furthermore, how needfull it was to embrace this accord, may clearely bee seene by whosoeuer considereth the state of our Armie, al­most vtterly tyred: how full of daunger and diffi­cultie it was to attempt a breach defended by so many hands: how long time it might haue cost vs, if wee had lodged in the Breach, before wee could haue carried the Towne, it beeing full of strong castles: how her Maiesties ships and others lying in the harbour, should haue béen forced spée­dily to forsake vs for want of victuals: how by a long contrarietie of winds, our selues were not prouided for aboue sixe daies, at the time of this parley, though within fewe dayes after good store arriued: it being indéed worthy of obseruation, that by her Maiesties great care, & the dilligence of her ministers, so good prouidence was vsed, as, though this descent of Spanyards drew into that quarter all the forces of the kingdome which could be spa­red, all which were onely to liue by prouision out of England; notwithstanding all the difficulties of transportation, in so vnseasonable a time, no noto­rious wants were found in the Armie, but that which is vnseparable from a Winter siege, in that Climate: that we had neyther munition nor Artil­lerie left but for one batterie in one place at once, fiue of our péeces being before crazed: and finally, that if we had missed of our purpose, the whole coun­trey had béen hazarded. Furthermore, that which seemeth of greatest consequence to induce his Lordship to this agréement, was: That the Spa­nyards in Baltymore Castle-hauen and Beere­hauen, [Page 18] by vertue of this contract were likewise to surrender those places, and depart the coun­trey, which would haue prooued a matter of more difficultie, and haue drawne on a long warre in a corrupted kingdome, to root them out, béeing strongly fortified and well stored with victuals, munition, and artillerie, for that of necessitie the Armie for some space, must haue rested, and in the end haue beene constrained after a new supplie of al necessaries, to her Maiesties intollerable charge, to transport themselues thither by sea, the way by land being altogether vnpassbale. In which time, their succours out of Spaine in all likelyhood, would haue béene come vnto them, the king being so farre ingaged in his honour to second his enter­prise, and we barred of that prosecution of the Re­bels, which now by this Agréement we may whol­ly entend.

The Treatie therefore was thus concluded, as by the Articles ensuing, signed on both parts, ap­peareth.

And so is this troubled Cloud, of most likely perillous danger for this time dissolued, to her Maiesties most singuler renowme; Not so much for the glorie of the euent, as for her owne Mag­nanimitie and Princely resolution, to leaue no­thing vndone which might preserue that Crowne, how deare so euer it cost her; to the great honour of our Generall, Leaders, and Souldiers by land and Sea Actors therein, who, if it be well considered, that after the Enemies arriuall xxviij. Septem­ber, [Page 23] it was xxvi. October before they could get all things readie to sit downe nere the Towne: xxix. October before their Ordinance could play, And that by j. Nouember. they had gottē Ricorren ca­stle, And then vij. Nouember were driuē shrewdly to diminish their strength by sending the L. Pre­sident from them with two Regiments of foote and 325 horses against Odonell, That hee retur­ned not till xxv. Nouember, his Companies 26. And then that the Supplyes of Spaine were lan­ded. That the most of our shipping that did vs speciall seruice were gone towardes them, That Odonell was alreadie come, Tyron shortly after, and xx. December all in sight: 24 beaten: That xxxj. December the Parley begunne, ij. Ianu­arie the Articles were sworne: ix. the Towne yéelded. These thinges (I say) considered, it cannot bée thought they spent any idle time, as by the Iournals also which I sent you here­tofore doth particulerly appeare. Nay, let it bée duely considered indéed, that the Towne though not regulerly fortified after the moderne sort, yet was of strong scituation, well walled, and rampierd of the old fashion, and apt to receiue fit fortification, which the Enemie by his skill and leasure had giuen it, both within the Towne and without, as being accounted of great know­ledge in fortification, and hauing béene a Mo­neth in it before our men could come néere much to molest him. And it may rather bee maruailed, y^e such an Enemie with such a Companie, so pro­uided, not béeing constrained by sickenesse, fa­mine, or other defect of prouision, and expecting [Page 24] shortly (as himselfe tearmeth it) a Royall supplie frō Spaine, should so soone yéeld vp, not only it, but the other Castles, & that of Baltymore especially so important, so strong, so fournished to hould so long out, as by his owne acknowledgement ap­peareth before. Well, going they are with y^e loane of ordinarie vessels which they also pay for: for whome yea and almost for any enemie of lesse qualitie than these, all auncient estate wisedome would haue aduised to haue made and giuen them a goulden bridge to passe ouer, rather than they should haue stayed longer vppon any Condition, much lesse vpon doubtfull hope of a small contemp­tible pillage to haue béene gotten of them, which must néedes also haue béene bought with much blood, and with what further Charge and ha­zard to the mayne, God knoweth. And howsoe­uer any perticuler humour may take it, I thinke Don Iohn (all Circumstances considered) did ad­uisedly for his King to leaue it: And for our part I take it a Seruice to haue béene most honourably perfourmed, with singuler euident profite, and all probabilitie of certaine future securitie to our Prince and Countrey, and that otherwise it can­not bée conceaued off, of any that will indifferent­ly iudge. The proofe whereof by the fruite be­ginneth here presently to appeare, by the dimini­shing of her Maiesties Charge, daunting of the Rebels, quiet, comfort, and encouragement of the good, and before dismayed Subiect, and will (I doubt not) but be generally felt with you there, by sparing your men and monneys, and putting you out of feare hereafter, of your and our, and all [Page 25] Englands potent Enemie for his further attemp­ting this way. And this for this of the late victo­rie and yéelding of the Towne, which is my purposed taske vnto you at this time. As for that which was done from the first landing of the Spa­niards till the fight, I referre you to the Iournals sent you before. And for the generall course of the noble Lord Deputies whole procéedinges in this Land, since his first arriuall héere, I leaue it to others to bee treated of more at large hereaf­ter, onely this I will now say in generall, let it bée but without humour iudicially considered, in what estate he found this Land, and to what hée hath now brought it, and there is none so vnindif­ferently affected, but must bee forced to confesse, Quantum mutatus ab illo! And héere I end my ob­iect of the fight, and yéelding of the Towne, and whole quiting of all the Inuadors, with Salmaci­da Spolia, an vnbloudie victorie of our part, most befitting a Virgin Quéene, and a Bacheler Gene­rall. And so doe betake you to the Almightie. At Corcke this 13 of Ianuarie, 1601.