I Hope my last Letters of Ianuary 14. sent by a Scotch Gentleman, are come in safety unto your hands; for I per­ceive that by meanes of our sending into Scotland, and from thence by Post or such assured speedy conveyance unto Lon­don, (if life and safety here permit,) you may some­times understand the passages here. By my last Letters, I intimated my being here in London-Derry, [Page 2] and that I have been here since December; And I mentioned unto you the most inhumane cruelty and bloody practices that the Rebels have inflicted upon the poor Protestants here; how they have dealt with our Ministers, worse than the Turkes doe by their Mutes and Eunuchs; how barbarously they have dealt with Ladies and modest Gentlewomen, as others of that sex; how many children they have burnt, taken by the heels and dasht out their braines: And of that Diabolicall and unchristian-like practice, when they have by menacing perswasions prevailed upon the weak­nesse of some Protestants, to goe to their Masse and partake of their Sacrament, and then cause that they be hanged with scoffings, that they are fitted and prepa [...]ed for death.

I did also let you know the present distresse that wee then were in, and yet are, here within this City of London-Derry; You shall understand that within these wals are above foure thousand persons, which never heretofore endured such misery and hardnesse; sweet dispositioned vertuous Ladies, and Gentlewomen of singular quality, many of them ready to famish, some without cloaths, all without money, and what is necessary for their sustenance, but that wee share in common upon hopes of reliefe from England, if wee bee not wholly forsaken (as the Rebels say we are.) This is a very strong City, and may hold out for our [Page 3] safety and the good of all this Kingdome, if it be speedily supplied as is necessary, with victuals, men, Armes and Ammunition; without which we have no hopes to subsist, but must bee made a prey to the mercilesse Rebels. O, that England would lay it to heart and consider our distresse! although we are a particular, yet very considerable, as well for the generall good as for the preservation of us miserable abjects; (if not objects of pitty:) we had not been exposed to this misery, had not that divellish invention defeated the City of London from their just possessions, or surely wee had ere this beene comforted in some measure: O, as I said formerly, wee are wholly deserted and left, as a people not worthy the mentio­ning; and in truth if it hold thus for a while longer, you may be assured of our utter destructi­on; for the Rebels have vowed, and by their messages threatned, that unlesse wee render unto them, they will not spare either man, woman or childe: and truly for us to accept their conditions is as dangerous; for they hold no faith with any. They shew themselves of an infinite number upon a hill over against the Ferry, and have possest them­selves of all the boats from a place called Ballakel­ley, to Strabam, burnt the town of Strabam, where they destroyed many in the fire, and took from us there one great piece of Ordnance; and they have another, which they got further in the Countrey, [Page 4] with which and their force they may beat downe all the houses in this towne; for wee have in strength of men and armes to oppose them now, but foure pieces of Ordnance great and small; this Towne doth need at least twenty pieces of Ord­nance, and a thousand men. Good Cosen pro­claime our distresses farre and neere. Wee have sent to Dublin twice, and no remedy, but our last messengers returne with this; that our former are gone for England, but what they doe there, God knoweth; we can heare of no comfort or re­liefe from thence. O-Neale, Mac-Guyrr, Mac-Gennes, and O-Gallows are joyned in one body of at least a thousand men, to assaile us: Con­naught hath advanced above so many more to their assistance: we expect them every day to assault us, and wee are in admiration that they shew them­selves, and no way as yet assault us, although very neere unto us. I did formerly write of the great losse at Garvagley, above two hundred of our men were staine, in which Master Rayley and Master Canning were lost: great men are in this Rebellion; the Irish, make new Lawes and Statutes amongst themselves, and yet they say they are true and loyall Subjects: they plough and seeme to be ab­solute and secure amongst themselves, and vow never to suffer the English againe amongst them. In this little City are many Families, some famished, others grievously pined and annoyed; so that as I [Page 5] believe the Rebels policy is, that without blowes the place must bee forsaken although the people bee exposed to death or more barbarous cruelty. Are we not of England very flesh and very bone, and shall we thus suffer for want of help! We hear that that Arch-Rebell Mac-Maghon is taken, and O-Relly hanged at Dublin: But all Lemster is so strong of Rebels, that Dublin, Droghedaugh and Youghall is in aparent danger: All Vlster is lost, excepting London-Derry, Colraine and Carric-Fergus. I shall not bee more tedious at this present, pray for us all, amongst which you cannot forget