YOur Letters the 29. of March, I received the 14. of Aprill: I must tell you of all is nought with us for want of money, here lan­ded yesterday 400 Dragoners, and it is reported that 300 more goes to Tredaugh, yet I am not very sure of it, our Souldiers have no shooes, so that they can­not travell bare-footed, and there is but 12000. l. landed, which will not pay the Souldiers for a weeke.

The 12. of Aprill the Earle of Ormond, Sir Charles Coote, and Sir Thomas Lucas with others went forth with 4000 foote and 300 horse to goe 40. myles compasse Southward and Southwest, and to doe all the spoyle they could, killing of man, woman, and child, to burne all places with Corne and Hay, but whether they be gone, we yet know not, 'tis said they went to Catherlo, Trim, and Marronborough, from whom we have not heard these 14. dayes, neither can they send, unlesse by a good Convoy, for the Rebels lye upon every passage, and they that doe most hurt, are the Churles who goe to Plough all day, but in the night they kill every body they can take, as wee have [Page]good proofe of, and when they [...]t [...]ough if they see a lone man they flye to him, strip and kill him, you wou [...]d wonder to see the Desolation there: All things is exceeding deare, Beese at 40. s. the quarter, the Carkasse of a Calfe at 34. s. Mutton at 6. s. the quarter, Lambe at 3. s. the quarter, an Egge at 1. d. yet had we mony we cared not.

The Rebels are strong, and now they have store of ammunition and Armes; an English Ship is put in at Galway laden with Salt, so the Townesmen went out to buy it, but in conclusion tooke the Ship with 8. peeces of Ordnance, and 6. Barrels of Powder, Mr. Darcy and Mr. Martin Lawyers, were the greatest Actors in all this Treason: The Fort of Galway is in great distresse for want of Munition and Armes: The Justices have sent one of the Kings Ships that brought us Victuals and Ammunition, to carry all necessaries unto them, but God knoweth whether it will come to them in due time, for they must have many seve­rall winds: We heare that a Ship is put into Lime­rick, and brought 300 Barrels of Powder, with store of other provision, and one other small ship to Balti­more, which this ship hath taken, and lest it at Kin­sale, but the Birds were flowne, and there landed 40. Commanders, and Munition, another was landed at Dungarven, and put a shore Commanders and Muni­tion, and another at Waxford with men and Munition.

The Lord Montgarret and the Earle of Ormonds Brother sent to our Army, that they would fight with them before their returne: Sir Henry Titchbourne is yet at Dund [...]lke, and doth great matters with a few men: The Lord Moore was at Dublin the last week, but [Page]stayed not & went thither again, carried 100 horse & 200 foot, but they had no shooes, so that they cannot doe much good: We heare not of any Scots yet lan­ded in the North, Mr. Hill keepeth Carrickfergus, and hath raised 500 horses, and done much good ser­vice, and now 'tis said he must loose all his men and the charge he hath been at in raising them.

The Lady Hoy, the Lady Davis, the Lady Loftus, their Children and many more are newly landed from Chester: We cannot yet learne what is become of Colonel Plunket.

The Earle of Clanrickard cannot doe any thing, for he hath not 40. men that will stick to him, The Townesmen of Galway did offer to seaze upon the Fort, but when they did see 3. or 4. of their men fall, they all ranne away, So fare you well.

YOu may remember, that on the 12. of A­prill, the Earle of Ormond, Sir Charles, Coote, and Sir Thomas Lucas, went forth with 4. thousand Foot, & three hundred Horse, to goe to re­lieve some Castles 40. or 50. Miles from Dublin, and now it is fit I give you an account of what they have done, and I doe not doubt but if Henry Rolles, were torelate the businsse to the Lords in England, they would give him a Pension: First, I must tell you our Army relieved Catherlew, Mariborough, and Go­shell, and brought the Ladies and Gentlewomen away, then the Borr, where Master VVilliam Parsons lives who hath defended the place very bravely to his e­ternall Fame. From thence to Athy, relieved that, hanged the Portriffe at his owne doore, and so in a manner we have done Mr. Grace, the Portrive of Mariburow, for he is brought to Dublin to be hang­ed here: At Athy the Earle of Ormond had notice, that the Lords of the Pale, and some of Munster, with the Lord Mongaret, with about 12000. Horse and Foote intended to fight with him, whereunto the Earle prepared to fight, and they sent him word that they would fight with him, to which his Lord­ship returned answer that they durst not, Sir Charles Coote went up and downe whistling and Laughing, making no great account of the Rebels cracks or brags, but in earnest they appeared from behind a [Page]Hill, and spread the hill all over, with 6. great Bodies of men, well armed and excellently well accommo­dated, Our men charged the first with their shot, the Earle of Ormond led the Vautguard of the horse (Captaine Skout) after our men had fought a good [...]oure, spying some advantage, brake in upon a Body of their men, whom they found more like a Devill then a man, and tooke 2 Colours, which was brought home with him in Pompe, the Fight began much hotter, but we had 6. Pieces of Ordnance, which when they playd upon them, the shot did so wonder­fully affright them, that they threw away their Armes, and happie was he that could runne fastest, our Horse followed, and our Foote, and by report there was of the Rebels slaine 1200. or more as some say, we tooke 60. brave horse, and many are runne into the Boggs that cannot be got forth, the slaughtered Rebels lye so thicke in the field, that our men could not passe by them, one sayd they lay like a sheete upon the ground, all stripped, and our men by report have got 300. l. among the dead, bodies, our men have brought home all the Lord Mongarets provision, hsi Waggon drawne with 8. Oxen, three Barrells of Powder, with Bullets and match and many good things, 4. Colours, 4. Heads (but never a Calves head) viz. Colonell Art. Cavenaugh, his head, the Lord Mongarets Sonnes head, Colonell Suttons and Colonell Birnes heads, but not the great Colonell Birne: The Earle of Ormonds Brother en­countered the Earle, and each discharged there Pistols but did no hurt, but the Earle changed his horse and followed him, but the Troope brought the Earle [Page]backe, who otherwise might have bin intrapped, God by praysed we have not lost an Officer, nor 40. men

This Battle was fought on this side Athy, some 4. Miles, at a Place called Balleshamgh, many of our Colours are shot twice or thrice, some Fiue times, and as you have power, perswade your Friends to send us some more money, and Shooes, without which the Soldiers cannot march or stand, and with speed. Sir Charles Coote doth intend to stay at the Naas, so doth Serge [...]n [...] Major Panet, with halfe the Army, to doe some Service in those parts, Our Ar­my came backe to Dublin the 27. of Aprill, 164 [...]. So I rest.