HAving nothing of that weight and consequence, that befits me to accommodate your Ho­nour withall, worthy of your Lordships acceptation, I am inforced to present your Ho­nour with what I can, as a small signe of the great observance in many respects I owe to your Lordship, for the noble favour I have had, the honour formerly to receive from your Lordship, and the mutuall cor­respondencie that have bin between your Honour and my selfe, which when opportunity may permit, I shall with humble thankfullnesse acknowledge.

My Lord, It is a great sorrow to me, my name and Honour should be so much defamed and scandali­zed by false and scandalous reports; nay, permitted to be published in Print, that I have revolted from my King, and turned Rebell, the very name wounds me sore, which never had the left thought of Treason against my Soveraigne, or disloyalty to my Country. I am so farre from such imagination, that I will [Page 2] rather perish at his Majesties feet, and suffer any pun­ishment whatever shall be thought requisite to bring a period to my selfe, my life and fortunes, then live stained with a horrid denomination as Traytor, and am so farre incensed against these reports, that I vow to God I will to the utmost of my power main­taine the rightfull power and prerogatives of his sacred Majestie, to whom I approve my selfe an o­bedient subject and servant, and his Government, as the undoubted and lawfull King over his Majesties Kingdomes of England, Scotland and Jreland: I desire not to be disobedient to any the Laws and Ordinan­ces of his Majesties Parliament, for the good govern­ment of his Kingdomes; that may not abridge or restraine the free exercise of the Roman Religion which I am devoted to, and am ingaged to main­taine in duty to God, and respect of my future hap­pinesse and salvation: Her Majesty my gracious Queene I will to my power indeavour to obey, and her rightfull Raigne in his Majesties Dominions, under his government, endeavour to uphold and maintaine to the utmost of my life and fortune: and such respect and honour I owe to my Lady, whom my prayers are daily for, and to whom I recommend my dearest affections, that she may be confident I will intermeddle with any affaires that may I hope not prove destructive to my selfe or Family, or in defamation of mine or her honour, which I humbly desire your honour to certify Her, and to present his Majesty with my unchangeable and dutifull in­tentions.

[Page 3] My LORD,
Some passages of the affaires here in Jreland, I thought good to present you withall, which is ne­cessary to be taken notice of. There was a great Battaile fought before the City of Lemster, where there was slaine 4000 English and Scots, and Sir Ed­ward Denny one of our Captaines, with his Forces of 400 Souldiers hath slaine Thomas Bland Esquire, with 500 more of his Souldiers, and put all the rest, besides some Prisoners taken to flight, that is the greatest o­verthrow to the English that hath yet bin. And Sir Edward Denny having the victory, on the next morn­ing being by his Souldiers saluted in a most noble manner, for their beter encouragement, gave to eve­ry Souldier 5 li. and in vindication of his reputation made a royall Feast to entertaine his Souldiers in a deriding and scoffing manner to the English.

There was also another Skirmish on Saterday last which continued some 8 houres between the Forces under command of the Lord Osmond Netterfield and others, and the Forces under command of Sir Si­mond Harcourt, Sir William Cootes, Mr. Moore of the English, the Lord Douglas, Sir Charles Bland, Mr. Hen­ry Steward, and oters of the Scots, where was sl [...]ine 2000 Irish, and about 100 of the Scots and English, the rest of the Irish forced to retire, and great spoyles were left by them as a prey for the English of Amunition and provision of victualls, sufficient to maintaine 500 men for 6 months, which was a great weakening to the Catholique party. And thus ha­ving no more newes at this present, I will not be troublesome to your Honour, but humbly take my leave.

IN my last to you I signi­fied to you, the difficulties which were like to befall us by the relieving of Droghe­da, but God by his infinite mercy hath freed us (I may say miraculously) from that hazard: for when our men there were driven to that extremity to eat Horse-flesh, Sir Henry Tichbourne sallied out of the Town with only fourty Musketiers, and fourty Horse, and beat off foure hundred of the Enemies, killed above threescore of them; recovered fourescore Cowes and Oxen, and two hundred Sheep; burned foure Townes, and brought home two of their Colours; Besides, I must relate unto you Gods abundant good­nesse unto us, in that the night before the reliefe and succours which we sent by Sea from Dublin to them, should have entred into the Harbour of Dro­gheda, [Page 5] (which was strongly fenced over with a Chair and severall Boates) there happened a storme which broke their chainer, and gave our men so free a pas­sage, as with little difficulty they came safely to the Towne. The Rebels were gathered at Kilshalgham, within seven miles of Dublin, above two thousand men, where they were settled in a very strong wood. My Lord of Ormond carryed out part of our Army, and beat them out of that great strength (for they would not come into the Champaine) and killed a­bove a hundred of them, without any considerable losse of our side, only Captaine James Rochfort, a most gallant and couragious Gentleman. This was an act of great bravery, wherin Sir Charles Coote did, (as he doth alwayes) beyond expectation, exposing his person to as much danger as any man living could; and in truth he is a gallant man, full of cou­rage and good affections, and deserves great incou­ragement from that side. Our Souldiers are in great want of Money, which causes a generall want of all other necessaries; yet notwithstanding God hath in­fused such courage into them (for undoubtedly it is his work) that they think ther is no danger so great, but they may attempt it.

Colonell Munke is arrived here with my Lord Lievtenants Regiment of fifteen hundred foot, and Sir Richard Greevill, with neere foure hundred Horse, which puts much heart into us, and makes us looke big upon our neighbours, yet we grieve we cannot be able to relieve our friends in other parts; but I hope when our full succours shall come; we shall not only defend this place, but adde comfort [Page 6] to our poore distressed friends abroad.

The enemy, though their numbers be very great, even beyond beliefe; yet their hearts begin to faint, and I beleeve they repent their furious madnesse.

If my Brother be in London, I pray you impart this Letter to him, I would have written to him, but that I thought he was at Chester, or on his way thither. By the next he shall heare from me at large, and I shall likewise trouble you.

I must now only tell you, that I thanke you for your care of those things which concerne me, and that I am, Sir,