I Have not written unto you these two last Posts, for that there hath been nothing done worth remem­bring, or acquainting you withall. The Earl of Ormond hath been sick of [...]ate, and is now somwhat well amen­ded, but doth not stir out of his cham­ber: This last week Col. Craford hath been in the County of Wicklow, relie­ved the black Castle of Wicklow, which was in great distresse, saw multitudes of the Rebells on the hills, but none of them came neer him; he went up to the hills, and charged them with his horse, but they would not abide him, but fled, and would not fight: It must be starving that must end the War, and therefore to begin that way, he hath fired all the Beer and Rye, which in this Country was already in Stack, and so returned.

About the beginning of the last week, the Garrisons of Athie and Maryburrough, with the assistance of Captain George Greames, made out 400 foot, and 80 horse for to relieve the Burres in Ossory, an house belonging to the Duke of Bucking­ham, in which were severall English in great distresse; it was no sooner resolved on, but two of our own souldiers, being of that County, Irish, fled, and gave them notice of our com­ing; the Lord of upper Ossory did prepare himself to give [Page 4]them resistance, with above 800 foot, and 60 or 80 horse, and on a strait, on a Bogside, set on our men; they received them with great resolution, and 40 of Captain Greames Troop charged and routed them, with the assistance of Muskettiers which were sent to clear the passage, yet they stood again and in the sight our foot killed about 80 of theirs on the place; their horse retreated farther off, on the Bogge side, made a stand; which being perceived by Cornet Wi [...]row, Cornet to Sir Adam Loftus, he rid up to them, and seeing them stand so confidently, at first conceived them to be some part of our horse; but coming more neer, and discovering them to be enemies. taking the advantage of the place, charged them home; they had the Bog at their back, and could not flee▪ our horse so bestirred themselves, that they slew 40 of the [...] best Free-holders, and amongst them a brother of the Lord of upper Ossory was slain, and Florence Fitz-Patrick [...] they say is dangerously wounded: this done, they marched quietly thorow the Country; the Free-holders being slain the poor made no resistance; and in my opinion, if there were some course taken to take in the poor, their multitudes would quickly be lessened, and the poor might be serviceable for a while, and might be well ordered afterwards, when things are better setled with you.

We are at this present making a great Trench about this City, to keep of the enemy for adventuring to fire us in the Winter. There is this morning a meeting of the Protestants of the best quality, of this City, on a Commission directed to them, to search the houses of all such as are Papists, or married to Papists, for Arms and [...], and to take it from them and deliver it [...] as likewise to en­quire what strangers or others are come to dwell in the Ci­tie or Suburbs since the [...] and twentieth of October last, and what Citizens have since that time gone out of the Cit [...]e and returned againe, to enquire how many of the Town Pa­pists are in the Army, and to consider of the plucking down of thatched houses in or neer the Citie, with some other [Page 5]particulars which for the p esent I remember not: this Com­mission is to be put in execution weekly, and the Commissio­ners have power to examine on Oath, I believe it will be due­ly executed.

So, praying God to compose the disorders with you, as the onely probable way to make us happy, I rest

DErmot mac Teage fitz-Patrick, unkle to the Lord of upper Ossory, and Dermot Oge his son, Cap­tain Lager, a Low Country Souldier, and Burk his Lievtenant; Captain Dermot mac a Boy; Patrick Ca­shin, of the Crosse; Bryan Conner, heir to Patrick Con­ner; Capt. Iohn Cashin, and Morgan Cashin, Gent. Will. Ocaroll, a chief Free-holder; Donnogh fitz Pa­trick, Gent. Also a younger son of Brian mac William; besides Lievtenant Bryan O More, prisoner at the Burrus, for the relief of which he was to be ransomed; moreover were slain Loughlin, and Pa­trick Castigan, Frier Iohn Castigan; Patrick Hore, priest, Matthew Dulany, a sub-Sheriff; Iohn Tebin, a Merchant of Kilkenny, besides Serjeant Bryan Burk, now priso­ner at Athie.

MOst loving and kind friend good­man Randall, my love remembe­red unto you and to my mother and to my wife, this in brief, I recieved your Letter from Robert Willson which you sent me, but at that time I lay very sick, for I came sick out of the Army.

As for news, we were out the last bout two and twenty dayes, we were but seventeen Col­lours at the first, but afterwards there came nine Collours more to us, five from Dublin, and four with my Lord Moore from Tredagh, then we marched for Castle Suddane, where we made a [Page 7]Hundred shot with our great Ordnance and four, before we could take in the Castle, but we killed three hundred of the rogues and more, then we marched for the Castle of Newstowne, and the rogues run away, there we left a Garrison and likewise at Coakstoane, these Castles are neer Dundalke within six or eight miles, then we mar­ched for the Nubbar, neer the Navan and Kells where there lay an Army of the rogues horse and foot, but we could not reach thither that night, but we lay a mile and a halfe short of the Nubbar, the next morning sent our forlorn Troop of horse and foot out, and the rogues were all run away, then we returned home for Dublin. We are going to intrench Dublin round about, they are gone forwards with the worke allready: The rogues hath burned Reamines, two miles from Dublin, as fine a house as any was in Ireland; There is five hundred Musquetiers gone for the Castle of Wicklow, Colonell Crayford is gone Comman­der of them, they tooke it from the English, but as yet they are not returned; But when we were at Castle Suddane, Colonell Gibson my Colonell Commanded in chief. Remember my love to my Children, Friends, and Neighbours, and to all my Noble friends at Sir Iohns in generall, giving them thanks for their loves: And as for my coming home God knoweth when; but if God lend me life and send us mony, I will be with you at Christmas or else neer Shroue-tide. [Page 8]I never recieved any means since I came in the Country, but one Months means, looke not for any Mony till I come my self, for if I had any, I know not who to send it by with trust; And thus I commit you to God.