I Having not Intelligence of this Bearers going for England, untill this very in­stant, doe hope that you will excuse my Brevity, to give you an account of the Passages and occurrences of these parts, answerable to that short tract of time which I have allotted to expatiate my selfe in. It is like to be a most miscrable time with us here, if that we should not be speedily relieved with more force out of England; My Lord of Muskrey exspecteth to be King of Munster, and intendeth to beleaguer Corke, and this Fort: But we care not a louse for him nor for all his Forces. All the Papists in Jre­land are up in Rebellion and have sworne and arti­cled to dye in this quarrell; There is not an Enghlish [Page 2]man in all Ireland, that hath a Cow, Sheepe, or Chick left, but what they keepe under the command of a Castle, or walled Towne: and by reason of words made knowne to me, that some of my houschold did heare some of my Tennants say, I was willing to withdraw my Estace and Goods from my House at Ballinrea: for some of my Household, asking some of them what they would doe now, in respect of that rebellion that now [...]s in Ireland, they, answered them, they did intend to joyne themselves to the strongest side. After which Information given unto me of such speeches falling from their mouthes, I had taken all that I had from Ballinrea, and inten­ded to quit the Castle, but that I was betrayed by my owne Tenants, and lost my Wayne and Oxen, and other things, but to no great value: But they are taken by such neighbours of mine as I wisht might take them, because I hope to have their Lands for it.

To morrow I intend to ride out and to carry a Troops of Horse to Ballinrea, where I intend to hang and burne most part of my Tenants: and I intend before I returne to have a flirt at. Carby of Balea.

The next weeke my Lord President will plant a Piece of Battery against his Castle, which Piece I am now making ready to that purpose: thus time calling me off, for the present I am constrained to forbeare any further Recitall of what is here Novall:

WE have 4000. men, and 500 horse that are now marching up to a place caled Jal­low-Hill, where the Rebels do make us beleeve, that they wil bid us a battell: But we can scarse credit it, that they will be as good as their words, wee rather think they will not abide the shocke, when it comes to triall. For they are very much afraid of our great Gunnes. We have six small peices of Ordinance, and 2. great Peeces: and they doe not love to heare the roaring of the Cannons; our Cannoneers playing upon them [Page 4]with our great Gunnes is a dismall sight to them.

There hath arrived here from Bristow, 500. Men, and 1000. Men are come over from Minyard, and my Lord President of Munster, came downe to meet them, and went along with them up to a place called Killkenny which was in the hands of the Rebels, and he with his forces set upon them and forced them out of it; and the English and Protestant forces have slaine of the Rebels, nigh 2000. and taken 60. Priso­ners of good Ranke and Qualitie.

Also within 5. Miles of Tredah, or thereabout our forces set upon the Rebels and slew many, took my Lord Netters-feild, and Colonell Reade, which Reade perceiving how hard it was like to goe on their side, seeing his men drop downe so fast in ear­nest, thought it good policy for him to drop down amongst the slaine in jest, and thereupon he fell downe and did lie still among the Souldiers that were dead: that so they might thinke him to be dead also and passe him by, and thereby he thought, when he had opportunity, to make use of his leggs to save himselfe. But one Souldier among the rest of our Souldiers, seeing so goodly a fine Belt upon a Gentlemans shoulders lying on the ground, and pro­bably thinking that the Belt might be his, as well as anothers if he were dead, he did make triall whe­ther he was dead or no, and gave him a good kicke with his foote on the hinder parts: the Gentleman having his sense of feeling quicke, lying downe ra­ther upon policy then impotency, got him up, and a­way he ran with all the speed he could, but all to [Page 5]little purpose, for he was quickly taken, and is now fast. Also Philom Oneale was put to his shifts, and necessitated to escape over into a feild of furses, and it being knowne that he had made an escape that way, they set the feild of furses an fire, and so they ferrited him out: but he did steal away in the smoke, and whether he is yet taken or no, we have no cer­taine Intelligence.