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1580. Feb. 24.

Vol. 597, p. 265a.

Feb. 28. Vol. 597, p. 266a.

Feb. 28. Vol. 597, p. 267.

320.

321.

322.

PELHAM to the BARON of LIXNAWE.

I have often understood by the Earl of Ormond and others of the Council how dutifully and loyally you have depended upon the Queen, notwithstanding the tyrannies and wrongs done to you by the Earl of Desmond, and that in all troublesome times you never fell from your duty till now. I cannot but assure myself that you will become as one of us, and serve her Majesty as in times past. If your son Patrick, for love to his uncle, have done amiss, he shall have all favour for your sake. If any man have persuaded you that foreign aid shall come to the relief of the traitors, believe them not, for the Queen's navy is at sea. The King of Spain will not so lose the ancient amity of England, whatsoever that unnatural traitorous priest Saunders may have persuaded. Therefore I require you with your forces to come to me at my coming into Kerrie. If you could lay hands upon Sanders, that I might have him alive, I promise you the best reward.

Limerick, 24 February 1579. Signed.
Contemp. copy. Pp. 2.

PELHAM to ORMOND.

Small proportion of victual. Extreme rain. Coming of the Treasurer (Wallop) within a day or two; "for whom I do stay, lest otherwise I be forced either to return or to spare the most of my forces for his safe conduct." The Glanns, where Oliver Stevenson is constable, is the aptest place for our staple of victuals.

Limerick, 28 February 1579. Signed.
Contemp. copy. P. 1.

PELHAM to the COUNCIL [in ENGLAND].

Sent to my Lord Keeper, at Dublin, by Thomas, my Lady of Thame's lacky, to be convoyed into England.

I have received no letters in answer to mine of January and February. On the 18th the Earl of Ormond and I assembled in the east end of Arlowe, in the county called Muskrie, where certain of the Burkes kept three castles to the relief of the traitors. I took those castles from them. We left in Cashell 100 footmen under Captain Dowdall, and committed all the forces of Tipperary and 50 of the Earl's horsemen to Sir Tibott Butler, with precise order how Sir Tibott and Sir William Morgan, the Lord Power and Sir James FitzGarrett, the sheriff of the county of Waterford, and Patrick Sherlocke (who have horsemen, galloglas, and kerne in holding upon the charge of the country) shall answer one another upon all occasions.

As we understood from Sir Warham Sentleger in what doubtful terms the lords of that county stood since the news of the coming of foreigners, Ormond repaired into those parts. He is to meet me in Coneloughe about the 6th of

1580.

March. We there divided our forces, leaving to him four bands of footmen and 100 horse, with the 200 kerne which he and Sir Edmund Butler had in pay. I repaired towards these parts with four other bands and some horsemen. Coming in two days' march to Limerick, I found here no provision of victuals, saving a small proportion of wheat sent from the purveyor of Westmeath. I have "ordered that the citizens, according as the soldiers were cessed in their houses, every host should provide 10 days' bread for his guest." Part of this provision is to be carried with me, "and the rest to be put in boats to a castle in Cainrie, by the Shenen side, called the Glanns." I am awaiting the coming here of Mr. Treasurer, who is in Connaught. He is attended but with his own band of footmen, the other (Captain Cace's band) being left with McWilliam Euter.

The castles of Asketen and Carrigofoill are guarded by the Earl of Desmond, and all the country wasted about them. I do not hear, as yet, of the kerne that I have hired for this journey, and which I left to the conduction of Mr. Cosbie. We have neither hay nor oats, nor any grass, but such as we bring by boats.

One vessel of wheat is arrived at Waterford, but the victualler will go no further. The victuals might almost as well be at Bristol as at Waterford.

So soon as it was bruited that I bent my course hither, those few freeholders that are not revolted began to take heart. Brian Duffe O'Brian, of Carrigogonnell, taking to his aid the constable of Adarre, went into Cainrie and took a prey of 200 cows. Desmond and his company pursued and engaged him, but could not recover the prey. The Earl lost one of his kinsmen, a son of the old John of Desmond, whose second brother, seeking to win a castle from one James Lewe the day before, was crushed with a log from the battlements. A third brother was slain previously. "And now the impotent old man,* being thus spoiled of his children, sent his wife to me, unto this city, for protection, and would fain end his days in quiet." His wife is sister to Sir William Burke.

Sir Nicholas Malbie has put an end to the stirs in Connaught by Richard Burke Inerian, husband of Grany O'Maillie, and, in company of Mr. Treasurer, is ready to repair to me.

I publish to all men that her Majesty's ships are already at sea, to confound the Spanish navy.

"I did lately make a reconciliation between the Earl of Ormond and his brother Edward, who stood before a little wavering, and was to be doubted, the rather because of his match with the sister of Desmond. He repaired hither unto me, and did confirm the news of foreigners, declaring that a priest of his own was with Saunders at the coming of the

* Sir John of Desmond.

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Spanish messenger; and that Saunders tormented himself before the Earl and before that messenger, showing much dislike that he should be made an instrument for God's cause, and from so great princes, and to promise in their names to the people of God and to perfect Christians that which had not been performed; whereupon the messenger did persuade with him to be contented, and that the aid should urdoubtedly be here about the end of March; but the Doctor urged much Saint Patrick's Day, which here they say is the 18th day of this month.*

"Mr. Butler declareth farther that the reward appointed by the King to the messenger for the discovery of the state of the rebels was 1,000 ducats, which the messenger protested he had lost by the sudden sending away of a former bark by Doctor Saunders; but the Doctor assured him he should be also well rewarded.

"Mr. Butler's priest doth farther affirm that a letter of her Majesty's, which was written to the King of Spain, of the death of James Fitz Morris and the overthrow of all the faction, and how her Majesty was possessed of the Earl's only son, was brought by the same Spaniard to the Earl of Desmond, whereby your Lls. (who are privy whether any such letter was sent or not) may gather how true the intelligence is that declareth these matters. He allegeth farther that a great part of the Spaniards shall land here, and other part shall pass to Scotland to conclude a marriage between the young King and the King of Spain's daughter, and thereby to work strange effects in England."

I have, of late, by my letters to the Baron of Lixenawe, which were accompanied with others from the Earl of Ormond, persuaded with him to leave the rebels.

Limerick, 28 February 1579. Signed.

Postscript.-Shovels, spades, pickaxes, handbills (with hooks to hang at men's girdles), and felling axes (with like hooks made at the heads) are required. The town of Waterford will be willing to bestow some cost of themselves in the strengthening of that place.

Contemp. copy. Pp. 81.

The ARMY.

"The number of bands and how they are employed under the Lord Justice and Earl of Ormond, the 28 February, 1579, and sent in the letter before written unto the Lls. of the Council in England."

Total, 2,828 men.

Contemp. copy. Pp. 3.

1580. Feb. 28.

Vol. 597, p. 273.

Feb. 29. Vol. 597, p. 274.

Feb. 29.

Vol. 597, p. 275.

324.

325.

PELHAM to the PRIVY COUNCIL.

The Lady of Thame has left the body of Sir William Drury to be interred by me, when God shall send me with the soldiers to return into the Pale. She is now to depart into England. His debts. Wages due to him as Justice. Her fatherless children. She has been allowed for guides and spials, but not paid. I commit her and all her reasonable petitions to you.

326.

Limerick, 28 February 1579. Signed.
Contemp. copy. Pp. 2.

PELHAM to the LORD TREASURER (BURLEIGH).

Ormond is employed in the county of Cork. I stand in readiness to march into Coneloughe. I expect the Treasurer within three days. We have not 100 quarters of grain in store, but every second day we have some help, by the river, out of Westmeath. Your old servant, Walter Hope, is purveyor of the grain in those parts. Mr. Waterhouse overlooks the victuallers, and supplies the place of secretary.

Yesterday there arrived one Roch of this city, who was in Andalusia the 11 of this month. He declareth that the King hath in readiness 150 galleys, and all the armathoes that are want to go for the Indies, and 70 Flemish hulks, which is the substance of his ships. It is death to ask whither they bend. He saith further that the King of Morochus hath made the King of Spain a present of divers of the noble men of Portingall and of Spain, taken at the battle in Barbary, which were received in Spain with great joy. The ships which were sent from Dublin and Waterford are not yet come about;* neither any provision from London or Bristol."

Limerick, the last of February 1579. Signed.
Contemp. copy. Pp. 2.

PELHAM to WALSINGHIAM.

Your advice to keep a journal is good. Touching Sir Owen O'Sulivante, he is not able to impedite any that should take land, unless it be when a few sailors come on shore in the haven where he dwells, to whom he often uses violence. He has married the daughter of Viscount Barrie. He would never come to Sir William Drurie or to me. Divers friars from Spain landed in Beare Haven. Only when the ships were in the haven he articled with Captain Piers and Captain Yorke, lest they should put any on shore to harm him, in which articles he utterly refused to swear against the Pope.

The Clerk of the Check has been commanded to muster, and Ormond to view the companies under him. The numbers

"Above" in MS.

1580.

Feb. 29.

Vol. 597, p. 276a.

at Waterford were reasonably complete, saving that extreme travel and lack of their pay made them very bare and evil clothed, and many sick. Since complaint was made 600 have been cashed. "Many of the companies stand so upon. their reputation as they do sometimes sue to be mustered, and will also declare their defaults, when they have any, to th' end to have them supplied.'

ور

The sending abroad of the Queen's ships proceeds from very sound advice. The release of the English merchants in Spain and the free recourse that the Irish merchants have had this year are but to rock us asleep. Divers strange vessels have been in all these western havens, and have sold their wines and departed. The town of Galway were not suffered to lade but in strangers' bottoms, which I take to be a device to make many able pilots for this coast.

Limerick, the last of February 1579. Signed.
Contemp. copy. Pp. 34.

PELHAM to SIR CHRISTOPHER HATTON.

327.

Excusing long silence.

Limerick, 28

February 1579. Signed.

Feb. 29.

Vol. 597, p. 277.

Feb. 29. Vol. 597, p. 277a.

328.

329.

Feb. 29. Vol. 597, p. 278.

330.

Contemp. copy. P. 3.

PELHAM to SIR JAMES A-CROFTE.

Excusing seldom writing.

My brother Spencer has written to me of your furtherance of my causes.

Limerick, the last of February 1579. Signed.
Contemp. copy. P. 1.

PELHAM to OLIVER STE[V]ENSON.

I have received your letter concerning garrons staid by order of Sir Nicholas Malbie. I am persuaded that the sheriff did it of his own authority; but at the coming hither of Sir Nicholas you shall be so well dealt withal as shall content you. In the mean season I am desirous to speak with you, if you could leave your house in safety. For as many kerne as you can have to follow you, being able men, you shall have wages.

Limerick, the last of February 1579. Signed.
Contemp. copy. P. 3.

PELHAM to the LORD KEEPER at Dublin.

I yield to your request for an impotent soldier to be admitted as one of the company allowed by her Majesty. I

*"The last of February" in the margin.

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