1580.

[July 28.] 440. Vol. 597, p. 385.

the lords in this province, which you suppose to be Mr. White's,
the author of it was Sir Warham Sentleger.

The plot collected for Munster I send by this bearer.
Thanks for your most friendly dealing with me in Bellowe's

matter.

If the Pope's forces come not, they will greatly disappoint the natives here; and if they come, I know very few whose weapons will not be turned into our bosoms, "amongst whom there is none that, for love and faithful duty, exceedeth the Chief Baron, Sir Lucas Dillon."

Your letter of the 12th assures me of the coming of three ships to the Admiral, who is for lack of victuals departed. "And albeit you are informed of discharge of the Spanish navy, especially for galleys and argosies, yet were the news here never so rife of their coming with 80 sail of well-appointed ships ready to make sail 14 days since. I think it strange in such a time as this that no man of reputation is employed in Spain, but that all intelligences must depend upon the report of merchants and mariners. I am glad to hear of my Lord Graie's coming, and wish that he bring with him such furniture for the war as cannot be carried in post, as men, money, and victuals, without which he shall find here a most miserable being."

"Commend to her Majesty the perfection of a warrant of certain articles which I have set down for keeping of loose kerne and rebels from their ordinary passage upon the fords of Shenen to infect both Munster and Connaught, and from distressing of her Majesty's boats and victuals, and disturbing the trade of merchandise upon the river."

Limerick, 28 July 1580. Signed.

Contemp. copy. Pp. 41.

A PLOT for MUNSTER, by LORD JUSTICE PELHAM. "A probable Discourse, how, upon the extinguishing of this rebellion, the province of Mounster may be kept from any revolt hereafter, how it may bear the charge of 1,200 men, yield revenue to her Majesty, and in short time repay the charge of the war.'

No province of this realm of Ireland is comparable with the province of Munster.

All the spiritual livings should be resigned into her Majesty's hands, and commissioners appointed.

Commissioners in Causes Ecclesiastical should be chosen to compel the people to obey and reverence their pastors, and "to shake off their most damnable custom of taking and repudiating of their wives." The Bishop of Rome is both king and priest there.

This title occupies a whole page, and is beautifully ornamented and coloured.

1580.

The Parliament should escheat all the lands of the late Earl of Desmond and all other rebels.

Her Majesty's imposts of wines and customs should be renewed by Parliament, "and some defects holpen that were in the act expired, concerning the great quantities of aqua vita, bastards and Canary wines brought into this realm."

It is to be considered what governors, leaders, and soldiers were requisite to remain continually within the province. A martial man of English birth should be appointed principal governor, and have under him two colonels. For sea causes 100 men should be at the commandment of an admiral, who shall maintain five galleys that draw little water, to defeat the galleys of the O'Mailes and O'Flarties, that bring in Scots, and to inhibit and withstand fishing of strangers.

To prevent the frequent practice of foreigners for raising of rebellions, and superstitious priests and runagate friars from taking passage in stangers' bottoms and departing into foreign. countries to practise with strange princes, fortifications should be made upon the principal havens and creeks, and wards put in the same. They would also prevent the commodities which the Irish make by entertaining pirates, and, also Portingalls and Spaniards, that yearly come to fish in those harbours, bringing with them powder, calivers, sculls, targets, swords, and other munition, whereby the idle men of this realm are most plentifully replenished. Straights and necessary passages upon rivers should be fortified with bridges in needful places.

All lords and principal gentlemen should be compelled to keep no idle men but such as they will maintain in their houses with meat, drink, and wages. All saving freeholders to be disweaponed and disarmed, to follow either the plough or some science or occupation. Citizens to be restrained from bringing in weapon or munition, or selling iron where it may be converted into weapon. To execute all saltpeter men and such as inake powder among the Irishry. The Irish not to fortify but by licence. Lords not to place any Irish as their constables in castles or forts, but such as will give sufficient security for their good behaviour. All men to bring up their children where they may learn the English tongue. Officers for execution of law to be maintained.

The Earl of Ormond's liberty of Tipperary and his country of Ormond to be reduced to order and restrained from the entertaining of loose men. His neighbours of Ellie and Upper Osserie to be tied to the like conditions.

Bridges to be builded and fortified at Cassan and Mallowe. Description of those places. Fortifications to be made near the fords over the Shenen:-(1) at the bridge of Athlone ; (2) beneath the town of Clonmocoshe; (3) at Bannaugh ; (4) at Melecke. Places to be fortified upon the sea coasts to master the harbours.

An estimate must be made how many horsemen, gallowglas, and kearne are maintained in Munster. Where two Irish

1580.

horsemen are maintained, there the party to find one English horseman; for every two galioglas one English footman; and for every three kearne one footman. There will thus be found to your Majesty 135 horsemen and 1,384 footmen.

The towns have many times exclaimed of the extreme burden of their cesse by feeding the whole army longer than they were able; for ease whereof hereafter, and to dispense for ever with the rising out to hostings and journeys, there may be rated upon them 196 footmen.

The second way to ease your Majesty of the charge is to take the benefit of all the possessions of the Earl of Desmond and the traitors; in all, 10,000 plowlands, rating but 120 English acres to every plowland. "If every plowland be set for 40s. and a fine of 10l. ster., or what revenue may grow without fine, by letting the plowland at 4l. ster., besides the service of horsemen and footmen to every general hosting for 40 days once every year, will appear unto your Majesty by view of the calendar following." The imposts of wine rise to the sum of 1,000l. by the year; and 1,000 tuns of Spanish wines are brought yearly into the province.

Every man manuring land of his own and converting it into grain should be licensed to vent grain into foreign parts at 4d. a peck for custom. 10,000 quarters would be utterly yearly.

"When the fortifications should be builded upon haven[s] and creeks, where now the Spaniards have their chief fishing, the customs now taken by the Irish (and more also) would be converted to your Majesty's use, to be levied by the officers of those forts, whereby it were likely there might grow to your Majesty the sum of 1,000l. per annum." The timber growing near the waterside and portable rivers might be converted to making of ships.

Every freeholder will yield, to be free from cesse and all other impositions, 20s. ster. upon every plowland of 100 acres. A mean to ease the Earl of Ormond's country.

"Like as Connaught doth now bear his own charge, a thing past all hope till trial was made and justice settled," so will Munster yield all and more than is set down in this plat.

I. "The First Table concerning the governor, officers, captains, and soldiers to be maintained in the province of Munster."

II. "The Second Table mentioneth the places of fortifications, together with the numbers to be maintained in wards, and the charge of the fortifications."

III. "The Third Table declareth the numbers of gallowglas, horsemen, and kearne retained by the lords in Munster to serve one upon another for the defence of their countries, with which they make roads and journeys, and leave their countries guarded; wherein is also inserted what numbers of horsemen and footmen the country towns may bear unto her Majesty."

1580.

July 30.
Vol. 597, p. 403a.

441.

"The whole forces of the country: horsemen, 272; footmen, 3,460. Are to bear horsemen, 135; footmen, 1,389."

"The Earl of Desmond's forces, as he was before he entered into this action, now decreased:" horsemen, 100; gallowglas, 500; kearne, 800.

"All those gentlemen of the county of Limerick that are not in rebellion, but poor, and therefore for a while to be dispensed withal:" horsemen, 4; gallowglas, 0; kearne, 60.

"The forces of cities and towns in the province of Munster. What numbers they have to defend (2,610); what footmen they may keep for your Majesty (196)."

Horsemen and footmen which the lords and the towns can now make, 6,342.

Horsemen and footmen, wherewith the countries and towns are to be charged, 1,614; the charges of whom at the rates of 12d. ster. the horseman, and 8d. the footman, per diem, amounteth per annum unto 21,6747. 18s. 4d. ster. And so deducting the sum of 18,561l. 118. 4 d., which is the whole charge of the province, there yearly resteth to be converted as a rent to your Majesty 3,1137. 58. 64d.

IV. "The Fourth Table, concerning the profit that may rise by escheated lands."

They amount to the sum of 10,000 plowlands. Fine of 101. for every plowland and yearly rent of 4l.

v. "The Fifth and last Table concerning the escheated lands."

Contemp. copy. Pp. 38.

PELHAM to the COUNCIL in ENGLAND.
Sent by Mr. Markeham.

The garrisons of Asketten and Kilmalloke have returned with preys and execution of traitors. The Earl's followers would gladly forsake him, if they might be received. I do not receive any but such as come in with bloody hands, or execution of some better person than themselves. One that this day brake from them has declared the miserable estate of the Earl's followers, and that very lately he saw the people ready to kill Doctor Sanders with stones, reviling him before the Earl as the ruin of them and all Munster; and hardly could the Earl appease them from killing of him. They are somewhat encouraged by the breaking out of the Viscount Baltinglas, the news of the Spanish fleet, and the alteration of government; and they expect a more universal rebellion.

I doubt not but the Council at Dublin and the Earl of Ormond, having the commodity of passage from Dublin and Waterford, have informed you of all the doings in the Pale; but I send you copies of seditious occurrences from Rome, published at Waterford by one Eve, of Devonshire, with two

1580.

July 30.

Vol. 597, p. 405.

442.

copies of the Viscount Baltinglas's letters, both to Ormond and to a merchant of Waterford, one Walshe. The Council at Dublin, in their last letters to me, expected the success of a parley between the Earl of Kildare and him on Saturday last.

The state of the victualling appears by a certificate enclosed. We hear nothing of the ships, either of the Queen's navy or of the victuallers. The Admiral is departed. No soldiers have arrived at Dublin or Cork. The money sent when my Lady Wallop came over is disbursed. Have regard that my Lord Graie find not these wants with over-great extremity at his landing.

I have even now received your letter concerning the greatness of the allowance given to the Master of the Rolls. Greater diets were given him for his discharge of the Chancellor's office.

Asketten, 30 July 1580. Signed.
Contemp. copy. Pp. 3.

EVE'S SEDITIOUS LIBEL.

Published in Waterford, and by the Mayor sent to the Lord Justice, 25 July 1580, and by his Lordship sent on 30 July to the Council.

"From Rome, the 23rd of February 1580.

"On Thursday last the ambassadors of the King Catholic and the Duke of Florence were admitted to an audience together, and at the same time the league was concluded against the Q. of E. between his Holiness and the said King and the Duke of Florence in manner and form following, viz. :—

"That his Holiness will furnish 10,000 footmen and 1,000 horsemen; the King Catholic, 15,000 footmen and 1,500 horsemen; the Duke of Florence, 8,000 footmen and 100 horsemen; to which armies shall be joined the Almains, which are already passed into Spain; they to be paid ratably by the said princes.

"That if it shall please our Lord God to give a happy voyage and success to the army, that, before any other thing else, the people may be warned in his Holiness' name to return to the Catholic Roman Church, and to live in the obedience thereof, in such manner and form as their predecessors have done before this time.

"That his Holiness, as Sovereign Lord of the island, will grant to the noblemen Catholic of the country to make election of [a] Catholic Lord of the island, who with his authority of the See Apostolic shall be declared King; provided always that he shall be always obedient and faithful to the See Apostolic, as the Catholic Kings have done until the time of their last Henry.

"That the Queen Elizabeth shall be declared a wrongful detainer and unable to hold the kingdom, for being born of unlawful marriage, and also that she is an heretic.