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of all the fighting men of both the counties of Tipperary and Kilkenny; for although some householders and principal gentlemen, more wary than the rest, went not, yet their sons, servants, and followers (as they term them there) went to him. And finally, all Ormonists, of what sirname soever they were, except Sir Theobald Butler, Lord of the Kaer (Cahir), and the Lord Baron of Dunboyne's people (who then was in England and under age), rebelled with him. James FitzMores, for his part, had gotten to him the Earl of Klankar, McDonagh, McAwley, OcKueefe, O'Swillivan Moore, and Í think O'Swillivan Bere joined with him; and though the rest of the potentates of Munster remained (as they seemed) sound, yet their young and loose people went to him. And for that so virtuous an action as this rebellion was might be of more strength, both Butler and Garadyne (Geraldine), notwithstanding all former and most ancient enmity, joined together and spoiled those that would not go with them at their pleasures.

"I sent the good knight Sir Peter Carew and the valiant Malby to keep the frontiers of Carlo and Cavenoghe's country, and the hardy and politic Captain Collier into the good town of Kilkenny, the people whereof I did not very soundly trust. Sir Peter Carew and Captain Malby gave Sir Edmond Butler a shrewd blow, after a bloody bickering and slaughter of his men, and chased them, and wan his house at Kloghgrynan, and hanged the ward, Sir Edmond returning to James FitzMores. And both they with their forces encamped and besieged the town of Kilkenny, where the Earl his brother hath a strong castle, and the town is well closed and defended with gates, walls, and river; but had not the soldiers been, the town had been sacked and many of the people ransomed, as I after in truth found. But Captain Collyer so vigilantly attended his charge, as well in guarding the gates and walls against the rebels, as in preventing the practice of the townsmen, as the rebels were forced to go away with shame, against whom I advanced with as much diligence as I could, leading only with me the garrison men, which were but 600, leaving all the men of the country to guard the Pale northward, and Sir Barnaby FizPatrick to guard the Pale southward, who was the most sufficient man in counsel and action for the war that ever I found of that country birth; great pity it was of his death.

"I came to Kilkenny, where, after I had allowed of some with thanks, and checked others with rebukes, I marched into the county of Tipperary, where the rebels went afore me, burning their own houses and villages. Some of their castles I won, but so many as I would, I could not tarry to win, for that I daily was advertised of the great distress the city of Corke was in, where at that time lay a full noble and virtuous lady, the wife of Sir Warham Sentleger, whom the citizens were sometimes in consultation and consideration to deliver

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to James Fitz Mores, which he earnestly and with great threats required; for whose rescue I sent forth a ship furnished with mine own menial servants and others, who, by reason of contrary wind, could not come thither in due time; but there arrived in very good season (so directed by me) 400 footmen, sent with great diligence out of England, led by Captain Sute and Captain Ward, two very sufficient men, whose coming not only comforted the poor desolate lady, but the whole city, before sore afraid.

"So marching through the county of Tipperary, I encamped by Chlomnell (Clonmell), a walled town, standing upon the river of Sure, the people good and loyal. During mine encamping there, the rebels being dispersed all over the country, there was libels or chartels thrown into my camp, signifying that I should not so soon dislodge, but that I should be fought withal; yea, and peradventure in my camp itself. I sent to the mayor and his brethren of Waterford to send me some relief of men furnished for the war; they flatly answered me they would send none. Albeit some particular men, namely, Piers Ayellward, who had been mayor of Waterford, John Wise, and Antony Poore, and some others very well appointed, of their own good wills came to me." There came also to me certain seamen, led by Marshall, servant to my Lord of Warwick. The city of Waterford alleged they might so do by their charter; but at my coming home I made their corporation pay for it, as Mr. Tremayne, then my secretary, can testify.

"I sent forth proclamations of pardon to all such as would desist from rebellion (certain exempted), but it prevailed not. I sent also Commissioners to parle with the principal gent' of the county of Tipperary, to dissuade them from that furious, unnatural, and traitorous actions they were in, but nothing took place, the gent' answering thus, as followeth :-'We are of. this county more ancient inhabiters and freeholders than any Butlers is, and were the first conquerors of this soil from the Irishry; and in our ancestors' days it was made of a country called Earthmound (as much to say as East Munster); but since that time (though a good many years past) England gave us away (I use their own phrase) to a Butler, and created him Earl of Ormond, [and] made him, by letters patents, Lord of the Liberty of the county of Tipperary, where, as a county palatine, he keepeth courts regally by himself or his officers, to which courts we do, and our ancestors did ever since that grant from the Kings of England, yield suit and service; and where all actions for goods, lands, or life are tried, very few except, and those being but four capital offences, seldom or never committed there. Thus have we and our ancestors acknowleged him as our Lord and Captain, and indeed know no other Sovereign but him, whose lieutenant Sir Edmond Butler, his brother and heir apparent, is. Him we follow, and him we will follow, and do as he commandeth us.'

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"This was all I could get of them. And Sir Edmond Butler being demanded (for so was I directed out of England that he should be) what the cause was that he rebelled, he said it was my hard dealing with him. Wherein?' said he that examined him. Marry,' qd Sir Edmond, openly in the Star Chamber, 'he said that he would sit on my skirts, and that hereafter came not yet, and that he would make my heart-strings ache;' where, in truth (Sir) I used no such words."

6

"To his complices in rebellion he would say that the cause of his stir was that the Earl of Leicester, enemy to his brother and house, should marry the Queen, and be King of England, and that I should be King of Ireland, their mortal foe, and brother to the Earl of Leicester, of whom I should hold Ireland (as might appear) by bearing the ragged staff continually in my pensill before me, which indeed I did. This did the Earl of Klancar and others tell me that he said unto them.

"And lastly, that blessed babe, Edward Butler, a page of my own bringing up, talking with some servants of mine, his old and familiar fellows, whom of purpose I sent with the Commissioners to understand of him what they could, for they were well acquainted with the young man's humour, and he, pretending great goodwill and love to me for the sundry benefits and favours he had received of me, wished them, and prayed them even with tears, that they would persuade me to return back, affirming that if I went forwards I was but undone, for overthrown I should be." He said also

"that he nor they did anything without the privity and direction of the Earl of Ormond, then in England."

When my Commissioners were returned and brought no submission from the rebels, the Council and captains persuaded me to return, affirming they found great faintness in the soldiers. But Sir Thomas Cusake and Sir Lucas Dillon animated me to go forwards. Sir Lucas is a faithful and loyal servant to the Queen.

"I went into the market-place of my camp, and with trumpet and drum sounded to the standard. The soldiers and all the rest of the camp readily came, in hope I would forthwith have returned. I showed my resolution to the contrary, and some words I spake, and somewhat it prevailed, for they with the drinking of a tun of wine, which, during the consultation, was provided and laid in the market-place; and after my speech ended, very diligently applied both by drawing and drinking, all my men's cowardish coldness was turned into martial heat, and then nothing but Upon them! upon them! Lead you, and we will follow to the land's end, or die by the way; and let us go by and by!' Nay, fast,* sirs,' qd I, 'it is Sunday, and it is afternoon; we will evening prayer, sup and rest; and you shall

go hear be called, I war

"Soft" in the copy in Vol. 628.

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rant you, betimes in the morning; and so, in the name of God, we will advance forwards.' That evening and all the night there was nothing but singing, casting of bullets, drying of powder, filing of pikes' heads, sharpening of swords, and every man thinking himself good enough for five rebels."

As soon as it was day I dislodged, marching through sundry straits into the White Knight's country, the owner of which was in actual rebellion with James FitzMores, and not long after in his service slain. Here I left the Butlers' dominions, and entered into the Garradynes', at the entry of which met me the Viscount Barrie, the Viscount Roch, MacKarte Reogh, and divers other gentlemen of the province of Munster, all pretending loyalty to the Queen and enmity to the house of Desmond.

"I went to the principal castle of the White Knight's country, called the Old or the New Castle, I know not whether, and summoned the ward by sound of trumpet, who answered they held that castle of none but of God, James Fitz Mores, and the White Knight, and unless one of them would come (or send St. Peter or St. Paul) they would never render it." Finally, after an obstinate resistance I won the castle, and delivered it to James Roch, son of the Viscount Roch, and sundry other castles and lands to Sir Theobald Butler, withheld from him by the White Knight.

I then dislodged towards Cork, wasting and spoiling the country. There I found the above-written captains and soldiers, revived the poor afflicted lady, and comforted the citizens. I there heard of the arrival of the Earl of Ormond, whom I addressed to meet me at Limerick.

"I departed from thence, and encamped in a country of the Earl of Desmond's called Kerrywherie, and destroyed the same, winning the principal castle thereof, called Carreg Ilyn, and left in it a ward. From thence I marched into Mack Donoghe's country, which confineth with Desmond, the Earl of Clanckare's country, and there I wan and pulled down castles, burned and spoiled the villages and fields; which while I was in doing the Lord of the country, OcKueefe, McAulie, the eldest son of O'Swillivan Moore, the father for age and corpulency not being able to travel, and O'Swillivan Bere, without protection, came to me and submitted themselves, lives and lands, and there taking of them oath and hostage for their fidelity without pardon, I dismissed them to expect the Queen's mercy.

"I then turned into a great territory of land of the Viscount Barrie's, the name of the country I have forgotten, but the principal castle thereof beareth a French name called Bowte de Vawne [Boutez en avant-Buttevant], which I took, and repossessed the right owner in it; so did divers landlords. and freeholders whose lands and castles had been taken and withheld from them, some of long time by the Earl of Desmond, and some of late time by James Fitz Mores.

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"Then and there I heard that the rebel James (with his associates) went afore me, wasting and destroying the Queen's good subjects, as well of the county of Cork as the county of Limerick, and therefore was constrained to alter my former intention of going into Desmond, and turned towards the county of Limerick, but I could not get so far as Kilmallock but that the rebel had by scale surprised the same town, not without vehement suspicion of falsehood in many of the townsmen, for some he saved, many he sacked, some he ransomed, and many houses of base building he burned, which afterwards were reedified, the walls heightened, and the town made better than ever it was."

Here I received answer from the Earl of Ormond that he could not come to me without convoy of good force to conduct him. I sent him the Viscount Desyes and the Lord Poore, who brought the Earl to me safe, I lying in camp hard by Limerick. The Earl delivered me the Queen's letters containing confident opinion in his loyal devotion to her. He besought me that he might work the retreat of his brethren from their vile actions, and brought me his brother Edward, my late page, who submitted himself. The Earl said he would do his best to bring in his other two brethren, but I saw them not all that journey. He made most earnest suit to me that he might have his brother Edward in custody, affirming that he was more able to work with his other two brethren than he himself. I granted his request, but since that time I could never set eye of my old servant Edward.

"During my abode in Limerick there came to me divers principal personages of the same county of Kerry and of Conelogh, as the Lord Fitz Mores, William Burgh, captain or owner of Clan William, a man of great lands, whose eldest son after (being my man) with his own hand killed James Fitz Mores and James him at one only encounter, Lacy, Pursell, and Suppell, with many moe whose names I have forgotten, being all descended of English race; all sware allegiance to her Majesty and faithful service in that action against James. There came to me also Rorie MacShee, captain general of the Earl of Desmond's galloglas, sirnamed Chlanshee; he likewise submitted, sware allegiance, and delivered pledges as before. This man was counted one of much might among them; he procured to come to me a great many more of the Irishry."

I constituted Captain Gilbert Commander and Colonel of all Munster. He brought James Fitz Mores to a very base estate. "So, enjoying great victory of the suppressed rebel, he came to me with great joy to Tredath, bringing with him sundry personages of good account." I made him knight. After Sir Humphrey Gilbert's departure to England the rebel got force again until Sir John Parott was sent to be Lord President of Munster, who (though not in my time) brought him to make a very lowly submission, with very vile conditions; "under