And I defire not that your majesty should either fimply cre dit me this my plain detecting them, nor them in excufing themselves; but if it please your highness, to appoint commiffioners in that realm for the trial, if I prove not directly all that ever I have here declared, let me lose your gracious favour for

ever.

Thus far of the difordered courses there held, all which notwithstanding your majesty's profit, may arise in those parts, in fort, as followeth :

First, for O'Donnel's country, it may please your majesty to fend thither such gentlemen, against whom O'Donnel nor his country can take any exceptions; nor your state there think unfit for judgment or ability; namely, Captain Anthony Brabazon, to be fenefchal of that country, and to have under his charge twenty-five horse; Captain Nathaniel Smith, to have 100 foot; Captain William Warren, to have his five horsemen restored to him (which Sir William Fitz-Williams beftowed upon others) and added to the twenty which he hath, to ftrengthen his band, and to be sent thither to be fheriff of that county. And for the fettling of your majefty's forces there, to referve these lands to be inhabited by thofe, whom thofe gentlemen shall take with them, viz. one fmall barony belonging to Tyrconnel, on that fide of the river towards Conaught, called, as I take it, the barony of Carbery; the caftle of Ballyfhannon to be reserved ftill in your majefty's hands, for him who shall command there; the abby of Tafhiroe to be bestowed upon the fenefchal; the abby of Donegal, and the abby of Derry, are two abbies that have no lands belonging to them; fo much land, therefore, to be laid unto them, as fhall be thought fufficient for their habitations, who fhall be drawn thither.

And the remain of the whole country to be given to O'Donnel and the chief men under him, fo as they will contribute to this charge, which is only the diet of the hundred foot, which they may pay in meal, butter and beef, according to their usual manner, and your majesty's chief rent befides, which is 2001. yearly, to be the fenefchal's fee; which 200l. your majefty feldom or never hath. This I believe O'Donnel will fubmit himself unto and perform, if he may be handled thereafter.

This garrifon once fettled in that place, will procure great quietnefs in your province of Conaught, and ftop the only paffage which they have to go to and fro to assist any traitor that may rebel there.

For Maguire's country called Farmanohan, Sir Dudley Loftus with his twenty-five horfe (whereof he alfo wanteth five, taken from him as aforefaid is mentioned, to be restored to him), and he to be fent fenefchal of that country; Henry Warren, his brother-in-law, to be fent as fheriff and affiftant unto him, and to have 100 footmen under his charge. Your majefty

to

to bestow upon thofe two gentlemen (to be inhabited by them and their friends) all those islands which are upon the lough, and that one abby which is in the country, and the lands belonging to it, and the caftle of Enniskillen, lately taken from Maguire; and the rest of that country, to remain to the chief men inhabiting there, fo as they defray the fenefchal's fee and the charge of the twenty-five horse, to be levied in butter, meal and beef, both for the diet and wages of the horsemen, and their horse-meat, in fuch fort as the Irishry themselves shall set down, which will be a greater proportion than your majesty would demand.

For the county of Monaghan, called Macmahon's country, in refpect of the great diflike which the Irifhry have of the now feneschal there, it may please your majefty to let him be removed, and in his place (for that it is next to the Earl of Tyrone's country, and the chief place of the earl's abode) that Sir George Bouchier may be fent thither as seneschal, because of the companies of horse and foot which are under his charge, and for that he is a gentleman of good worth, who will with fome good show live in the place, which will be a great comfort to the earl to have fuch a neighbour; and to affist Sir George in that fervice, to fend Sir Henry Duke as sheriff of that country, to be placed in the abby of Cloonis (which is your majesty's, and himself your farmer there) with his own company of light-foot, and a band of 100 foot more to be there in garrifon.

This place of Cloonis is the only paffage from M'Guire's country, and those parts, whereby the rebels may be stopped from doing your majesty's good fubjects any great damage in the English pale.

Your majefty may supply thofe places with two hundred foot and twenty-five horfe without any increase of charge, taking them from fuch of the old garrifons as may very well spare them; for fome one of the commanders of them is not worthy of a company, because (in the last conflict with the rebels) he loft his colours, and all his men ran away; and he who receiveth such dishonour by such base traitors, it is a pity ever he fhould carry colours or credit any more.

The aforenamed two hundred foot and twenty-five horse are to be placed in Tyrconnel and Farmanohan, and the one hundred foot to be under Sir Henry Duke in Monaghan; at the abby of Cloonis may be alfo one of the companies of the old garrison, and yet all other places of fervice very well furnished within.

Within fhort time after Sir William Fitz-Williams his receiving the fword, he (finding many of your majesty's garrifonbands of foldiers in the hands of divers of your highness's counsellors there) had an intent to take them from them,

and

and to dispose them to fuch gentlemen as were more fit to follow your majefty's fervice, and often faid it was no reafon but rather a great fhame that such as were affistants to him at the council board (having great offices and great entertainments belonging to them, and being otherways men of good living, and yet unable to lead men and follow the fury of the wars) fhould have bands of your majefty's foldiers remaining in their hands; adding moreover, that it was unfit and unsafe for your majesty's men and fervice to be trained by and trufted to their officers difcretion, but rather to be bestowed upon gentlemen of worth, ability and fkill to follow the wars, which purpose of his, if it had taken effect, would' (no doubt) have advanced your majesty's fervice in that kingdom very much but when he better confidered his own eftate, and his coming to that place, and what peril he should draw unto himself to hinder all his purposes of gaining, if he should strive with these great ones, he thought it more fafe to let those bands remain as they were, than to pluck fuch a danger upon himself; for he knew if he should displease them (being men of great friends and abilities) he could not have lived there fix years to have made his commodity of that your majesty's poor kingdom, deferving the place fo little as he did.

But your majesty being free from such doubt as troubled him, may difpose those bands (as he had purposed) unto men of good deferts, who have been long trained in your majesty's service there without reward, and many of them live discontented to, fee men of no worth accounted of, and themselves being men of value neglected.

Whereby also your majefty fhall encourage many others to offer themselves freely to your highnefs's fervice, when they shall fee good deferts rewarded.

If these counsellors had been heretofore themselves employed with their bands in the remoteft parts there, to do your majesty's service in perfon, where great need ever was, there is no doubt but it had much availed; but to hold their bands of foldiers as they have done, and yet do, there is no reason why they should have them.

But to return to my purpose; these bands being well difpofed of, and the forenamed garrifons placed in manner before expreffed, and the fame accepted of by the Irishry, because they shall see that it tendeth to their good, and that nothing shall be ta'ken from them more than is compounded for, fhall win them to honour, love and obey your highness, and your officers and laws.

Your majefty (to have this good fervice effected) may be pleased, that as well the chief commanders of these garrifons, as also the foldiers, may be fully paid all their entertainment every month; whereby your majefty fhall be freed from the

charge

charge of their victualling, and they fhall have no cause to exact upon the poor people for want of victuals, or other provifion.

It may likewife please your majesty, in refpect these late and prefent wars and troubles have greatly impoverished them, to grant unto the inhabitants of thofe countries of Tyrconnel, Farmanohan and Monaghan, two whole years refpite before they fhall pay any of the aforefaid contributions; and that for thofe two years they may not have any affizes or feffions within their countries, but that the fenefchals of those places may have full and absolute authority over them; together with martial law (as hath been accustomed) to cut off all malefactors, and ftraggling traitors; in which time thofe countries may be quietly inhabited, and grow to fome competent means to live upon, and be able to pay your majesty.

And likewife it may please your majesty, to appoint them fuch a judge for the circuit as will use them with all clemency and mercy, and not to take fuch flender advantages against them as many of their own countrymen haye done; for, I affure myself, if the choice of a juftice was left to themselves, they would never choose an Irishman, because none are fo corrupt as they.

Whereas young O'Roirke is alfo out, and a great difquiet of your majefty's province of Conaught, he will in like fort yield himself a fubject, and receive a fheriff into his country, and pay all duties appertaining, fo as he may be accepted into grace, and reftored to all that was his father's. This I think he verily will perform, because I have been moved to be a dealer between Sir Richard Bingham and him.

And whereas I have taken upon me to nominate certain gentlemen as fit men for the places aforefaid, without any of their privities, yet I am well affured (if it please your majefty to appoint and command them) they will with all their abilities and endeavours be ready; but if any of them shall mislike, in refpect of the dangers of the places, and fmallness of their companies, there be others who will undertake it.

A great part of that unquietness of O'Donnel's country came by Sir William Fitz-Williams his placing of one Willis there to be fheriff, who had with him three hundred of the very rafcals and fcum of that kingdom, which did rob and spoil that people, ravish their wives and daughters, and made havock of all; which bred fuch a difcontentment, as that the whole country was up in arms against them, fo as if the Earl of Tyrone had not refcued and delivered him and them out of the country, they had been all put to the sword.

The profit which fhall redound to your majesty by placing thefe garrifons aforefaid in this fort, will (after the first two

years)

years) amount yearly to 6000 marks, that is to fay 3000 marks to be faved, and 3000 marks to be gained.

Concerning Tyrone, as your majefty hath bestowed it upon the Earl, fo for the better furtherance of the aforefaid services, it may please your highness to accept of his own offers, which were that all Tyrone might be but one county, which granted, he would (upon his own charge) build a gaol and a feffion-house, and receive a fheriff into his country, whereby your laws might be obferved there.

And where the earl's adverfaries have, in times paft, incenfed your majefty against him, for the hanging and cutting off one Hugh Gavelock, a notable traitor, and fon to Shane O'Neale, informing your majesty, that the faid Hugh was your majesty's subject, it shall be well proved that he was ever a traitor against your majefty, a daily practifer with foreigners (as the Scots and others) for the disturbances of that kingdom, and one who fought by all means to overthrow the earl, who by martial law (which he then had) did cut him off for his offences. For the doing whereof, he did incur your highness's difpleasure; and the faid martial law, which kept that whole country in awe, was taken from him; the want whereof has made his country people grow infolent against him, and careless of observing any humanity or duty, which hath bred the outrages now in practice, fo that (in my poor opinion) it were requifite to restore the fame authority unto him, provided it should not extend to the cutting off of any but fuch malefactors, as shall be of his own country, his tenants and followers; and I dare fay, he may every year hang 500 falfe knaves, and yet referve a great stock to himself: he cannot hang amiss there, so he hangs fomebody.

For the performance of the fervice in thofe aforefaid countries, it is not O'Donnel, Maguire, Brian Oge Macmahon, nor Brian Oge O'Roirke, nor any of those four who must be dealt withal, for they are all traitors and villains, and most obftinate against your majefty. But the foundation must be laid upon the Earl of Tyrone, to draw him by any reasonable conditions unto your majefty, that you may have conference with him, and as he is made by your majefty a great man there, fo may he be alfo a special good member in that commonwealth, to redress and remedy many great diforders, which no doubt he would faithfully do, if he might be trufted, for what maketh a man honest but trust.

And whereas fome affirm that he ftandeth upon a pardon for himself and his followers, I think not fo; for he and they hold themselves in lefs fafety thereby, than they were before, because they have feen pardons ferve (in their conceit) rather for traps to catch others in, than for true and just remiffion and

VOL. II.

X

acceptance