A trve report of the late good svccesse in Ireland from thence received in London, May 2, 1642.

DƲBLIN the 20^th of Aprill 1642.

GOOD SIR;

I Wrote you a Letter by M^rs James, a Gentlewoman by way of London, and inclosed the same unto my Brother, acquainting you with the going forth of our Army, and some other passages then hapning, since which, here is come to passe (blessed be God) that which is worthily to be taken notice of, concerning the proceedings of our Army; which as yet I must omit, giving you to understand what hap∣ned before, viZ. the 15 of Aprill came in my Lord Moore with his Troope, consisting of 130 Horse, and brought with him Sir Theadoras Duffs sonne and heire prisoner from Dundalke, and some others, they were found there at the taking thereof.

The same day came the Rebells and played their prankes a∣bout Dublin, they burnt two or three Houses about Tallowe, and the same night came some of them to the end of Newstreet in the Suburbs, and doubtlesse intended to have burnt it, but were discovered, and put off. The sixt they came againe, and burnt some places about Donnibrook, within a mile of Dublin, and carried away some Cattle; the same night they came with about fiftie foote and some horse, and burnt two Houses in Kil∣maynham, and set fire in diverse other Houses, but running away againe suddenly, the fire was quenched, but the two Houses were burnt to the ground, and that is but a mile and halfe from S^t James gate in Dublin. The night following they burnt Ro∣buck, a very faire House, built by Alderman Smith of this Citie, two miles off: but my Lord Lambert who was left Governour of our Citie in S^t Charles Coots absence, went forth the seventh, and tooke (as is reported) some of them that burnt Kilmayn∣ham, and killed & hanged them, and as many more as they mer withall, not sparing young or old; He did very good service

that day, as is reported, and returned againe before night came. After that came Post to Towne (from Dunshoghan, a Castle where we have a slender Garrison to keep the Castle foure miles hence,) who reported there were 1000 Rebells there, and that night we had a very straight watch kept here, and a strong watch without the Citie, but thankes be to God we heare no more of such a great number about Dublin. The 14 of Aprill came unto our Harbour two Troops of Horse, and 15^th three Troops, and the 16^th two Troops, in all seven Troops of Horse, which was a very great rejoycing of our hearts; For wee stood in very great need of men and money, and here arrived ten thousand pounds, but God knows what need we have of it, & a great deale more; if any thing undoe us, & all our proceedings, it will be the want of money, and provision, for our provision which is but very lit∣tle left; for the Enemy burnes on the one side, and our Souldi∣ers on the other, that it will make a great scarcitie, if wee have not a speedy supply out of England. I doe not thinke that this Citie hath Corne and Malt for one moneth for all that are in it, neither doe I know from whence it is possible to fetch so much more from any place of the Kingdom by Land, as the times are, and the next going forth of our Army, will be the consuming (of what is yet left) by fire; and for money, what we have lent the Souldiers to pay for their dyet, and what we have lent be∣sides to pay the Souldiers withall, which the Lords Justices had from us, we are quite out of money, but we have not to buy any thing, if it were to be had for money; for this is every honest mans resolution amongst us, rather to goe halfe clothed, and with a hungry belly, then to have the service of God, the ser∣vice of the King, and the service of the Countrey neglected, but we have a true Proverbe, ultro posse non est esse, a man can do no more then what lies in him to doe. I hope that England will not see us want, wee have found great and good tokens of their affections to the cause in hand.

And to come to the businesse that I chiefly intended to ac∣quaint you withall, touching our Army that went forth, I will

onely touch upon the chiefe heads, according to the truest Re∣lation: You may conceive it must be various, as it is received from many, all men not being eye-witnesses to every particular passage; but wherein I finde most to agree I shall declare unto you, for all doe agree in the maine busines I wrote you before, of our Armies going forth, and comming unto a Castle a mile from the Nase about twelve miles hence, they beset the Castle, and from it some of our men were slaine, and others wounded; at length our Souldiers (as they have approved themselves ever valiant) made to the Castle gate, and came within the Castle walls, and comming toward the inner gate, were not able to get that open, but undermining the wall, they set a barrell of pow∣der & match to it, within a short time blew up the Castle, there they got some booty. And from thence they came to the Nase, where they entred without any to oppose them: from thence went toward Artly, which is 27 miles from hence, where the Rebells the night before made an assault against the Towne, and the Townsmen for the safetie of themselves were forced to set many of the dwelling houses on fire, and kept themselves in the Castles, and thence put off the Enemy with their Muskets; it seemes there were false Brethren amongst them, (as I thinke there are few Papists but are Rebells in heart) yet we have ma∣ny of them in our Army, for Sir Charles Coot hanged up the So∣veraigne of the Towne and some others, for their kinde enter∣taining of him; there was Collonell Craford left with six hun∣dred of his Regiment, whiles my Lord of Ormond & Sir Charles Coot went with the rest of our Army to the Fort of Lease to re∣lieve it, and in their absence the Rebels thinking to set on Colo∣nell Crafford, assayed to repaire a Bridge some three miles from the Towne, which the Townsmen had broken downe, and be∣cause they could not get over, they assayed to goe over by Cott (which is a kinde of a Boate) but were valiantly put off by our Souldiers: from the Fort of Lease some of our Souldiers went to Mountrath, and by the way they met with severall Compa∣nies of the Rebells, and were once in great danger of loosing of

men, but thanks be to God they lost very few, onely some hor∣ses, for the Rebells have made themselves strong places therea∣bouts, in Bogges, where our Horse cannot come neare them. From thence they returned after some few dayes, (the sooner because our Army wanted victuals) and came againe to Artly, leaving men and ammunition at the Fort, and going from Artly they left a Garrison of 300 men there, (besides what were there before) and came homeward, and about a mile from thence as they marched, they perceived a very great Army of foot and horse of the Rebells within two miles of our Army, and as our Army and Carriage marcht along, so did they the same way, and were at length neerer, so that the one Army and the other marcht together about foure miles, there being a little valley betweene them: Each striving for one passage, which had they taken it, it would have much endangered our Army, but before they or we came together, there was a desire of each side to have a Battell, in some convenient field; and within a mile and halfe from M^r Pearce Fits Gerralds Castle called Balleshanon, the Armies joyned Battell, the Enemies had, as some affirme fiftie-two Colours, some fiftie-five Colours; it was related by one of them that were taken, that they had sixty-two hundred foot, and seven Troops of Horse, but for their Horse I beleeve they were not all Souldiers, but did all they could to make a shew, whether they were Souldiers or such as followed the Campe. And for Commanders they had in chiefe my Lord Mountgar∣ret, my Lord Dunboyne, my Lord of Icaren, Lord Roagnald, and some other Lords, and besides my Lord of Ormonds Brother, Collonell Bourne, and many more Commanders of the Coun∣ty of Wicklowe, but I understand that their Army was not there which cōsists of 8000 more which were to come the next day, as themselves reported, but I know it not, and hardly beleeve that they have so many more in one Army, but our Army ex∣pected a second Battle. Their Army being drawne up into seve∣rall bodies, very well ordered, and came at first valiantly on, and having the hill, the wind, & ditches to intrench themselves,

they gave a very fierce onset, and Collonell Craffords Regiment gave them battle; it was not needfull to command our Souldi∣ers to goe on, they were forward enough of themselves: upon the onset our Ordnance went off, but hurt not a man of them, for I beleeve the Gunners were much mistaken in the ground, however it struck some terrour, and the fiercenesse of our mens comming on, and the multitude of the shot that our men made upon them, made them within halfe an houre to retire to the Bogge, which was nigh them, where our Horse ventured as far after them as they could; there were slaine of them on the Hill and in the Bogge above 600 men, our Souldiers recovered all their Carriage from them loaden with provision, & some pow∣der, there was taken from them that day some 8 baggs of pow∣der, each containing about an English peck one with another, but little els of any consequence, onely 5 Colours and a great number of Pikes, and some Musquets, and Fowling peices, but what number I cannot learne, but I understand they had above 1000 Musquets & Fowling peices in their Army; and in view∣ing of the dead bodies they took three heads and brought them home, which are thought to be Collonell Cavenagh his head, he is a neere kinsman to Sir Morgan Cavenagh of the Countie of Wicklowe, Sergeant Major Bournes head, and the head of one Butler, thought to be the sonne of my Lord of Icarin. This bat∣tle was fought on Friday last, being the 15^th of Aprill, about 3 of the Clock in the afternoone the battle begun, and it was two houres after untill our Horsmen returned from pursuing the Re∣bells: On Saturday the 16 came our Army backe to the Nase in safetie, with losse of a very few men. In the great Battle wee lost onely 3 men, but some run away to the Rebells, of which I heare there were 8, three troopers and 5 footmen. At the Nase Sir Charles Coot yet remaines with his own Regiment, and some of our English, and 3 pieces of Ordnance, and on Sunday the 21 in the afternoone came the rest of our Army home in great tri∣umph & joy, for the good mercy of God toward them and us. Wee cannot heare from Mounster further then our Army went

we can get no intelligence, neither did we heare from our Army all the while they were out, untill the Saturday they came next day, onely once when our men had taken the Castle by the Nase, some of our men were comming home wounded and were met by the Rebells, and slaine. But from Carrickfargus (as in the vulgar name) Knockfargus, we understand that on Sunday the 3 Aprill my Lord Mountro with 2500 Souldiers were land∣ed, and the eighth 1000 more Scots men before my Lords com∣ming thither, it is uncredible how cruell the Scots were there a∣gainst the Protestants, they regarded neither English nor Irish, nor the Ministers themselves, but upon my Lords comming o∣ver they are fled that did the wrong, I pray God grant us unitie amongst our selves, and then I doubt not but the enemy will soone be brought under, but not untill we have men enough to lay Garrisons abroad, that we have them on every side, what excessive expence would it have, to preserve so much Corne as is sowen in the Countrey, might it fall to our Souldiers lot to reape the same, what charges and adventure by Sea, what carri∣age to and fro in the Countrey, it will be an excessive charge to the King to carry all provision hence three or foure score miles into the Countrey. In briefe, a little expedition now will gaine profit much hereafter, and save us from all feares of forraigne Invasion. We heare of great matters in England, great summe•• presented on the Rebels Land, we see it onely printed in a piece of payer as yet, I hope to have it in very deed. In the meane time, we want it, and we are afraid we shall more want it ere i•• come, and provision of Corne much more, for winde and tyde waits no mans leasure. I have seene a Declaration set forth by his Majestie touching divers great matters, at which I greatly rejoyce, hoping that there will be a renewed affection between his Majestie and the people, according to the old Proverbe, The falling out of Lovers, is the renewing of love, which I pray God wee may truly and heartily pray for continually. Thus humbly craving leave, I rest

Your dutifull Sonne till death R. C.

FINIS.