God fighting for vs in Ireland, or a most true and exact relation of the accurrances [sic] done by the English this moneth last past to this present.: With the manner and number of our forces which marched out upon this expedition. Also the names of the castles they tooke, the manner of besieging and of the releasing the English in their deepest destresse, and what number of the Irish was put to the sword. Wherein it apperes that God never forsakes those that puts their trust in him. Written by W.B. of Dublin, whose letters have hitherto expressed nothing but truth.

DUBLIN IVNE, 16^th. 1642.

ON Saterday last, some of our Armie consisting of 15. Cullers, marched from hence towards Trym, the next munday marched after them 34. Cullivers and 5 troopes of Horse, besides 200. Firelocks and field peeces 8. and it is thought their meeting place is to be at Tryme: and divers others of Foote and Horse from Droheda and other places where our Garri∣sons are to come to them, which wee hope by the blessing of the Lord of Host will doe good service before they returne; the summer being so farre spent, it is full time to beginne to redeeme the time which hither to have done very little to so great a worke, I hope the pray∣ers of all Gods people will interseede for them and the rest of all our Armies, that God may bee honored in the good worke begun, to the increase of his Gospel and the true peace and common wealth, all which are now very low brought and hardly a shadow of either.

This day we heare three things which hath happened from and by our Garrison at the Navs (for where wee have forward Commanders God in his mercy hath ever beene with them) Captaine Michael Iones a very worthy Gentleman a valiant descreet and religious man, mar∣ched

to a Towne of the Kight Honorable Adam Lord Viscount of Ely called Master E••••••, which hath beene long beseidged by the Rebells, a strong hold and well furnished with Aimes, but wanted powder and shot, yet have held out against those Traytors great forces which were much pittied of us all, but no succour was sent to them, and the Rebell had so wrought their trialls, that it was almost past helpe, but this worthy Captaine with a handfull of men in comparison of the Rebells, set upon them, beseigers, beates them out of their trenches and workes which they had made to surprice the Castle, slew many of them, and put the rest to flight, and burnt the Towne close by the Castle, which harboured the Rebells furnished our friends with men powder and short and what they wanted, with great plenty and have left them so strong, that they are by Gods assistance able to bid de∣fiance to their and our Enemies, this place was in such extremity, that had our men stayed but two houres lon∣ger before they came, the Castle men & Armes in it had beene all lost, and they Rebells had got so strong a hold, that we could hardly have recovered it without the losse of much blood and great expences, but blessed bee God for his wonderfull deliverance which was done by his great power.

The second is by the same worthy Captaine at a place about two miles from the Naas called Blacke Hall, which hath beene wonderfully offencive to us, to whom our valliant Captaine marched with a few men, set upon it, the Rebells strongly withstood our men, but nothing daunted by them after many assaults approached neare their hold which the Rebells though too strong for us to gett, in which assaults our couragious Captaine was in great danger of his life, who espied one of the Rebells

through a speech hole aiming at himselfe, which by the good providence of the Almighty he espying, ranne with a brave resolution to the hole, and with his Pistoll short the Rebell and killed him before hee could discharge at our Captaine, and in the the conclusion tooke the Castle and put them the Rebells to the sword, by which good successe we and all Gods good people ought with thank∣full hearts blesse and prayse his holy name.

The third was at Manouth the manour house of the Earle of Kilders, which in some sort was not so prospe∣rous although the wonderfull providence of our good God is wonderfully manifested, 33. of our men were set to keepe that great manour house, the Rebells had their randevouse within a mile of it, and yet our 33 men kept it from them till one in the house the earles Butler played the Trayterous Rebell and betrayed them, the house is great and full of windowes which were barrocadoed up with Iron Barres and stones, our men were diligent upon their watch where the danger was, but this traiterous villaine appointing the Rebells where to come at a win∣dow least suspected, the Rebells on the out side and the villaine within opened one window, by which 60. of the Rebells entred the House before our men espied them; but when our men found out their treachery, with un∣danted spirits set upon them in that roome the Rebells were in and put them all to the sword, but the Enemy be∣ing in number seven hundred, and the rest so neere them, were not able to hold out, for the Rebells cast balles of wildfire into the House, which burnt so furiously they were not able to quench it, so that our men gathered themselves into a body, taking with them in their Pockets and stockings as much powed as they could well carry fired the rest and marched through the Rebells dischar∣ging

at the Rebells on front and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and on both flanckes with so slow a march, as a sicke man was able to goe with our men secure from their fury with the ven∣ture of their owne lives; ni which great extremity wee left onely three men which were sicke in their beds and could not stirre they were so weake: thirty came all safe with their Armes and as much powder as they could car∣ry with them, but they left the house burning. This re∣lation I heard from one of the thirty souldiers, all which thirty are surely come to this Towne blessed be God for his wonderfull goodnesse towards us, but the faire house is destroyed with all the furniture, besides a faire Libe∣rary of good booles, which the Earle of Kildare had in it; and this is all of certaintie that we have.

Dublin this seventeeth of Iune, 1642.