Catalogue description SIR HENRY SYDNEY to the PRIVY COUNCIL.

"After I had made my last dispatches and sent away the bills for parliament causes to her Majesty, (whereof I beseech your Lordships there may be speedy return,) and taken order for the better settling of the O'Birnes and Tohills, (my neighbours at home,) I made my repair presently to the borders of the King and Queen's Counties, to meet with the insolency of the rebels, the O'Mores and O'Conners, who were, since the taking of Captain Harrington, so increased both in strength and pride," as they were not any longer to be endured. I assembled part of the rising out appointed for the general hosting, which from the beginning of June last had been from time to time deferred, and not dissolved. I sent for Sir Nicholas Bagenall, the Marshal, "to take the charge of the service in my absence, for the prosecution of the rebel, making him my lieutenant of Leinster and Meath ; appointing the Lord President of Munster with his charge to lie upon the confines of the province under his rule, next adjoining unto the rebel; and on the other side assigned Sir Nicholas Malbie to remain with the greatest part of his force upon the frontier of Connaught, where he might best annoy, and lie most aptly to stop the rebels' passage."

I spent some time in taking pledges of the O'Dempsies, and other doubtful neighbours upon that border. On Christmas eve I came to Kilkenny, Sir Lucas Dillon only accompanying me thither. I was informed that the speediest way to suppress the rebel was to plague his maintainers. I found some of the principal and best sort of the town had relieved the rebel with victuals and other necessaries. The country had received the rebels' goods, fostered their children, and maintained their wives. Few would come to me without protection. Those that had special rule and charge of principal houses and castles of the Earl of Ormond refused to come at me, as namely, Foulke Grace, constable of Roskrea, Owen McDonoghe, Oge O'Kenedie of Ballihaghe, and Ferdorroghe McEdmond Purcell of Potlerathe, one of the said Earl's manors, and captain of his kearne. Each of these three last fostered one of Rorie's children.

Having had this taste of the principal men, I caused every day some one or other to be apprehended. I appointed a sessions to be held. Plenty of accusations. Partiality of the juries. I willed the commissioners to take recognizance of the juries to appear here in the Castle Chamber, and likewise to cause the prisoners to be brought [hither].

During my being at Kilkenny, the Earl of Thomond came to me, and brought me letters from her Majesty and your Lordships, "but he was either so curious or negligent, or both, in carrying of them, as he delivered them unto me open and the seals broken up." I referred him for further order in his causes hither, where I will with some advice consider his demands.

A day or two before my coming from Kilkenny, the Earl of Desmond likewise came to me. I had heard that he had refused to come to the Lord President, and had gathered together a rabble of lewd and unruly followers. I thought good therefore to charge him with the matter. He alleged that he was driven to assemble this company for fear of the President, as it was reported that the President intended to slay ["Stay " in MS.] him. I caused the President and him to come together, and reconciled them. The Earl promised to disperse his companies and to obey the President. When he went from me, I sent a man of special trust and credit with him, to report his proceedings, who accompanied him as far as Kerry, and told me at his return that during the time that the President and he were in company together, which was two days' journey, lodging and feeding both in one house, the Earl behaved himself orderly and reverently to the President, and after his coming home took order for the dispersing of most of his company. He gave out everywhere that he meant no harm to the State. "I hold him the least dangerous man of four or five of those that are next him in right and succession, (if he were gone,) and easiest to be dealt withal, so that be it for the doubt of the attempt of the rebel James FitzMorris, his kinsman, if he should come in and he join with him, or in respect of the harm otherwise which he could do, if he should grow ill disposed himself, I suppose there is least danger in him of any of the rest, and soonest may be met withal and cut off, being such an impotent and weak body, as neither can he get up on horseback, but that he is holpen and lift up, neither when he is on horseback can of himself alight down without help."

The country is in good quiet, "save that which lately hath happened betwixt Tirloghe O'Neale and O'Donnell, for killing of Tirloughe's son, whereupon there had been like for this matter some brawl to have fallen out betwixt them, but that I suppressed the same in due time." O'Neale would not seek his right but by order from me, and neither the one nor the other seeks to entertain Scots. Thus Ulster is a good neighbour to the Pale ;--no complaint of boderagge or stealth made by them since my departure. Connaught and Munster are also quiet and obedient.

The only gall is the rebel of Leinster. I waste him, and kill of his men daily. Hasten hither the Lord Chancellor, whose absence may be ill spared long, for the dispatch of poor men's causes.

I beseech you to give order for my quarterage to be due the 1st of April next; for to repress the archtraitor James FitzMaurice and that rebel Rorie Oge I am inforced to employ no small extraordinary charge.

I gave order, upon receipt of your first letters touching Hickes, the pirate, that he should be presently sent thither. My Lord President promised that he would do it, so that I hope ere this he is arrived.

It seems that I am greatly blamed that I advertise no oftener such occurrents as happen here. There is good store of others, whose diligence enriches you with reports, but they are malicious. I love not to write of every accident and slight matter, but I leave no matter of weight unadvertised.

Touching George Winter's untrue reports of me, I hope ere this you have discovered so much of the man, by his own contradictions and confessions, as I need not to say any more of him. I willed my Lord President to answer your last letters, and desired him for his own discharge to make a full declaration of what had passed between George Winter and him. For my own part, I neither saw him nor dealt with him, but referred the whole state of the cause to my Lord President and others. I appointed in commission the Escheator General, Henry Davells, Peter Sherlocke, and Pierce Aylward; "the two last, the one the Mayor of Waterford that was the last year, the other the Mayor this year." He (Winter) dealt so strangely with me, that he would not let me have 100 hides for my ready money, which I desired for the provision of my household and sent an express messenger for them; "nor yet so much as give me a parrot, which I heard say he had in the ship he took, although he were intreated by my man to bestow her upon me."

Castle of Dublin, 20 February 1577.

Signed.

Copy.

Collins' Sydney, Papers. I. 240.

Calendar of the Carew Manuscripts preserved in the Archiepiscopal Library at Lambeth, ed. J. S. Brewer & W. Bullen (6 vols., 1867-73), vol. II, document 83.