Catalogue description The QUEEN to the LORDS JUSTICES (LOFTUS and GARDNER) and COUNCIL.

Having been moved by you "to supply that Council with some principal persons of experience and judgment, on account of the several rebellions in that kingdom, we make choice of Sir Richard Bingham, whom we have appointed to be Marshal of that realm, to repair thither. He returns with our favour and gracious opinion. Hear him lovingly and friendly in all things concerning our service, wherein we know that you, our cousin of Ormonde, our Lieutenant, will find great ease and contentment every way, it being neither fit nor possible that you should spend your body in all services at all times; and yet we must plainly tell you that we did much mislike (seeing this late action was undertaken) that you did not above all other things attend it, thereby to have directed and countenanced the same; for it was strange to us, when almost the whole forces of our kingdom were drawn to head, and a main blow like to be stroken for our honour against the capital rebel, that you, whose person would have better daunted the traitors, and which would have carried with it another manner of reputation and strength of the nobility of the kingdom, should employ yourself in an action of less importance, and leave that to so mean a conduction."

"It doth not a little trouble us to find so hard effects of all things from thence, considering the notable supplies of men, treasure, and victuals more plentifully sent than ever heretofore."

But there are notorious errors in that government. When the treasure was kept back by the winds and the soldiers clamoured for pay, not one of the principal officers forbore taking up his allowance in full beforehand. The captains entertain Irish to cover their frauds and to make gain by licensing English to depart, whereby the places are wasted and spoiled, and the Irish are ready to turn our own arms against our own armies, as lately at the Blackwater, "when you of our Council framed such a letter to the traitor after the defeat as never was read the like either in form or substance for baseness." All the expeditions to the North have been unsuccessful, while the other parts of the kingdom have been left to be spoiled and wasted by the rebels. With an army of eight or nine thousand men, it is strange that the provincial rebels of Leinster and Wexford should not be mastered.

All the forces you have and those appointed for Loughfoile are to be placed in garrison in our frontier towns, especially those that are maritime, where must be staples of victuals for such forces as may be sent for his (Tyrone's) prosecution. During this winter you are to follow the wars of Leinster. As you have had supplies of 4,000 men, clear our army of the Irish, and so order it that for this winter it may be reduced to 8,000. If we pay them and do not have them we shall be offended, "having often written hereof without any answer returned what is done in it." "Though some soldiers may run from the army to the rebel, it being upon the same continent, (which are not many,) yet all the rest must return by sea, which is not easy, if such good orders were taken as should be, that no soldier were suffered to embark in any our port towns without grant or good warrant for their passage."

Greenwich, 12 September 1598.

P.S.--We are glad to hear that your letter to the traitor has be n stayed.

Copy.

Calendar of the Carew Manuscripts preserved in the Archiepiscopal Library at Lambeth, ed. J. S. Brewer & W. Bullen (6 vols., 1867-73, vol. III, document 286.