Catalogue description The QUEEN to the EARL OF ESSEX, Lord Lieutenant.

We perceive by your letters to our Council, brought by Henry Carye, that you have arrived at Dublin after your journey into Munster. You do not inform us when you intend to proceed to the northern action. Much time and excessive charges have been spent to little purpose.

"Your two months' journey hath brought in never a capital rebel, against whom it had been worthy to have adventured one thousand men; for of these two comings in that were brought unto you by Ormonde (namely, Mountgarret and Cahir), whereupon ensued the taking of Cahir Castle, full well do we know that you would long since have scorned to have allowed it for any great matter in others to have taken an Irish hold from a rabble of rogues with such force as you had and with the help of the cannon, which was always able in Ireland to make his passage where it pleased."

Nothing has been done which the President (Norris) might not have effected. On the other enterprise depends our greatest expectation. What displeases us most "is that it must be the Queen of England's fortune (who hath held down the greatest enemy she had) to make a base Irish kerne to be accounted so famous a rebel." Ormonde assured us that he "delivered you a charge of a kingdom without either town maritime or inland or hold possessed by the traitors." Tyrone has been pleased to see our army employed against "those base rogues," who were not strengthened by foreign armies, but only by his offal. "Little do you know how he hath blazed in foreign parts the defeats of regiments, the death of captains, and loss of men of quality in every corner." Surprises would have found better success than public and notorious marches. Regiments should not be committed to young gentlemen; and you have not informed us "who they be that spend our treasure and carry places of note in our army."

"Your pen flatters you with phrases, that here you are defeated, that you are disgraced from hence in your friends' fortune, that poor Ireland suffers in you." These are the effects of your own actions, which are contrary to our will, and cause an opinion that any person may dare displease us. We will not tolerate this. "Whosoever it be that you do clad with any honours or places wherein the world may read the least suspicion of neglect or contempt of your commandments, we will never make dainty to set on such shadows as shall quickly eclipse any of those lustres."

"You allege such weakness in our army by being travailed with you, and find so great and important affairs to digest at Dublin, [but you] will yet engage yourself personally into Ophally (being our Lieutenant), where you have so many inferiors able enough to victual a fort, or seek revenge of those that have lately prospered against our forces." In order to plant garrisons in the North and assail that proud rebel, we command you to pass thither with all speed.

"For the matter of [the Earl of] Southampton [Wriothesley], it is strange to us that his continuance or displacing should work so great an alteration either in yourself (valuing our commandments as you ought) or in the disposition of our army." His counsel and experience can be of little use; nor do we believe your assertion that the "voluntary gentlemen are so discouraged thereby, as they begin to desire passports and prepare to return."

Greenwich, 19 July 1599.

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 307.