Catalogue description HENRY VIII. to the EARL OF SURREY.

By the letters, instructions, and reports which we have received through Sir John Wallop, and by other letters of yours, dated in August and 23, 24, and 25 Sept., we understand what you have done for the reduction of that our dominion, and of our disobedient subjects there, and your daily labours in causing the chief captains to come in to you, and removing causes of discord amongst the greatest Lords by good mediation. We shall not forget these services.

As O'Nele and the other Irish captains have not only come in and recognized us as their sovereign lord, but also have bound themselves to you for their fidelities towards us, we and our Council think that you will bring them, to further obedience, though rigorous dealing must be avoided. To spend so much money to bring the Irishry in appearance only of obeisance, without observance of our laws, resort to our courts of justice, and restoration of our dominions, would be of little policy. We therefore think it expedient that, when you call assemblies and common councils of the Lords and other captains before you, you should declare to them the great decay of that fertile land for lack of politic governance and good justice, in consequence of which the weaker is subdued and oppressed by the stronger. They may also be told that, though we are above the laws, yet we will take nothing belonging to them, and therefore they ought to restore us our own. If they allege that our laws used to be too rigorous, you may inquire "under what manner and by what laws they will be ordered and governed." By these means they will be compelled to conform, and not live at will as heretofore. If, by these drifts, part of our lands might be restored, "either of the earldom of Ulster (whereunto, as ye write, O'Nele hath promised his assistance), or of any other which notoriously appertaineth unto us," we might hereafter recover the rest, and the lands detained from all other Lords might be brought to their former state. This is the best and most speedy way to bring that land to good order, and to cause it to be inhabited and "manured,"--for every Lord, having his own, would be able to live there honourably, subdue tyranny, and cultivate his lands.

Whereas we advanced to you and our treasurer, Sir John Stile, for the entertainment of you and your retinue there 3,300l. 15s. 11d. for the first half year, trusting that the wages for the other half year would be paid from the revenues and other casualties of that land, we now understand by your writing, that our rent there due at the Annunciation last was received by the Earl of Kildare, and that the revenues due at Michaelmas cannot be levied till near Christmas. We therefore send 4,000l. by Sir John Wallop, and have allowed him 20l. for his costs, which is a right great charge to us. We desire you to look to the speedy recovery of our revenues there, that our charges "may be borne upon the same." Our pleasure is, that you and your retinue shall be paid from our revenues there, for "we purpose not to advance out of our coffers hereafter any manner sums of money, but only such as shall be in surplusage over and above our said revenues.

You write that, at the arrival of Sir John Bulmer with 100 horse, you discharged 117 of our guard, and assigned them 1d. a day, to be paid out of our coffers till the wars of Ireland were finished, "to the intent the wages of them and of the other 17 there deceased, should furnish" the horse brought by Bulmer. You also state that the said horsemen are not so apt and able for the wars as you looked for, and for that cause you and our Council there desire to be authorized to engage and discharge as many as you think good, trusting to furnish us, with the wages they now receive, with far better men. We had supposed "that the Northernmen by you desired should have been more acceptable to you under the leading of Sir John Bulmer, whom ye heretofore have much praised than of any other; howbeit, if ye had not discharged the Welshmen, we think ye should have been better purveyed of spears." Nevertheless, we are contented to give you full authority to discharge as many of the Northernmen in Bulmer's retinue as you think unmeet, and to substitute such apt horsemen as may be agreeable to your appetite, so that our charges be not increased;--"foreseeing always that ye put not your full trust in Irish horsemen, which, being more in number and strength than ye with your English horsemen be, may percase put both you and them in danger, or ye be ware." "And thus, if ye choose able men, the ill bruit there touching the discharging of tall personages shall soon cease.

You write that it has been accustomed hitherto for our Lieutenant-General to have ample commission to execute our authority against "criminous persons," and to give the order of knighthood. We accordingly send you our commission, believing you will not proceed to condemn or execute any noble person till advertised of our pleasure, and not advance any mean person to the order of knighthood. We are willing that that you should make O'Nele and other Lords of the Irishry knights, and give to O'Nele a collar of gold of our livery, which we now send. If you could induce O'Nele and others of the greatest personages to repair to our presence, we will entertain them well, in order that they may the better obey us hereafter, and change their old Irish manners.

We perceive, moreover, that you cannot "get other sufficient proofs against the Earl of Kildare and his servants, of and upon such detections as were laid to his charge, than ye had before, by any inquisition or examination that ye have taken there; yet ye have put Delahide and the other servants of the said Earl under sureties." As you write that O'Nele and others whom you have examined "declare the said Earl in such crimes as were objected against him," and as we have no "evident testimonies" to convict him, but only uncertain conjectures; therefore we think it right to release him, and put him under surety not to depart from this realm without licence. "We shall so order the said Earl that he shall not repair to that land for many considerations; wherefore both ye and all our subjects there may settle their minds in quietness, for any distrust or hope of his return." For this reason we desire you "to determine yourself there to remain and make your abode, and to order your provisions and affairs accordingly," till that land be brought to better obeisance and order.

According to your desire, we will "take such an order with outward princes, our confederates and allies, that all manner ships repairing from outward parts to that land, shall arrive in the havens under our obeisance specified in a bill delivered unto us by the said Sir John Walop.

We thank you for your determination to establish concord between the Earls of Desmond and Ormond. As you desire us to contrive a marriage between the Earl of Ormond's son and the daughter of Sir Thomas Bolain, Comptroller of our Household, we wish you to gain the Earl's consent. We will advance the matter with our Comptroller, and certify you how we find him inclined.

Draft, corrected by Ruthal.

State Papers II. 51.

Calendar of the Carew Manuscripts preserved in the Archiepiscopal Library at Lambeth, ed. J. S. Brewer & W. Bullen (6 vols., 1867-73), vol. I, document 7.