Catalogue description HENRY VIII. to the LORD DEPUTY AND COUNCIL.

We have been advertised, to our no little displeasure, "that as well the musters of our army have not been taken monthly as at such time as view thereof hath been had, so as not only divers and many defaults both in lack of number and otherwise hath been perceived and noted, but also divers other abuses commonly practised among the captains of our army in giving passports by their own authority, fulfilling of numbers, and receiving of soldiers into wages, contrary to our pleasure, robbing and rifling our subjects, with such other misbehaviours too long here to be expressed, which hitherto hath not been repressed nor duly corrected." For reformation thereof we have appointed Lord Leonard Grey, Chief Marshal of our army there, Sir John Sentlowe, William Brabazon, Treasurer of our Wars, and John Allen, Master of our Rolls, or three or two of them at the least, "both for the two months last past at this present time, and at all other seasons from henceforth monthly before payment of any wages, to a view of muster of our said army, wherein we will they shall use their circumspection that none be allowed to take wages but such as be able persons, that is to say, every horseman with an able horse and otherwise furnished as appertaineth to a horseman, and every footman as to him belongeth; and [not only] upon the death or departure of any soldier by authority of any passport to be granted, upon causes and considerations to you and them or three or two of them, but also upon the offence, contempt, or misbehaviour of any captain or other of our army, they, three or two of them making relation thereof to you, to punish and amend the same indelayedly according to justice: wherein we will ye shall not only assist them at all times, but also advertise the captains and army of our pleasure as well in this behalf, as declare unto them that percase they or any of them shall continue to follow the same, they shall be assured of our high displeasure and indignation.

"And where heretofore ye have accustomed, for the more part, in your letters and advertisements unto us of the successes of our affairs, to write singularly by yourself, without making those that be of our secret Council privy thereunto, and part of them on the other side have semblably at divers times written unto us, both which conferred together we have noted in them some discrepance and confusion of matter, to our no little marvel; our pleasure is that from henceforth as well in all our causes and affairs ye follow the advice of our Privy Council, especially the counsel and advertisements of our said counsellors the Lord Leonard, the Treasurer of our Wars, and our Chief Justice, in all your proceedings, as ye, together with our Privy Council, and specially at the least with the same Treasurer of our Wars, our Chief Justice, and the most part of our Privy Council, by your writings jointly advertise us from time to time of the success of our affairs there, and none otherwise.

"Ye shall also understand that we, thinking you to be a man of activity, great knowledge, and experience, do consider not one [Sic; mistake for only.] the great charges which we have sustained by your counsel and persuasion for the repressing of the Geraldines, being the let as ye said of strength, profits, and commodities within that land, but also Thomas FitzGerald being now absent out of the land, it is not necessary to have footmen there at our charges, specially all this winter season, being no time propice for them to travail; will that percase ye and our Privy Council, consulting together, shall consider no great cause of necessity to retain them there for all this winter, ye discharge them all, or as many of them as by you and our Privy Council there shall be thought requisite, out of wages; assuring you that, if ye and the said Privy Council shall think necessary and expedient to have them or a more number to repair thither for executing of any exploits the next summer, they shall be appointed to arrive at such ports and places as ye shall advertise us by the 20th day of May at the farthest. Willing you with all celerity not only to be vigilant and industrious with the advice of our said Privy Council, as well in taking the hostages of such Irishmen and rebels of the North of Ireland and other borderers to our subjects, as [a]s hitherto de[li]vered none to you; not a little marveling that ye have omitted heretofore to take pledges of such as ye have parled and pacted with, whose pacts and promises ye know to be of no force without pledges, which nevertheless we remit to you and our said Privy Council's discretion; but also specially exclude Neile More out of our shire of Uryell, who, as we be informed, is the untruest man towards us within those parts; using further all your industry, travail, and diligence as politicly as you can for the more speedy apprehension of such traitors as this bearer, the Master of the Rolls, shall prescribe unto you; and setting order, redress, and reformation in the Marches of our Englishry and other our subjects there, as the Treasurer of our Wars and Chief Justice with the most part of our Privy Council shall advertise you, together with the advancement of our causes in our Parliament, with that diligence and dexterity as we may see success to follow of your fruits and doings that we daily expect, in and about the effectual increase of our strength, jurisdiction, revenues, and profits there, according to your many persuasions and writings unto us. Willing you also that ye, the Treasurer of our Wars, our Chief Justice, and Master of the Rolls, with the advice of such other of our Council as shall be present with you, shall advertise us with all celerity [of such] manors and lands as either the late Earl of Kildare or any other traitors attainted had, and of all other our revenues there, with the true value of the same without concealment; divers parcels whereof, upon considerations to us and our Council first certified and duly declared, we shall thereupon be contented to grant from us, upon reservation of reasonable rents, to certain persons being our subjects, such as we shall by the advice of our Council think good and expedient, to the intent that they, having the same, shall be more able to defend our frontiers against the rebellious Irishry, by reason whereof we shall be the less charged in resisting the spoils and robberies of the Irish rebels hereafter.

"Letting you understand further that, having assigned Lord Leonard Grey to repair thither again at this season in the same room and authority that he had there before, the leading and ordering of our army, we have willed and commanded him to demean himself in due reverence and obedience towards you, as to the honour and authority of your room, wherein ye represent our estate, doth appertain. Nevertheless we think it shall be your part on the other side to consider his nobility, being of our blood, and to use him and entertain him both according to the same, and our authority and trust committed unto him there. Willing and commanding you further that, for the due punishing of such as shall rather incline to the disordering of our army in robbing and spoiling of our subjects, as such other misdemeanours, than to the conservation of any good rule and quietness in the same, ye do from time to time be assistant to the Marshal of our said army, unto whom we have committed the order and direction thereof, as appertaineth to a Marshal; adding thereto our power, your industry, and endeavours for the undelayed execution of such malefactors and offenders after such sort as justice may take place and our subjects live in good conformity and quietness accordingly."

Copy. Headed: Anno 1535.

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 65.