Good newes from IRELAND.

I Know you expect a Relation of what we did in our late proceedings againſt the Rebells in theſe parts; I am now returned from the field, where we have ſufficiently diſperſed the Rogues, and where out of a curioſity to ſee what people did, I might as well have put a period to my life as any amongſt them, but being as I was an Eye witneſſe of all, I can the more truely enforme you thereof, the particulars of our ſucceſſe in briefe was this: Firſt ▪ We commoned Martin Caſtle, and they yeelded, but marcht off without their Armes, It had good ſtore of Corne but was not very ſtrong, then we marched by Baly-Shannon and the Rogues appeared and ſhot at us from a farre, but hurt none of us. That night we marched by Tinmo-Linne, where they by•••t de­fied us, and ſome Horſemen being drunke came out in a bravado, but Captaine Treſwell ſnapped one of them, and the reſt retired into the Caſtle, wee tooke this Caſtle upon the non-ſlot, it being man­ned by very deſperate fellowes of which ſome ſcor­ned to aſke quarter of Parliament Rogues (as they〈1 page duplicate〉cal'd us) & thoſe maintained a ſteeple by themſelves till it was all battered to the ground, & they buried in the ruines, ſuch as asked quarter were promiſed. it by the common ſouldiers which knocked them on the head as faſt as they came downe for their cloathes, ſuch as had quarter given by Officers had it obſerved there were few of thoſe I think about foure, we killed here, two hundred and in the rage of the ſouldiers, ſome women and children were killed I was hartily ſorry to ſee it. The ſoul­diers c•me to be ſo enraged for the death of Lieve­tenant Oliver, a very gallant man ſlaine by a ſtone from the battlements ▪ we loſt here ten men and had many hurt. At this time we tooke in a Paltry Caſtle at moone, there they went without Armes alſo, then we marched thence having ſtaid before Tinmolin two daies and on the way Captaine H•rm•n met us who told us how neere Carlo he had notice of ſome of the Rogues which were ga­thered together and marching to Generall Preſton, they were about foure hundred of which he killed two hundred and tooke one Captaine and twenty priſoners, he loſt never a man in the buſineſſe.

Thence we marched onward (as Generall Pre­ſton might judge by our courſe to Waſhford) and in the way tooke a Captaine of Horſe of the Ene­mies, one Moſterſon, Captaine Pollard tooke him: but the next morning about two of the clocke, we couzined his expectation and went to Roſſe, they never expected us that way, for we ſaw them runne out of their townes juſt as we came to the townes­ſide, and all the way till then we found the townes empty. We tooke early in the morning two or three ſpies; who told us that Generall Preſton quartered that night behind the next hill which was but two miles off; our forlorne hope rode up to the Wals of Roſſe and were heartily bid welcome by them that kept the Fort for they tooke them for ſome of Gene­rall Preſtons Horſe, they might eaſily have kept the Port till freſh horſe had relieved them, and ſo have tooke the towne without loſſe of time or men, if they had knowne ſo much. This opportunity miſſed made the Lord Lile and Sir Richard-Greenvile chafe inwardly, it was ſo long ere the Foot came up and the Ordnance were planted, that Generall Preſton from the other ſide of the water preſently filled it with men: when we had made a breach we could not enter, we had left both our hand Grena­does and ſcaling ladders at home which was a foule fault. We had two Majors ſhot, two or three Gentlemen of Companies killed, and 17, or 18. common men, & above 40. ſhot. This made us al very melanchollique but the Marqueſſe of Ormond hea­ring that Generall Preſton lay very neer us, rayſed the ſiedge, and we marched from Roſſe to old Roſſe that night to looke for him, we ſaw many of his Horſe but they would not ſtand as ſoone as we were riſen from Roſſe, the men within the towne quit the towne, and joyned with Generall Preſton.

The next day we marched all the morning with­in ſight of one another but could not come toge­ther for a great bogge: but about three of the clock we ioyned. The enemy made five thouſand ſhotte upon the forlorne hope led on by Captaine. Atkins and at the horſe which ſtood in order behind them and killed not one man, in this time our Ordnance were drawne up (which by the aſſiſtance of ſome ſeamen which were forced to leave their Ships in the River, and gunns alſo were ſo well plied) that they made great ſlaughter. Then they marched with as much reſolution as men could poſſible up toward the Ordnance but ſo many fell by the way that they began to rout, then the Lord Lile with his Horſe encountred their Horſe which advanced alſo to meete him, and truly he and Sir Richard Greenevile behaved themſelves ſo, that many of them fell in the Skirmiſh, a great many of their prime men were taken Priſoners, they fought gal­lantly for an houre and halfe, their Horſe till this inſtant (having never done any thing remarkable) fought bravely, their Nobility and chiefe gentry rode as volunteers in Troops, and like men they fought, but it pleaſed God not to proſper their en­deavours; There were killed in this fight Colo­nell Thomas Butler, Captaine Edward Butler and divers other of the Butlers, Sir Beverly Britton was ſlaine and Sir Morgan Cavanah Captaine Scarlough Captaine of Horſe, and (to be ſhort) a­bout Thirty of their prime men, Cullein the Lieve­tenant generall of the field, Serjant Major Butler Lieutenant Butler, Captaine Fitzgerald and three or foure more of their Captaines taken Priſoners they never met ſuch a counter buffe ſince the rebellion. We were indifferent well revenged for Roſſe, the force of the enemy is judged and confeſſed to be a­bout ſeven thouſand the ſlaine in the place ſcarce two hundred. I viewed the field from one end to the other, but they were above ſixſcore of them Gentlemen, and prime men that ſcorned to runne away, a great many died, as they marched away as we in our next dayes march found upon the wa•and in Hedges, we loſt never an Officer and had but one hurt, that was Sir Thomas Lucas a Privie Councellour, we loſt about 15. men, but many were wounded. The next day at night, Generall Preſton quartered within halfe a mile of us, but he had a great river betwixt us and him, he could not get 2000. together, the next day had he not cut of the bridge we had beene with him againe, as we underſtood by ſuch as runne from him to us, ſo great a feare had poſſeſſed his Soul­diers that he could ſcarce keepe the few he had to­gether. I had omitted one thing, as Sir James Dilhon was bringing his Forces to joyne with Ge­nerall Preſton, Major Pigot. (I weene) did as much for him as Captaine Harman had done for thoſe at Tullo, neere Carlo: he killed above 200. of them. That Dilhon is a Puppie, he hath ever beene beaten by all that have fought with him moſt ſtrangely. Now we marched homewards, and in our returne did nothing ſave taking in two Caſtles, nor had any hurt done to us ſave ſeven or eight Ox­en ſtole one night, and another night they fell upon the horſe quarter, and killed one Cope a Gentle­man, and tooke two or three horſes. You have the to­tall ſurely.

I have done with William Robinſon, and ſhall make an end with you to if you faile me one Poſh. If my brother be not able to returne me of his own money, he is in ſlender condition, and I am (for a trick that I know) in much worſe. I ſee plainty Ire­land will be wonne if we can get any mony to ſubſiſt by, it is pitty ſo brave an Army ſhould be ſtarved. I thanke God the beſt people here valew me beyond my deſert farre, and I find much civility from all, and I doubt not Couſin but very ſhortly I ſhall be able to requite thoſe curteſies which you have ſhewed.