RICHARD RATHETENE. Mator of Chester, and SIR JOHN 1598-9, March 9.-—Actor litt to instructions I Sir John Shelton made my speely repair mo this city of Chester with intention to view and muster the 2.600 foinen appointed hither, and upon my coming hither I did acquaint the mayor of Chester with so much of mine instructions as concerned him. But I the mayor being commanded by you and the rest of the Privy Council to cause the companies to be embarked so soon as the wind should serve for their transportation, did cause so many of the companies as are mentioned in a list here inclosed, which first came to this city, to march down to Liverpool and other places in the same list specified, with their arms and furnitures, and caused the same to be embarked and the men to be billeted and cessed at the towns nearest to their shipping for their more speedy embarking. By reason whereof, and in regard the men are so scattered abroad in the country, we cannot take that exact view and muster of those men, their arms and furnitures, as by you we are commanded, whereof we humbly beseech your pardon. Touching the view and muster of the rest of the 1,600 men that are either remaining at this city or which shall repair hither, we will follow your instructions and send you a certificate of our doings therein so soon as we shall finish that service.Chester, of March the 9th, 1598. On the back:-For her Majesty's special affairs. . . Haste, haste, post haste, haste. At the city of Chester, the 9th of March, at one in the afternoon. Richard Rathburne, Mayor. At Nantwich, at five the same evening. At Stone, at 10 in the evening on the same night. At Lichfield, at ij in the night. At Cosell, after four. At Coventry, past 6 in the morning. At Daventry, at x in the morning. At Toster [Towcester] at same day. At Brickhill, afternoon. At St. Albans after . of the clock at. . . . At Barnet at xj of . . Signed. p. (176. 119.) WILLIAM GORING to SIR ROBERT CECIL. 1598-9, March 10.-I beseech you to befriend my son Harry Goring who has had to appear before you and the rest of the Council. He has submitted himself to the Bishop of Chichester, and the Earl of Essex only did not intercede for him because he thought the Bishop was satisfied. My son will bring sufficient sureties for his appearance at any time if he be not now committed. Saxbee, the bishop's man, whom my son did hurt, did call him base Goring and otherwise abused him, as may be proved. My son should have shewn himself very simple to have digested such words. May it please you further to understand that my good Lord your father (I would he had lived) promised that I should have certain lands of her Majesty near me in the manor of Byworth, if sold at any time. It is very barren, sandy land and the yearly rent is not above £24. I hear her Majesty is selling land, and would give as much for this land as another. The woods upon it are almost all sold.-Burton, this 10th of March, 1598. Signed. Seal. p. (60. 36.) W. MEREDITH to the EARL of ESSEX. 1598-9, March 10.-Sir Francis Vere had a company of 150 footmen in Briell, which, upon the alteration of the establishment 18804 o G the Lea years since he hath life and that mere the Felision, noting him and sowardly, judge sme desperate humour France. They allege also a that He that he was urged with rest afront in Tholouse. betred the Sheriffs of the that had always maintained Farliament chocseth eight by the name of ment, misliking the choice in general of the 11. nominated eight who were not in the Tet of election. The arah, cause of his retiring I cannot avow. Only, for the manner of his carriage, the selfsame day that he took on him the Caputin's frock. Iean inform you that he demeaned himself as licenti usly as ever he used to do, and to take leave of the world he went to salute Lis mistress. Madame de Semiers, and publicly passed through Paris in a coach accompanied with many Dames: towards evening he went to the Hostel of Guises where he continued sporting and kissing Madame de Guise till it grew very Late; and after having with many farewells borrowed many kisses, Madame de Guise asked him whither he went that he took so golemn leave. He answered that to-morrow morning he determined to take a journey so far off that she should see him no more. Herewith it was told him that two Capucins desired to speak to him; whereupon, after another farewell, he departed in their company and installed himself in their convent. Some of his friends that exalt his virtues, which were invisible to the world, say that a Capucin preaching at St. Germain beside the Louvre urged often the performing of his promise to God, which touched him so to the quick that he put on the resolution to die a poor Capucin. M. d'Espernon on Monday last went to Mounceaux to reconcile himself to the King. On Thursday last, three leagues out of Paris, a rich merchant of the same town was cruelly murdered by a financier's clerk, with the consent also of his wife. For which offence, yesterday, they both suffered, the man broken on the wheel and the woman hanged. The day before the execution, the father of the young man came to Paris in post to beg pardon for another son of his that is in prison in Rochelle for a murder also, and found his other son, whom he thought assuredly to be safe, condemned to die. This morning the bruit is, that the brother of Madame Anthoine executed yesterday hath with his poignard slain himself. I will detain you no longer, only I entreat you to use your usual favour in recommending me to my Lord Marshal.-Paris, Mars 12. Addressed, "to my Honorable Friend, Mr. Anthony Bacon, Essex House." Holograph. Seal. 2 pp. (39. 9.) MR. JUSTICE GRANGE to SIR ROBERT CECIL. 1598-9, March 12.-According to directions, dated the 10th of this instant, from your Honour and others of the Privy Council, I made diligent search in the house of Garratt Swyft for writings whereunto your or any of their Lordships' hands were counterfeited. I found only letters in his own hand, all concerning his private causes, saving one letter, or copy of a letter, to be sent to you, which, as it is directed, I send to you here inclosed.-St. Giles in the Fields, the 12th March, 1598. Signed. p. (60. 40.) IRELAND. 1598-9, March 12.-A scheme to disconcert the designs of "the archtraitor Tyrone in the landing of the army at Lough Foyle." It appears, by his order given in Ulster for an assembly, on four days' warning, at Strabane, and by his preparations upon Lough Foyle and in Ennis Owtun, Sir John O'Dohartie's country, that, upon news of any fleet on that coast, he and O'Donell will draw to Lough Foyle. And his numbers will not be fewer than they were at the marshal's defeat at the Blackwater, i.e., 5,000 very good shot, 2,000 targets and murrions, 1,000 naked pikes and 900 horse, unless O'Donell, by some invasion from Ballyshannon be diverted from him. His own intention is to fight the army in their landing, the pikes and targets throwing themselves, . by clusters, into the water at the landing of the boats, so that the great ordnance from the ships playing upon them shall be as 'noyful" to the soldiers as to them. To this purpose he has dug trenches in the likeliest parts of the strand for his muskets, and great pits within 20 paces of high water mark, to ambush his pikes and targets in; but he tells his men that he will allow the landing rather than endure any great killing of them. He hopes by killing as many as possible at their landing, to make the rest slow to follow him up; and if he can but temporise and keep them in the field six weeks, he has a friend that never yet failed him, that is" the disease of the country, fatal, as you know, to all our nation at their first lying in camp." This, with want of carriage and loss of our best men in ambushes, would in six weeks make the army only fit to wait in garrisons for reinforcements. "His Lordship" is therefore to be persuaded to place garrisons beforehand in strong places; so as to be able to force him to fight with her Majesty's forces while they are yet fresh and strong. The best places for such garrisons are Belfast and Tewme, in the Clandeboyes, and Colrane, in the Rowte. The first two would deprive him of 700 horse and foot "of his best risings out," and the last of Sir James McSaiorlie, his brother Randall, 500 of his best shot, 200 bowman, 120 horse, "besides the creaughtes of the cows that such a defection from him will instantly spoil him of," and bereave him of his strongest fastness in Ulster, "as yourself in your personal experience of these parts do know." These garrisons will require : Belfast, 600 foot and 70 horse, whereof only 30 English; Tewme, 200 foot; Colrane, not fewer than 1,000 foot and 120 horse. Recapitulates the advantages to be gained. These forces need not be embarked until his lordship's personal arrival at Chester, where he may wait until certified of their placing and of the effect, "which, brother, I dare assure you, with the favour of God, will not be long, neither unworthy of his lordship's dwelling upon it for a time.' These 1,800 foot and 150 horse are to be shipped from Chester to the Isle of Man, where those for Belfast and Tewme must be placed in wood boats and small barks of that island, Scotland and Strangforde, and landed in Strangforde river, near the Graie Abbey and 15 miles from Belfast. The arrival of wood boats at Strangforde being of daily occurence, they would not be suspected, and might suddenly drive the prey of the Greater Ardes over the ford to Belfast, and have the killing of Tyrone's "bonnaughts," which are not above 200 in that country. The gain of so many cows would lose Tyrone 400 foot "besides his bonnaughts, which may hap to have their throats cut by this course by the country gentlemen themselves, who now hold with Tyrone more for fear than for love, by an ancient hatred between the Neales of Tyrone and Clandeboyes;" it would also daunt Tyrone and his followers. At the same instant the men for Colrane must land at Carrickfergus, "from whence, with the assistance of Neale Oge McIlne McPhelomye, now admitted by the State to be my vice-constable of Belfast, and Rorye Oge McWilliam, being both mortal enemies to Sawrlye Boye his sons, marching overland to Colrane, they may drive the country before |