Page images
PDF
EPUB

blesse your Exeye in all your Negociations, I shall ever

remayne

Your Excyes most humble

& faythfull servant Jo: EBORAC.

Conwaye, 2do Januarij, 1645 [6].

For his Exce the Lord Marques of Ormond, lord Lieutenant of Ireland humblye p'sent these. (Indorsed) Bip. of Yorkes Dat. 2° January 1645.

LETTER XVII.

WILLIAMS TO ORMOND.

Original: own hand. Vol. xvi, fo. 257.

Maye it please your Excellencye

Your Excye maye vnderstand by this enclosed what case Chester1 is in, and like to be, wthout the immediat transportation of those Forces your Lpp. was pleased to mencion. And as soone as they are landed, they shall not onelye be provided of good Quarters for theyr Passage, but attended wth 300 Horse, vntill theyr meeteinge of those other succours. This bearer is a learned and well Experienced gentleman, though of myne owne Coate, and can satisfie your Exeye in all particulars better then my Letter is able to doe. I send your Ex both the letter in Cipher (wh S Robt. Byron is able to discipher) and playnelye rendred word for word, by S William Gerrard. Doe what you can most noble lord by your power in speedeinge this relief, to saue this Cittye, the losse whereof draweth after it a long chayne of ill Consequences, and in the first linkes of the same, the rendringe of these Countyes disobedient, and of that Kingedom altogeither vnuseful to his Mtye. I send your Exeye somme more of theyr printed follies, to shewe vnto your Exere what it is, they wold infuse into the subiectes of England, concerninge the

1 Chester surrendered Feb. 3, 1646, to Sir William Brereton. To celebrate the surrender a day of thanksgiving was appointed by the Parliament.

disposition of those of Ireland, wh I hope those good people wth theyr tymelye arrivall in these partes, will fullye and reallye confute. God Almightye blesse Exeye in all your Negociations. I rest,

Most Excellent lord,

Your Excyes most affectionate

your

and humble servaunt,

Jo: EBORAC.

Conwaye the 9th of Januarye 1645[6] ten at Night
To his Exore the lord Marques of Ormond, the lord
Lieuetenant of Ireland humbly p'sent these.

(Indorsed) L Arch BPP of Yorkes

Rec. 26

91 Jan.,
Jan., 1645.

Concerning Chester.

LETTER XVIII.

WILLIAMS TO LORD ASTLEY.1

Original: own hand. Tanner MSS., vol. lx, fo. 386.

Most noble lord

Your Lpps letter of the 12. of Januarye, I received late at Night 24% of the same Moneth. I haue communicated to the Ld Byron, the lord Marques of Ormond, his letter of the 12. of 10ber, and by this time (not sooner) the lord Byron's Answeare is at Divlyn wh I sent by his Lpps Chaplayne. It implied some feares of holdinge out Chester, thus long. Coronel Butler tells me even nowe that the men & shippinge are still readye in Ireland, though retarded hitherto by reason of this distraction wh sithence Tuesday last, is soe composed, that the E. of Glamorgan is out vpon Bayle of 6. or 8. noble men, whereof the Lrd Marq. of Clanricard is one. From the lord Lieuten'nt, I haue received noe Answer in writeinge as yeat (though my letters to his Exere were many sithence the 1** of Janu

1 Sir Jacob Astley greatly contributed, on several occasions, to the success of the royal forces, of which he was serjeant-majorgeneral, and for his services received a peerage.

arye), nor from the Lrd Digby any more to the purpose, then this inclosed.

There is, noble lord, noe relieinge vpon these Iresh forces for this service, though if they com they shalbe carefullye transposed to such a Rendevous as I shall heare, is most fittinge for the passage of your Lpps Armye. And for that end, your Lpp shall surelye be punctuallye informed of their landinge and Condicion. In the meane time, it is fitt your Lopp shold understand, that vnder Coronel Gilbert Byron, the lord of Set Paule is in these partes in the head of 600 (as he sth) but I beleeve of 500 horse & foote good men & well Armed, to be directed and imployed by your Lpp. Next that, that Lievt Coronel Roger Moston, is landed wth a peece of a Regiment (somme 160 as Coronel Butler tells me) of the lord Digbyes rais'd in Ireland, of English & some Loraineses and he wilbe able to make it vp 200 vpon his owne Credit (a Commissioner of Array and peace in this Contye) and wilbe, after a daye or two his Refreshm' at your Lpps dispose.

I conceive your Lpp. will receive better information then I can give you, of the Forces that our Garisons are able to affoord, fro the worthy Governour of Chester. But I haue it from good & knoweinge handes, that the Armed and Feightinge men, at Chester are aboue 4000. whereof many may yssue forth.

I praye God heartilye (as I haue cause) to blesse and prosper your Lpps honourable designe And desire your Lpp. to esteeme of me as of one, who hath long loved your Lpp. and may truelye write my selfe Your Lpps. most affectionate

& humble servaunt

Conwaye this 25th of Januarye 1645 [6]

Jo: EBORAC.

I haue imparted your Lpps letter & Sr Jo: Watts to Coronel Gilbert Byron, to be sent to Chester.

(Indorsed) To the Right Honourable the Lord Astley humbly prsent these.

LETTER XIX.

WILLIAMS TO SIR JOHN WATTS.

Original: own hand. Tanner MSS., vol. lx, fo. 379.

Noble Governour. I thanke you for this and all other Courtesies. Be pleased to reade & then to seale this enclosed, and you shall thereby vnderstand, all I am able to saye of this great buysines, wh God Almightye prosper.

Coronel Butler who wilbe wth you at or before this letter will impart all the Newes of Ireland. He is a servant in Ordinarye of the Queenes. And soe beseechinge God to blesse you, I remayne, Noble Governour, Your affectionate freynd

Conway 25 of January 1645 [6].

& servant

JO. EBORAC.

To his much honoured & worthy freynd, St John Wattes knt Governour of Cherk Castle these. (Indorsed) A treacherous Lre of Wmns A. B. of York Jan. 25, 1645.

LETTER XX.

WILLIAMS TO LORD BULKELEY.
Copy. Vol. xvii, fo. 62.

Right hoble & my very good L

I thanke yo' Lo0 for being mindfull of me in a season when money shall be verie welcome if it be wthout too much discomodatinge yo' LP wh I would not haue done for any care of mee.

op

But my noble lord giue me leaue to owen my selfe freely vnto your LP in a businesse w'h doth but too much concerne yo' Lo yo' Lady, and yo' Children, & will wth in very few dayes, bee too late to be advised on, and however not like to have me of counsaile whom I perceive

this storme ere long will drive out of sight, if not out of the world. I am content in my owne p'ticular to be misinterp'ted by those men of whom I have most deserved of the Gent' of Anglizey & Carnarvonshire as too much adheringe to ye Ld Byron and of the L Byron as havinge marred ye Gent' by too much indulgencie and p'tectinge them from the discipline wh his Ldship and others intended to put vpon them, because my Conscience (grounded vpon as good grounds of Exp'ience as either his Ldship or ye gent' are owners of for ought is p'ceived) assureth me y' I haue carried my selfe evenly & fairely wthout incroachinge in any one point vpon the Countrey or leauinge any iust and warrantable right or power wh his Ldship could challenge. And therefore I doe incline to beleeve that his Ldship aimes at some other matters then his Comission (for ought I can see) extended vnto, And the gent' of that & this County were either mutined against mee by one or two meane & vnworthy people or have some further then the present service of the King or ye com'on good of the Countrey in this their discontentm' howsoever I am (I thanke God) a single man, & now of yeares so as fortune can have no great blow at me however things fall out wherein if reason or iustice shall be heard I doe not feare the triall of y° worst of my Actions at any Barre of this Kingdome.

ayme

But my noble La I doe very much pittie y' Ldships condition, charg'd with a Lady and so many sweet children and yet by trustinge of others (in whom the house of the Bulkeleys have no reason to confide over much) thrust into such an estate y' you are not able (the storme being soe high) to defend yo' selfe nor yet as yo" Ldship hath beene daudled wthall to shewe yo' selfe in any Court considerable to be offered faire & equall condicons: Yo' Castle & goum' of ye Towne' kept as God and the King had plac't them in yo" owne & your sonnes hands (A sonne whose abilityes you doe not sufficiently vnderstand though you be his father) had rendred you

1 Beaumaris.

« PreviousContinue »