towns and holds whatsoever. By which means, if your Majesty have good ministers, all the wealth in the land shall be drawn into the hands of your subjects; your soldiers in the winter shall be carefully lodged, and readily supplied of any wants; and we that command your Majesty's forces may make the war offensive and defensive, nay, fight and be in safety, as occasion is offered. Secondly, your Majesty's horsemen are so incomparably better than the rebels, and their foot so unwilling to fight, in battle or gross, howsoever they be desirous to skirmish or fight loose, that your Majesty may be always mistress of the champaign countries, which are the best parts of this kingdom. Thirdly, your Majesty victualling your army out of England, and with your garrisons burning and spoiling the country in all places, shall starve the rebels in one year, because no place else can supply them. Fourthly, since no war can be made without munition, and munition this rebel cannot have but from Spain, Scotland, or your own towns here, if your Majesty will still continue your ships and pinnaces upon the coast, and be pleased to send a printed proclamation, that, upon pain of death, no merchant, townsman, or other subject, do traffic with the rebel, or buy or sell in any sort any kind of munition or arms, I doubt not but that in a short time I shall make them bankrupt of their old store, and I hope our seamen will keep them from receiving any new. Fifthly, your Majesty hath a rich store of gallant colonels, captains, and gentlemen of quality, whose example and execution is of more use than all the rest of your troops; whereas the men of best quality among the rebels, which are their leaders and their horsemen, dare never put themselves to any hazard, but send their kerne and their hirelings to fight with your Majesty's troops; so that, although their common soldiers are too hard for our new men, yet they are not able to stand before such gallant men as will charge them. Sixthly, your Majesty's commanders being advised and exercised know all advantages, and by the strength of their order will, in all great fights, beat the rebels. For they neither march, nor lodge, nor fight in order, but only by the benefit of their footmanship can come on and go off at pleasure; which makes them attend a whole day, still skirmishing, and never engaging themselves; so that it hath been ever the fault and weakness of your Majesty's leaders, whensoever you have received any blow. Now, if it shall please your Majesty to compare your advantages and disadvantages together, you shall find, that though these rebels are more in number than your Majesty's army, and have, though I do unwillingly confess it, better bodies and perfecter use of their arms, than those men which your Majesty sends over, yet your Majesty commanding the walled towns, holds, and champaign countries, and having a brave nobility and gentry, a better discipline, and stronger order than they, and such means to keep from them the maintenance of their life, and to waste the country which should nourish them; your Majesty may promise yourself, that this action will in the end be successful, though costly, and that your victory will be certain, though many of us your honest servants must sacrifice ourselves in the quarrel; and that this kingdom will be reduced, though it will ask, besides cost, a great deal of care, industry, and time. But why do I talk of victory or success? Is it not known that from England I receive nothing but discomforts and soul's wounds? Is it not spoken in the army, that your Majesty's favor is diverted from me, and that already you do bode ill both to me and it? Is it not believed by the rebels that those whom you favor most, do more hate me out of faction, than them out of duty and conscience? Is it not lamented of your Majesty's faithfullest subjects, both there and here, that a Cobham or a Ralegh—I will forbear others for their places' sakes-should have such credit and favour with your Majesty when they wish the ill-success of your Majesty's most important action, the decay of your greatest strength, and the destruction of your faithfullest servants? Yes, yes, I see both my own destiny and your Majesty's decree, and do willingly embrace the one, and obey the other. Let me honestly and zealously end a wearisome life. Let others live in deceitful and inconstant pleasures. Let me bear the brunt, and die meritoriously. Let others achieve and finish the work, and live to erect trophies. But my prayer shall be that, when my sovereign loseth me, her army may not lose courage, or this kingdom want physic, or her dearest self miss Essex, and then I can never go in a better time, nor in a fairer way. Till then, I protest before God and his angels, I am a true votary, that is sequestered from all things but my duty and my charge. I perform the uttermost of my body's, mind's, and fortune's ability; and more should, but that a constant care and labor agrees not with an inconstant health in an unwholesome and uncertain climate. This is the hand of him that did live your dearest, and will die your Majesty's faithfullest, servant. From Arklow, the army, now reduced by the garrisons and reinforcements left behind, and by sickness, to a much less number than originally went forth, returned direct to Dublin, where they arrived one of the first days in July. CHAPTER II. LIFE OF ROBERT, EARL OF ESSEX-continued. DISPLEASURE OF THE QUEEN AT SOUTHAMPTON'S APPOINTMENT. OF DISAPPROBATION FROM THE QUEEN. ANOTHER LETTER LET us now inquire, how the conduct of Essex, and his journey into Munster, were received at Court. To explain the next letters, it is necessary to state, that the Earl of Southampton, who, in consequence of his marriage, already related, fell into the deepest disgrace, was appointed by Essex General of the Horse in Ireland, which caused the following correspondence. No. VIII.1 The Lords of the Council to Essex. Her Majesty having of late received certain knowledge that your L. hath constituted the Earl of Southampton General of the Horse in Her Maj. army under your charge, 1 S. P. O. with which she is much displeased, hath given us commandment to signify her mind in that behalf, and to let your L. understand that she thinketh strange, and taketh it offensively, that you would appoint his L. to that place and office, considering that Her Maj. did not only deny it, when she was here moved by your L. to that purpose, but gave you an express prohibition to the contrary, that he should not be appointed thereunto. This commandment being by Her Maj. so precisely delivered unto you, and the same being now so publicly manifested to the world to be broken, hath moved Her Maj. to great offence in that respect. And therefore Her Maj. pleasure is that you do not longer continue him in that place and charge of General of the Horse, but dispose of it to some other as you shall think good; Her Maj. esteeming it a very unseasonable time to confer upon him any so great place, having so lately given her cause of offence towards him. This being Her Maj. direction and commandment unto us, we do deliver it by this our letter, as from herself, wherein having discharged our duties, we are sorry for the From the Court at Greenwich, the 10th of June, occasion. 1599. To this letter Essex replied from Dublin on the 11th July. No. IX.1 Essex to the Lords of the Council. To come to that which I never looked should come to me (I mean your LL. letter, touching the displacing of the Earl of Southampton), your LL. say that Her Majesty thinketh it strange, and taketh it offensively that I appointed the Earl of Southampton General of the Horse, seeing Her Majesty not only denied it when I moved it, but gave me an express 1 S. P. O., an extract. |