LORD JUSTICE PELHAM to the QUEEN.

Answering those brought by Sharpe to the Nurie.

After my last I repaired to the North, where your letters of the 9th came to my hands. I have united the Baron of Dungannon, Turlough Brasiloughe, McMahound, Maguinis, the O'Hanlons, and the O'Neills of the Fuse, to be a body of themselves to withstand Turlough Lenoughe, and to join with the Marshal, who has charge of that border.

The assembly of the nobility and Council to confer upon my departure into Munster, and leaving the Earl of Kildare and others to have charge of the Pale during my absence, is appointed for the last of this month. As the rebels have great scope to wander in between the east and the west sea of Munster, your forces should be divided into two parts.

Concerning the offence conceived against me, your Majesty will see by the plat of Ireland that your forces were planted at Limerick, Adare, Crome, Kilmallocke, Loughgere, and Any, to keep the rebels in Connelaughe. By going to Youghall the Earl of Desmond was so bayed in between the rivers of Youghall and Cork, as if but the sheriffs of the counties of Cork and Waterford had joined the power of those two countries, he must have been utterly overthrown.

I confess myself unhappily chosen for a place of such importance. It is commonly spoken here that you will receive Desmond into favour, which will discourage such as have newly forsaken him, by the travail of my Lord of Ormond. I am an humble petitioner to your Majesty not to continue me here in these terms, and to judge of Desmond as a traitor, "that guarded the Pope's ensign with all his own household servants, before the proclamation, in the encounter with Sir Nicholas Malbie, where some of them left their heads; and that in all his skirmishes and outrages since the proclamation crieth Papa abo, which is the Pope above, even above you and your Imperial crown.

Dublin, 28 December 1579. Signed.

Postscript.--The noble young gentleman, Mr. William Norris, is departed this life on Christmas Day, in the morning, at the Newrie.

Contemp. copy.