GOOD and true news FROM IRELAND.  
In a Letter sent to Mr. Francis Clay in Lumberstreet, and by him received January 24. 1641.  
With a Confirmation of another Letter to the same effect; by the relating the late exploits of the English Forces there.  
LONDON, Printed for H. Blunden. 1642.   

Good Mr, Clay,  
AFter my kind love presented unto you and your good wife, with desire of your healths. I have received your Letter and the news, for which I kindly thank you, and will give satisfaction, for what you lay out; For news with us there is very good, for that Regiment which went from hence under Sir Simon Harcot, hath done much good: for he and Sir Charles, issued out of Dublin with two thousand and set upon a Town called Swords, some eight miles from Dublin, which the enemies had taken, and were there encamped about five thousand of them, our men set on them and slew three hundred of them with the loss of three men, and put the rest to flight; and took, as the report is, spoil worth six thousand pound, and set fire of the Town. Also Captain Bartly with a ship of war, and four other small ones, hath relieved Tradarth, as he went up the River he played with his Ordnance on both sides, fifteen pieces on a side; and when Sir Henry Titsburn heard him, he issued out to meet him for joy, and when he was gone out, the Rebles marched towards the city; but he returned back before them, and he bid them come, he would deliver the Town to them, and set open the gates. But when some eight score of them were come in, Captain Jaxe one of their Captains kissed his Sword and said, God be thanked the Town was theirs. But presently they discharged two pieces of Ordnance, and a bullet hit him and dashed out his brains, and they shut the gates, and shot off the walls at the rest, and put those eightscore all to the Sword, and when the rest saw them shoot they fled; but they slew some three hundred of them off the walls. Captain Bartley as he came home he battered a Town called Skerries, by the Sea coast, and fired it where the Rebels lodged. And very lately Sir Charles Coote and Sir Simon Harcot issued out of Dublin again (they were striving a day for pre-eminence) and cast lots, and Sir Charles Coot got it, whether should lead them to Dunboyne: and if they had gone that day before, they had taken the Lords of the Pile there, but they took the Town, and got great spoils and fired it: they brought with them four hundred head of cattle, besides other victualling. The Lord Dungarbar is arrived in Ireland safe, he hath taken Dungar now and victualled it. Thus being in haste, I rest,  
Your thankful friend to command, Richard Johnson.   

SIR,  
YOur kind Letter by Mr. Ralinson I safely received, and whereas you desire to hear of our present state in this poor Kingdom of Ireland, I shall in brief relate unto you our latest Occurrences.  
Three days since Sir Charles Coote, and Sir Simon Harcotte sallied out to Swords, six miles from Dublin, where the enemy had their camp, and there had entrenched themselves. By break of day our men set upon them, drove them out of their Trenches, and put them to rout, they ran away, about 120 were slain, divers taken prisoners, four of their Colours, drums, and arms, our men brought away, who are safely come again, blessed be God, only we lost four men; whereof the chief was Sir Lorenzo Cary, brother to the Lord Faulkland, shot in the head, as it is thought, by one of his soldiers; he was brought to Dublin on horseback, his footman behind him holding him up in the saddle, which an Irish woman on the Key seeing, said it was pity that no more were served so, which the soldiers hearing, in a rage threw the woman into the River, where she was drowned.  
The Rebels have burned all the Plantation Towns in the County of London Derry, but Derry and Colraine stand out stoutly.  
The last night they went out towards the mountains beyond Tallow, and burned two or three Villages, whereby those Rebels should not have any shelter so near us, but when our men came, they ran away, and would not abide above two shot, so that till we have supply from England and Scotland, no good is to be done with them, whereby we may follow them to the full; notwithstanding, many Papists curse the Jesuits, Priests, and friars, and say in plain terms, they have been the cause of all this; and no question to the contrary; the Lord in mercy convert or confound them.  
We are all much bound to God for our Gracious King, the Honourable Parliament of England, the merciful and pious city of London, and the whole Kingdoms of England & Scotland, for their care and pity upon us, although as yet we have but little help to this great work, but of that which we have received, we are much comforted, and we do not doubt of the rest, which doth not a little strike to the hearts of our enemies, as we hear; by this you may see in part our calamities; but blessed be God, our Lords, Justices, and council, have provided for this city, that under God, we hope to be safe as you in London, and so we hope of Drohedah, where a worthy governor Sir Henry Tichborne holds out valiantly, although the rebels have made many assaults upon the town. Provision is sent by Sea to Drohedah, and we trust in God, it will be safely delivered to them, but if not, they will be hard bestead, but if it please God to send us more strength, we make no question by God's assistance but to clear the passage by land to succour them.  
These miseries are great the Lord be merciful unto us: but this is not all, the most of our rich men and great men are fled from us into England, and have carried their estates with them, they have not left one penny to succour the poor distressed stripped people who are come hither for relief, whereof we have at this present near three thousand, besides many hundreds are starved to death since they came only with want, for we are not able to do more than we do, we do relieve them far beyond our abilities; for my own part, I pay much weekly for billiting money, besides what I give to the poor; the rich being gone, left their houses without any help at all unto us, not so much as common charges for the safety of this City, but all lieth upon the poorer sort: The Lord in mercy forgive them this sin, this great sin, that the blood of so many hundreds which have perished by want be not required at their hands. Thus with our best respects unto you, I rest  
Your assured friend, S. G.