The last, best, and truest news From Ireland, That came since the Rebellion.  
Sent From a Gentleman in Dublin, to his Friend, a Divine, in LONDON.  
LONDON, Printed by Thomas Harper, March 18. 1641.   

The last, best and truest news from Ireland.  
Upon Friday the 4. of Feb. the governor of Drogedah Sir Henry Tichburne with some horse and foot, sall●●d out of the E●st gate, with an intention to fetch in some corn from a place called the green Hills, being a quarter of a mile out of the town, but they we●e scarce out of the town gates, before they were encountered by Hugh Boy O Neale, the enemies marshal of the fi●ld, who was there waiting an opportunity with about seven hundred men; the enemy at the first assault made a great show of courage and resolution, but as soon as captain Fortescue, and captain owen's had fired on their flanks, they instantly ran away, and the horse and foot of our side fell to execution, and in the chase killed about two hundred, together with the said Hugh Boy O Neale, and some other officers, and that without the loss of one man on our side, but one who afterwards died of his hurt.  
Upon the fourteenth day captain Martin was sent with fifty musquetiers, and falling into a qu●rter of the enemies, there was some twenty of the enemies slain, and but one of ours. Upon the eighteenth the governor having resolved to beat upon a quarter of the enemies at a place called Ramullin, half a mile off the town, he being Accompanied with Sir Patrick Weymes, with some of the Lord of Ormond's horse, together with the Lord Moores, Sir Adam Loftus, Sir Thomas Lucas, their horse, and captain Weynman, captain Byrone, captain Fortescue, Sir John Burlasse, captain Billingsly, captain Roper and captain Cadogan, with 450. foot marched out of the town upon break of the day, and the forlorn hope of horse, and 40. commanded musketeers marched a good way before the body, and being come within musket shot, the enemy played stoutly and very hotly at them; but our musketeers having killed about ten of them, Lieutenant Francis Moor who commanded the forlorn hope of horse being accompanied with his cornet, and C●ptaine Cadogan, & the Lord Moor's horse charged into the town, but with much ado, the enemy having baroc●ded the ways, and having entered the town▪ they discerned the enemy flying by the river Boyne towards the old bridge, they pursued them, and in the chase they killed some sixty of them, and if the musketeers had come in, there had been an hundred more killed at least, for so many of them had got under a mighty great and steep rock on the water side, where the horsemen could not possibly come at them, and withal▪ their own fellow's colonel Mac Brian's men being on the other side of the Boyne shot very thick at us, but hurt not one, though they spent a great deal of powder and lead; when we retreated we could discern a great body of the enemy making towards us from old bridge, and as we came towards our main body, which all the while remained entire, we could see a great number of the enemy marching in good array towards our body; but before we could come up, though we rode hard, the enemy betook themselves to their heels, and Da●●ies son of Plattine, being one of their captains, lost his horse, and ran away a foot over the great ditches towards his father's house, which had he not done, he had gone home shorter by the head; here again we killed about a score of them, both executions done by the horse, the foot not stirring but when the governor led them towards the enemy; in this last skirmish the Earl of Ormond's, and the Vice treasurer's horse gained good applause for their valour and forwardness, as likewise did the Lord Moores, and Sir Thomas Lucas in the first; the horse had no sooner retreated to the body, but we could discern colonels Mac Brian's men hard by us, the sight of them drew us to a belief that we should have a hot fight now with both the divisions, those that before had fled to Plattine, having rallied themselves into a body again, & that with such celerity▪ as was to be wondered at, but howsoever they let us depart quietly, & we came seasonably into the town, for had we stayed a little longer, some 800. of the enemy had got betwixt us and the town, and then we had been engaged to fight with all their divisions, which did consist of 1500. or 1600 men at least.  
Upon the 24. being Saint Mathias, most hppily arrived our relief of provision and ammunition, it came seasonably, for we were come almost to the last morsel: The enemy laboured hard to hinder the bringing of it in, who hoped that famine should force us to yield up the town▪ they had two pieces of Ordinance▪ and a world of muskets playing from either shore; but God be praised, our ships came up safely to the Key without the loss of one man, or so much as one hurt but one, which was a great wonder, the channel being not in most places a musket shot over, ●●y the vessels sometimes were forced to come within a stone cast of the shore.  
On the next day in the morning we were not aware before 500 of the enemy had entered the town of Tradagh, and the whole gross of them without, making all haste to enter in at an old low door, which by the treachery of some of the townsmen, who are not as yet certainly known, was broken open for them; it was a strange thing to hear, for the air echoed with their hellish cries, being entered, and the alarum taken, they were forthwith encountered in several p●ces, a great number of them made for the mill mount, the only strength of the town, where captain Cadogan kept his guard, it was dark, and a man could not well distinguish between a friend and a foe; the enemy immediately upon their advancing up the hill, laid captain Cadogans out sentries dead, which he perceiving from the hill, caused fire to be given at them, which they perceiving to be hot, faced about, and as they were taking themselves to their heels, captain Cadogan arrested their leader with a musket from the mount, who being pilladged, was found to be an officer, the rest failing of their plot ran into orchards & gardens, where they were cut in pieces by Cap. Owen's men, and their companies being encountered by the governors own men, and Sir Thomas Lucas his horse were quite broken and routed, divers other companies coming in, they were slain and taken, or the greatest part of them: one captain Conner a Meath man was slain, & amongst others an old traitorous servant of captain Cadogans; divers of the captains and others are concealed by the townsmen in their houses, and although upon peril of their lives they were required to bring them forth, yet they have hitherto failed.  
It was a happy deliverance, for which we are bound to give God thanks▪ for truly had any understanding enemy had the same advantage of us as these men had, we had been all lost, besides the sentry we lost one hors● man▪ and two or three footmen, and very few hurt, but so soon as day appeared, with our great and small shot were beaten from our wales like dogs. Captain Roper and captain Morice had like to have been taken by them, as conceiving the enemy upon their entrance to be our own men; truly both officers and soldiers behaved themselves like men, they were both valiant and resolute, so that we are confident the rebellious blades will not be very forward to come to such another breakfast as this in haste.  
This day came Sir Philemon Oneale from the f●rther Northern parts to these enemies who had beleaguered us, he was as we hope and believe very well beaten by the Scotchmen, but we have no certainty of it as yet. As I am a Gentleman all this is true, you may report this to the whole world. So I take my leave, desiring thee to pray for us, and we will fight for thee and the rest, not doubting but that our God whom we serve, will still so bless us and grant us victory to the glory of his name, which is the prayer of,  
Thy truly affectionate friend.