A LETTER From a person of quality residing in Kinsale, With an Attestation of the Officers of the Parliaments Army in Munster, in vindication of the Lord of INCHIQVIN, Lord Precedent of that Province.  
ALSO, Another Letter from Colonel William Jephson, relating the present state and condition of IRELAND.  
Published by special Command.  
LONDON: Printed for John Wright at the King's Head in the Old Bayley. 15. Sept. 1646.   

A Letter from a person of quality residing at Kinsale, and an Attestation of the Officers of the Parliaments Army in Munster, in vindication of the Lord of Inchiquin, Lord Precedent of that Province.  
SIR,  
Upon notice of sundry false reports cast abroad, whereby the honour and integrity of the Lord of Inchiquin, Lord Precedent of this Province, was endeavoured as maliciously as undeservedly to be traduced, The Officers of this Army (who have been eye witnesses of his Lordship's actions and proceed, and are very sensible how innocently his Lordship suffers herein) took into their serious consideration, how necessary and meet it was for them to declare their knowledges in each particular, as well for the vindication of his Lordship, who it hath pleased Almighty God in his providence to make a principal instrument in preserving the remnant of the poor Protestants here, and in preventing the designs of these bloody Rebels in the continuing of the unnatural War there) as also for the honour and service of the Parliament (in preserving persons of honour and quality by them eminently employed, from unjust aspersions, which may be conceived to reflect with no small prejudice upon their affairs, in relation to the public.) And thereupon they did unanimously make this Attestation, which you shall herewith receive, to be published there where the scandals were raised, as ye see occasion.  
I have no news to certify you of, save that by the unhappy loss of Bunratty, (soon after Lieutenant Colonel Mac Adam was slain) the Rebels are at liberty, and now in preparation to fall upon us, and in their hopes of a sudden peace to be concluded between the Lord of Ormond and them; and of the slow coming of supplies unto us, they have swallowed us up already in their own conceits, but they shall be sure to find the best resistance that it shall please God to enable us to give them, and that very faithfully. And so Sir this being to no other purpose, I rest,  
Your very loving friend, B. S. Kinsale, August 2. 1646.   

To my very loving friend Thomas Betswohth Esquire, Agent for the Province of Munster.  
FInding in a private Pamphlet, a scandalous passage which may eclipse the honour and reputation of the Right Honourable the Lord Baron of Inchiquin, now Lord Precedent of Munster, in that he did not formerly take in the Castle of Blarny, so near the Garrison of Cork, as though his Lordship had overslipt opportunities to have taken in the same; And whereas we hear it hath been suggested into England, that his Lordship hath had some secret correspondency with the Irish, whereby he hath, during these Wars, been extraordinarily favourable unto them in some points; And whereas in the third place another scandal hath been endeavoured to be fastened on his Lordship, That he hath converted the entertainment due to the Soldier and Officer of the Army, and which might have been conveniently paid them, into his own purse, & transported several sums of money into foreign parts. We therefore, whose names are underwritten, make this ensuing attestation, to vindicate (as in justice we ought) his Lordship's honour, and do confidently and truly aver, in answer to the first scandal (against all foul-mouthed detractors,) That upon the death of the late Lord Precedent, a great debate arising at a Council of War at Downraile, who should have the power of commanding the Army, and ordering the War until some Commission should come from the State at Dublin, or out of England, the general Vote cast the weight on the Lord of Inchiquins' shoulders, who undertaking the War, prosecuted the War against the Rebels, by taking several Castles in that then plentiful Country, called Roches Country, thereby (besides the weakening of the Rebels) his Lordship gained means to maintain the Army which was then like to be distressed, there being scarce any provision in the stores, as also he lay ready to receive the Enemy, which his Lordship heard by intelligence were falling out of the County of Limricke, into the County of Cork that way, and thereby his Lordship obtained by God's providence those two remarkable Victories of Newtowne and Liscarroll, in either of which (especially the latter) had the Rebels prevailed, or not been opposed until they came over the black water, our interest in Munster was likely to be lost; from Liscarroll his Lordship returned back to Cork with a resolution to fall on Blarny, but that resolution being debated at a General Council of War at Cork, it was by a General consent concluded, It was neither seasonable nor feasible, by reason of the mortality of the Soldiers, who died in multitudes, and want of Victuals to carry the Army forth to lie in the field; for his Lordship was then so necessitated, that to maintain the Soldiers he was constrained to billet them on the several Towns, they giving them but one meal a day for about twelve weeks together, and to send about one thousand Horse and Foot to quarter at Downraile and Malloe, under the command of Major General Jephson, to live by gaining their own subsistence by taking now and then some small preys from the Rebels: all the succeeding winter his Lordship was forced likewise to employ all the forces in preying several parts of the Country to gain a livelihood for them (not supplies coming out of England to relieve him) and in sending some part of the Army to relieve Rathbarry in the West, or to fetch off divers distressed English, who were besieged by the Irish of those parts: And after that the Army that lay in the several Garrisons of Cork, Kinsale, Bandon, Malloe, and Downraile; was employed in burning and harrowing all Muskry in several places at once, to dis-inable them to maintain a siege threatened against Cork, and to which end they had provided several sorts of grain in great quantities in that Country, and in Mac Donoghs Country, the Army still rather decreasing then otherwise, and no supplies coming out of England, yet his Lordship carried as convenient a number as he could of Horse and Foot to relieve Capaquine, (a Garrlson of ours in the County of Waterford) to stop the Enemy from falling on it; and after that, the Army was sent in May into Ibawne, where divers Castles were taken, and thereby the Army sti●l refreshed, That being done, and the Army retiring, the Garrisons being spent out and not able to diet the Soldiers any longer, his Lordship was constrained (to keep the Soldier from disorder at home, & to encourage them by getting somewhat abroad) to march towards Kilmalock, and doubting that that part of the Country would not afford any store of prey, his Lordship sent Major Story with a good party into Kerry (which was a Country full of Cattle) to bring a prey from thence, and to bring it to the Leaguer of Kilmalock, where still wants oppressed, and so his Lordship was constrained to return home, and Sir Charles Vavasor went to his former design to Cloghleigh, which though he took, yet he unfortunately lost presently after, with most of his men, which much weakened the Army; and yet his Lordship advanced in the end of July the same year to relieve Lismore (besieged by the Rebels) which he did, and strengthened that Garrison, and after his return the Army was sent again into Ibawne to reap the plentiful Harvest, they at their being there the May before found would then be, which much disadvantaged the Rebels; and (besides the sustenance it gave the Army) it relieved the two Towns of Kinsale and Bandon, the latter whereof had it not been for that work had perished, together with the Soldiers; (the Inhabitants all of them were in that penury and want) while these things were in action the Cessation came in, during which time no Hostile attempts were made on either side, and so his Lordship could not but forbear Blarny, which during the times of former open Hostility was most strongly guarded with Horse and Foot, besides a considerable part of the enemy still in the Country to relieve it. After the Cessation when his Lordship re-assumed the War, the Army here was very weak, and he (still expecting aid out of England) did with the advice of many Counsels of War forbear any attempt against Blarny, though a great eyesore unto him; and the Irish still threatening to sit down before Cork, and to besiege it; his Lordship's chiefest endeavours was to raise what men he could possible in these parts, and to fortify the Towns that they might not find him so altogether unprovided as they hoped they should, as also to borrow money where possible he could procure any, even from the English that were left, engaging his Honour for satisfaction upon the first landing of any supplies: All these his Lordship's wants, the many Remonstrances sent from the Counsel of War here to Mr. Speaker, the often sending of Agents to both the Honourable Houses can too lamentably speak; In the year last past the Earl of Castle-haven came down with a Potent Army, took all our out-Garrisons, besieged Youghall, which with much trouble and cost, by contribution of the well-disposed English in our other Garrisons though not in the best condition) was defended, relieved, and the Rebels raised their Siege in November; At which time by reason of the nakedness of the Soldier, and many wants, the Army was not able to be in the Field; And if his Lordship had been better supplied than he was it was held not safe (the Rebels being retired but to the confines of our Quarters) And in December his Lordship was entreated by the Commanders and Officers to make his address in person to the Honourable Houses for supplies; All which passages show convincingly how almost impossible it was for his Lordship to take in Blarny, for he had still his hands full of other business of no small consequence, besides his great wants, that he was compelled to abstain from falling on that place though somewhat obnoxious.  
For the said second aspersion, though generals are difficult to be wiped off, because particular enumerations of defences are not of the same latitude with the general accusation; yet we who have been usual eye witnesses of his Lordship's Actions, and of the intercourses his Lordship hath had with the Irish, and we with whom he hath advised, when his Lordship treated with any of them, can justly assert, as we do here profess, That no man could deal more advisedly with them to the best of our understandings, and to the advantage of the Army, than his Lordship did from time to time, and none did or could prosecute his own Nation and Kindred more than his Lordship did those of his Nation and Kindred, whom he found dis-affected to the Work he had undertaken for the suppressing of the Rebels; We can demonstrate by particulars his Lordship's disaffections to the Irish, as his turning the Irish out of the walled Towns, his taking of his Uncle's Castle of Ballimartre, and burning it, his hanging a Popish Deane there, and a Friar in Cork before the turning out of the Citizens out of the Town, as also divers other particulars.  
To the third and sharpest sting of a viperous tongue, we likewise (whose fortunes were not so great as to lose or forbear our entertainments) because we have received from his Lordship all just satisfaction as fare as we saw the money come in, can testify for his Lordship that he hath made many hard shifts to procure money and means for the Army, and that he turned what he received or procured to the best advantage of the carrying on of the War. We were not so blind but we could see and discern what came in, nor were we so Mealemouthed as to hold our peace; if we saw any money assigned for our relief drop into another's man's purse, for never was any money or provision that came for the use of the Army disposed of, but his Lordship participated to some of the Commanders and Officers in chief, how he could and would distribute it to the Garrison Soldiers and Officers; Nay, we can confidently, because knowingly, say, That his Lordship hath divers times disbursed of his own moneys, and borrowed of his nearest friends to defray the Charge of the Army when in want, and to keep the Soldiers together from murmuring, Neither did ever Soldiers better comply with a General then these here did with his Lordship, even in the midst of their wants; and when their pay was (as divers times of necessity it was) shortened, saying publicly, That if his Lordship had it we should not want, God send him more. All the particulars herein contained are known by some or other of us, whose names are hereunto subscribed, the greatest part of them to most of us. All of them are come unto us by such information from one another as we have reason to believe them to be true; and there is no one thing in this instrument which any of us knoweth to be untrue.  
Dated at Cork the second of August. 1646. Signed by 

THe Lord of Broghill, Lieu. Gen. of the Horse.  
William Jephson, Serjeant Major General.  
Tho. Serle, Col. and Governor of Bandon.  
William Brocket, Col. and Governor of Kinsale.  
Sir Percy Smith Knight, and Gou. of Youghall.  
Fran. Courtney Col.  
Will. Kinsmill, Lieut. Col. to the Lord Precedent.  
Walter Croker, Lieut. Col to Sir Hardresse Walter.  
Sir Will. Courtney Knight.  
Peregrin Baanistre.  
Agmundisham Muschampe, Gou. of the Fort of Cork.  
Tho. Dowrich.  
Antho. Hovenden.  
Nicholas Purden.  
Dan. Boulton.  
Philip Comyn.  
Arth. Bettesworth.  
John Steers.  
Josiah Harloe.  
Henry Rogers.  
John Hodder.  
James Perey.  
Edmund Hulle.  
Allex. Pigot.  
Anth. Stougton.  
Daniel Watkins.  
Will. Farthing.  
Will. Holcombe.  
Warham St. Leger.  
Hugh Croker.  
Henry Peisly.  
Sir Robert Travers Knight, Judge-Martiall.     

A Letter from Col. William Jephson to a Person of quality at Westminster.  
SIr,  
since I writ my last we have taken Piltowne by storm, which was a very strong place, and (after a serious view thereof) I much admired that it proved so feasible, for our men were first to gain a strong outwork of earth, Moated about 20. Foot from the bottom of the Graft; as likewise a strong walled court of at least 12. Foot high, and after that another small Court of equal strength with the former before they could approach the Castle; of all which notwithstanding they presently possessed themselves, with the loss of some men, and wounding about 20. but when they had taken all these, they found it a very difficult task to enter the Castle itself, and whilst they were endeavouring with bars of Iron to force a passage; the Rogues from the top of the Battlements threw down stones so fast upon the heads of our men below, that they hurt many of them, yet in spite of all these brushes at last they got into the lower rooms, but the Rogues still defended it, and broke down the stone stairs to prevent our men from getting up to them; we therefore finding, that without much mischief it was impossible to get them down; We were forced to lay Powder below, and blow them and the Castle up together, which we did last night: My Lord Precedent at his first Summons thereof promised them fair Quarter, if they would surrender it before he discharged three Pieces of Ordnance against it, which they refusing were by that means afterwards (the Soldiers being also incensed) deprived of all their lives, it being taken by storm, only the women and children were turned out by the Rebels of their own accord; Sir, upon the peace concluded between the Lord of Ormond, and the Rebels, there are great differences arising amongst them, the Pope's Nuncio and the Clergy being much against it, and the Laiety for it; if our supplies of men and other necessaries so long expected, and often represented thither, arrive at us in time, we shall not doubt but to give a good account of our endeavours, but if they be delayed it will be impossible for us to advance the interest of the State here as we desire; and therefore we are hopeful we shall have supplies by the next fair wind. I have no more at present, but that I am  
Your most faithful and affectionate Servant. William Jephson. Youghall 20. August, 1646.   
FINIS.