fol. 165r

566
My Lord
I haue receiued your Lordships by Capt Coots and am hopefull <w> that the shipping consigned vnto yow both from London & Millford may seasonably ouertake yow, My owne Condicion at present being such as that I cannot possibly transmitt any men hence thither. At my entraunce into the present vndertaking I did not suppose that your Lordship or my self could haue bin so long without supplyes. But the vnhappy distraccions in England haue so necessitated the retarding of that releif which was designed vs, As that if the Enemy had <x> not putt themselues & their horses into such an vnharty Condicion by their last Sommers Service against the Scotts as they had no lyst to attempt any thing vpon vs, they might with as much ease as they could expect haue carryed all theis Guarrisons on the least attempts cleerely from vs, which hath constrayned vs from tyme to tyme to imbrace a Cessation with them <y> And although wee know the daunger that place is in to haue a mighty influence vpon all our Guarrsisons & would therefore (if your Lordship ingagement on the place did not more zealously bynd vs thereto) vse our best power & indeavours to doe any thing that might divert the violence of that siedge, which wee are well assured yow will bee suddainely enabled <z> to withstand by the access of a speedy & considerable supply of men, wherein I beseech your Lordship bee confident that the vtmost endeavours I can vse shall not bee wanting, so rests
Your Lordships affectionate freind &
Servant Inchiquin
Cork xijo Febr
1644
<as soone as I finde it possible to preiudice the rebbells by accions of hostilitie here wee will fall on, but although wee putt the best face wee can vppon the matter, yet wee are not able to doe any thing in the worlde till some supplyes com vnto vs for if there were noe other want but Amunicion, wee canot yet eyther offend them or defend our selus in case they had fallen vppon vs, but when wee are once fitted for it wee will not faile to fall vpon them with all the force wee can possibly make,>

fol. 165v

fol. 166r

fol. 166v

(part of a seal)
To the right honorable
the Lord Esmond
VisCount Lymerick
at Duncannon

10 of ffeb: 1644
The Lo. Inchiquins letter

This delivered in at the
Board by Richard
Vnderwood at his exa=
minacion xj Apr: 1645