Ken of the Spanish Fort aforefaid: Hereupon many of those Invaders diflodged, whom the Earl valiantly engag'd, flaying fome, and taking others. Prifoners; the reft flew to the Coverts of Glaningell. The Prisoners he took, confefs'd their Force was not above seven hundred ftrong; but that they had brought Arms and Ammunition for five thousand Natives, befides a Mass of Money for the Defmonds and Dr. Sanders, and daily expected farther Supplies from Rome; for it was abfolutely determined by the Pope and King Philip to make a compleat Conqueft of Ireland, and England befides; nay, fo confident they seemed of Success, if we can credit the Affertion of an Author who was this Year in Spain, that his Holinefs had provided a Chalice to drink the Queen of England's precious Blood, fays he, as foon as she should be made a Sacrifice. Now after the aforefaid Defeat, about 300 of the Enemy having made their Way back to the Fort, the Earl followed them close, and encamped at Dingle; but wanting Ammunition for a Battery, was forced to retire. And, finding himfelf of unequal Force to withstand another Salley the Spaniards made, returned to join (the Deputy at Rakele; who having now about eight hundred Horse and Foot with him, under the Conduct of Captain Ralegh, Zouch, Denny, Mackworth, and others, decamped and marched up towards the Fort. But Ralegh, who had obferved it to be the Custom of the Irish Kerns, upon any Diflodgement of the English Camp, to flock in Parties thither, and glean away whatever they faw left behind; linger'd, and lay in Ambush to receive them. They came accordingly with their wonted Conftancy and Greediness; but in the Midft of their Proling, Ralegh fell upon them so advantageously, that he enclos'd them all with his Men, and took

every Rebel upon the Spot, who was not flain in Refiftance. Among them there was one laden with Withies, who being demanded, What he intended to have done with them? Boldly anfwer'd, To have hung up the English Churls. Well, faid Ralegh; but they fhall now ferve for an Irifh Kern; fo commanded him to be immediately tuck'd up in one of his own Neckbands; and dealt with the reft of these Robbers and Murderers according to their Deserts. We read of another Irish Rebel, but of greater Rank, named Brian O Rourk; who being afterwards to fuffer at the Gallows, fhew'd great Concern that it was to be by the common Halter; and earnestly petition'd, not for Pardon or Prefervation of his Life, but that they would change the Inftrument of his Death; and inftead of a Rope, to let him take his Swing in a Withy; but being afk'd, Why he infifted upon fuch an infignificant Diftinction? he answer'd, 'Twas a Diftinction bad been paid to his Countrymen before him.

While the Lord Deputy lay before the Fort, there arriv'd in the Bay of Smerwick, Vice-admiral Bingham, and foon after Sir William Winter, Admiral of the Fleet, with fresh Supplies: Hereupon the Lord Deputy refolved to befiege the Fort by Land, while the Admiral fhould batter it by Sea. But first the Spaniards were fummon'd to furrender at Difcretion; they answered, They were fent, fome from the Holy Father, who had given that Realm to King Philip; and fome from that King, who was to recover this Land to the Church of Rome, which by her Majesty's Means was become fchifmatical and excommunicate; therefore, in short, were obliged to retain what they had, and recover what they could. Nor did they omit the Advantage they thought this Parley would produce of finding the English unguarded, to make a Sally upon them; but they

were

were fo disappointed, through the Vigilance and Valour of Ralegh's Company, and that of Captain Denny, that fuch as were not left dead behind, were forced to retreat with more Hafte than good Speed. The Culverins and other Pieces of Ordnance being now landed, and a large mountainous Bank laboriously cut through, for the Carriages to pass to the Place convenient for planting them; the Deputy is faid to have given the Enemy another Summons by Cannon-fhot to furrender, and receive Mercy. But they answer'd as before; thereupon the Artillery was order'd to attack the Fort both by Land and Water. Ralegh commanded the first three Days after the Opening of the Trenches; and affaulted the Fort fo roughly from his Battery, that he forced the Spaniards to feveral Excurfions; but they skirmish'd fo warily, and hived again so nimbly, that there was no clofing with them effectually. The fourth Day was commanded by Zouch, under whom John Cheke, the Son of a Knight well known among the learned for his Writings, venturing fo near the Fort as to look over the Parapet, being obferved by a Spaniard, who levell'd his Piece, and brought him to the Ground. But now the Trenches for the full Battery were drawn fo near the Spaniards, and the English play'd their Cannon fo furiously and inceffantly upon them from every Side; and finding no Succours arrive, they beat a Parley, and hung out the white Flag, crying out Mifericordia, Mifericordia; but the Lord Deputy would not liften to any Treaty with the Confederates of Traitors and Rebels; no, not fo much as to their Departure with Bag and Baggage, or free Paffage to any one particular Perfon; nothing but an abfolute Surrender. And as for Mercy, which Hooker before intimates to have been offer'd on provifo of their timely Submiffion, we find by Edmund

I

Edmund Spenfer, who was then Secretary to the Lord Deputy, and upon 'the very Spot, that his Lordship never gave the Spaniards any Hopes of it.

For after the Lord Deputy had discovered that they had yielded, and furrendered the Fort, on the Ninth of November, Ralegh and Mackworth, who had the Ward of that Day, first entered the Castle, and, with their Companies, made a great Slaughter; fo that except one Irish Nobleman, who was reprieved, another Irishman, and an Englishman, who were sent to publick Execution, except alfo San Jofepho the Spanish Commander, and his Camp mafter, with a few Spanish Officers, who were fent Prisoners into England, and referved for Ranfom; all the Invaders, between four and five hundred, were, according to the Deputy's pofitive Command, put to the Sword; and the Country was thus weeded of these noxious Foreigners. As for Ralegh, he never was taxed, that I can learn, with any Cruelty upon this Account, more than Mackworth, or the reft of the Officers.

Ralegh was quartered this Winter at Cork, where he obferved the feditious Practices of David Lord Barry, Patrick Condon, and other Ringleaders of the Rebellion in thofe Parts, to diftrefs fo intolerably thofe Subjects who were peacefully inclined, and foment the difaffected to an Infurrection; that he was forced to take a Journey in Perfon to the Lord Deputy at Dublin; where he remonftrated the dangerous Confequences he forefaw, fo urgently, that, the Cafe being taken into Confideration by his Lordfhip and the Council, they return'd him with a full Commiffion to enter upon the Caftle called Barry-Court, with all other Lands of the faid Barry, and to reduce him to Peace and Subjection, by fuch Means as he judg'd moft feasible; appointing him for his farther Enablement a Party

of

of Horse. In the Interim, fuch Measures were ufed with those in Authority at Cork, that the Commiffion proved of little Effect; but though the faid Eftate of Barry-More, was made over to the Mother of David Barry, and only rented to the Son; and though it was his principal Seat; yet partly in Fear of that Commiffion, partly through Spite and Indignation, he burnt the Caftle himfelf to the Ground, and wafted the Country about it with greater Outrage and Deftruction, than his Enemies, had they taken it, would have done. Moreover, as Ralegh was on his Journey back to his Quarters, an old Rebel of Barry's Faction, named Fitz- Edmonds, and his Crew fallied from their Ambuscade, and crofs'd him, to oppofe his Paffage, whom Ralegh manfully encountered and defeated, or at least broke thro' them, fo that he got clear over the River; but one of his Company, Mr. Henry Mole, following, his Horfe foundering, threw him down in the Middle of it; where, between Fear of drowning and being taken by the Enemies, he called out to Ralegh for Help; who, tho' he had escaped both Dangers, yet incurred them again to fave his Companion's Life; but Moyle, in Haste and Confufion remounting, overleap'd his Horse, and fell down on the other Side into a deep Mire, where he might have been ftifled, had not Ralegh recovered him a second Time, and brought him fafe to Land; but his Horfe run over to the Rebels. Ralegh waited on the oppofite Bank, with his Staff + in one Hand, and a Pistol in the other, for the reft of his Company who were

+ Thefe Staves were not fhort like Truncheons, but rather like Poles, or Watermen's Stretchers, though not fo long or clumfily made; for being headed at one End with a sharp Point or Pile of Iron, they might be used for Defence, or Offence, either as Quarter ftaves, or Spears.

E

yet