



16 LETTERS FROM THE CABALA. 



the quickest kind of reflection. The transferring this 

 honour upon yourself consisteth in two points : the one, if 

 the principal persons employed come in by you, and depend 

 upon you ; the other, if your lordship declare yourself to 

 undertake a care of that matter. For the persons, it 

 falleth out well that your lordship hath had no interest in 

 the persons of imputation: For neither Sir William Fitz- 

 Williams, not Sir John Norris was yours : Sir William 

 Russel was conceived yours, but was curbed : Sir Coniers 

 Clifford, as I conceive it, dependeth upon you, who is said 

 to do well ; and if my lord of Ormond in this interim do 

 accommodate well, I take it he hath always had good under 

 standing with your lordship. So as all things are not only 

 whole and entire, but of favourable aspect towards your 

 lordship, if you now chuse well: wherein, in your wisdom, 

 you will remember there is a great difference in choice of 

 the persons, as you shall think the affairs to incline to 

 composition, or to war. For your care-taking, popular 

 conceit hath been, that Irish causes have been much 

 neglected, whereby the very reputation of better care will 

 be a strength : and I am sure, her majesty and my lords of 

 the council do not think their care dissolved, when they 

 have chosen whom to employ; but that they will proceed in 

 a spirit of state, and not leave the main point to discretion. 

 Then if a resolution be taken; a consultation must proceed ; 

 and the consultation must be governed upon information to 

 be had from such as know the place, and matters in fact, 

 and in taking of information I have always noted there is a 

 skill and a wisdom. For I cannot tell what account or 

 inquiry hath been taken of Sir William Russel, of Sir 

 Ralph Bingham, of the Earl of Thomond, of Mr. Wil- 

 braham : but I am of opinion, much more would be had of 

 them, if your lordship shall be pleased severally to con 

 fer, not obiter, but expressly, upon some caveat given 

 them to think of it before, for, &quot; bene docet qui pradenter% 



