THE EARL OF ESSEX. 295 



&quot; We cannot deny but we did ground our coun- 

 &quot; sels upon this foundation, That there should have 

 &quot; been a prosecution of the capital rebels in the 

 &quot; North, whereby the war might have been short- 

 &quot; ened ; which resolution, as it was advised by 

 &quot; yourself before your going, and assented to by 

 &quot; most part of the council of war that were 

 &quot; called to the question, so must we confess to your 

 &quot; lordship, that we have all this while concurred 

 &quot; with her majesty in the same desire and expec- 

 &quot; tation.&quot; 



My lord of Essex, and the council of Ireland, 

 in their letter of the 5th of May to the lords of the 

 council before the Munster journey, write &quot; in haec 

 verba.&quot; 



&quot; Moreover, in your lordships great wisdom, you 

 &quot; will likewise judge what pride the rebels will grow 

 &quot; to, what advantage the foreign enemy may take, 

 &amp;lt;( and what loss her majesty shall receive, if this 

 &quot; summer the arch-traitor be not assailed, and gar- 

 &quot; risons planted upon him.&quot; 



My lord of Essex, in his particular letter of the 

 llth of July, to the lords of the council, after Mun 

 ster journey, writeth thus : 



&quot; As fast as I can call these troops together, I 

 &quot; will go look upon yonder proud rebel, and if I find 

 &quot; him on hard ground, and in an open country, 

 t( though I should find him in horse and foot three 

 tf for one, yet will I by God s grace dislodge him, or 

 &quot; put the council to the trouble of,&quot; &c. 



