| Oct.
Estado, 839. |
654. Bundle of Documents endorsed :—"Despatches brought by
Captain Alonso Cobos to the Pardo, 20th November 1596."
(Summary of the statement of Captain Alonso de Cobos of his
voyage to Ireland on a mission from his Majesty. (fn. 1) )
I left Madrid 19th August. Arrived at La Coruña the following
Saturday. Sailed 16th September. Made for the same port I went
to before, Killibegs. Arrived 26th September. This was considered
the most convenient port for summoning the chiefs. Sent word to
O'Donnell of my coming, and asked him to write to the earl of
Tyrone and other Catholics. O'Donnell came to the port on
1st October, and we agreed to call the meeting in the monastery of
Donegal, and that I should be duly advised when the chiefs were
gathered, so that I should go and fulfil my mission.
On 5th October they asked me to go to the monastery, as O'Neil,
Cormack O'Neil, his brother, Macwilliam O'Neil, Hugh O'Donnell,
Ardh O'Donnell, O'Dogarty, Neil Carew, brother-in-law of
O'Donnell, O'Rourke, grandson of O'Neil, Hartoc, son of the late
O'Neil and Macsuyne, lord of Tyrbane, as well as the bishop of
Raphoe had arrived
We all met on Sunday, 6th October, and I gave them his
Majesty's letter to the Catholic chiefs, and the separate letters to
O'Neil, O'Donnell, Cormack, Macwilliam, the bishop of Raphoe, and
the lord of Tyrbane. I told them that his Majesty in Council
had decided to protect them, out of pity for their troubles, and to
restore the Catholic faith, and would send them a good force of
soldiers. They thanked God and his Majesty for this, and promised
to die, if needful, in his service. Each took me aside separately to
assure me that he and his folk would be the first to join the
Spanish force when it arrived. I spoke to O'Neil and O'Donnell
apart, and said that at last the hour they had longed for had
arrived, and that before the winter set in the succour they had so
often requested would be there. I urged them to set about what
raids they could, to show their zeal, and also to make the necessary
arrangements secretly for the reception of our force. They thanked
his Majesty, and said they were always ready and waiting, like the
faithful vassals they were. They would never fail in their
promises. Secrecy was as important to them as to us. They had
been playing fast and loose with the enemy for a long time, awaiting
his Majesty's aid, and a fortnight ago the English came with 1,500
footmen and 600 horse into their lands to force them to make peace, but
they had met them, and Norris left off fighting and tried to make
terms, but all they would consent to was a truce for a month and
a day. All this was only to await your Majesty's succour, whilst
they prevented the Queen from sending more forces.
Whilst I was waiting in the port, I learnt that O'Neil had sent
to Norris, the Queen's general, the letter I had given him from
your Majesty last May, and I told O'Neil and O'Donnell that your
Majesty had learnt this, in order to get at the reason why O'Neil
had acted thus. O'Neil's explanation was that, as the enemy knew of
the arrival of our ships this summer, and they (the Irish) had settled
terms of peace, as I related at the time, the enemy accused him of acting
falsely in corresponding with your Majesty, and he, therefore, sent
them word to deceive them and avoid war, assuring them that he
had answered your Majesty, saying he had now made peace and
did not require aid. It was only when they disbelieved him and
had insisted, that he had sent them the letter, on their solemn oath
that they would return it, which they now refused to do, as they
had sent it to the Queen. O'Neil is going to write a special letter
to your Majesty about it. I warned them to keep their promises
better for the future.
I asked O'Neil and O'Donnell what security we should have for
the adhesion of the Catholic nobles and gentlemen now serving with
the enemy. They replied, that they would be sure to come to your
Majesty's side if they saw a sufficiently strong force to defend them,
particularly the earl of Ormond, who is a great friend of O'Neil,
and will do what the latter tells him, as will many others.
I asked them where they thought would be the best place to land
troops to be most effectual and safe, and for facilitating the junction of
the forces. They thought on the north-west coast, such a place as
Galway, where there is a company of English in garrison for the
last three months. The town is close to the lands of Macwilliam
Burke, one of the Catholic gentlemen. They say the town will
surrender the moment a fleet approaches. If weather forces the
fleet into St. George's Channel, they think it should anchor at
Carlingford, 30 Irish miles from Dublin. There they would be in
touch with O'Neil's people. All north of this is friendly. All this
is set forth more fully, and signed by them in another statement
herewith.
The following are the towns and fortresses where the Queen has
garrisons :—Dublin, eight or nine companies of infantry, except
when the general takes the field. There are 20 soldiers usually in
the castle guarding the Irish prisoners. There are two companies in
the town of Pontana (Portarlington?). This town contains 1,000
inhabitants, well disposed. Another town, called Zaradobel (?), of
500 well-disposed people, has one company of English. Ennis (?),
520 inhabitants, one company with a squadron of horse. They say
the English general lodges here. A castle on the seaside, called
Carlin, has a company in garrison, and in another castle, called
Carcales (Kilkeel?), another company. On the straits north of
Dublin the Queen has no other garrison than that of Port
O'Clarick (?), which has 600 inhabitants, and on the seashore.
There are usually two companies there, unless the general takes the
field, when it is left defenceless. Limerick has four companies of
English infantry in garrison ; Galway, one company. The latter
city has 1,500 inhabitants, well disposed ; there are six guns
in the fortress. Athlumney has three companies, one horse and two
foot. At Roscommon there is a company of foot and one of horse.
There are no more places with English garrisons. The whole force
of infantry in fortresses, &c. amounts to 4,000 and 400 English
lancers. One of the letters your Majesty gave me without superscription,
to be given to whom I thought best, I gave to a gentleman
named O'Dogherty, a lord of many vassals, a great soldier, and
greatly esteemed. He said he was anxious to prove his loyalty by
his acts. I gave the other to a gentleman named James Oge
McSorleyboy, (fn. 2) a Scotsman, who holds some ports on this coast
opposite Scotland. He is a good soldier and very brave. He was
neutral when I arrived previously, but he is now great friends with
the Catholic chiefs, and they thought he would be flattered at your
Majesty's writing to him. The letter was taken to him by Hugo
David, (fn. 3) of whom I have already written to your Majesty, a great
soldier and firm adherent of your Majesty. He has served in
Flanders. He is asking for a pension. He deserves it, and it will
encourage the others.
The chiefs left again for their lands, and I for the ship on the
9th October. Two of the free chiefs failed to come, namely,
O'Rourke, and the other, Macwilliam Burke. O'Rourke is ill in bed
with a shot in his arm, but he sent his secretary. Macwilliam
Burke did not come on account of the great distance, and because he
was at issue with a relative as to his title to his lands. He sent
messages to me by another gentleman, to which I replied. He says
that your Majesty has no better servant than he in Ireland.
The chiefs asked me what the English fleet had done in Spain, as
the enemy said it had sacked Cadiz and other places, burning the
fleet there, &c., and taking much plunder and many prisoners. I
replied, that they, being neighbours of the English, should know
better than anyone that, in order to bring about peace in Ireland
they would invent all manner of lies. I said it was true they
sacked Cadiz, in consequence of the weakness of the townspeople
there, but they did not wait to encounter any force, and only made
incursions and raids on a few unprotected places, and ran away as
quickly as they could. I said your Majesty's fleet was distributed in
two or three ports, besides the Indian fleet, which is the one which
afterwards destroyed the English fleet. I was quite sure, I said,
that the English had not told them that, as they came so badly out
of it. Roe O'Donnell, brother of Odo (Ardh?) O'Donnell, who is heir
of the chief, sent to say he was determined to come with me to
Spain, and accompany the fleet to Ireland, as he greatly wished
to see your Majesty. I wrote to him, saying, he would better
serve your Majesty by keeping here and pushing forward the
preparations.
O'Neil and O'Donnell asked me what your Majesty had thought
of those notes they had given to me when I came before, about
the persons they had suggested as governors of Ireland (see page 620).
I said the notes had been approved of, and in due time the matter
would be discussed. They were much pleased.
The guardian of the monastery of Donegal, a Franciscan friar,
gave me a memorial for your Majesty. It is to the effect that last
year the enemy was there for seven days, and ruined the place. He
asks your Majesty to give something to repair the monastery, some
chalices and ornaments, &c. The friars there are very religious.
There are 25 or 30 of them.
The Spaniards I describe as being there since the wreck of the
Armada in '88 wished to come home with me before, but I would
not allow them, as I was there on a special mission of aid, and it
would look bad to the chiefs to take Spaniards away. I told them
to remain quiet. When I returned this time, they asked me why I
had not brought them some pay or money. I replied that they had
not asked me to do so. They again wanted to come back with me,
but I refused to allow them, as your Majesty was going to send a
force, and they would be wanted as interpreters and otherwise.
They have given me a memorial to your Majesty, begging you to
help them.
Hugo David (to whom he gives a very high character) has given
me a memorial for your Majesty asking for a pension.
Note.—The above statement is written by Captain Cobos himself,
and is excessively diffuse and illiterate, indeed, almost unintelligible
in places. The English and Irish names are so disfigured that they
have mostly to be guessed at. |