And withal her Majesty, under God, of whom her Highness hath received also the charge, as most worthy for the supreme government of his creatures, her people, within these her Highness’ own realms and dominions, as besides Christian charity and princely dignity her Highness oweth to God, by that title to reform and direct and lead those blind and wilful ignorant people to the knowledge of God his most holy Word, to the salvation of their souls, which he so dearly bought; as, if the Angels of Heaven rejoiced so much at the conversion of one sinner to repentance, what joy, solace, and welcome shall our most dear Sovereign Lady Queen Elizabeth have for converting, or rather recovering, of so many a thousand lost souls as at this present are in Ireland, ready to go on headlong to the Devil, if her Grace seek not speedy remedy to prevent the same, as by their fruits shewed there is already a great many gone to his dam! B. THE STATE OF THE ENGLISH PALE AND CIVIL SHIRES AND THE QUEEN’S MAJESTY’S GREAT CHARGE IN KEEPING AND MAINTAINING AN ARMY THERE FOR THE DEFENCE OF THE SAME. Who lying in the English Pale, where commonly the most number of soldiers do sojourn at cess,[20] both footmen and horsemen, with their double horse and horse boys dispersed in the civil shires, which is such a burden to the liege people of the same as hath greatly impaired the good state of the Pale, where they are not so serviceable: for when the Irish maketh any entry by sudden roads upon the borders of the English Pale, although the Governor might within four hours assemble the captains for the defence of the Pale, no captain is able to assemble his band in four days, which is too late to pursue the enemy, who is gone three days before with the spoil of the country. When for more ease and better defence of the Pale the soldiers are sent to lie upon the borders in peace time, where, a great number being cessed upon a small territory, the burden is so heavy to the inhabitants, upon whom if they but lie one quarter of a year, the poor people liven the worse seven years after. And although in war time the living of the soldiers there be such service indeed as causeth enemies to forbear that border for the time, yet is that service so dear bought as all that the poor man saveth by the defence of the soldier’s presence, when the soldier is gone, the enemy cometh and taketh all away: so as between the soldier and the enemy the poor man hath nothing left.