Great Britain -- History -- Elizabeth, 1558-1603 -- Sources; Great Britain -- History -- Tudors, 1485-1603 -- Sources
And when they lie in garrison in the Irish enemy’s country, as sometimes
was maintained a garrison at Ardmaughe, Belefarst, and of late in
Glanarme, Mountsendall, Island Sydneye, Castle-Town, Don-Lewse and other
places, they were also furnished for their provision for the most part
by like cess out of the English Pale as before, and to the Queen’s
Majesty more charge than any the others were, by as much as the English
Pale for carriages by sea and land is further distant to those remote
places than the other garrisons upon the borders were; and keeping of
fort in the heart of the enemy’s country, they were a defence and stay
and strength only to themselves in those pieces which they kept, wherein
they were shut up as they could neither relieve themselves by anything
they could get in the country itself, being waste, as it is always so
kept by the enemy of purpose; nor yet could they be so easily victualled
of the Queen’s provision, but sometime with conduct, to more charge and
trouble than the rest, as was Ardmaughe, which cost the English Pale
many men’s lives and their garrisons lost with victualling thereof; and
of late Glanarme, Mount Sendall, Donnlewse, Island Sydneye, and others,
whereof some were lost by casualty, as of late Castle-Town, Island
Sydneye, Donlewse; and those that were kept and impregnable to the enemy
were, after great charge bestowed, abandoned and voluntary given up to
the Irishry again in better case than it was before.
And when in time of war with any Irishry of power, as of late with one
Nele, and such like occasion moveth the Governor to proclaim a main
journey for 30 or 40 days to invade the enemies’ country, the Governor
goeth with the army and force of the English Pale, to their great
charge, where they continue out their days, whilst their victuals last,
and then fain to return home again, as many times they do, without booty
or other harms they do or yet can be done to a waste country, the
inhabitants thereof, whilst the English host is in their country,
shunneth all their cattle into woods or pastures, where they continue
until the English Army be gone; and then do they come into the plains of
their country with their cattle again, where they are as ready anew to
invade and spoil the English Pale as before; as commonly they do bring
with them great booties out of the borders of the same, whereof if
recovery be not made by hot pursuit of some part of that they take away,
very seldom or never can be found anything of theirs worth the having to
be taken from them for the same again. So as by these appearances,
wheresoever the service is done, the same is a charge to the Queen’s
Majesty, a burden to the liege people, to the decay both of them and the
English soldiers, fretting one another of themselves, with small defence
to the Pale, nor yet can be any great scourge to the enemy, who always
gaineth by our losses, and we never gain by them, although we win all
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