“I am confident that this honest trusty bearer will give you good satisfaction why I have not in every thing done as you desired, the want of confidence in you being so far from being the cause thereof that I am every day more and more confirmed in the trust that I have of you, for believe me it is not in the power of any to make you suffer in my opinion by ill offices, but of this and divers other things I have given so full instructions that I will say no more, but that I am “Your most assured constant friend, “CHARLES R. “Oxford, 26th Feb. 1645.”[H] The next in June following:-- “GLAMORGAN, “I am glad to hear that you are gone to Ireland, and assure you that as myself is no wise disheartened by our late misfortune so neither this country; for I could not have expected more from them, than they have now freely undertaken, though I had come hither absolute victorious, which makes me hope well of the neighbouring Shires. So that (by the grace of God) I hope shortly to recover my late loss with advantage, if such succours come to me from that kingdom which I have reason to expect, but the circumstance of time is that of the greatest consequence, being that which is chiefliest and earnestliest recommended you by “Your most assured, real constant friend, “CHARLES R. “Hereford, 23rd June, 1645.” The Earl wrote the annexed letter to the Marquis of Ormond, dated from Kilkenny in February, 1645:--[I] “MAY IT PLEASE YOUR EXCELLENCY, “I need not give you a relation of the public audience given to the Nuncio yesterday by the Assembly, nor of his addresses thereunto; all which (I am confident) will be at Dublin before this can have the happiness to arrive with your Excellency. Neither need I use many words to persuade your Lordship, that the expectance of a more advantageous peace, wrought by the powerful hand of her Majesty, soon wipes out the clandestine hopes of my endeavours to serve this nation, to which any professions of mine have never been other, and always in order to the King my master’s service, which my duty commands me ever to have before mine eyes. And my zeal unto that transports me beyond all other considerations. Neither was ever anything of vanity in me to be esteemed the person that should contribute to the satisfaction of this kingdom, which I have ever aimed more to do than to seem to do (as the private way of my proceedings may well testify for me). But the saying is, a burnt child dreads the fire; and, therefore, if I be contented to withdraw my hands from meddling with concessions, I conceive it is your Excellency’s own dictamen, not only as you are so great a public Minister of State, but likewise as your Excellency is pleased in all things to express yourself my noble friend. And sure I am in all things you will find me a devoted servant unto you; and according unto the freedom that your Excellency is pleased to give me