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Being commanded by her majeſty to attend at court, it was not many days before her highneſs was pleaſed to beſtow upon me the office of clerk of the council of Munſter, and to recommend me over to Sir George Carew, after earl of Totneſs, then lord preſident of Munſter. Whereupon I bought of Sir Walter Ralegh his ſhip called the Pilgrim, into which I took a freight of ammunition and victuals, and came in her myſelf by long ſeas, and arrived at Carrig-Foyl-Kerry, where the lord preſident and the army were at the ſiege of that caſtle; which when he had taken, I was there ſworn clerk of the council of Munſter, and preſently after made a juſtice and quorum throughout all that province. And this was the ſecond riſe that God gave to my fortune.

Then, as clerk of the council, I attended the lord preſident in all his employments, and waited upon him all the whole ſiege of Kingſale, and was employed by his lordſhip to her majeſty, with the news of that happy victory; in which employment I made a ſpeedy expedition to the court; for I left my lord preſident at Shannon caſtle, near Corke, on the Monday morning about two of the clock, and the next day, being Tueſday, I delivered my packet, and ſupped with Sir Robert Cecil, being then principal ſecretary of ſtate, at his houſe in the Strand; who after ſupper held me in diſcourſe till two of the clock in the morning; and by ſeven that morning called upon me to attend him to the court, where he preſented me to her majeſty in her bedchamber, who remembered me, calling me by my name, and giving me her hand to kiſs, telling me, that ſhe was glad, that I was the happy man to bring the firſt news of that glorious victory. And after her majeſty had interrogated with me upon ſundry queſtions very punctually, and that therein I had given her full ſatisfaction in every particular, ſhe again gave me her hand to kiſs, and recommended my diſpatch for Ireland and ſo diſmiſſed me with grace and favour.

At my return into Ireland, I found my lord preſident ready to march with the army to the ſiege of Beer-haven caſtle, then fortified and poſſeſſed by the Spaniards and ſome Iriſh rebels; which after battering we had made aſſaultable, we entered, and put all to the ſword. His lordſhip fell then to reducing thoſe weſtern rebels of the province to ſubjection and obedience of her majeſty's laws; and having placed garriſons and wards in all places of importance, made his return to Corke, and in his way homewards acquainted me with his reſolution; it being preſently to employ me into England, to obtain licence from her majeſty, for his repair to her royal preſence: at which time he propounded unto me the purchaſe of all Sir Walter Ralegh's lands in Munſter, offering me his beſt aſſiſtance for the compaſſing thereof; which he really performed. For, upon my departure for England, he wrote by me two effectual letters, one to Sir Robert Cecil, wherein he was pleaſed to magnify my ſervice and abilities; and concluding with a requeſt, that he would make interceſſion with Sir Walter Ralegh to ſell me all his lands in Ireland, that were then altogether waſte and deſolate. To Sir Walter Ralegh he alſo wrote, adviving him to ſell me all his lands in Ireland, then untenanted, and of no value to him; mentioning withal, that, in his lordſhip's knowledge, his eſtate in Ireland never yielded him any benefit, but contrariwiſe ſtood him in two hundred pounds yearly for the maintenance and ſupport of his titles. Whereupon there was a meeting between Sir Robert Cecil, Sir Walter Ralegh, and myſelf; where Sir Robert Cecil mediated and concluded the purchaſe between us. Accordingly my aſſurances were perfected; and this was a third addition and riſe to my eſtate.

Then I returned to Ireland with my lord preſident's licence to repair to court, where in his way to Dublin (where he propoſed to embark) he dealt very nobly and fatherlike by me, in perſuading me, it was high time for me to take a wife, in hopes of