=Source.=--Ellis's _Original Letters_, Second Series, vol. i., pp.
117 _et seq._ (London: 1827.)
[_A report, drawn up by the chief persons in the County of Kildare, to
Richard Duke of York, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland._]
Right high and mighty Prince and our right gracious lord, Richard Duke
of York, we recommend us unto you as lowly as we can or may; and please
your gracious Highness to be advertised that the land of Ireland was
never at the point finally to be destroyed, since the conquest of this
land, as it is now, for the true liege people in these parts dare nor
may not appear to the King our sovereign lord's courts in the said
land, nor none of the true liege people there to go nor ride to market
towns nor other places, for dread of being slain, taken or spoiled of
their goods; also the misrule and misgovernance had, done and daily
continued by divers gentlemen of the county and your liberty of Meath
and the county of Kildare, and namely because of a variance between the
earl of Wiltshire, lieutenant of the said land, and Thomas Fitzmaurice
of the Geraldines for the title of the manors of Maynooth and Rathmore
in the county of Kildare.... For Henry Bonyn knight, constituted
Treasurer of the said land under the great Seal, assembling with him
Edmund Butler cousin germane to the said Earl of Wiltshire and William
Butler, cousin to the said Earl, with their following, of the which
the most part was Irish enemies and English rebels, came unto the said
County of Kildare and there burnt and destroyed divers and many towns
and parish churches of the true liege people, and took divers of them
prisoners and spoiled them of their goods. And after the departure of
the said Henry and Edmund, the said William ... did so great oppression
in the said county of Kildare and in the county and liberty of Meath
that twenty-seven towns and more which was well inhabited on the feast
of St. Michael's last passed are now wasted and destroyed.... Also
please your Highness to be advertised that the said William Butler,
Nicolas Wogan, David Wogan and Richard Wogan came, with divers Irish
enemies and English rebels to the castle of Rathcoffy there, as Ann
Wogan sometime wife to Oliver Eustace, then being the King's widow,[15]
was dwelling, and burnt the gates of the said place, and took her with
them and Edward Eustace, son and heir to the said Oliver ... of the age
of eight years, and yet holdeth them prisoners, and took goods and
chattels of the said Anne to the value of five hundred marks.
[15] Ellis notes "disposable in marriage by the King."