a letter of advice to my lord of Essex immediate before his go into Ireland my  singular good lord your late note of my silence on your occasion have make I  set down these few wander line as one that will say somewhat and can say  nothing touch your lordship intend charge for Ireland which my endeavour I  know your lordship will accept gracious and well whether your lordship take it  by the handle of the occasion minister from your self or of the affection from  which it proceed your lordship be design to a service of great merit and great  peril and as the greatness of the peril must needs include a like proportion  so the greatness of the merit may include no small consequence of peril if it  be not temperate govern for all immoderate success extinguish merit and fear  up distaste and envy the assure before runner of whole change of peril but I  be at the last point first some good spirit lead my pen to presage to your  lordship success wherein it be true I be not without my oracle and divination  none of they supposition and yet not all natural for first look into the  course of God providence in thing now depend and call to consideration how  great thing God have do by her majesty and for her I collect he have dispose  of this great defection in Ireland thereby to give a urgent occasion to the  reduction of that whole kingdom as upon the rebellion of Desmond there ensue  the whole reduction of that whole province next your lordship go against three  of the unlucky vice of all other disloyalty ingratitude and inconstancy which  three offence in all example have seldom their doom adjourn to the world to  come last he that shall have have the honour to know your lordship inward as I  have have shall find good extra whereby he may better ground a divination of  good then upon the defection of a sacrifice but that part I leave for it be  fit for other to be confide upon the Cause the goodness and justice whereof be  such as can hardly be match in any example it be no ambitious war of foreigner  but a recovery of subject and that after lennity of condition often try and a  recovery of they not only to obedience but to humanity and policy from more  then Indian barbarism there be yet another kind of divination familiar to  matter of state be that which Demosthenes so often rely upon in his time when  he say that which for the time pass be worst of all be for the time to come  the best which be that thing go ill not by accident but by error wherein your  lordship have be heretofore a awake censor but look for no other now but  doctor spear c and although your lordship shall not be the bless physician  that come in the declination of the disease yet you embrace that condition  which many noble spirit have accept for advantage which be that you go upon  the great peril of your fortune and the less of your reputation and so the  honour countervail the adventure of which honour your lordship be in no small  possession when that her majesty know to be one of the judicious prince in  discern of spirit that ever govern have make choice of you mere out of her  royal judgement her affection rather include to continue your attendance into  who hand and trust to put the commandment and conduct of so great force the  gather in the fruit of so great charge the execution of so many counsel the  redeem of the default of so many former governor and the clear of the glory of  so many and happy year reign only in this part except nay further how far  forth the peril of that state be interlace with the peril of England and  therefore how great the honour be to keep and defend the approach of this  kingdom I hear many discourse and indeed there be a great difference whether  the tortoise gather her self into her shell hurt or hurt and if any may be of  opinion that the nature of the enemy do extinuate the honour of the service be  but a rebel and a savage I differ from he for I see the just triumph that the  Roman in their greatness do obtain and that whereof the emperor in their style  take addition and denomination be of such a enemy that be people barbarous and  not reduce to civility magnify a kind of lawless liberty prodigal in life  harden in body fortify in wood and bog place both justice and felicity in the  sharpness of their sword such be the germane and ancient britain's and diverse  other upon which kind of people whether the victory be a conquest or a  reconquest upon a rebellion or revolt it make no difference that I can ever  find in honour and therefore it be not the enrich predatory war that have the  preeminence in honour else shall it be more honour to bring in a carrack of  rich burden then one of the twelve Spanish apostle but then this nature of  people do yield a high kind of honour consider in truth and substance then any  war can yield which shall be achieve against a civil enemy if the end may be  a slave impovere custom to replant and refound the honour and policy of that  nation to which nothing be want but a just and civil government which design  as it do descend to you from your noble father who lose his life in that  action though he pay tribute to nature and not to fortune so I hope your  lordship shall be as fatal a captain to this war as Affricanus be to the war  of Carthage after that both his uncle and his father have lose their life in  Spain in the same war now although it be true that these thing which I have  writ be but representation unto your lordship of the honour and appearance of  success of the enterprise be not much to the purpose of my direction yet it be  that which be best to I be no man of war and ignorance in the particular of  estate for a man may by the eye set up the white right in the amid of the butt  though he be no archer therefore I will only add this wish accord to the  English phrase which term a well Willing advice I wish that your lordship in  this whole action look forward set down this position that merit be worthy  then fame and look back hither will remember this text that obedience be  better then sacrifice for design to fame and glory may make your lordship in  the adventure of your person to be valiant as a private soldier rather then as  a general it may make you in your commandment rather to be gracious then  disciplinary it may make you press action in respect of the great expectation  conceive rather hasty then seasonable and safe it may make you seek rather to  achieve the war by force then by intermixture of practice it may make you if  God shall send you prosperous beginning rather seek the fruition of that  honour then the perfection of the work in hand and for your proceed like a  good protestant upon warrant and not upon good intention your lordship know in  your wisdom that as it be most fit for you to desire convenient liberty of  instruction so be it no less fit for you to observe the due limit of they  remember that the exceed of they may not only procure in case of adverse  accident a dangerous disavow but also in case of prosperous success to be  subject to interpretation as if all be not refer to the right end thus I have  presume to write these few line unto your lordship in a way of teaching  ignorance which be when a man speak of a subject not accord to the part of the  matter but accord to the model of his own knowledge and most humble desire  your lordship that the weakness thereof may be supply in your lordship by a  benign acceptation as it be in I by my best wish