Letter to William Fullerton

fol. 239r

3404

<A> Loving ffreinds if soe you please
I thought good to informe you of the folly you vndertake in bringing yourselues to ruyne where you may quietly and without trouble worke the way of your safty, in takinge of faire quarter for yourselues your wiues and Children as others haue done that were in greater safty, and were better able to subsist then you are; and those in where likwise you are not in any case like to receaue any succor from any place, for those of Coulraine are strictly beseiged on both sids [ ] and by reason of their great diseases and dearth of fire and Corne doe dayly dye apace by twenty or thirty [ ] besids many wee dayly cutt of them by sixes, eights, fifteenes, and the Last day killd and drawned 20 at once, and they haue not left aboue a very few [ ] musketts in the whole towne, by that they lost in the great Conflict, Antrim is beseiged, and all Inver people soe many as was left of them are gon to the Claneboys though I canfesse nothat part was not caused by our valour, soe that vpon my creddit your state is ill vnlesse you take quarter which you shall fairly haue as I haue done with Dunluce, which is to sett them about and to suffer all such as pleaseth to depart freely and such as will stay to liue in the Country with some such gentlemen in the Country as they will chuse to be with hereafter which if freely you will take I vow before God to performe by the Grace of Je{sus} Christ. And of all men I would wish Mr foullerton to take it if the rest doe not for I had direction from Mr Thom: oge O Neale Gouernor of the County of Armagh; to send him and his family {to} his brother Maxwell whoe liues well in his owne house as quietly as euer he was only that his Church benefices is taken from him a{nd} soe is his brother Echlin too Therfore gentlemen for avaydinge further bloudshead, of which I vow I haue nor desire if I could helpe it, I would aduise you to take this faire proffer, or else blame your owne obstinacy vpon and not vs, for be sure wee will haue

<our wills of you at last, when it will be too Late for yow to cry peccavy If you take this faire proffer I will to morrow goe to yow and Conclude if not I will [Call?] to you as you will be to me, which I [ ] would wish to bee your friend James Mcdonald>

fol. 239v

3405

For the gentlemen in ballintoy Mr Will: fullerton Arch: laydy { } and the rest these

Mr James McDonald his Last Lett to Ballintoy