My humble duty premised. I have read your proclamation against me, and I would wish, if it were agreeable to your Excellency, that you would not delay to send my messenger with my letters before Her Highness the Queen, that I may, as I well can, take exception to every single article contained in the proclamation. And in the meantime, please to say if it please you to withdraw your soldiers from Armagh, and to have the peace between us which I wish for, till the return of my messenger from the presence of Her Majesty; or whether you rather wish for war, which I do not decide upon, because I would prefer peace. And I call the Great God to witness that you desire, without any cause, to withdraw my subjection and my obedience from her Gracious Majesty. And be it known to your Lordship for certain, that whatever shall be ordered by my mistress the Queen, agreeable to justice and reason, and which may be transmitted to me by your ambassador, be it war or peace ye wish to have with me, I will accede to without doubt. – Fare ye well. From my woods, this 17th of July, 1561.
I am,
O’NEILL.
In Original Latin
Humili recommendacione premissa. Perlegi vestram contra me proelamacionem, et optarem si placitus esset vestrae amplitudini, ut meum nuncium una cum meis Uteris non tardaretis mittere ad conspectum Celsitudinis Eeginse, ut in singulos articulos in proclamatione contentos exeusacionem acciperem uti bene possim; et interim si placerit vobis dueere soldarios de Ardmachya et pacem habere inter nos usque adventum nuncii de conspectu Reginee vellem ego, aut si bellum plus optamini, quod dicere non possum, et pacem majus eligo. Et Deum Optimum protestor pro teste sine causa vultis meum servitium subjectionem et obedienciam separare a regia Majestate. Et pro comperto sciat vestra dominacio quod quicquid mihi erit ordinatum per Dominam meam Eeginam congruum juri et rationi, et mihi tuus nuncius mittetur (si paeem aut bellum mecum habueritis) perficiam sine debito. – Valete. Ex sylvis meis, xvii Julii, 1561.
Misi,
O’NEILL.