the Tower, as perfons deemed guilty of treafon. The whole body of Irish subjects were alarmed and confounded at this rigour, which imputing to the practices of Sydney, they loaded him with the moft virulent invectives; and their clamours were fo violent, as to ftartle the queen and her counsellors; who, dreading the confequence of gene-. ral difcontent in a country which harboured fo many fecret enemies to government, were glad to accept an equivocal fubmiffion from the Irish agents: the latter acknowleged that their manner of application had been undutiful, but difavowed all intention of impeaching the queen's juft prerogative. They gave fecurity to prefent themselves before the lord-deputy, and were remitted to Ireland, where they repeated their fubmiffion, and were. difmiffed. Some of the confined lords and gentlemen regained their liberty by a like fubmiflion: nor did the more fpirited and obftinate meet with any farther feve-. rity. Sydney was inftructed to bring this violent and dangerous difpute to fome fpeedy accommodation. A compofition for purveyance was by the deputy and council, with the concurrence of the lords and gentlemen of the Pale, fettled for seven years; and the malecontents were discharged. All the rage of indignation and refentment fell on the lord-deputy; who was accufed of wantonly alienating the affections of the Irish fubjects; of ruling without policy or difcretion; of lavishing the revenue; of difcouraging the well-affected; and of carelefly or corruptly pardoning the most notorious offenders. Sydney, confcious of his great unpopularity, made preffing inftances to the queen that he would be pleased to recall him.

A.D.1580.

A petty invafion of the Spaniards, who had hoped to A.D.1578. excite a formidable infurrection in Ireland, was the next occurrence in that country; but neither the force of the invaders, nor the number of thofe who joined them, was fuch as to produce events which merit any particular detail. In a fecond attempt made by Philip, feven hundred. Spaniards and Italians contrived to make good their landing at Smerwick. They brought arms and ammunition for five thousand men, and a large fum of money, which they were directed to deliver to the earl of Defmond, his brother John, and one doctor Saunders. They proceeded to finish a fort, which their countrymen had formerly begun, and which they called the Golden Fort; difpatch ing, at the fame time, their emiffaries to Spain, to notify their arrival, and to haften the embarkation of thofe fuc

cours which they had been promised. The earl of Ormond now commanded in Munster, and, on the first alarm of this descent, marched boldly against the invaders; who, terrified at his approach, at once abandoned their poft, and, under the guidance of their Irish friends, fought shelter in fome neighbouring woods. This motion produced a fkirmish, in which fome of the foreigners were made prisoners, and difcovered their numbers and their intentions. But the fugitives learning that the forces of Ormond were not fo great as they at first imagined, their commander, with about three hundred of his men, returned to their original ftation. Ormond was not provided with neceffaries for a fiege; but he still hovered round them, until a fuccessful fally forced him to retreat to Rathkeal, and there to expect the arrival of the new deputy. Lord Grey foon appeared at the head of eight hundred men, whom he had led from Dublin; and a fleet, under fir William Winter, fupported his operations. The fort was thus invested by land and sea; but, before any affault was begun, the garrifon was fummoned to furrender; and to declare for what purpose they were fent; and why they had prefumed to fortify themselves in the queen's dominions. Their anfwer was bold and peremptory; that they were fent by the pope and the king of Spain, to extirpate herefy, and to reduce the land to the obedience of king Philip, who was by the holy father vefted with the fovereignty of Ireland.

This answer was feconded by a vigorous fally, in which the foreigners, however, were repulfed. The next night Winter landed the artillery from the fhips; and, with the utmost vigour and difpatch, cutting through a bank, which lay between the fhore and the fort, drew up the cannon, and completed his battery before the dawn of day; while lord Grey made the like provifions by land. The fort was again fummoned, with fome offers of mercy, if the garrifon would furrender. But thefe foreigners, who had not yet discovered their danger, and the fituation of the befiegers, ftill boldly answered, that they would maintain the poft they had gained, and endeavour to extend their acquifitions. The batteries now began to play furioufly against the fort; no fuccours.arrived from Spain, as had been daily expected; and none of the difaffected Irish appeared in the field. The commander of the fort, an Italian, called San Josepo, was

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terrified; and, in a few days, contrary to the opinion of his officers, determined to capitulate. But Grey now replied, with haughtinefs and aufterity, that he difdained to grant any terms to them or their abettors. Several attempts were made to gain any conditions, not totally defperate Grey continued inexorable, and the garrifon, reduced to extremity, fatally furrendered at difcretion. That mercy, which they implored, was rigidly denied them. As foon as they were difarmed, an English company was fent into the fort: the Irish rebels found there were referved for execution by martial law: the Italian general and fome officers were made prifoners of war; but the garrison was put to the fword. Nor is it without pain that we find this odious fervice committed to fir Walter Raleigh. The excufes alleged for this severity were, that the number was too formidable to be made prifoners; that the Irish were approaching in a body of one thousand five hundred men; that no fhipping was prepared to carry away the foreigners; and that the foldiers threatened to mutiny if not allowed to fupply their neceffities by the spoil of the fort. Grey was faid to have fhed tears at the determination of this court-martial; and Elizabeth expreffed the utmost concern and difpleasure at this barbarous execution f.

On the first fame of this invafion, the difaffected in feveral parts of the kingdom rofe into arms; but the appearance of the lord-deputy was now fufficient to quell all commotion. On his return to the capital, however, he was alarmed with reports of a secret conspiracy formed in the very feat of government. Among thofe fufpected of this plot were the earl of Kildare, and his fon-in-law, lord Delvin; who were committed to the cuftody of Wingfield, mafter of the ordnance. Lord Henry, the earl's fon, alarmed at this event, and taught that Grey intended nothing lefs than the extirpation of every great family of the old English race, fled for fhelter to his Irish fofterers in O'Fally; who declared that they would protect him from the malice of his enemies, and were on the point of rifing in arms. After many repeated efforts to prevail upon them to give him up, they at length confented to refign him to the earl of Ormond. With his father and the baron of Delvin he was fent into England, where, on a fair and candid examination, all were acquitted of every charge or fufpicion of difloyalty. The

precipitation with which fome other perfons, fufpected of the confpiracy, had been executed, now became doubly odious. Grey was reprefented as a man of fanguinary principles, who had not only dishonoured his nation and fovereign among foreigners, but alienated the hearts of all the Irish fubjects, by repeated barbarities. He therefore grew weary of his charge, and defired to be recalled. His requeft was granted, and Loftus, archbishop of DubA.D.1582. lin, and fir Henry Wallop, treafurer at war, were appointed lords juftices.

The earl of Ormond, who was fent into Munster with a new body of forces, pierced into the woods, where the rebels ftill continued to affemble, drove them from their haunts, and purfued them with indefatigable vigour. The unhappy earl of Defmond (who had co-operated with the Spaniards, and was not included in the late pardon, though he ftill intreated to be received to mercy) was hunted from one wretched retreat to another, frequently in danger of being taken, disguised among the meaneft of his followers, lurking with them in woods and bogs, and depending on their benevolence for the fupport of nature. In the extremity of distress, two horsemen and a few kerns ventured to feize fome cattle for his fubfiftance. The owner exclaimed at this violence, and a few foldiers of an English garrison pursued the prey. They came up to the opening of a valley, in which was a fmall grove, where they determined to repose: but fpying a light at fome distance in a miferable hut, their leader, Kelly of Morierta, ordered one of his party to advance cautiously, and difcover how many were here posted; for it was immediately concluded that they had fallen upon a party of the rebels. He was informed that fix perfons only were concealed in this retreat. Kelly and his party rufhed forwards; but, on entering the hut, found that the rebels had fled at his approach, except one man of venerable afpect, ftretched languidly before a fire. The leader affailed and wounded him: he exclaimed, "Spare me, for I am the earl of Desmond." Kelly fmote off his head, and brought it to the earl of Ormond, by whom it was conveyed to the queen, and impaled on London-bridge.

In this manner was extinguished a family, which had flourished for four centuries in rude fplendor and magnificence, and had frequently proved too powerful to be governed.

СНАР.

Tranfactions from the Year 1582 to the Death of Queen
Elizabeth.

THE

'HE death of the earl of Defmond, and the fuppreffion of his adherents, left Ireland free from any confiderable diforder, and feemed to afford a fair occafion for effectually regulating this country upon the principles of juftice and liberal policy. But befides the averfion of Elizabeth to every fcheme which must be attended with confiderable expence, fome of her counfellors appear to have entertained an odious jealoufy, which reconciled them to the distractions and miferies of Ireland. At the prefent juncture, however, the interefts of the crown required that a prudent and vigorous adminiftration should be established in Ireland. The fouthern provinces feemed to be totally depopulated, and, except within the cities, exhibited a hideous fcene of famine and desolation. The

vaft tract of lands forfeited by Defmond and his followers, A.D.1584. was to be parcelled out to new tenants: fchemes were to be devised for leffening the annual expence of Ireland, a provoking burden to the queen, and increafing the revenue. The government of the kingdom was, therefore, committed to fir John Perrot, a man univerfally esteemed for his impartial administration of justice, one who had long ftudied the interefts of Ireland, and whofe policy was liberal and benevolent. He affumed the reins of go vernment at a time when war and infurrection seemed to be extinguished, and when the laft remaining rebel of any note, lord Baltinglafs, had retired in defpair to Spain. The first act of his adminiftaation was the publishing a general amnesty, and affurance of pardon and protection to all who fhould return to their allegiance. The son of the earl of Defmond, who had been delivered up, he fent into England, to be educated in the principles of loyalty, fo as to render him worthy of any favours which the royal clemency might bestow.

The new governor foon entered upon a progrefs into the different provinces of the kingdom. He began with that of Connaught, where a numerous rabble of the De Burghs had been ready for infurrection, but were now effectually intimidated by the prefence of the deputy, They flocked to him with profeffions of loyalty, and the Irish chieftains were equally fubmiffive. To give them

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the