Upon the attainder of this earl, and his confederates,5 not less than 574,628 acres of land, English measure, fell to the crown, and were difpofed of by queen Elizabeth, to English undertakers.

That Queen having long determined to fend James, the only fon and heir of this Earl of Defmond, (who, as we have obferved," from his infancy had been kept a prisoner in the tower, as a pledge of his father's loyalty) to Ireland, in hopes that his prefence there

would

6 Pacata Hibernia, fol. 90.

5 Morrif. Hift. fol. 4. ing, as they fay, betrayed by his own followers; wherein the Ulfter-men challenge an honour of faithfulness to their lords above those of Munster; for, in the following wars, none of them could be induced, by fear or reward, to lay hands on their reverenced O'Nial." Hift. of Irel. f. 4.

"Desmond was then forfaken by every body, fave four perfons, viz. a priest, two horse-men, and a boy," with whom he wandered from one lurking place to another." Carte's Orm. vol. i. fol. lv.

After Defmond's death, and the entire fuppreffion of his rebellion, unheard-of cruelties were committed on the provincials of Munfter (his supposed former adherents) by the English commanders. Great companies of thefe provincials, men, women and children, were often forced into caftles and other houfes, which were then fet on fire. And if any of them attempted to escape from the flames, they were fhot or ftabbed, by the foldiers, who guarded them. It was a diversion to these monsters of men, to take up infants on the point of their spears, and whirl them about in their agony; apologizing for their cruelty by faying, that "if they fuffered them to grow to live up, they would become popish rebels." Many of their women were found hanging on trees, with their children at their breasts, ftrangled with the mother's hair." Lombard. Comment. de Hibern. p. 535, &c.

i It muft not be forgot that this Earl of Ormond thought proper to represent his own right, on that melancholy occafion, to the lands lately poffeffed by this Earl of Defmond; his mother being fole daughter and heir to James, Earl of Defmond, and heir general to all his eftate; though he had been kept out of poffeffion by the power of the late Earls, who had forfeited. He defired that his right might be faved, fo far as was warranted by law; and he prevailed fo far, that 3000 acres in Tipperary, and a great tract of poor land in Kerry, part of the eftate, were

afligned

would draw off his father's followers from James Fitzthomas, who had ufurped the title of Defmond, and gave her majesty's forces much oppofition, did, in the year 1600, put that defign in execution. The young earl landed at Youghall, October 14th, and was conducted from thence, by captain Price, to the prefident of Munster at Moyallo; the captain prefented him to his lordship, together with her majefty's letter, and letters patent under the great feal of England, for his reftitution in blood and honour.

"The lord prefident of Munster, in order to make trial of the affections of the earl's kindred and followers, confented, at his own requeft, that he fhould make a journey from Moyallo into the county of Limerick; the earl came to Kilmallock of a Saturday in the evening; and by the way, and at his entrance into the town, there was a mighty concourse of people, infomuch, that all the streets, doors, and windows, yea, the very gutters, and tops of houfes were filled with them; and they welcomed him with all expreffions and figns of joy; every one throwing upon him wheat and falt, according to an ancient ceremony ufed in that province. That night, the earl was invited to fup with Sir George Thornton, and although he had a guard of foldiers, who made a lane from his lodgings to Sir George's house, yet the confluence of people was so great, that he could not, in half an hour, make his paffage through the crowd. After fupper, he had the fame encounters in his return to his lodgings. The next day being Sunday, the earl went to church to VOL. I. hear

D

affigned to him." Cart. Orm. vol. i. fol. lvii. Hence we may probably conjecture the reafon of his profecuting the war against him with fuch unrelenting rigour.

Desmond, and about an hundred and forty of his accomplices were attainted; and their estates and honours declared forfeit to the queen. Thefe eftates were offered to the younger fons of Englishmen at three-pence, in fome places two-pence per acre, to commence at the end of three years; and for three years more, half only of the ftipulated rent was to be paid." Lel. Hist. vol. ii. p. 301. "None of the native Irish were to be admitted among their tenantry." Id. ib.

hear divine fervice; and all the way his countrymen ufed loud and rude dehortations to keep him from church; unto which he lent a deaf ear; but after fervice and the fermon were ended, the earl coming forth of the church, was railed at and fpit upon, by thofe, that before his going to church, were fo defirous to fee and falute him; infomuch, as after that public profeffion of his religion, the town was cleared of the multitude of ftrangers; and the earl, from thence forwards, might walk as quietly and freely, and as little in effect followed, or regarded, as any other private gentleman; nor did any of his father's followers, except fome of the meaneft fort of freeholders, after that refort unto him." k

As nothing can excuse the barbarous incivility of thefe Irish to the young Earl of Defmond on that occafion, fo this paffage furnifhes no ill proof of the mistaken policy of the then government of Ireland, which confifted in profelyting by force or feduction, to the established religion, the heirs of the principal Irish families, with a view of drawing their followers and dependents after them. "For the truth is," as my author well obferves in the fame place, "the young earl's religion, being a proteftant, was the only caufe that bred this coynefs in them all: for, if he had been a Roman Catholic, the hearts and knees of all degrees in the province, would have bowed unto him."

7

•СНА Р.

7 Pacata Hibernia.

"This young earl seeing how much he was deceived in his hopes, (for he fuppofed that all his father's followers would have relied upon him, and obeyed his directions) embarked for England on the 22d of March following, and fo to court; where, after a few months, he died. The letters patent, which her majefty had granted for his reftoration, the prefident never delivered unto him, according to his directions; for he had caution from her majefty, unless his fervices, or fervices done for his fake, fhould merit the fame; of both which there was but weak and flender performance." Pacat. Hibern. fol. 122.

CHA P. VII.

Lord Deputy Mountjoy's and Lord Verulam's opinions of the government of Ireland in 1602.

2

AND, indeed, all thinking men faw and regretted, that the policy of the government of Ireland, at this juncture, was as weak as it was wicked. Lord' Deputy Mountjoy, in a letter to the lords of the council in England, feems to impute to its fraud and feverity, the continuance of the war even to his time. "All the Irish," fays he, "that are now obftinate, are fo only out of their diffidence to be fafe in any forgivenefs; and though they are weary of the war, they are unwilling to have it ended, for fear left, upon a peace, there would enfue a fevere reformation of religion. They have the ancient fwelling, and defire of liberty, in their countrymen, to work upon; their fear to be rooted out, and to have their old faults punished upon particular difcontents; and generally all over the kingdom, their fear of a perfecution for religion; the least of which, alone, have been many times fufficient to drive the best and most quiet ftates into fudden confufion." Nay he even feemed to apprehend, D 2

b

that

a "When fome one, who hath been a bad member, pardoned by your majefty, hath heard himself exclaimed upon to be a notable thief after his pardon; and hath fimply come in, without any bonds, or any enforcement, to an open feffion, to take his trial by your majefty's laws, if any could accufe him; notwithstanding his coming in after this manner, there hath been order given, without any trial at all, for the execution of him. And fo he hath loft his life to the great difhonour of your majefty, and difcredit of your laws.--And this difhoneft practice has been by confent of your deputies." Lee's Memorial to queen Elizabeth, MSS. College Library.

All the Irish chieftains, in their treaties of fubmiflion, concurred in the fame general demands of a free exercise of religion." Leland's Hift. of Irel. vol. ii. p. 335.

that these fears, and their diffidence to be fafe in any forgiveness, "would keep all fpirits from fettling, breed new combinations, and even stir the towns themfelves to folicit foreign aid, with promise to caft themfelves into their protection." In order to prevent which, he fubmits to their Lordship's confideration, the following particulars.

"As all pain and anguish, impatient of the prefent, doth use change for a remedy, fo (fays his lordfhip) will it be impoffible for us to fettle the minds of those people into a peace, or reduce them unto order, while they feel the fmart of these fenfible griefs, and apparent fears, which I have remembered to your lordships, without fome hopes of redrefs and fecurity." After which he tells them, "that they should be advised how they punished in their bodies and goods, fuch merely for religion, as did profefs to be faithful fubjects, and against whom the contrary could not be proved, that it would as much avail the fpeedy fettlement of Ireland, as any thing, if it would please her majesty, to deal liberally with the Irish lords of the country, or

с

d

fuch

"When there have been notable traitors in arms against your majefty," fays the before-mentioned memorialist, “and fums of money offered for their heads, yet could by no means be compaffed, they have in the end, of their own accord, made means for their pardon, and have put in fureties for their good behaviour, offering to do great fervice, which they have accordingly performed, to the contentment of the state; and thereupon received pardon, and have put in fureties for their good behaviour, and to be anfwerable at all times at affizes and feffions, when they should be called. Yet, notwithstanding, there have been fecret commissions given for the murthering of those men. They have been often fet upon by the theriffs of fhires, to whom the commiffions were directed, in fundry of which shires, fome of them have been killed, and others have hardly escaped. And, after all this, they have fimply come, without pardon or protection, to fubmit themfelves to your majefty's laws, wherethey have been put to their trial upon feveral enditements, of all which they have been acquitted, and fet at liberty." Lee's Memorial to the Queen. Defid. Curiof. Hib. vol. i. p. 92.

It is worthy of notice, that all the cities and towns in the kingdom, though chiefly inhabited by the catholic natives, continued loyal to the queen during this war.