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to suppress rhymers and minstrels, the brehon law, bonaght, and coyne and livery. Desmond's administration of his noble palatinate was bad in the extreme; nor did Ormonde manage his much better, notwithstanding his English education, as we learn from the account left by Sydney, who was an eye-witness of the misrule and wretchedness prevalent in the domains of those lords.*

During Sydney's progress through Munster, complaints were laid before him, by all the great lords and proprietors, of the misgovernment, exactions, and lawlessness of Desmond. In the ruin and disorganization which he observed in every quarter, the deputy had such decisive confirmation of the justness of those complaints, that he himself describes Desmond's rule as "a tyranny." He sent for Desmond, who, having no suspicion of the object in view, met him in Youghal, and was forced to go along with him for the remainder of his journey. Desmond, among other offences, was accused of extorting coyne and livery, contrary to the late enactment. To this charge he imperiously replied that he would not relinquish the tax, nor diminish the number of his gallowglasses, but would henceforth maintain five for every one already in his service, and that he would have 5000 of them in the field by midsummer. But this tone altered into abject servility when the party entered Kilmallock, the ancient seat of the Desmonds, where he soon found himself a close prisoner, instead of a proud despot. He was conducted in custody to Dublin, and from thence to London, escorted by the deputy and several Irish chiefs, who had lately co-operated against Shane O'Neill. Desmond was committed to the Tower; and Sydney returned triumphant to Dublin, after having

* In 1565 these rivals encountered at Affane, in Wexford. Desmond was wounded and made prisoner. He was carried off from the field on a bier, supported on the shoulders of a few of Ormonde's retainers. One of them asked him, where was now the great earl of Desmond; he replied: "Where he ought to be-upon the necks of the Butlers."

justified his conduct in those transactions, the doubtful and summary policy of which had involved him in some trouble.

The cause of the captive was speedily espoused by his able kinsman, James Fitzmaurice, who put himself at the head of the Geraldines, and who, by appealing to the religious feelings of the Munster chiefs, had formed a strong confederacy among them. Fitzmaurice plundered Kilmallock, and burned it to the ground. He applied to Spain for assistance, as the champion of the Church, in which character he caused himself to be announced to the Catholic powers, who had already begun to combine against the Reformation. So certainly was Spanish aid relied on, that M'Carthy More, who had been raised to the peerage by the title of earl of Clancarty, as a sort of counterpoise to Shane O'Neill, already assumed the title of king of Munster. This braggart's courage, however, was of short duration. Sir Edward Fitton and Sir John Perrot arrived to preside, respectively, over the provincial courts lately established by Sydney's advice in Connaught and Munster (1569). Perrot, a man of great bravery, scarcely entered upon his presidency when the new king of Munster abdicated, fled to the privy council of Dublin, and implored pardon on his knees. This example was followed by the brothers of the earl of Ormonde, who had joined in the revolt. They were all pardoned. Weakened by defection, nothing was left to Fitzmaurice but to fly through bogs and woods before the active president, who, after a protracted and tiresome hunting-it could not be called warfare at length compelled him to sue for terms. Having first sent his son as a hostage, he appeared before Perrot in Kilmallock, where, while kneeling with the point of Perrot's sword at his heart, he made his submission, and craved pardon in a speech disgracefully abject. In it he accused the earl of Clancarty and Sir Edmund Butler as the instigators of his "wicked rebellion."

THOMOND FLIES TO FRANCE.

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CHAPTER XIII.

ELIZABETH-CONTINUED.

SIR EDWARD FITTON was accompanied to Ireland by the earl of Desmond, who had so far ingratiated himself with Elizabeth as to be received at Hampton Court. The indulgence he had met with made him quite confident of his total release, but, to his great surprise, he was cast into prison upon landing at Dublin.

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The intolerable severity of Fitton's administration of the presidency of Connaught, drove O'Brien, earl of Thomond, and the sons of the earl of Clanricarde, into open rebellion. The earl himself was in prison, and cured his release by offering to exercise his authority over his sons in bringing them to obedience-a promise which he took no heed to keep. O'Brien had formed a conspiracy against the lord president, which was about exploding when he received an announcement of Fitton's intention of dining with him on the following day. O'Brien, thinking this an indication that all his plans had been discovered, withdrew to France immediately, where he afterwards confessed the whole matter to the English ambassador, who successfully mediated for him with the queen. His future services proved his grati

tude.

Upon the death of O'Neill an ineffectual attempt was made to introduce English laws into Ulster, by abolishing the titles and privileges of chieftaincy by act of parliament, and by an attainder against Shane, which forfeited the greater part of Ulster to the crown. But it was easier to pronounce a forfeiture than to seize the lands. The pope continued still to present to the dioceses of Derry, Clogher, and Raphoe. The ministers of the crown were still under the necessity of yielding so far to the force of Irish customs as to allow Tirlogh Lynoch (Luineach) to use the title of "The O'Neill," although such an offence had been declared treason.

Under Sydney's administration seven counties were added to the seven already existing, and these were mostly composed of the lands belonging to the dispossessed septs of Leix and Offaly.

Devereux, earl of Essex, prevailed on Elizabeth to join him in a scheme of colonizing the district of Claneboy, in Ulster. The expenses and the profits of the project were to be divided between the partners, each of whom was to supply 1000 men. This body of adventurers was led by many distinguished persons, who soon withdrew in consequence of the resistance given to the settlers by Hugh, son of Matthew, earl of Dungannon, and the chiefs Lynoch, M'Phelim, and Con O'Donnell. In an encounter with Devereux, Phelim and his wife fell into his hands. It is said that, after concluding a peace with this chieftain, Essex invited him to a banquet, at which his followers were treacherously slain, and himself and wife seized and sent to Dublin, to grace with their mangled carcases the gates and towers of the city.

A dispute having arisen between the queen and Essex as to the distribution of the colonists, and money failing the latter, the scheme was abandoned; and shortly after the earl died in Dublin, poisoned, it was supposed, by the procurement of Leicester, who married his widow (1576).

The lord deputy having raised taxes by royal authority alone, the parliament drew up a remonstrance, which was borne to Elizabeth by delegates. The remonstrants and their agents were imprisoned by the imperious queen, who thought lightly of the privileges of parliament; but the parties were discharged upon the lords of the Pale agreeing to a composition for seven years; the queen, however, still insisting on her unconstitutional prerogative.

Pope Gregory XIII. issued a Bull in the year 1576, depriving the queen of all right and title to Ireland, and exonerating her subjects there from allegiance. James Fitzmaurice took the field to give efficiency to this ab

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surd document, notwithstanding his late compunctious submission. Fitzmaurice had been two years vainly canvassing the Continent for assistance. He at last succeeded in procuring from the pope a supply of arms, ammunition, and money, together with three small vessels, in which, embarking one hundred adventurers, commanded by San Giuseppe, an Italian, he sailed for Ireland. He landed at Smerwick bay in Kerry, erected a fort, and was joined by the two brothers of Desmond, with their followers. The people, however, withheld their support, deterred, perhaps, by the deputy's proclamation, or fearing that their leaders would, as formerly, leave them in the lurch; and Fitzmaurice, under pretence of pilgrimage, went to Holy Cross, in Tipperary, the hot-bed of turbulence, courage, and ferocity. On his way he had need of a horse, and seized one belonging to his cousin, Sir William de Burgo. This freedom was resented; a collision ensued, in which several on both sides fell. Two of the brothers De Burgo were slain. The son of Theobald, one of the slain, and Fitzmaurice, perished by each other's hands. For this accidental service Sir William was created baron of Castleconnel.

About this time was captured and slain by Fitzpatrick, the lord of Upper Ossory, the restless and mischievous chief, Rory (Roderic) O'Moore, so celebrated in song and tradition. Though Rory's followers were reduced from 500 to 50, he still continued to harass the Pale from his mountain fastnesses, and thus to gratify an unprofitable vengeance for the wholesale stripping of his sept.

Sir John Desmond, who, to prove to his partisans his sincerity, slew his intimate friend, Davels, an English gentleman, assumed the command of the Spaniards upon the death of Fitzmaurice. Sir Nicholas Malbie came up with the rebels near Limerick; a battle ensued, which was favourable to the deputy. The earl of Desmond, who witnessed it from a neighbouring hill, and who had long pursued a course of indecision and duplicity, wrote