Ireland, to order the appearance of Raymond at court. These commissioners, from an ocular inspection of the affairs of the colony, judging that his absence would endanger its existence, ventured to suspend the king's orders, and leave him provisional governor. Notwithstanding the statement of his commissioners, Henry sent, as viceroy, William Fitz-Aldelm, and gave him as assistants John de Courcy, and Miles Cogan, who had signalized themselves in the wars of France and England.

Stanihurst makes an observation on FitzAldelm, which is applicable to the generality of mankind, that he was not altogether wise, nor altogether foolish. It was not wise policy to disclose his enmity to the Fitzgeralds, who by alliances and property were the most powerful family of the pale.

After the death of Maurice Fitz-Gerald, he seized on his castle of Wicklow; and to colour this injustice he gave to his three sons the town of Fearns. To secure the possession of this place they built a castle, which was soon after razed, by order of Walter, nephew of Fitz-Aldelm, and governor of Wexford.

About this time (1177), Henry II. availed himself of the spiritual powers of Rome; and, in consequence of his alliance with the Holy See, for the reduction and the pretended reformation of Ireland, obtained the assistance of a pope's legate, to visit Ireland, and conjure it to obedience. Cardinal Vivian, on his arrival in England, was obliged by Henry II. to swear

that he would employ all his authority to support his interest. To fulfil his engagements with Henry, which were probably sanctioned by temporal interest, as well as by his oath, shortly after 'his arrival in Ireland, he called a meeting of bishops and abbots in Dublin, whom he endeavoured to convince, in an eloquent harangue, of Henry's title to the crown of Ireland, commanding the Irish to obey him under pain of excommunication.

Meanwhile the policy of England was building castles and monasteries for the very same object, influence and defence. During the stay of the legate at Dublin, Fitz-Aldelm, the viceroy, founded a monastery of English canons regular, called Thomas-court. They were endowed with the territory of Donore, Co. Meath, on condition of praying for the souls of Geoffry, earl of Anjou, and the empress Matilda. The charter did not enjoin these monks to pray for the souls of the proprietors of that territory.

The denunciations of the legate, however, did not prevent Melaghlin Mac Loghlin, ancient proprietor of Meath, attacking the castle of Slane, which he carried by assault, and demolished; and in which Richard Fleming, who held forcible possession thereof, with many of his followers, was slain.

This disaster did not discourage other adventurers from daring enterprizes. The cruel and valiant De Courcy tried his fortune in Ulster, whither the English had not as yet penetrated. With 400 men, in 1177, he arrived at Down,

the chief city of a territory then called Ullagh, and now the county of Down. The inhabitants, apprehending no danger, were taken by surprise; they were astonished and alarmed at the outrages committed by these barbarians, no house or chest could escape the avidity of the plunderers; as Stanihurst says, quibus spoliis miseras ac diuturnas egestates explent. It could not be expected that the authority of the Pope's legate could reconcile these miserable sufferers with this strange mode of civilization.

Roderick, son of Dunlevy, chieftain of the country, raised an undisciplined multitude to oppose the plunderers, but was defeated. The account that Stanihurst gives us of this battle savours much of national partiality. It is not probable that 400 Englishmen defeated 10,000 Irish, for several reasons. First, it is not proba ble, that a petty chieftain could bring so many men into the field; because we find that provincial kings were not able to muster so numerous an army. O'Neil, king of Ulster, could only muster 3000 men against Roderic O'Connor, at the head of the confederated forces. Arthur Cavanagh could only bring 3000 men into the field against Richard II., at the head of the greatest English army that ever landed in Ireland. Where then could a petty toparch find ten thousand? Secondly, it contradicts the character, drawn by himself, of the men of Ulster. "The men of Ulster," says he, are by nature and practice very warlike; always inured to arms, their battle with the Britons is conducted

with boldness and regularity, without any deficiency of martial valour, but God, the giver of victory, decided the battle in favour of the English." Though the authority of Cardinal Vivian, the Pope's ambassador, could not restrain the carnage and plunder of his allies, he obtained the liberty of Malachy, bishop of Down.

Courcy continued his career of devastation in Ulster. Superstition and barbarity were blended in his character. He had a copy of Merlin's Prophecies always about him; and thinking himself designated therein as the conqueror of Ulster, he had it in his pocket by day, and under his pillow by night.

It seems Merlin did not warn him of his fortune; as in the year following, 1178, he marched towards Oriel (Louth), where he was vigorously attacked in his camp of Gliury, by Mortough O'Carrol, chieftain of the country. The action was severe, and De Courcy's forces were entirely routed in the trenchés. O'Carrol knew

how to conquer, and to avail himself of his conquest; he pursued the plunderers to the extremity of the county of Down, where in a second engagement he cut them to pieces, De Courcy himself, and about a dozen of his gang, with difficulty escaped to the castle of Down.

Courcy, perhaps instructed by those severe lessons, had recourse to more efficacious means than the prophecies of Merlin. He built castles, and by the plunder of Irish monasteries founded monasteries of English monks, who answered all

the purposes of an English garrison. As an instance of this policy, common to the English invaders, he destroyed the abbey of Carrick, founded near the bridge of Fane, and applied its revenues for the foundation of a monastery of Cistercian monks, brought from the abbey of Furnes, in England. One of these monks, by name Jocelyn, wrote a life of St. Patrick; a monument, which decisively proves, that philosophy was at a low ebb in England, where he received his education.

In 1183, Courcy dispossessed the canons of the cathedral church of Down, and brought over Benedictine monks from the abbey of St. Werburgh, of Chester; and gave them as prior William Etleshall, a monk of their order. Another of those spiritual garrisons he established at Tubberglory, and another at Nedrum, in which he placed English monks from Cumberland. The churches of Inis-Catha (Inis-Scattery), an island at the mouth of the Shannon, were appropriated, by Hervey de Mountmorres, to the foundation of a monastery for English monks, at Dunbrodee, near the confluence of the Suir and Barrow, county of Wexford.

While the English adventurers were pursuing these judicious plans for the reduction of the island, Henry II. was meditating to secure their acquisitions to his family, by appointing his son John, king of Ireland. He did not neglect any precaution of policy to bring his projects to ef fect. He obtained the assistance of the court of Rome, and appointed John Comyn, archbishop