to be a grievance. It was, probably, one of those stratagems, alluded to by captain Lee, in his memorial. They invited four hundred of this country people, (speaking of the north,) near where your garrison was placed, on pretence of doing your majesty service, and there most dishonorably murdered them." War with the English, which was contrary to O'Nial's interest, while at variance with the northern chieftains struggling against his authority, proves this to bave been a perfidious massacre. He had to fight at once, the forces of Elizabeth, Maguire, O'Donel of Donegal, and some other heads of septs; especially O'Donel, the next to O'Nial in power, who was then his bitter enemy. (Lee). Thus were the toils completely drawn round him. None of the expected forces come from Spain or the pope. Desmond, whom he had solicited, joined the queen's forces, and he was at once attacked from all quarters. In several sharp rencounters his forces were thinned. Numbers deserted, from the fatigue of forced marches, want, and the severity of continual service. O'Nial, in a few months, lost more than 3500 of his men; when hunted, together with the remainder, from one retreat to another, harassed by famine, without hope or resource, he resolved to cast himself at the deputy's feet, and sue for mercy. In this forlorn situation, he was persuaded to put himself in the protection of the Scots, then encamped at Clan-hu-boy. He arrived there with about fifty horsemen, was received with every appearance of friendship, and shortly after assassinated, with all

his retinue. Piers, an English officer, who had excited the Scots to commit the murder, sent his head to Dublin; for which he was rewarded with a thousand marks.

Sydney immediately marched into Tyrone, to take advantage of the disordered state of that country, and promote such arrangements as would be advantageous to the English interest. In the humbled distracted state of Tyrone, he assumed the power of nominating Tirlough Lynnough O'Nial, grandson of Conbaccagh, the son-in-law of Kildare, successor to John. A man of meek and humble disposition, suited the views of the English. He bound himself by indenture, to renounce the claim of sovereignty over Ulster, to be faithful to the crown, to suffer the sons of Matthew to enjoy their demesnes unmolested. To secure these dispositions, favourable to English interest, the son of John O'Nial, an hostage, was kept in close confinement, in the castle of Dublin. The Irish chieftains, blinded by their pride to the last, were well satisfied with exemption from the authority of O'Nial, hugging that devouring anarchy, politically cherished by their enemies, which was to engulph their whole nation and its honors, in one common tomb. With these subtle views, the artful queen concluded a treaty with John O'Nial, conformable to his wishes, encouraging him to resume the sovereignty of Ulster. She employed him as an instrument, to chastize Maguire, and other lords, who openly resisted English encroachments; to humble the Scots, in Ulster,

who were held to be dangerous enemies to the English interest. When he had rendered these important services, pretences were soon found to quarrel with him, and to turn against him a confederacy of those very chieftains, whom his obedience to the queen's orders must have inflamed against him.

The principal settlers were involved in similar confusion. Desmond and Ormond had disputes about their boundaries; and in the Irish manner, chose to decide the contest by arms, instead of litigation. Desmond was defeated, wounded and taken prisoner. Though the carl was prisoner, his family was powerful; and Ormond, prudently declining the chances of war, referred the controversy to the queen. They attended her; she heard the cause, and proposed terms of accommodation to both parties, which were accepted: injunctions to assist the execution of the queen's laws, in the collection of the revenues; in the substitution of the English law for the Brchon. Desmond was referred to the deputy for further instructions, to whom he declared, that, "as to the furtherance of religion in Munster, having no knowledge in learning, and being ignorant of what was to be done in that behalf, he would aid and maintain whatever was appointed by commissioners nominated for the purpose." This is no proof of Desmond's absolute illiteracy. It might have been an evasion of the question, alledging his ignorance of theological learning, similar to the caution of lord Fingal, in avoiding a religious controversy with chancellor Redesdale,

and referring it to the clergy, as better informed in ecclesiastical studies.

The arts, that were employed to forward the changes in religion, have never been sufficiently developed; but must be sought by moral criticism. The pliant Ormond was probably enjoined, to watch the motions of Desmond; and, if he was found averse to the Reformation, and an encourager of seminaries, to renew his complaints against him on the ground of temporal interest, to shun the imputation of religious persecution. Ormond's complaint to the queen, of the partiality of her deputy to his rival, cannot be otherwise understood. For the deputy would undoubtedly adhere to the terms proposed by the queen, and accepted by the litigants, and decide in favour of him who was most ready to abide thereby. In obedience to the queen's orders, Desmond repaired to London, to give an account of his conduct; where he, and his brother, sir John, were committed close prisoners to the Tower, which confirmed in them that aversion to English government, which only ended with their lives.

Poor Ireland still continued to experience all the horrors of complicated anarchy; a prey to the conflicts of opposite parties, wasting it with numerous petty hostilities in different quarters, extortions, rapine and massacres. The old native and English settlers, the old and new adventurers, Scotch freebooters, the discord bred by two opposite systems of law, and the rancour of systems of religion, all produced incessant disturbances. Sir Edward Butler rose in arms against

some of the Geraldines in Munster. James Fitzgerald of Desmond, drew his sword against his kinsman, the baron of Lixnaw. The O'Moores and O'Connors were struggling for the recoveryof some of their confiscated properties. Tirlough Lynnough of Tyrone engaged a thousand Scots in his service, while the earl of Clancarthy claimed the sovereignty of south Munster, and attacked some of his neighbours.

We are now come to the epoch, that will soon determine the fate of the antient Irish, still blind to the impending catastrophe, still inflated with family pride, and rushing headlong to destruction by family quarrels. No public authority or national executive, not so much as a provincial government acknowledged, but every clan for itself, amidst intestine divisions amongst each clan, and this anarchy maintained by obstinate warfare, if the descendant of a provincial king attempted to enforce the authority of his predecessors, according to the constitution. Far otherwise was the state of the English. They were not indeed equal in physical force, to the antient inhabitants; neither in numbers, bodily strength, agility, or the use of arms: but they were not, like them, a power destitute of counsel and authority, working its own ruin. They had a legislative and executive, which were obeyed and respected; they had a public force, and revenue to maintain it; and the power of England was convenient, to supply men, money and arms.

The Pale was now become formidable, by its acquisitions of territory; but still more by the