because of all the hardship and sickness of the sea they had received up to that, gave it as their advice that it was right for them to make straight ahead towards France. . . .

On the next day, the fifteenth of October, they left Rouen with thirty-one on horseback, two coaches, three wagons, and about forty on foot. The Governor of Quilleboeuf and many of the gentry of the town came to conduct them a distance from the city..

On Monday, the twenty-second of the same month, they bade farewell to the people of the city (Arras). They proceeded five more leagues to a famous city called Douai. The people there received them with great respect. They alighted at the Irish College, which was supported by the King of Spain in the town. They themselves stayed in the College, and they sent the better part of those with them through the city. They remained there until the following Friday. . . . Assemblies of the colleges received them kindly and with respect, delivering in their honour verses and speeches in Latin, Greek and English.

The thirty-first of October, O'Neill's son (Henry), the Colonel of the Irish [regiment] 3 came to them with a large well-equipped company of captains and of noblemen, Spanish and Irish and of every other nation. On the following Saturday the Marquis Spinola, the commander-in-chief of the King of Spain's army in Flanders, came to them from Brussels with a large number of important people and welcomed them. He received them with honour and gave them an invitation to dinner on the next day in Brussels.

Early the next morning they went to Brussels. . . . Colonel Francisco, with many Spanish, Italian, Irish and Flemish captains, came out of the city to meet them. They advanced through the principal streets of the town to the door of the Marquis's palace. The Marquis himself, the Papal Nuncio, the Spanish Ambassador, and the Duke of Ossuna came to take them from their coaches. . . . Afterwards they entered the apartment where the Marquis was accustomed to take food. He himself arranged each one in his place, seating O'Neill in his own place at the head of the table, the Papal Nuncio to his right, the Earl of Tyrconnel to his left, O'Neill's children and Maguire next the Earl, and the Spanish Ambassador and the Duke of Aumale on the other side, below the Nuncio. . . . The excellent dinner which they partook of was grand and costly enough for a king.4

They landed in Normandy and proceeded to Rouen; passing through Amiens and other French towns they entered Flanders, and were everywhere received with respect. See p. 346 n. 3.

3 This Irish regiment formed part of the army of the Archduke Albert of Austria, governor of the Spanish Netherlands.

4 The Earls spent Christmas at Louvain, where they remained till the 28th Feb., 1608. Their progress through Germany and Switzerland is next described. They had a stiff ride over the Alps, and they and their horses crossed Lake Lugano in boats.

On Sunday, the twenty-third March, they proceeded to the great remarkable famous city Milan. ... A great respected earl, Count de Fuentes by name, was chief governor and representative of the King of Spain over that city and over all Lombardy. He sent the King's ambassador at Lucerne, who happened to be in the city, to welcome them and to receive them with honour. On Wednesday the nobles went in person into the presence of the earl. He received them with honour and respect. There were many noblemen and a very great guard on either side of him. They remained three full weeks in the city. During that time the earl had great honour shown them. . . . The lords took their leave of Count de Fuentes on the twelfth of April. ... He gave them as a token of remembrance a collection of rapiers and fine daggers, with hilts of ornamented precious stones, all gilt, and belts and expensive hangers.1

Peter Lombard, the Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of Ireland, came . . . having a large number of coaches sent by cardinals to meet them to that place. . . . Then they proceeded in coaches (and) went on . . . through the principal streets of Rome in great splendour. They did not rest until they reached the great church of San Pietro in Vaticano. They put up their horses there and entered the church . . . afterwards they proceeded to a splendid palace which his Holiness the Pope had set apart for them in the Borgo Vecchio [and in the Borgo] Santo Spirito.2 ...

...

:.. On the Thursday of Corpus Christi an order came from the holy Father to the princes that eight of their noblemen should go in person to carry the canopy over the Blessed Sacrament while it was being borne solemnly in the hands of the Pope in procession from the great Church of San Pietro in Vaticano to the Church of St. James in Borgo Vecchio and from there back to the Church of Saint Peter... They carried the canopy over the Blessed Sacrament and the Pope, and never before did Irishmen receive such an honour and privilege. The Italians were greatly surprised that they should be shown such deference and respect, for some of them said that seldom before was any one nation in the world appointed to carry the canopy. With the ambassadors of all the Catholic kings and princes of Christendom who happened to be then in the city it was an established custom that they, in succession, every year carried the canopy in turn. They were

At Parma, the Duke received them with honour; they passed through Bologna, Rimini, Pesaro, and made a pilgrimage to Assisi and to several other places. On Tuesday, the 29th April, 1608, Peter Lombard, Papal Archbishop of Armagh, met them at the Milvian Bridge, and they entered Rome in state.

2 On the 4th May, 1608, they were received by Pope Paul V at the Quirinal. They took an active part in the religious life of Rome, and were present, as related above, at the great Corpus Christi procession on the 5th June.

jealous, envious and surprised, that they were not allowed to carry it on this particular day. The procession was reverent, imposing and beautiful, for the greater part of the regular Orders and all the clergy and communities of the great churches of Rome were in it, and many princes, dukes and great lords. They had no less than a thousand lighted waxen torches. Following them there were twenty-six archbishops and bishops. Next there were thirtysix cardinals. The Pope carried the Blessed Sacrament, and the Irish lords and noblemen to the number of eight, bore the canopy. About the Pope was his guard of Swiss soldiers, and on either side of him and behind him were his two large troops of cavalry. The streets were filled with people behind. It was considered by all that there were not less in number than one hundred thousand.1

LIV. A GENERAL PARDON

[The Act of Oblivion, 1603. Sir John Davies, A Discovery of the True Causes why Ireland was never entirely subdued (1612), pp. 263-4.]

By a general Act of State called the Act of Oblivion 2 published by proclamation under the Great Seal, all offences against the Crown, and all particular trespasses between subject and subject, done at any time before his Majesty's reign, were (to all such as would come in to the Justices of Assize by a certain day, and claim the benefit of this Act) pardoned, remitted, and utterly extinguished, never to be revived or called in question. And by the same proclamation, all the Irishry (who for the most part in former times, were left under the tyranny of their lords and chieftains and had no defence or justice from the Crown) were received into his Majesty's immediate protection. This bred such comfort and security in the hearts of all men, as thereupon ensued, the calmest and most universal peace, that ever was seen in Ireland.

LV. INTRODUCTION OF ENGLISH LAW [Proclamation of Sir Arthur Chichester (11 March, 1605). M. J. Bonn, Die englische Kolonisation in Irland, I. 394-7.]

Whereas divers . . . lords and owners of countries or territories, are possessed of great scopes and extents of land, wherein the tenants and occupiers have no certain estate, nor certain place of habitation, nor yield any other rent or reservation for the same, but an uncertain cutting or exaction which the said lords and

1 Rory O'Donnell, created Earl of Tyrconnel in 1603, died of fever at Rome, 28 July, 1608. Tyrone died there eight years later.

• Steele gives 22nd Feb., 1603, as the date of this Proclamation.-Tudor and Stuart Proclamns. II. 167A. The document has not been found, but is referred to elsewhere. See e.g. Cal. S.P.I. (1603–6), p. 2.

owners do at their will and pleasure impose upon them, whereby it cometh to pass that the said tenants do neither build houses nor manure the earth, nor provide for their children or posterities in such sort as they would do if they might enjoy their said lands during a certain term, and for certain duties payable for the same. We do therefore in his Majesty's name, straightly charge and command all and every the said lords and owners, that they and every of them do forthwith so dispose of their said lands, as they may receive certain rents and certain duties for the same, and that they and every of them do from henceforth utterly forbear to use or usurp upon any of their tenants or dependents those odious and unlawful customs of cutting and coshering: which customs we will and command to be discontinued and abolished for ever in this Kingdom, as being barbarous, unreasonable, and intolerable in any civil or Christian commonwealth. . . . And we do further charge and command the said lords . . . that they attempt not from henceforth. . . violently to remove or lead away the said tenants or inhabitants, or any of them, or their or any of their goods, against their wills or consent, from one country or place unto another, or to use or entreat the said tenants or inhabitants otherwise than freemen or loyal subjects . . and to the end the said poor tenants and inhabitants, and every of them, may from henceforth know and understand that free estate and condition wherein they were born, and wherein from henceforth they shall all be continued and maintained, we do by this present proclamation in his Majesty's name declare and publish, that they and every of them, their wives and children, are the free, natural, and immediate subjects of his Majesty, and are not to be reputed or called the natives or natural followers of any other lord or chieftain whatsoever, and that they and every of them ought to depend wholly and immediately upon his Majesty, who is both able and willing to protect them, and not upon any other inferior lord or lords. Howbeit we do in his Majesty's name declare and publish unto all and every the said tenants or other inferior subjects, that it is not his Majesty's intent or meaning, to protect or maintain them, or any of them, in any misdemeanour or insolent carriage towards their lords, but that it is his Majesty's express pleasure and commandment, that the said tenants and meaner sort of subjects (saving their faith and duty of allegiance to his Majesty) shall yield and perform all such respects and duties as belong and appertain unto the said lords, according to their several degrees and callings, due and allowed unto them by the laws of this Realm.

And we do further declare and publish unto all his Majesty's loving subjects, that (notwithstanding this gracious proclamation) his Majesty will no longer continue his protection over them or I See pp. 318, 329.

any of them, than they and every of them shall continue in their loyalty and obedience, and depend wholly upon his Majesty and his laws, from which if they or any of them shall hereafter make any defection, his Majesty is fully resolved to extend the uttermost rigour of his laws against them, without any pardon or remission, and to prosecute them and every of them by all ways and means possible, to the utter extirping and rooting out of them, their names and generations, for ever. And lastly, we do will and require such and so many of his Majesty's poor and inferior sort of subjects, as shall from time to time be grieved or burdened with any oppression, exaction, or other insolence of any of the said great lords or gentlemen . . . that they eftsoons make their complaint either to the Justices of Assize being present in their several circuits, or in their absence to the Governor of the country or sheriff of the county wherein they dwell. And thereupon we will and command every governor or sheriff within each particular country and county to examine such wrongs and injuries so complained of, and the circumstances thereof, and the same forthwith to certify either to the Justices of Assize when they shall come in their circuits, or unto us the Lord Deputy and Council, to the end redress may be given to the parties grieved, and punishment inflicted upon the offenders.1

LVI. FEROCITY OF THE IRISH WARS

(1) Defeat of the Scots by Sir Richard Bingham in Connacht. [Captain Thomas Woodhouse to Geoffrey Fenton 3 (23 Sept., 1586). Cal. S.P. Ireland, p. 161.]

It pleased God that the Governor this day met with James MacDonnell's sons and all their forces, and with the number of about four score horsemen, he, like a brave gentleman, charged them. I was as near him as I could, and so cut off their wings, and they presently were like cowardly beggars, being in number,

"The common people [are] more ready to embrace justice than the lords, whose pride is great, and do impatiently bear and hardly digest the English Government no further than force and heavy hand constraineth."-Sir W. Drury, President of Munster, to Walsingham (24 Nov., 1576), Cal. S.P.I., p. xxxiv. "These civil assemblies at assizes and sessions have reclaimed the Irish from their wildness, caused them to cut off their glibs and long hair; to convert their mantles into cloaks, to conform themselves to the manner of England in all their behaviour and outward forms; and because they find a great inconvenience in moving their suits by an interpreter, they do for the most part send their children to schools, especially to learn the English language: so as we may conceive an hope that the next generation, will in tongue and heart, and every way else become English; so as there will be no difference or distinction, but the Irish Sea betwixt us."-Davies, Discovery, pp. 271-2.

In 1584, Bingham, who had seen plenty of service both on the Continent and in Ireland, was appointed Governor of Connacht. The Burkes, who were in rebellion, summoned a large force of Scots from the Isles to their aid. Another account of their defeat will be found in Sir Henry Docwra's "Relation of [Sir R. Bingham's] Service done in Ireland," Misc. Celtic Soc. (1849).

Principal Secretary of State in Ireland.