haps thou didst hope, by thy zeal in accusing another, to render thyself invulnerable to accusation. Thou art caught in thine own trap. Burke, come hither," said he, addressing one of the chiefs ; take this traitor hence, and bind him, hand and foot." 66 66 This was literally handing him over to Satan, to torment him;" for Redmond Burke was a demon, who put him in hand-locks, and carried him through the country," making him lackey it by his horse's side, like a common horse-boy." After detaining him a prisoner for three months-during which period he heaped every kind of indignity upon him he compelled him to pay two hundred pounds for his liberty. After this, as the White Knight said, "It might be well believed, I had small cause to doe favours to James Fitz-Thomas," the Earl of Desmond. The White Knight having been removed from the assembly in the custody of Redmond Burke, the Earl of Tyrone turned to the M'Carthy More, and said, "We have not yet heard your lordship's opinion." 66 66 Why, damnation! my Lord," said Florence, I am like the holy Apostle, St. Peter, 'in a strait betwixt two.' As I heard you speak, I thought we should make no terms with the new Lord Presi dent of Munster, and I am much of that way of thinking still; but then, when I heard my young friend the Earl of Desmond, I thought with him, that we should get all we could out of him firstthat we should squeeze the orange before we threw it away, as they do in Spain." "Well, what do you decide on doing now?" "Oh, damnation! do you decide, and I'll act.” The general decision of the assembly was, that the new Lord President should be met at the point of the sword. With this understanding the warlike conclave broke up, and a few days after the Earl of Tyrone turned his footsteps to the North. CHAPTER III. "More danger now from man alone we find, Than from the rocks, the billows, and the wind." WALLER. "Already we have conquered half the war, DRYDEN. "Restless and impatient, he hunts a phantom he can never catch."-ROGERS. SIR GEORGE CAREW, Knight, the newly-appointed Lord President of Munster, landed at Howth Harbour, from Beaumaris, on the twenty-third of February, in the year one thousand six hundred. He rode from Howth to Dublin, and was hospitably received at Dublin Castle by Lord Mountjoy, the Irish Lord Lieutenant, or rather, Deputy, as he was styled. But the state of the Province of Munster, at this time, required that the Lord President should hasten to the South. It was on a fine morning in early spring, that Sir George Carew rode out of the yard of Dublin Castle, and took the road towards Naas, en route for Cork. He was followed by a guard of seven hundred foot, and one hundred horse. He was accompanied as far as Chapelizod by his friend, Lord Mountjoy, the Lord Deputy. "Here, Sir George, we must part," said his lordship to the knight; "and let me now commit you to the care of God and these brave men, and entreat you, for your friends' sake, and for the sake of your country and sovereign, to have a care of yourself. Let the fate of Sir Thomas Norreys, and Sir William St. Leger, warn you against adventuring too far into danger." "Thank you, my good Lord, and kind friend, I shall be on my guard." Sir George Carew was at this time about fifty years of age; he was a well-made and stronglybuilt man, with a frame more firmly knit than the joints of his mailed coat. His forehead was intellectual, and the expression of his face determined, shrewd, and somewhat sinister. He was, of course, a brave knight-for arms was his profession-but he was more cautious than brave. As they journeyed southward, he rode in full armour, in front of his troops, marking everything around him with the closest scrutiny. He could see a hare hiding behind a furze-bush. The President was accompanied to the South by the Earl of Thomond and Lord Audley, who were members of his council. His groom, a low-sized man, with very long arms and very short legs, and an immense breadth of chest, rode close behind his master. They lodged the first night at Naas, and the next at Carlow, and advanced the following day within a few miles of Kilkenny, without any incident worthy of remark occurring. But, just as the high walls of Ormond Castle hove in view, the President turned round to his servant, and said, "Maurice Stack, dost thou observe anything in that thicket, yonder, near the river? Methinks I see something moving-it is red." "Aye, aye, my Lord, I see it all, clear enough," said Maurice, leaping his horse across the ditch, and spurring it up to the thicket to which his master pointed. He had advanced to within twenty yards of it, when a tall and lank young man, with red hair and wild-looking eyes, sprang out of cover. Maurice gave chase, but the wild man dodged and doubled about until he got his pursuer's horse up to its belly in a bog. He then turned round, put his arms akimbo, and began to dance, and grin, and whoop, till the horseman, losing all patience, drew a pistol from his holster, and fired at him, when he wheeled round and fled with outstretched neck and arms, screeching, and skimming the margin of the lake like a wounded crane. VOL. I. D |