of violence, to appear before the deputy at Limerick ; and, although he contrived to escape from prison, he, and two other brothers of this earl were again prevailed on to resign themselves to justice. In the interim, at the appearance of the lord deputy and his forces, Fitz-Maurice and his associates fled and concealed themselves. A progress made by Sir Henry Sidney through the southern and western provinces, encouraged the well-affected, and terrified the enemies of government. Several of the highest rank in Munster renewed their assurances of loyalty, and bound themselves to oppose the rebels. This alarmed the enemies of government, and those who had not been guilty of any excesses, immediately resolved to make their peace by a timely submission. The earl of Clancarthy surrendered himself to Gilbert, an English officer, appointed to command in Munster, was sent prisoner to the lord deputy, and obtained his pardon by a most humiliating submission before the council, and surrendering his son as hostage for his fidelity. The earl of Thomond also repented of his engagements, to which he had been provoked by the austerity of Sir Edward Fitton's government in Conaught. Ormond, on his first complaints against this president, had been sent to accommodate their differences, but found that force was absolutely necessary. Thomond, however, was so terrified at the commencement of hostilities, that he fled to France, where he was fortunate enough to recommend himself to Norris, the English ambassador, and, by his mediation with the queen, obtained a pardon. Fitz-Maurice was equally unsuccessful in Ulster. Though he had prevailed upon Tirlough, the chieftain of Tyrone, to bring Scottish troops to his assistance, yet, on preparing to invade the northern borders, an accidental wound threatened the chieftain's existence. This occasioned the utmost confusion in Tyrone; factions were speedily formed, and contests already took place about the succession. The Scots dispersed for want

of pay, and Tirlough, on his recovery, finding himself abandoned, was obliged to submit to the lord deputy. In Leinster, the enemies of government were soon quelled by the royal forces; and the insurgents of the south were left without any assistance or support. To complete their confusion, Sir John Perrot, who was supposed to be a natural son of Henry the Eighth, was appointed president of Munster; whose austerity was equal to that of sir Edward Fitton. He pursued the rebels, stormed their forts, and chased them from their lurking places. At length Fitz-Maurice, and some of his partisans, worn out with toil and famine, were compelled to throw themselves on his mercy. All the common agents in this insurrection immediately smarted under the severity of martial law; but their leader was reserved for the queen's disposal.

Having thus quieted the disorders of Munster. Perrot held his courts in different quarters; heard and redressed grievances; enforced a strict execution of the English law, and an exact adherence to English manners: in short, the severity of his government kept the people of this province in continual awe. The queen entertained such a high opinion of the abilities of this officer, that on his first appointment to the command of that part of Ireland which seemed most exposed to danger, sir Henry Sidney was permitted to return to England, and the government entrusted to his brother, sir William Fitz-William, in 1571. Indeed such were the hopes entertained of the present tranquillity of Ireland, that new projects were formed in England for its improvement, and especially for establishing a plantation of English settlers on the forfeited lands of Ulster. Sir Thomas Smith, secretary to the queen, first conceived this design, as a provision for his natural son. Young Smith was commissioned to transport a colony into a peninsula, called Ardes, on the eastern part of Ulster, which seemed a defensible situation. Lands were

assigned to his followers at the rate of one penny by the acre, to every footman one hundred and twenty, and to each horseman one hundred and forty acres. Though the colony was transported with every hope of success, the sudden assassination of the youth, by one of the O'Nialls, defeated in an instant, the whole design.

Not discouraged by this unsuccessful attempt, Walter Devereux, lately created earl of Essex, a young man of a warm enterprising spirit, highly in favor with the queen, tendered his services for reducing that part of Ulster, called Clan-huboy, (then said to be in a state of commotion) and planting it with English settlers. It was agreed that he should be vested with a moiety of the country; that one thousand two hundred forces should be raised, at the joint expence of the queen and earl; that every horseman, who should voluntarily engage in this service for two years, should have four hundred acres of land; every footinan, two hundred at a rent of 2d. per acre, and that the earl should be commanderin-chief for seven years. Essex entertained such sanguine expectations of this expedition, that he mortgaged his estate to the queen for £10,000. Accom panied by the lords Dacre and Rich, sir Henry Knowles and his four brothers, three sons of lord Norris, and other gentlemen of distinction, he visited Ireland for this purpose, in August, 1573. The appearance of a nobleman, invested with an independent authority, and attended with such a considerable force, excited the envy of Fitz-William, who remonstrated warmly against the impropriety of the earl's commission, and the unseasonable attempt of forming a new settlement in Ulster, which he declared to be in a state of violent commotion. The enemies of Essex, particularly the favorite Leicester, who wished his removal from the English court, prevailed upon the queen to satisfy Fitz- William, by consenting that Essex should receive his commission from the lord

deputy of Ireland, so as to act apparently under his authority. In the mean time several chieftains, particularly Brian Mac-Phelim, of the sept of O'Niall, Hugh, son to Matthew, earl of Dungannon, and Tirlough of Tyrone, filled with indignation by this ini quitous attempt to drive them from their lands and habitations, formed a confederacy, and by their repeated attacks, harassed the English exceedingly. The situation of Essex became very critical; for his noble associates repented of their adventures, and, on various pretences, returned to their native country.

Various commotions disturbed the administration of Fitz-William. In Leinster, besides the unremit ting turbulence of the O'Moores, the resentment of a chieftain of the old sept of Mac Murchad, who had taken arms to revenge some wrongs committed by his neighbours, occasioned considerable disorders. In Conaught, the sons of the earl of Clanricard, provoked at sir Edward Fitton's severe measures, rose in rebellion. We are told by Cox, that in their rage they set fire to the town of Athunree, where some forces of the state had usually been stationed. One of them was reminded to spare the church, as his mother was buried in it. "Were she there alive," he exclaimed, "I should burn her, church and all, rather than suffer any English churl ever to possess the place."

Also the province of Munster, where sir John Perrot presided, was again threatened with dangerous commotions. The earl of Desmond and his brother, who had been so long detained prisoners in England, were at length sent over to the lord deputy of Ireland to reside in Dublin as state prisoners. The mayor of the city, to whose custody they were committed, indulged them with such liberty, that, under pretence of hunting, they made their escape to their own country, where they were joyfully received by their partisans, who now resolved to revenge their sufferings.

In such a time of danger and apprehension, Essex was commanded by the queen to stay in Ireland and

assist the lord deputy against the enemies of government. Brian Mac-Murchad was opposed in the field; but kindness, more than arms, succeeded in

subduing him. By the persuasions of sir Peter Carew, who had reclaimed him, he consented to lay down his arms; and sincerely persevered in his attachment to the crown. So tenderly and affectionately devoted was he to his friend and patron, that, on his death, this good natured Irishman pined with grief and died. The sons of Clanricard also were reduced and pardoned; and so sensible was the queen of the justness of their complaints against sir Edward Fitton, that she soon after removed him from the presidency of Conaught. Desmond, the most dangerous of all the insurgents, had again collected his followers and prepared for rebellion, but was vigorously pursued by the earls of Essex and Kildare, and obliged, for the present, to relinquish his design and renew his engagements of submission and allegiance. We are told by the Irish annalists that a solemn peace was made between the earl of Essex and Phelim O'Niall ; but at a feast wherein the earl entertained the chieftain, when their good cheer was at an end, Phelim' and his wife were seized; that their friends who attended were put to the sword before their faces; and that Phelim, his wife and brother were conveyed to Dublin, where they were cut up in quarters. This execution, it is added, gave universal discontent.*

Again Essex endeavoured to accomplish his favorite scheme, but the turbulence of the Irish, and the machinations of his enemies in England, involved him in a series of embarrassments. When he had been wearied into a resignation of his authority, he was commanded to resume it; when he had resumed it, and for a while proceeded with success, he was commanded to resign it. When he at length obtained

• If this account be not exaggerated, (which for the sake of humanity we hope it is) what a striking contrast there is between the treachery of Essex and the friendship of Brian Mae-Murchad.

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