this period was archbishop O'Hurley, a man of more than ordinary learning, and distinguished for his refined and cultivated tastes. He was brought before the Protestant archbishop Loftus and the deputy Wallope. As he steadfastly refused to renounce his faith, he was sentenced to torture and death. He was chained to a tree, and his feet and legs were encased in long boots filled with oil, turpentine, and pitch, and then stretched upon an iron grate, under which a slow fire was kindled. This cruelty was continued until the flesh was burned to the bone.

He was

then cast into prison until morning, and at early dawn on Friday, May 6, 1584, he was carried out to the place now called Stephen's Green, where what remained of human life was quickly extinguished, first by putting him again to torture, and then by hanging.

As the news of this barbarity spread through the country it excited the people more and more. The government was placed in a difficult position. The prestige of O'Neill and O'Donnell was becoming every day greater. On the 7th of June 1598, the earl laid siege to the fort of the Blackwater, then commanded by captain Williams, and strongly fortified. Reinforcements were sent to the besieged from England, but they were attacked en route by the Irish, and lost four hundred men at Dungannon. At last the earl of Ormonde and Bagnal took the field. The former marched against the Leinster insurgents, the latter against his old enemy and brother-in-law. An engagement took place at the Yellow Ford near Armagh, where Bagnal was shot, and O'Neill obtained a signal victory.

VICEROYALTY OF THE EARL OF ESSEX. 301

CHAPTER XIX.

A.D. 1599 TO A.D. 1642.

CONTEMPORARY EVENTS: Discovery of the Gunpowder Plot--Accession of Charles I. of England-Execution of the Earl of Strafford-Commencement of the Civil War in England.

SECTION I.

Viceroyalty of Essex.-Siege of Dunboy.-Flight of the Earls.

ESSE

SSEX was now despatched in haste to Ireland with twenty thousand foot and two thousand horse,—the best-equipped force ever sent into the country. He at once issued a proclamation, offering pardon to all the insurgents who should submit, and he despatched reinforcements to the northern garrison towns, and to Wicklow and Naas. He then marched southward, not without encountering a sharp defeat from Rory O'More. He attacked the Geraldines, without much success, in Fermoy and Lismore, having on the whole lost more than he had accomplished by the expedition. An engagement took place between O'Donnell and Sir Conyers Clifford, in the pass of Balloghboy, on the 16th of August, in which Conyers was killed, and his army defeated. His body was recognised by the Irish, towards whom he had always acted honourably, and they interred the remains of their brave and noble enemy with the respect which was justly due to him.

Essex wrote to England for more troops, and his enemies were not slow to represent his incapacity, and to demand his recall: but he had not yet lost grace with his royal mistress, and his request was granted. The viceroy now marched into the northern provinces. When he arrived at

the Lagan, where it bounds Louth and Monaghan, O'Neill appeared on the opposite hill with his army, and sent the O'Hagan, his faithful friend and attendant, to demand a conference. The interview took place on the following day; and O'Neill, with chivalrous courtesy, dashed into the river on his charger, and there conversed with the English earl, while he remained on the opposite bank. It was supposed that the Irish chieftain had made a favourable impression on Essex, and that he was disposed to conciliate the Catholics. He was obliged to go to England to clear himself of these charges; and his subsequent arrest and execution would have excited more sympathy, had he been as amiable in his domestic relations as he is said to have been in his public life.

Ulster enjoyed a brief period of rest under the government of its native princes. In 1600 O'Neill proceeded southward, laying waste the lands of the English settlers, but promoting the restoration of churches and abbeys, and assisting the clergy and the native Irish in every possible way. Having lost Hugh Maguire, one of his best warriors, in an accidental engagement with St. Leger, the president of Munster, he determined to return to Ulster. A new viceroy had just arrived in Ireland, and he attempted to cut off his retreat ineffectually.

O'Neill had now obtained a position of considerable importance, and one which he appears to have used invariably for the general good. But peace could not be expected to continue long when such powerful interests were in opposition.

Attempts were made to assassinate O'Neill in 1601. Two thousand pounds was offered to anyone who would capture him alive; one thousand pounds was offered for his head; but none of his own people could be found to play the traitor even for so high a stake. The 'Sugane earl' was treacherously captured about the end of August, and was sent to London in chains, with Florence MacCarthy. But the long-expected aid from Spain had at last arrived. The fleet conveyed a force of three thousand infantry, and entered the harbour of Kinsale on September 23, under the command of Don Juan d'Aquila. It would appear as

SIEGE OF KINSALE.

303

if Spanish expeditions were not destined to succeed on Irish soil, for only part of the expedition arrived safely, and they had the misfortune to land in the worst situation, and to arrive after the war had ceased. The northern chieftains set out at once to meet their allies when informed of their arrival; and O'Donnell, with characteristic impetuosity, was the first on the road. Carew attempted to intercept him, but despaired of coming up with 'so swiftfooted a general,' and left him to pursue his way unmolested.

The lord deputy was besieging Kinsale, and Carew joined him there. The siege was continued through the month of November, during which time fresh reinforcements came from Spain; and on December 21 O'Neill arrived with all his force. Unfortunately, the Spanish general had become thoroughly disgusted with the enterprise; and, although the position of the English was such that the lord deputy had serious thoughts of raising the siege, he insisted on decisive measures; and O'Neill was obliged to surrender his opinion, which was entirely against this line of action. A sortie was agreed upon for a certain night; but a youth in the Irish camp, who had been in the president's service formerly, warned him of the intended attack. This was sufficient in itself to cause the disaster which ensued. But there were other misfortunes. O'Neill and O'Donnell lost their way; and when they reached the English camp at dawn, found the soldiers under arms, and prepared for an attack. Their cavalry at once charged, and the new comers in vain struggled to maintain their ground, and a retreat which they attempted was turned into a total rout.

A thousand Irish were slain, and the prisoners were hanged without mercy. The loss on the English side was but trifling. It was a fatal blow to the Irish cause. Heavy were the hearts and bitter the thoughts of the brave chieftains on that sad night. O'Neill no longer hoped for the deliverance of his country; but the more sanguine O'Donnell proposed to proceed at once to Spain, to explain their position to king Philip. He left Ireland in a Spanish vessel three days after the battle-if battle it

can be called; and O'Neill marched rapidly back to Ulster with Rory O'Donnell, to whom Hugh Roe had delegated the chieftaincy of Tir-Connell.

D'Aquila submitted to Mountjoy, it is said bribed by English gold, as he was placed under arrest on his return to Spain. Meanwhile, O'Sullivan Beare escaped to his famous castle of Dunboy, where he was at once besieged by Carew. This fortress was supposed to be impregnable, but the garrison consisted only of one hundred and fortythree fighting men with a few pieces of cannon. The besieging army was three thousand strong, and they were well supplied with artillery. When the castle was nearly battered down the garrison offered to submit if allowed to depart with their arms, but Carew's only reply was to hang their messenger. They then retreated to a cellar, where one of them attempted to blow up the place just as the English soldiers had succeeded in forcing an entrance. Fifty-eight of the unfortunate men were hanged on the spot, and the rest were executed soon after. One of the prisoners, Father Collins, was taken to Youghal, his native town, that he might suffer there-a most unwise proceeding, for his fate was sure to excite double sympathy, and hence to promote double disaffection, in the place where he was personally known.

War was now over for a time. The fall of Dunboy was a fatal blow to the Irish cause. O'Donnell died of grief in Spain, and O'Neill submitted to the viceroy a few days after the death of queen Elizabeth, which event was carefully concealed from him until he had made terms with Sir Garret More.

O'Neill and O'Donnell may be justly considered the last of the independent native chieftains. When the latter died in exile, and the former accepted the coronet of an English earl, the glories of the olden days of princes, who held almost regal power, had passed away for ever. The proud title of The O'Neill' became extinct; his country was made shire ground; he accepted patents, and held his broad acres in fee;' sheriffs were admitted; judges made circuits; king's commissioners took careful note of place, person, and property; and such a system of espionage was