Page images
PDF
EPUB

The Council ftayeth my Lord.

III

the catalogue of their forces, Master Dymok? We must go meet them."

"I have, my Lord; here is the Schedule. In all, nigh thirty thousand."

"But these be scattered through the country?"

"O'Nial, who brings the most to the field, hath fome ten thoufand."

"I should meet him firft!

To-morrow

"By your leave, good my Lord, the Council thinks not fo."

[merged small][graphic]

CHAPTER VIII.

"Now, for the rebels which ftand out in Ireland,
Expedient manage must be made, my liege;
Ere farther leifure yield them farther means,
For their advantage and your Highness' lofs."

K. RICHARD II., act I. fc. Iv.

SSEX had been but few days in Dublin: yet

had he accomplished much. And indeed there

were great matters awaiting him.

Grievances

to be redressed: good laws per cafe, but great lack of carrying them out. And my Lord was of opinion that these were as bad as evil laws well executed: fpeedy wrong, faith the proverb, hurts less than tardy right. And, moreover, there had been much oppreffion; for justice (if fo it could be called) had been ministered according to affection if not under fear.

[blocks in formation]

And there were directions to be given to the Deputy for the rule in the mean time, and arrangements for the following on of troops and the victualling of the army; befides the neceffary preparations for the War, which my Lord had determined to profecute with alacrity and vigour. For the Earl felt rightly that to his fuccefs rapid movements, repeated conquefts of however fmall forces, would more conduce than victories over greater numbers at longer intervals. Whatsoever should fooneft ftrike terror and alarm into the natives' fpirit, that would fpeediest bring them to compofition, for they were dependant one on another, and yet were disunited; fo that every petty chief taken in was reckoned for a lofs unto the whole, disheartening those who yet held out.

Now though Effex had yielded to the advice of his Council, abandoning for the present his own will, to attack O'Nial in his strongholds; he cordially adopted the plan fuggested to him, refolving at once to put it into execution.

Whereupon, collecting fuch Lords and Gentlemen of the Pale as were well affected to her Grace, and prone for this adventure: to wit, Sir Chriftopher St. Lawrence, fon to the Lord Howth; Sir Ralph Cufac, and Talbot of

VOL. III.

I

Malahide; Sir John de Houffè, Baron of the Naul; and Phepo, Baron Calf; Sir T. Preston, Lord of Gormanstown ; and Sir N. Bernewall, Lord of Trimleftown; with Nangle (who is Montacute); Nugent, Baron Delvin; and the Butler, Baron of Dunboyne; and, incorporating them with those worthy Noblemen and Captains had accompanied him from England, Effex marched into Kildare, through a rich champagne country, the wild mountains on his left, an old natural wood of oak, holly, and birch, skirting him on the right. By the way he divided his troops, marshalling them after that fashion he had used on his more glorious expeditions. But, alas! there were not, in fact, those numbers he had been promised. There were as yet but twenty-seven Enfigns of foot, and some three hundred horse. Though my Lord had taken order that the whole army fhould rendezvous at Kilcullen forthwith, only the Earl of Ormonde joined him on the morrow with seven hundred foot, and two hundred horse, still accompanying the army till it reached Kilkenny. There alfo did the Lords Cahir and Mountgarret make their fubmiffion.

And scarcely had my Lord formed his little force into regiments and troops, ere the rebels (O'Tooles and

[blocks in formation]

O'Beirnes), coming through the gorges on the left, and lurking in the forests on his right, commenced against him that system of rough depredatory warfare to which they were so well accustomed. They would lie hidden in the woods, discharging their arrows and javelines occasionally, now and then firing off arquebuffes. Then would they approach at night, attempting to steal the horses; or per cafe cutting off the fentries. Thefe, whenever they were attacked, would retreat to their scrubby shelter, or into the bogges, whither no armed foldier dare follow them; or, feparating from one another, they would hide in broken ground or holes, where no traces of them could be found. The Mountaineers, mounted on their fhaggy ponies, would often rush down upon our ftragglers fuddenly, thrusting through unawares those who for plunder fake or other lawlessness marched wide of the general hoft. 'Twas a fight to see these fine cavaliers naked but for their skin cloke, without rein or ftirrup managing their rude beafts down almost impassable steeps! Now with a yell and a cry they would, as it were, fly past us, fpiking hither and thither, and fo escaping ere one recovered from their onflaught!

« PreviousContinue »