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And her Grace wrote to my Lord complaining; 'fpecially of three things, which were answered thus :-" In the very hour in which I received a commandment, figned by your Majefty, to displace my Lord Southampton, I did obey it. Secondly, the Treasurer, who might more exactly make the certificate of the lift of officers and commanders than I, took it upon him; and doth affure me he hath long fince fent it over. Lastly, if I could have found any other means to give men of worth encouragement or reward, or by any other circumstance could have kept life and spirit in this army, I had been very sparing in bestowing the degree of Knighthood." And this charge fatisfied. "Now," quoth my Lord-" now, if Tyr Oen have as much courage as he pretendeth, we will on one fide or the other end the War, maugre the fickness and defertion of the army-maugre the miferable munitions-maugre that her Grace's fubjects had rather be hanged for cowardice than hurt in her fervice-maugre that bitter style in which her Highness vents her taunting spleen upon her poor, constant, humble vaffal-ESSEX!"

"Here was no fign of a parley toward!" wrote Master Secretary.

The Ulfter Campaign.

157

The Earl of Effex croffed the Boyne. He marched into Ulfter. The straggling forces of Tyr Oen were spread before him thoro' wood and thoro' brake for many miles. The pent-up streams spread far and wide over their banks. The foil was deep and plashy; on the hills the more orderly of the enemy were pofted, horse and foot. They had the manifest advantage of pofition, being fortified both by industry and art; nor would it have been easy to diflodge them with twenty times our forces. 'Twas impoffible to number his troops: yet 'twas certain they far exceeded ours.

The General spurned the odds: but a Council of War protested. Not having force enough to break up the rebel camp, they would fain retreat.

Tyr Oen demands a parley. Her Grace presently vaunted that she was 'ware it would be fo; he having with a foft fmile wheedled her Highness of the Earldom. Earl or Traitor, or both, this man was not The O'Nial. His father, Matthew, was bastard of Con-Baccough by a blacksmith's wife: affiliated according to their abhominable custom. But, being a hostage, he learned some civility in England; and, upon Shane O'Nial's defeat, put in for the

Earldom of Tyrone and the hereditary estates.

These for

Now was he

his pretended services the Queen affented to. like thofe amphibious beafts, who live in either element! He could lie naked, wallowing in bog-holes in the midst of December; or, clade i' the robes of an Earl, fit quietly ftewing i' the parliament at Midfummer. Yet was he but of an outside gentleness: like your greasy Muscovite. A coarse log daubed with paint-a rough-hewn stone laquered and varnished. With his own hands had he murdered Hugh na Garelock, fon of Shane, the O'Nial; with his own arm had he carried off Marshal Bagnall's wife: yet would he be a patriot; and being the most violent, daring, turbulent, ambitious, as well as the most crafty, politic, fubtle of the clan, him they acknowledged for their chief! But he was not the O'Nial notwithstanding.

You fhall find patriots of his fort every where: and 'specially be they rife in Ireland. So he took his own will for his law; and he asked and gat the Pope's bleffing on his cause, with a Phoenix plume to boot; and he prayed an aid from Spain, which in money and men arrived. And he held himself forward to the people as the champion of their freedom, of their rights, of their religion; with a

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suggestion, as is ufual, that 'twas "pro aris et focis" that he rofe.

He demandeth a parley. And my Lord ftayed fome hours expecting him: but Tyr Oen would not come out, fearing the hostile troops might in the mean time come to blows; he being refolved not to draw to battle upon equal ground. Into the middle of the ftream, breast high, he rides, courteously faluting the Lord-Lieutenant a horseback on the bank. What words paffed between them no man heard.

On the morrow fix principal men on either fide accompanied their chiefs. Tyr Oen and his comrades in the river; my Lord and his as before.

Bareheaded fate O'Nial. Effex covered.

"I confefs," quoth the fubtle rebel-" I confefs the Queen is my fovereign lady; yet I never made peace with her but by her Grace's feeking. In my conceit, 'tis no honour to be an Earl: for I am in blood and power better than the best. I will give place to none of them! My ancestors were Kings of Ulfter: and, as Ulfter was their's, fo now is it mine. With the fword I won it, and with the fword I'll keep it !"

"Ha!" quoth the Earl, "you will not have me tell her Grace fo? Twill be no herald of peace!"

"Marry forbid !" faid he. Then, turning to other matter, he held forth on confcience and religion.

"Religion, man!" fhouted my Lord, with a gleek. “Thou hast no more religion than my horfe!" And no farther parley would he hold; but, allowing of commiffioners on either fide, they agreed to a truce after this fashion-First, for fix weeks certain; then for fix weeks on, unless discontinued by a fortnight's notice, and fo forth, until May. To this, Essex considering himself allowed, gave his noble word; Tyr Oen plighted his troth.

Oh, lame and impotent conclufion!

Weary, fick, melancholy, the Lord General dispersed his army, himself retiring to Drogheda in physic.

When you have been overwrought, diseased, dejected, would you not be cheered, and foothed, and refreshed by kindness or affection, or by a patient bearing with your infirmities? If, having striven with all your might, you have strained yourself, body or mind, or both, fhall you not need reft? And will not the grateful, pitying condolence

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