XV. notwithflanding local tumults in various parts. John CHAP. O'Nial was the first who gave any ferious alarm to the Irish regency of the latter. This dynaft is reprefented as man abandoned to brutal exceffes, indulging in fottifh ebriety, and frequently burying himself to the neck in earth to correct the heat and intemperature of his body. But, as Leland remarks, whatever was the rudeness of his manners, he was cautious, circumfpect, and acute. Summoned to account for his conduct by Sir Henry Sidney, the deputy of Suffex, who was then at court, in 1559, he had the addrefs to prevail on this gentleman to vifit him in his camp, to ftand fponfor for his child, and to acquiefce in the defence which he made for actions difcordant with the plan of English government. Claiming the ancient right of his family to the dominion of Ulfter, he obliged O'Reily, a neighbouring toparch, to give hoftages for his obedience; and, fuddenly rufhing into Tyrconnel, made his old enemy, Calvagh, a captive, whom he afterwards liberated, having plundered his poffeffions, detained his fon as a hoftage, and his wife as a concubine. To gain the confidence of the old natives he expreffed fuch rancour against the English, that he hanged one of his followers for the eating of English bifcuit, as a crime of degeneracy.-Suffex marched against him with what forces he could mufter, but an accommodation was effected by the interpofition of the earl of Kildare. In confequence of this accommodation he waited on 1362. the queen in London, attended by a numerous train, VOL. I. "a guard CHAP. "a guard of Gallowglaffes," in the words of Leland, "arrayed in the richeft habiliments of their country, armed with the battleax, their heads bare, their hair flowing on their fhoulders, their linen vefts dyed with faffron, with long and open fleeves, and furcharged with their fhort military harness; a fpectacle aftonishing to the people, who imagined that they beheld the inhabitants of fome diftant quarter of the globe." On his return to Ireland, after his gracious reception by her Majefty, he found his confequence augmented among his followers, who confidered this accommodation as a treaty between two fovereigns. Affecting zeal for the queen's fervice, he attacked fome bands of Hebudian Scots, who had fwarmed afresh into Ulfter, defeated them, and flew their leader but as he continued, under pretence of the Scottish hoftilities, to augment and train his forces,. government was alarmed; and when he perceived that his defigns were no longer concealable, he hefitated not at open war. Appearing in a bravado before the fortrefs of Derry, his army was repelled with flaughter by a fally of the garrifon, in which, however, Randolf, the governor, fell a victim of his own incaution. Finding afterwards that this fortrefs was abandoned in confequence of the magazine's deftruction by an accidental explosion, which was regarded by the ignorant natives as a pious act of fupernatural interpofition, he declined an interview, which himfelf had propofed for pacification with Sir Henry Sidney, the lord-deputy, and attacked the Pale with all his forces. Affecting XV. Affecting to be the champion of the catholic faith, of CHAP. which he knew nothing, he difpatched ambaffadors to the Pope and king of Spain for affiftance, and burned the church of Armagh where heretical worship had been performed. While he demolished feveral 1566. caftles, and ravaged fome diftricts, particularly Fermanagh, he attempted to amufe the deputy by negociation, and again requested and declined a conference; but he was difgracefully repulfed in an attempt on Dundalk, and on the approach of Sidney's army retired to his faftneffes. The lord-deputy taking his ftation with an army on O'Nial's borders, and engaging Calvagh of Tyrconnel, Macguire of Fermanagh, and other Irish chiefs, in the royal caufe, aflailed him on all fides with fuch fuccefs, that he was deferted by most of his followers, and came to the refolution of furrendering at difcretion. From this he was diverted by his fecretary, who advised him rather to take refuge with a body of Scots encamped at Clan-huboy. By the artful management of an English officer, named Piers O'Nial, who with fifty attendants, and his female companion, the wife of Calvagh, was hofpitably entertained in the tent of the Scottish commander, was at the end of the feaft affaffinated with his followers. His head was fent to Dublin by Piers, 1567. who received a thousand marks as the reward of this fervice. Turlogh Lynnough O'Nial, a man of a peaceful difpofition, related by confanguinity to the noble family of Kildare, was nominated fucceffor to John, but bound by indenture to claim no fove XV. CHAP. reignty over the neighbouring lords, and to leave the fons of Mathew, baron of Dungannon, in the unmolested poffeffion of their demefnes. To prevent oppofition to this arrangement, a fon of John, for merly delivered as a hostage, was detained in clofe confinement in the castle of Dublin. СНАР. CHAP. XVI. Feuds of Defmond, &c.-A parliament-Unexecuted Perrot. WHILE the chief attention of government was CHAP. XVI. Feuds of directed to the motions of O'Nial in Ulfter, disturbances of lefs moment had elsewhere taken place. Delmond, Gerald, earl of Defmond, in attempting to wrest &c. fome lands by force of arms from the earl of Ormond, was defeated, wounded, and made prifoner. When he was carried on a bier from the field of battle, his fupporters triumphantly exclaimed "where is now the great lord of Defmond ?" to which he indignantly replied, "where but in his proper place? ftill on the necks of the Butlers." The difpute was determined by the judgment of the queen, and Defmond was difmiffed on his promise of obedience. "As to the furtherance of religion in Munster," he engaged among 83 |