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champion countries, and having a brave nobility, and gentry, better discipline and stronger order than they, and such means to keep from them the maintenance of their life, and to waste the country, which should nourish them, your majesty may promise yourself, that this nation will in the end be successful, though costly, and that your victory will be certain, though many of honest servants must sacrifice ourselves in the quarrel, and that this kingdom will be reduced, though it will ask (besides cost) a great deal of care, industry, and time.

No. IX.

EXTRACT FROM THE ANNALS OF THE FOUR MASTERS, RELATIVE TO SOME OF THE GREAT MILESIAN FAMILIES, WHO ATTENDED PARLIAMENT, A. D. 1585....PAGE 71.

IN this year, a proclamation has been published by the gov ernment, requiring of the chieftains of Ireland to assemble in parliament at Dublin, in the month of May; for at this time, most of the Irish were submissive to their prince. They accordingly obeyed the aforesaid order.

In this assembly appeared the chiefs of Tirconall and Tirone: particularly Torlogh, Luinagh, O'Neill, and Hugh the son of Firdarach O'Neill, last Baron of Dungannon, but in the present parliament received under the title of Earl of Tirone. O'Donall (Hugh the son of Magnus) Maguire, chief of Firmanagh, (Cuchonnact the son of Cuchonnact) O'Dogharty, chief of Inisoen, (Shane og the son of Shane) O'Boyle, (Torlogh son of Neill) O'Gallagher, John the son of Tuathal.

In the same parliament appeared the chieftains of Orgial, (Ros the son of Arthur Mac Mahon,) O'Cahane (Rory the son of Magnus,) chieftain of Oreacht, Conn O'Neile (the son of Null og,) chief of Clanna-boy, Magennis, chief of Hyveagh (Hugh the son of Donall og,) O'Rorke, chief of the western Breffny (Brian na Murtha, the son of Brian Ballach,) O'Riley, chief of the eastern Breffny (Shane Roc, the son of Hugh Conallach) together with his uncle Edmond, in contention with each other about the right of governing their country. The O'Farrals of Annally appeared also in this parliament, namely, O'Farral Can (William son of Donal,) and O'Farrall boy (Fachtna son of Brian;) the ClanMury chiefs of Conaught presented themselves also in that assembly, viz. Hugh O'Conor (the son of Dermond O'Conordon,)

Teig og O'Conor Roe, Donall O'Conor Sligoe. Brian Mac Dermott appeared also as representative for May-lurg (i. e. the plains of Bayle,) as the chieftain of that district was disabled by his great age to appear in person, O'Berne, chief of Tirbrun on Shannon (Carbrey the son of Teige,) O'Kelly of Hy-Manly (Teige son of William,) O'Madden of Siol Anmead (Donall son of Shane.)

There appeared in that parliament also the the Earl of Clanrickard (the son Richard,) the two sons of O'Shagnussy (John and Dermond.) For the country of Ler-Conaght appeared Murcha-na-dua O'Flaherty. From Thomond appeared Donogh (the son of Conor,) Earl of Thomond, and Sir Turlogh O'Brien, elected a knight of parliament for the county of Clare; also Turlogh the son of Teige O'Brien and Macnamara (Shane,) as representative of the western district of Clan culim, and Boethius Mac Egan returned one of the knights of parliament for the county of Tipperary. Ros the son of O'Lochlin, of Burren; the son also of O'Brien, of Ara (Murtagh, the bishop of Killaloe,) O'Carrol of Ely (Calvagh,) Mac Caghlin (Shane,) the son of Arthur, O'Ducie of Coille na managh (Philip son of Othus,) Mac Brian O'Guanach (Murtogh,) the chieftain of Carigogonnel (Brian Duff O'Brian,) O'Mulrian (Conor na meinge,) Chieftain of Uathney O'Mulrian.

In the same parliament appeared a number of chiefs from South Mury, Mac Carthy Mor (Donall,) Mac Carthy Cairbreach (Owen son of Donall,) with his nephews by two brothers, Donall and Fingin. Two of the Mac Carthy Chiefs also, who were in contention about the estate of Alla. O'Sullivan of Bera (Owen son of Dermod,) O'Sullivan Mor (Owen son of Donall,) O'Mahony of Fun iararach (Conor,) O'Driscol Mor (Fingin,) Mac Gilla Patric of Ossory (Fingin,) Macgeochagan, Chief of Kenel Fiacha (Conla,) O'Mulloy (Conall,) Chief of Fera-kall.

Few of the Cavenaghs, O'Burns, O'Tools, O'Duns, and O'Dempseys, appeared. Fiach Mac Hugh O'Burn, however, took his seat, as a representative for the part of the county of Wicklow he possessed, i. e. the glyn of Malura.

No. X.

[PAGE 72.]

WHEREAS the Right Honourable Garret, earl of Desmond, hath assembled us his kinsmen, followers, and friends and ser

vants about him, after his coming out of Dublin, and made us privy to such articles as by the lord deputy and council was delivered unto him the 8th of July, 1579, to be performed, as also his answers to the said articles, which said answers we find so reasonable, as we with one accord do council and advise the said earl not to consent nor yield to any more, than in his letter is already granted; and further the said earl declared unto us, that if he do not yield presently to the performance of the same articles, and put his pledges for observation thereof, that then the lord deputy will bend his force, and make war against him. We the persons underwritten do advise and counsel the said earl to defend himself from the violence of the said lord deputy, that doth ask so unreasonable a demand, as in the said articles is contained; and for to defend and stick to this our advise and council, we renounce God, if we do spare life, body, lands, and goods, but will be aiding, helping, and assisting the said earl, to maintain and defend this our advice against the said lord deputy, or any other, that will covet the said earl's inheritance.

In witness whereof to this our counsel to the said earl, we have hereunto put our hands the 18th of July, 1578.

Garret Desmond, Thomas Lixnaw, John Desmond, John Fitz James, Rory Mac Shehey, Morrogh O'Bryan, Moriarta Mac Bryan of Langcorthe, Fa. K. E.....Fa. D. K. B. Theobald Burk, Daniel O'Brian, Richard Burk, John Brown, Daniel Mac Canna of Dumbrain, James Russell, Richard Fitz Edmund Girald, Ulick Mac Thomas of Ballincarrigy, Ulick Burk, John Fitz William of Karnederry, Tug O’Heyn Chairely.

MY LORD,

Letter from Desmond to Ormond.

GREAT is my grief, when I think how heavily her majesty is bent to disfavour me; and, howbeit I carry the name of an undutiful subject, yet God knoweth, that my heart and mind are always most loyally inclined to serve my most loving prince, so it may please her highness to remove her displeasure from me. As I may not condemn myself of disloyalty to her majesty, so I can not excuse my faults, but must confess I have incurred her majesty's indignation; yet when the cause and means, which were found, and devised to make me commit folly, shall be known to her highness, I rest in assured hope, that her most gracious majesty will think of me as my heart deserveth, as also those, who wrung me into undutifulness. From my heart, I am sorry that folly, bad counsels, flights, or any other things, have made me to

forget my duty; and therefore I am most desirous to get conference with your lordship, to the end I may open and declare to you how tyrannously I was used; humbly craving, that you will vouchsafe to appoint some time and place, where and when I may attend your honour; and then I doubt not to make it appear, how dutiful a mind I carry: how faithfully I have, at my own charge, served her majesty, before I was proclaimed; how sorrowful I am for my offences, and how faithfully I am affected ever hereafter to serve her majesty; and so I commit your lordship to God. (Subscribed)

GIRALD DESMOND.

No. XI.

BREVE OF POPE CLEMENT VIII. TO THE IRISH NATION....PAGE 77.

CLEMENS Papa VIII. universis et singulis venerabilibus fratribus archiepiscopis, episcopis et prælatis; necnon dilectis filiis principibus comitibus, baronibus, populis regni Hiberniæ, salutem et apostolicam benedictionem.

Dum jam diu sicut accepimus, vos Romanorum pontificum prædecessorum nostrorum, ac nostris et apostolicæ sedis cohortationibus adducti, ad vestram libertatem recuperandam eamque, adversus hæreticos, tuendam et conservandam, bonæ memoriæ Jacobo Giraldino (qui durum servitutis jugum vobis ab Anglis sanctæ ecclesiæ desertoribus, impositum, summo animi ardore depellere, dum vixit pro viribus procuravit :) deinde Johanni Giraldino ejusdem Jacobi Consobrino, et novissimè dilecto filio nobili viro Hugoni principi & Neillo dicto Comiti Tironensi, Baroni Dungennaniæ et capitaneo generali exercitûs Catholici in Hibernia conjunctis animis ac viribus presto fueritis; ac opem et auxilium præstiteritis, ipsique duces et eorum milites manu Domini exercituum illis assistente, processu temporis plurima egregia facinora contra hostes viriliter pugnando præstiterint, et in posterum præstare parati sint, nos, ut vos ac dux et milites predicti alacrius in expeditionem hanc contra dictos hæreticos opem et operam in posterum etiam præstare studeatis, spiritualibus gratiis et favoribus vos prosequi volentes eorumdem prædecessorum nostrorum exemplo adducti; ac de omnipotentis Dei misericordiâ, ac Beatorum Petri et Pauli Apostolorum ejus authoritate confisi, vobis omnibus et singulis qui prædictum Hugonem Tironensem Ducem ejusque exercitum

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Catholicæ fidei assertores et propugnatores sequimini, ac illis vos adjunxeritis, aut auxilio, favore, comeatibus, armis, aliisque bellicis rebus seu quâcumque ratione eis in hac expeditione operam dederitis, ipsique Hugoni Duci, ejusque exercitus militibus universis et singulis, si vere pœnitentes et confessi, ac etiam, si fieri poterit, sacra communione refecti fueritis plenariam omnium peccatorum suorum veniam et remissionem, ac eamdem quæ proficiscentibus ad bellum contra Turcas, ad recuperationem Terræ Sanctæ per Romanos Pontifices concedi solita et misericorditer in Domino concedimus non obstantibus, &c.

Datum Romæ apud Sanctum Petrum sub annulo piscatoris, die decimo sexto Aprilis 1600. Pontificatûs anno nono.

No. XII.

[PAGE 78.]

FROM THE MSS. TRINITYy college, DUBLIN, BEING A BRIEF DECLARATION TO THE QUEEN, CONCERNING THE ABUSES OF HER GOVERNMENT IN IRELAND, PARTICULARLY UNDER THE ADMINISTRATION OF SIR WILLIAM FITZ WILLIAMS, WRITTEN IN 1594, BY CAPTAIN THOMAS LEE.

To the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty.

UNDERSTANDING, most gracious sovereign, the proud and insolent terms the lords of the north of Ireland do now stand upon, it maketh me bold to set down my knowledge of those parts to your majesty, because I have debated often with the chiefs of them, what was fit they should yield unto your majesty; and that it was unmeet for them in any sort to condition with your highness; in the end (after long debating) they seemed somewhat to like and allow of that which I demanded, as hereafter shall appear. And because your majesty may the better judge the causes of their discontentments, I have here set down the unconscionable courses, which have been held towards them, which being remedied, and that they may see your majesty doth no way allow of the same, there is no doubt (notwithstanding all their proud shews of disloyalty) but that they may be brought to duti ful obedience, and to yield you that profit, which neither your majesty now hath, nor any of your progenitors ever had; so as they may likewise have that, which they demand, being nothing unfit for your majesty to grant. In which disccurse, if any thing

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