judicatory of the realm. After the transaction of this and some other business, both houses of parliament adjourned, during which recess the grand rebellion of one thousand six hundred and forty-one broke out.

CHAP. V.

THE hatred of the old Irish to the English for what they esteemed the usurpation of their country; the grievous and oppressive measures which still continued to be enforced by the commissioners and agents of plantation; the dispossessing of private property by chicane and the revival of obsolete claims of the crown; the insincerity and faithless conduct of the king, who evaded the fulfilment of his promises to the recusants; the insolent and impolitic behaviour of the new adventurers, who treated the whole of the natives of Ireland, both of Irish and English blood, as traiterous and disaffected slaves, and selfishly represented them as such to the government; the violent doctrines of ecclesiastics educated on the Continent, who laboured with unwearied assiduity to instil into the minds of the people the most deep-rooted hatred

to heretical opinions and an heretical government; the secret and cautious proceedings of the puritans, who by a series of aggressions, provoked the recusants frequently to take arms, in order that they might become obnoxious to administration, which, by treating them with rigour, might be deprived of the advantages resulting from catholic loyalty, during that contest with the power of the crown which they themselves meditated; all contributed to foster the latent spark of disaffection which now exploded with such destructive effects. The government, lulled into a fatal security by the many false rumours of conspiracies, plots, treasons, and insurrections, which from time to time continued to be spread abroad, took no precautionary steps to meet the impending danger. Even the intelligence transmitted from the British cabinet that great numbers of Irish ecclesiastics had poured into the kingdom from Spain, and that it was the opinion of the cabinet that a rebellion would soon take place, appears not to have roused the lords justices from the unaccountable lethargy into which they had sunk.

The conspirators, the principal of whom were Roger Moore, head of a reduced family in Queen's County, a penetrating and judicious man, and pos◄

sessed of a most insinuating address; Connor Macguire, baron of Enniskillen; sir Phelim O'Nial (or O'Neal, as the word is now written), grandson of the famous rebel earl of Tyrone; Turlagh O'Neal, brother to sir Phelim; sir James Dillon; Philip Reily; Hugh Mac-Mahon; Richard Plunket; and many others of inferior note; having prepared every thing for the execution of the plot, and raised a considerable body of troops under pretence of employing them in the service of Spain, appointed the twenty-third day of October, one thousand six hundred and fortyone, as the most proper time for rising universally in arms. Moore, Byrne, and Macguire were to surprise the castle of Dublin with two hundred men, while a considerable number were to follow for their support, and to take possession of the city. The fortresses in Ulster were to be seized by different chieftains, who, after having accomplished their several tasks, were to form a junction with sir Phelim, and under his direc- tion to march with their uuited forces to Dublin. On the twenty-second of October, the day before the intended surrection, Moore and the other chieftains appointed to take the castle assembled in the capital, where they found only eighty of their men. They· spent the day, however, flattering themselves that the

remainder of their number would join them before the moment of action; and, falling on their knees, with much solemnity drank success to their enterprise. On this critical evening a full discovery of the plot was made to the lords justices, by a servant of sir John Clotworthy, named Owen O'Connolly, and the discovery was quickly followed by the arrest of MacMahon and Macguire, who were afterwards hanged as traitors at Tyburn. Moore, Byrne, and the other leaders effected their escape. The castle, however, notwithstanding this discovery, might still have been taken, as it was defended by only about fifty men, armed with halberts, had the conspirators persevered in their determination. It contained fifteen hundred barrels of gun-powder, an immense quantity of bullets and matches, ten thousand stand of arms, and thirtyfive pieces of cannon, fully equipped. The arrival of sir Francis Willoughby, governor of the fort of Galway, a brave and experienced officer, tended to soothe the apprehensions of the citizens. By his advice the lords justices and council retired within the castle; with the defence of which he was entrusted, together with that of the city. A proclamation was issued on the twenty-third, announcing the discovery of a most treasonable and detestable conspiracy, imagined by