our own time, for conveying to the English cabinet the legislative authority with which it was invested by the people of Ireland. The enactment of these statutes was one of the most unconstitutional and powerful efforts to extend and confirm the power of the crown, that the history of any country can supply. The Irish parliament that confirmed them, lost sight of their legislative independence, and in their disgraceful intrigues and recriminations of party against party, the interests of the country were totally forgotten. Every oppression was tolerated and encouraged, and the gratification of private resentment and public ambition was alone consulted. The despotism exercised by the superior classes over the inferior, prepared the way for the quiet acquiescence in those laws which were introduced under the specious pretext of affording protection against the violence and extortion of the nobles. Immediately on the passing of Poyning's law, the proceedings in parliament were regulated by it, and continued until the act of union rendered it a dead letter. This law enabled the English cabinet to throw every impediment in the way of Irish industry and enterprise. Her industry discouraged her people oppressed and despised-her commerce offered up as a sacrifice on the shrine of British prejudice and British monopoly-famine and disease stalked through the land—a land blessed with a fertile soil, and a brave and laborious population. This oppression and injustice only assisted in confirming the prejudices, and adding to the hatred of the Irish people against England. The swords of both nations were only half sheathed, and were frequently drawn to avenge the wrongs of one, or to extend the possessions of the other. The employment of force, and the treacherous introduction of dissension, enabled the English to defeat the Irish in their insurrections; and every fresh outbreak gave a pretext to invaders to coerce and to destroy. The continuation of hostilities with France, and the civil commotions in Eng land, from the time of Henry the Second to the reign of Elizabeth, prevented the English monarchs from prosecuting the war against those Irish chiefs who still preserved their independence. Henry the Third and Edward the Second by the war with the Barons; Edward the Third and Henry the Fifth by hostilities with France; Richard the Second, Henry the Sixth, and Edward the Sixth, by the civil wars which weakened their power and desolated the country. The same reasons- -a war with France during the reign of Henry the Eighth, operated against any expedition of moment against Ireland; and it was reserved for Elizabeth to carry fire and sword amongst the unoffending inhabitants. CHAPTER IV. Accession of Elizabeth-Issues a proclamation against the Catholics- zabeth is Catholics. SOON after the accession of Queen Elizabeth, an act of Queen Eliparliament for the introduction of the Reformed Religion sues a prowas passed. The lord lieutenant issued a proclamation, clamation against the abolishing the celebration of mass, and by which, the authority of the Pope was declared null and void. It directed that all ecclesiastics who attempted to sustain the power or authority of any foreign potentate, should suffer one year's imprisonment for the first offence and confiscation of property; for the second, the punishment of præmunire; and for the third, the pains and penalties of high treason.* It appears, according to the historians of that time, that these decrees were opposed by the Irish parliament, since the lord deputy was obliged to dissolve it in the month of February, and to cross over to England to consult her majesty on the position of affairs, leaving Williams as his representative. If Elizabeth did not immediately adopt the measures of cruelty and bloodshed that afterwards rendered her reign notorious, her forbearance did not proceed from any humane feeling towards the Irish, but was assumed because of the critical situation in which she found herself placed, which alarmed her for her own safety, and that of her kingdom, and it required all her caution and characteristic duplicity to extricate herself from it. The act passed by her father, Henry the Eighth, declaring both his daughters illegitimate, had been abrogated in favour of Mary, upon the death of her brother Edward, but still remained in force against Elizabeth. The English parliament, it is true, chose her as Queen; but the Irish refused to prefer her to the legitimate heir-Mary of Scotland. In consequence, she appointed to the government of that country her half brother, Sir John Perrot, with orders to hold no more parliaments, but to levy taxes at his pleasure. On which, the lords of the Pale sent to him by the Viscount Baltinglass, (who had been ordered to pay into the treasury thirty-six pounds), and the Barons Howth, Delvin, and Trimelstown, their protest, praying that a parliament might be assembled as usual, to lay on the necessary taxes: for which those noblemen were committed to the Tower of Dublin, and three lawyers, whom they dispatched to lay their complaints before Elizabeth, were in their turn sent prisoners "for their presumption," as she termed it, to the Tower of London. The refusal of the Irish to acknowledge her authority, hurt her pride, and deeply wounded her vanity, and was neither forgiven or forgotten. It roused all the tiger passions she inherited from her father, and the concentrated bitterness of "the Hag Queen," of loose morals, was soon directed against devoted Ireland. This Princess was surrounded by many and powerful enemies. Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, had pretensions to the Engrassment of lish throne; Henry the Second of France, was secretly govern- engaged in an intrigue against her; the Emperor and King Embar Elizabeth's ment. of Spain had joined the confederation; and the Irish were anxiously awaiting for foreign assistance, to throw off their allegiance to her government. The penetration of Elizabeth pointed out the danger of her position: she foresaw the coming tempest that threatened destruction, and prepared to meet it with resolution. It was necessary to temporise, she therefore concealed her intentions, but inwardly decided on carrying into execution, at a more favourable opportunity, the coercive measures against the Irish and their priests. Time proved her prudence in thus determining. The continental confederation of princes was broken up, by the death of the King of France, and the revolt of the Low Countries against Spain. The wished for moment had now arrived to wreak her vengeance with impunity on the Irish people. the Irish Delivered from all apprehension of foreign invasion, she commenced a long and cruel war against the Irish; and notwithstanding the efforts of the natives, assisted by some feeble succours from Spain, she succeeded in forcing them to acknowledge her authority. One of her first acts was to order Sussex, who had returned to his government, to assemble the clergy, and endeavour, by promises and threats, to induce them to adopt the Protestant faith. Their refusal, which had been anticipated, was the signal for hostilities, and the pretext for persecution; many of the principal prelates were arrested and thrown into prison, she arrests some were banished, and others voluntarily expatriated Prelates. themselves to avoid a similar fate. These severe measures alarmed the Irish Catholics, who, seeing no security for their persons, their property, or their religion, and ignorant of the English policy to force them to resistance, took up arms in defence of their rights, and assembled in great numbers under Shane O'Neil, the most celebrated, Hostilities against the brave, and powerful chieftain of their country. In this they English, by considered themselves justified, as they only acknowledged O'Neil. through form the English government, who sought to coerce them into a belief of the Protestant religion, instead of endeavouring to convince them of what they called their errors, by reasoning against their superstitions, and gaining their affections by mild and gentle treatment. O'Neil marched against the English, defeated them in several rencounters, and retired outside the pale, with the intention of recom E |