1576. of parliament) a new tax, by way of composition for the charge of purveyance, which amounted to about twelve pounds for every plough land. General discontent was the immediate consequence of this act of government, and was followed up by a remonstrance to the Lord Lieutenant against a system of taxation so oppressive and unconstitutional. Sidney persisted in supporting the prerogative, by which he contended the Queen had a right to impose the tax; but offered to moderate it. Opposition in a cause so popular gained daily accession of strength: the principal lords through all parts of the realm refused obedience to the edict of council, and enjoined their tenants and dependants to refuse payment of the assessment.

The agents

from the

committed

by the Queon.

The inhabitants of the pale finding no redress from parliament their governors, assembled, deliberated upon their grievances, and deputed three confidential agents to her Majesty with a written memorial of their case, signed by several lords and gentlemen of the pale. In lieu of redress they were committed to the Fleet Prison as contumacious opposers of the royal authority. The Queen sent orders to Sidney, to confine every person who should offer opposition to the new imposition, and dismiss all her servants, who had been present at the original complaint, and neglected to maintain her prerogative. Others of the first distinction again remonstrated against this unconstitutional mode of taxation. They were instantly committed to close confinement in the castle: and the agents in England upon a second application to the throne were removed from the Fleet to the Tower; a proceeding, which im

plied, that their offence was considered to be of a trea- 1580. sonable nature. The whole body of Irish subjects took the alarm, and the unanimity of their voice terrified even this arbitrary monarch. Both agents and remonstrants were ungraciously dismissed, upon making an acknowledgment, that they intended not to resist any just prerogative of the crown. This forced submission of the imperious Queen to the rights of her Irish subjects was probably wrung from her by the intelligence she had received of the intentions of the King of Spain to invade her kingdoms, in retaliation for her fomenting and supporting the insurrection of his rebellious subjects in the Netherlands.

the Spani

Smerwick

The insurrection of Desmond was not yet subdued. Massacre of A band of private adventurers, partly Spanish, partly ards at Italian, and partly Irish, landed in a body of about 600 by Raleigh. men on the coast of Kerry: they brought with them ammunition and arms for 5000 men; and took possession of the fort of Smerwick, which the Spaniards had begun to erect but left unfinished. They were not joined as they expected by the Irish: being over❤ powered by numbers, they capitulated on terms; yet every individual, except the commander and his staff, was massacred in cold blood. This military butchery was committed under the orders of Sir Walter Raleigh, who attempted to justify it by the imperious circumstance of an inferiority of numbers on the side of victory. The Queen is reported to have strongly reprobated the measure, when informed of it. It was however followed up with as much rancor, as if she

1584.

Irritating conduct of

nors.

had with her own hand signed the mandate for the bloody execution.

Although the insurrection of Desmond were now the gover nearly suppressed, yet scarcely could the olive branch be distinguished through the turbulent atmosphere of blood and slaughter. Ireland was again provoked by the rigor of her governors into fresh outrages. The Baron of Lixnau openly appeared in arms, and pleaded that he had been irritated into rebellion by the galling oppressions of Grey and his officers. In this instance the cry of grievance was not unattended to; policy created justice; Lord Grey was recalled; and a general amnesty offered to such of the rebels as would accept of it. The Queen had been for once truly informed, that if her governor continued to tyrannize with such barbarity, little would be left in Ireland for her Majesty to reign over, but ashes and carcases.

Prudent administration

Perrot, and

a parlia

ment.

The dissatisfaction of the Irish at the attempts to of Sir John force the reformed religion upon them, and the excommunication of Elizabeth by Pius,the Fifth, afforded a popular pretext for any rising against the government. The Queen profited of the first appearance of tranquillity to convene a parliament. Desmond had been found in a retired cabin and beheaded by a common soldier; and Baltinglass his principal supporter in despair had fled into Spain. Sir John Perrot the deputy had by his prudence brought the nation into a more general disposition to loyalty, than had been manifested at any time since the accession of Elizabeth to the throne. No attempt was made by this parliament to forward the new religion. The first effort of the session was a

motion from the court party for a suspension of Poyn- 1586. ing's law, which was negatived by the country party. These gentlemen, feeling their strength, opposed most of the transmitted bills*: even that for the renewal of the ordinary subsidy of 13s. 4d. for every plough land. They most determinedly rejected a bill for vesting in the Queon the lands of traitors without office or inquisition, and even another for declaring those traitors, who should rebelliously detain any of her castles. The minister of the crown finding the parliament in a disposition to maintain the rights of Ireland against all demands and instructions from England, prorogued it after a short session of contest and opposition †.

The

The second session of this parliament was begun on the 26th of April 1586, and with much difficulty was the bill for the attainder of Desmond passed. grand object of that bill was the forfeiture of his vast possessions, which were then computed at 574,628 Irish acres. In order to prevent this forfeiture, a feoffment from Desmond of all these lands previous to his treason was produced by one of the members, who was a Geraldine. The house was at first embarrassed, and about to acquiesce in the validity of the instrument, when the original articles of an association were produced of a date prior to that of the fraudulent grant,

*The Annals of the Four Masters give the names of many of the Milesian families that attended this parliament, which was the first, that extended beyond the pale. They are to be seen in the Appendix to my Historical Review, No. IX.

+ Two acts only were passed in this first session, viz. for the attainder of Lord Baltinglass, and reversing that of Lord Walter Delahyde.

VOL. I.

Second sesliament, at

sion of par

which se

veral acts

passed.

1586.

Elizabeth institutes

to which the name of this Geraldine was subscribed, and which expressly avowed the opposition of its members to the Queen's government *. The bill then passed without further opposition for the attainder of Desmond, and about a hundred and forty of his accomplices and all their estates were forfeited. This also gave occasion to another bill for annulling such fraudulent conveyances in future. Some bills of regulation passed, particularly that for the impost and custom of wines, which had been thrown out in the former session.

In order to extirpate the aboriginal owners of the the system soil, transpose the property, and alter the very face of of planting the country, Elizabeth now entered upon her favorite

scheme of planting or repeopling Munster with an English colony. Letters were written to every county in England, to encourage younger brothers to become undertakers or adventurers in Ireland. Estates were offered in fee at a small acreable rent of three-pence, and in some places two-pence, to commence at the end of three years; and one half only of these rents was to be demanded for the three following. Seven years were to be allowed to complete the plantation. The undertaker for twelve thousand acres was to plant eightysix families on his estates; those who engaged for less seigniories, were to provide in proportion. None of the native Irish were to be admitted among their

* In order to show the nature and grounds of this insurrection of Desmond, the form of the association is given in the Appendix of my Hist. Rev. No. X, together with a letter from Desmond to Ormond.