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of which seven-eighths of the Irish nation consist, are the most miserable and destitute people on the face of the earth. "Was change and reformation needed in Ireland?" asks Carlyle. "Has Ireland been governed in a wise and loving manner? A government and guidance of white European men, which has issued in perennial hunger of potatoes to the third man extant, ought to drop a veil over its face, and walk out of court under conduct of proper officers; saying no word; expecting now of a surety sentence, either to change or die."

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If History be regarded, as it ought to be, as the grand storehouse of Experience of the human race,-not as a mere record of tyranny and slaughter, but a general accumulation of experiments, successful and unsuccessful, all tending towards the solution of the grand problem-how mankind can be governed so as to secure for the mass the largest possible amount of happiness and liberty, then a careful perusal of the history of Ireland cannot fail to teach a most impressive and instructive lesson. It teaches that centuries of Physical Force have utterly failed to attach the people of Ireland to the English government,-that seven hundred years of coercion-instead of producing Union,' affectionate allegiance, peacefulness, contentment, and prosperity,-have issued only in disunion, in constitutional resistance,' in national agitation and 'passive' rebellion-ready, on a moment's notice, to become 'active,' in burning discontent and deep-seated hostility to the governing classes, and in a mass of national pauperism and misery unequalled in the history of the world. What failure could be more complete? What experiment could be more conclusive as to the utter inefficiency of all the means which have heretofore been employed in the government of Ireland? And what more calculated to rouse the people of Great Britain, to demand that an entirely different course of policy should be henceforward pursued with reference to the sister country?

It were, indeed, full time that the English people made themselves acquainted with the condition of Ireland. It is in no small degree to their apathy and indifference as to her fate, that her present sufferings are to be attributed. Let them consider the expense

of governing Ireland by force; it has cost for many years past, more than a million sterling a-year in soldiers, and half a million in police. The Union, indeed, exists merely by force. And yet no people are more easily governed than the Irish-none are more grateful for acts of justice and kindness. It has been truly said of them, by one who knew them well, that "the Irish are indeed a tractable nation, and though they have resisted chains of iron, they may easily be conducted by a kindly hand with a silken thread." When the English people and the English government know Ireland, they will give up attempting to govern them by the sword—that old and used-up instrument of despots,—and betake themselves to Justice; employing, instead of the weapons of the soldier and policeman, the more powerful instrument of Redress. That the publication of this book may hasten that period, by diffusing among the English people a knowledge of the past history and sufferings of Ireland, is the foremost hope and desire of its author. Though, in the course of the following work, considerable sympathy and partiality are expressed for the Irish people—a sympathy and partiality which are based upon the feeling that where force and fraud alone are relied upon for the maintenance of power, the nation that resists is much more likely to be right than the nation that oppresses-yet the writer has not allowed his partiality (which is not that of either an Irishman or a Catholic) to interfere with the strict and impartial statement of facts, which he has, for the most part, purposely cited from the works of Protestant writers themselves. He has consulted a very large number of authorities, and has put forward no assertion, of which he is conscious, that cannot be supported by abundance of creditable evidence.

CONTENTS.

PAGE

PREFACE

111.-X.

CHAPTER I.-EARLY History of Ireland, and its state previous to the Anglo-
Norman Invasion

CHAPTER II.-Causes which led to the Anglo-Norman Invasion-The Irish
Church-Dermot Macmurchad intrigues with the foreigners-Landing of
the Normans

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CHAPTER III.-The Norman Invasion-The resistance of the Irish-Strong-
bow's conquests-Norman and Irish methods of fighting
CHAPTER IV.-Henry lands in Ireland with an army-Submission made by
the Irish chiefs-His triumphal progress to Dublin-General rising of the
Irish-Their feuds

CHAPTER V.-State of Ireland at the death of Henry-The Pale-The" mere
Irish "

..............

CHAPTER VI.-Ireland in the reigns of Richard I.-John-Henry III.-
Edward I.

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CHAPTER VII.-Ireland invaded by Edward Bruce-Joined by the Irish-Is
defeated and slain

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CHAPTER VIII.-Reign of Edward III.-Statutes of Kilkenny-Richard II.
-Henry IV. to Richard III........

33

CHAPTER IX.-Reign of Henry VIII.-Rebellion of Simnel and Perkin
Warbeck-The Irish Parliament-Poyning's Act.

39

CHAPTER X.--Accession of Henry VIII.-The "Reformation "Is extended
to Ireland and rejected—The Irish Church and priesthood—Edward VI.
-Mary-A massacre commemorated

44

CHAPTER XI.-Reign of Elizabeth-The Acts of Supremacy and Conformity
-Civil wars-Destruction of John O'Neill and confiscation of his estates-
Rebellion of the Earl of Desmond-Devastation of Munster-Confiscation
of the Desmond Estates--The war against Hugh O'Neill-The Earl of
Essex-Devastation of Ulster-Persecutions of the Catholics-The Pro-
testant clergy

CHAPTER XII.-Reign of James I.-Abolition of the Irish laws-Immense
Estates of the Earl of Tyrone and Tyrconnel confiscated-Settlement of
English and Scotch in Ulster-Organized system of confiscation-Religious
history-Condition of the people ....

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CHAPTER XIII.-Reign of Charles I.-Wentworth sent to Ireland-His
arbitrary measures-Renewed confiscations, &c.-Civil War in England

...

CHAPTER XIV.-Insurrection of 1641-The Lords Justices-The Earl of
Ormond--Temporizing policy of Charles-Battle of Kilrush-General Mun-
roe and the Scotch army in Ulster-Owen Roe O'Neill and the Irish army
-General representative assembly of the nation at Kilkenny-The con-
federates-Their successes

PAGE

76

83

CHAPTER XV.-Continuation of the Civil War-Lord Inchequin-Rinunc-
cini, the Pope's nuncio

97

CHAPTER XVI.-Civil War continued-Battle of Benburb-Dublin sur-
rendered to the Parliament-Execution of Charles, &c.

107

CHAPTER XVII.-The Commonwealth-Oliver Cromwell in Ireland-Siege
and massacre of Drogheda-Massacre of Wexford-Defence of Duncannon
-Death of O'Neill-Lord Broghill-Revolt of the Southern towns

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115

129

CHAPTER XVIII.-The war continued-Siege of Clonmel-Hugh O'Neill-
Waterford and Limerick taken-Conclusion of the war-Dreadful condition
of the people
CHAPTER XIX.-Extensive confiscation of Irish estates-Banishment of the
Irish to Connaught-Awful sufferings of the people-Cromwellian atrocities
-Priest hunting-Henry Cromwell's able administration-The Restoration 145
CHAPTER XX.-Reign of Charles II.-The Catholics excluded from the Act
of Indemnity-The policy of Cromwell enforced-Cruel decisions of the
Commissioners-The Doubling ordinance-Acts of settlement and expla-
nation.........

CHAPTER XXI.-Distress in England-Importation of Irish cattle prohibited
-Free trade conceded to Ireland-Her prosperity-Lord Robarts-Lord
Berkeley-The parties of Remonstrants and Anti-Remonstrants-The Duke
of Ormond-Sham popish plots-Execution of the Archbishop of Ardagh
-Death of Charles II.

CHAPTER XXII.-Reign of James II.-The Lords Justices Forbes and
Boyle-The Earl of Clarendon Lord Lieutenant-The Earl of Tyrconnel
-Attempted overturn of the Act of Settlement-Landing of the Prince of
Orange-Flight of James-The "Glorious Revolution"

156

168

179

CHAPTER XXIII.-Excitement in Ireland, and panic of the Protestants--
Derry shuts its gates on the Highlanders-Landing of King James-Siege
of Derry-James's Parliament-Its acts........

CHAPTER XXIV.-Schomberg's army lands in Ireland-Carrickfergus taken
—Encamps at Dundalk, and is reduced to great distress-Landing of King
William-Battle of the Boyne-Flight of James

CHAPTER XXV.-Entry of William into Dublin-General Douglas repulsed
from Athlone-William repulsed from Limerick-Brave feat of General

189

204

Sarsfield-Arrival of General Marlborough and capture of Cork-Raparees
-State of the Country

CHAPTER XXVI.—Campaign of 1691-Saint Ruth appointed Commander of
the Irish Army-Siege of Athlone-The Battle of Aughrim-Disastrous
retreat of the Irish-Surrender of Galway-Siege and treaty of Limerick,
and close of the war

CHAPTER XXVII.-Condition of Ireland at the close of the war— -Extensive
confiscation of Estates-Flagrant violation of the treaty of Limerick--Com-
mencement of the penal code-Prohibition of the Irish Woollen trade-The
century of penal persecution

CHAPTER XXVIII.-Reign of Queen Anne-Legal oppression of the Irish
-Resistance to the penal code-The oppressive character and operation of
the Act-Its demoralizing and destructive effects..............

CHAPTER XXIX.-Ireland at the Accession of George I. State of Agricul-
ture-Trade-Manufacture-Oppressions of the Catholics-The people
crushed-Ascendancy of the English Parliament-Dean Swift-His efforts
to excite national resistance-The Drapier's letters

CHAPTER XXX.-Ireland in the reign of George II.-The Irish Parliaments
-Famines in Ireland-Protestant horror of the Catholics-1745-Irish in
the French service-Penal cruelties revived-Stone, the Primate-Charles
Lucas-The "Scrambling" Committee-Condition of society during this
reign-The Landlords-The Clergy-The Peasantry-Secret Associations-
The Whiteboys-Case of Nicholas Sheehy-Reign of terror

CHAPTER XXXI.-Growth of the Catholics in wealth and intelligence-The
Catholic merchants-Dr. Curry, Mr. O'Conor, Mr. Wyse-The first Catholic
Association formed-Their address to the throne-Accession of George III.
-Remonstrance of Grievances-Lords Trimlestone and Taafe-Administra-
tion of Lord Townshend--Shortening of Parliaments-Concessions to the
Catholics-The first Relief Bill........

CHAPTER XXXII.-The American Revolution-Its influence on Irish
politics-Embargo on the provision trade-Relief Bill of 1798-Government
reduced to a state of bankruptcy-Ireland defenceless-The Volunteers-
Their organization, constitution, and designs

CHAPTER XXXIII.—Irish Parliament of 1779-80---Grattan, Flood, Burgh,
Yelverton, Perry, Fitzgibbon, &c.--Grattan's amendment to the Address
carried-Enthusiasm of the House-Extraordinary rejoicings of the Volun-
teers-A Free Parliament demanded-Resistance of the English Govern-
ment--Progress of the Volunteers-Lord Charlemont

CHAPTER XXXIV.-Irish Parliament of 1781-The Patriots defeated-
Renewed exertions of the Volunteers Convention of Dungannon-Strength
of the Volunteers-The Bishop of Derry-The Duke of Portland sent to
Ireland as Lord Lieutenant-Meeting of Parliament-The Royal message
-The amendment to the Address adopted-Mr. Grattan's splendid oration
-Insincerity of the Government-The Volunteers prepare for action—The

PAGE

217

227

251

261

272

289

309

329

340

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